High school soccer has wound down, but it appears the interest in the game at that level is increasing every year. Many children who just aren’t tall enough or skilled enough to make the basketball team can become good soccer players through hard work.

This is particularly true for those who have come up through a good youth soccer program.

Most soccer fans know the rules of soccer are revised annually by FIFA, the world soccer governing body. Youth soccer organizations usually adjust the rules to fit the children playing, typically allowing smaller field size, a smaller ball, length of games, etc. The official FIFA Laws of the Game has 17 sanctions, and the rulebook contains 70 pages with an additional 44 pages of questions and answers, much like the interpretation section of the football and basketball rulebooks.

There is a guidebook for soccer officials that is 300 pages long. Contributing to the confusion surrounding the rules are a number of commonly used terms such as handball, obstruction and linesman, which are not defined in the rules.

More confusing is the way fouls are defined &045; some being called fouls as well as cards.

The referee carries two cards &045; one red and one yellow. The yellow card is given to a player who for committing acts of unsportsmanlike behavior, dissent by words or actions, persistently breaking the rules, delaying the restart of play, being too close to the kicker on a corner or free kick, entering the field without referee’s permission or leaving the field without permission.

A yellow card will always result in a direct or indirect kick. If a player receives two yellow cards, he is then given a red card and ejected. Some leagues require ejection for one yellow card. A player who gets a red card must leave the field and &045; under FIFA rules &045; cannot be replaced.

Red cards are given for more serious fouls, violent conduct, spitting at anyone, a deliberate handball to deny an obvious scoring opportunity, fouling an opponent to prevent an obvious scoring opportunity, using threatening or abusive language or receiving a second yellow card.

Under FIFA rules, the game is officiated by a referee and two linemen. The linemen are positioned on each sideline and mainly call the lines &045; determining who gets the ball after it goes out of bounds &045; and offsides. They also advise the referee and can call fouls as well.

Many youth soccer leagues use only a single referee who must also oversee the sideline calls.

You soccer coaches, players, and officials must realize this information is intended for the casual fan and is not definitive at all.

Young soccer players will be interested to know Major League Soccer teams Chicago Fire and Dallas Burn will play a game in Ridgeland March 27 at Freedom Ridge Park. The seating will accommodate 5,000 people, and this is a great opportunity for players, coaches, officials and fans to see the big boys in action.

And that’s official.

Al Graning is a former SEC official and former Natchez resident. Reach him at

AlanWard39157@aol.com.