Football: Skills, Rules and Officiating
Introduction
Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Kenya, played from school fields to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League and the Harambee Stars national team. In Sports and Recreation, learners master skills, tactics and the laws of the game, and learn to officiate and lead teams.
The pitch and equipment
- Rectangular pitch, with a halfway line, centre circle, two penalty areas, goal areas and corner arcs.
- A ball of size 5, goals, corner flags.
- Players wear jerseys, shorts, socks, shin guards and boots. The goalkeeper wears a different colour.
Team and positions
Each team has 11 players:
- Goalkeeper
- Defenders (centre-backs, full-backs)
- Midfielders (defensive, central, wide)
- Forwards (strikers, wingers)
Common formations: 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2 (defenders-midfielders-forwards).
Basic skills
- Passing: short pass with the inside of the foot; long pass with the laces.
- Dribbling: close control using small touches.
- Trapping: cushioning the ball with the foot, thigh or chest.
- Shooting: strike through the ball with the laces, keep the head steady, follow through.
- Heading: contact the ball with the forehead.
- Tackling: winning the ball legally.
- Goalkeeping: catching, diving, punching, distribution.
Key laws
- Match duration: 2 x 45 minutes.
- A goal is scored when the whole ball crosses the line between the posts and under the crossbar.
- Throw-in: when the ball crosses the touchline; thrown with both hands from behind the head.
- Goal kick: when attackers send the ball over the goal line.
- Corner kick: when defenders send the ball over their goal line.
- Direct free kick: for fouls (kicking, tripping, pushing, handball).
- Indirect free kick: for dangerous play and offside.
- Penalty: for a direct free-kick foul by a defender inside their own area.
- Offside: being ahead of the second-last defender when the ball is played to you, and gaining an advantage.
Cards
- Yellow card: caution for unsporting behaviour.
- Red card: sending off for serious foul play, violent conduct, or a second yellow card.
Officials
- Referee: controls the game.
- Two assistant referees: signal offside, throw-ins and corners.
- Fourth official: manages substitutions.
- VAR is used at the top level.
Worked example 1: league points
A win gives 3 points, a draw 1, and a loss 0. A team with 5 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses has 5 x 3 + 3 x 1 = 18 points.
Worked example 2: substitution
A team makes three substitutions; a substituted player cannot return. If a player is sent off, the team plays one man short.
Training drills
- Passing in triangles
- Dribbling through cones
- Small-sided games (5 vs 5)
- Shooting and finishing drills
- Fitness: shuttle runs and warm-up stretches
Values and safety
Fair play, respect for referees, teamwork and discipline. Warm up, wear shin guards, and drink water.
Try it
- Draw a pitch and mark the penalty area, penalty mark and centre circle.
- Practise 20 passes in pairs using both feet.
- Explain when an indirect free kick is awarded.
- Compute the league points of a team with 7 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss.