The game of football appears straightforward. One team simply needs to score more than the other. However, the official rules contain scenarios that seem quite peculiar. A goalkeeper holding the ball too long might lead to a corner kick. A goal cannot be scored straight from a throw-in. Even kicking the ball into your own net does not always count as a score against your team. Here are five surprising football regulations that are entirely valid.
Eight Seconds for Keepers
Goalkeepers cannot possess the ball for an extended period. The rules now state that a goalkeeper holding the ball with their hands or arms for over eight seconds incurs a penalty. What is unexpected is how the game restarts. Rather than an indirect free kick, the opposing team is awarded a corner kick. (Source: IFAB – Law 12)
No Goal From a Throw-In
Imagine a perfectly thrown ball sailing over everyone and directly into the goal. This action does not result in a score. The relevant law indicates a goal cannot be achieved directly from a throw-in. If the ball enters the opponents’ goal without any other player touching it, they receive a goal kick. (Source: IFAB – Law 15)
Kick-Offs Can Produce Goals
A player does not require a teammate to touch the ball after the game begins. According to the rule, a goal can be scored directly against the opposing team from the center of the field. However, if a player accidentally kicks the ball into their own goal, it is not considered an own goal. The opposition is instead given a corner kick. (Source: IFAB – Law 8)
Keepers Cannot Throw a Goal
A goalkeeper may be capable of throwing the ball a considerable distance. Still, throwing it directly into the other team’s net does not create a goal. The law clearly states that if a goalkeeper throws the ball directly into the opponents’ goal, play resumes with a goal kick. (Source: IFAB – Law 10)
Some Own Goals Become Corners
This next rule is perhaps the most unusual. If a player takes a free kick and kicks it directly into their own goal without any other player touching it, an own goal is not given. Instead, the opposing team is awarded a corner kick. This same strange principle also applies to some other game restarts, including goal kicks. (Source: IFAB – Law 13)
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