I’ve been watching the World Cup from time to time, and like most North Americans, my knowledge of the game is limited. I’ve got a few questions that I hope people here can answer.
The yellow and red cards - I understand that yellow is a warning, and that if you get two yellows, you get a red and you’re out. How long does the yellow card warning last? just for the particular match? for that one and the next match? the entire tournament? I heard one commentator mention that a player had got a yellow card in the previous match so he could get ejected for another one this match, which made it sound like the yellow card warning lasts longer than just one game? or does it depend at what time in the previous match the player got the yellow card (e.g. - in the last ten minutes)?
Corners - what is that triggers a team getting a corner? is it that the other team put the ball out of bounds in a particular area of the field? And why is a corner so important - does it increase scoring chances?
Free kicks - sometimes the other teams gets to set up a “wall” of players in front of the goal on a free kick, but sometimes it’s just the kicker and the keeper. What decides when there’s a wall, and when it’s just one-on-one? Is one-on-one reserved for the more serious penalties?
I can answer #2. The attacking team gets a corner kick if the the ball goes out the back line off a defending player. It can result in a scoring chance (it’s kicked directly into the goalie’s box and attackers have a chance to head it in from there), but it is also a sign that the attacking team had already gotten close.
Different leagues and competitions have different rules concerning accumulated cards and suspensions.
In this World Cup 2 in the Group Qualifiers leads to a suspension. Not sure if a yellow card also carries into the next rounds or whether the slate is wiped clean.
The formation and placement of walls is at defending teams discretion so long as they form up 10 yards from the ball.
Distance from goal, the angle and the reputation of possible free kick takers and ability of own keeper will all factor.
Yellow cards last for the whole game. Two yellows in one game, and you get a red card too and are sent off. For serious/malicious fouls, you can get a “straight red” - a red card awarded with no previous yellow. Either way, you’re out of the game and cannot be replaced by another player.
In addition to all that, players who get a red card or accumulate two yellow cards over the course of a certain number of games (I think up to the quarter-finals, in this tournament) are “suspended” – barred from the next game. Again, for serious misconduct, the suspension can be longer.
You may be confusing free kicks with penalty kicks, which are a special type of free kick awarded if the foul occurs in the penalty area. They are taken from the penalty spot, with no players other than the kicker and the keeper allowed in the penalty area.
The “wall” is just a tactic used to defend regular free kicks that are within range of the goal. There are no special rules about walls. As with any free kick, defending players must be at least 10 yards away at the time of the kick.
Yellow cards carry over from one match to the next and can hang over a player for a number of games, depending on the tournament. In this World Cup, each player carries his yellow card up until the quarter finals, when the slate is wiped clean for everyone. However, if you get a yellow in one game and another in the next (or the one after that), whilst you will miss the following game, two yellows in consecutive matches does not mean a red card and instant dismissal from the field.
Teams will often rest a star player who is carrying a yellow card for non-critical games - such as the third group game if qualification is already assured - to make sure they aren’t barred from the knockout stage.
The time the card was awarded is irrelevant.
Corners are awarded to the attacking team if the defending team knocks the ball out across the back line. So, for instance, if a goalkeeper saves a shot but knocks the ball over the top of the crossbar in the process, then a corner is awarded.
Corners represent very strong scoring opportunities because they give the chance to play a ‘set piece’ - i.e. a pre-rehearsed move involving a number of the attacking players designed to catch the defence out. It also means a ball being lobbed directly into the box, which is a great scoring opportunity in itself.
If the attacking team knocks the ball over the back line - such as miss hitting a shot on goal - then the defending team takes a ‘goalkick’, often taken by the goalkeeper.
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There are three types of freekick in football:
The indirect freekick, used to restart a game when a player has performed a minor misdemeanor, such as obstructing an attacking player
The direct freekick. This is a freekick awarded for more serious offences, such as dangerous play and sometimes accompanied by a yellow card. If taken outside of the penalty box (the white square marking a box in front of the goal), the defending team will usually set up a wall if the attacking team is close enough to attempt a direct shot on goal. This is another example of a ‘set piece’ which provides strong scoring opportunities. David Beckham specialises in these.
Penalty kick. This is the result of any foul which would normally lead to a direct free-kick that is committed by a team inside their own penalty box. All players except the goalkeeper and the guy taking the penalty must stand outside the penalty box. Hence, no wall. Penalty kicks are the most sever form of freekick as any offence inside the penalty box is deemed to be preventing a direct scoring opportunity.
I forgot to add, David Beckham is a God in his homeland because his amazing free kick abilities have meant he has single handedly saved England’s ass in a number of games. A few examples
Indirect, as mentioned above, is for minor things, like obstruction (preventing a player who has played the ball passed you to pass himself by stepping into his path for instance. ) Also for certain types of dangerous plays (kicking close to somebodys head for instance) when no actual contact is made.
If the keeper scoops up a pass from a defender in his hands, this is also a indirect freekick, and these can be quite spectacular, as the keeper is often closer than 10 yards to his own goal when picking up a ball with his hands, and thus the wall is allowed to be set on the goal line, usually meaning everybody on the defending team lining up on the goal line.
Usually the seriousness of the offence, but also off-the-ball play. If you foul someone off the ball (usually via blocking them unfairly with a body check or pulling them back if they are about to make a run), an indirect free kick is awarded.
The only difference between direct and indirect is that you cannot score from an indirect free kick unless another attacker touches the ball first (ie, you cannot just blast it into the goal from the dead ball situation, it must be touched by another player after the free kick taker touches it).
And yes, David Beckham is one of the world’s best strikers of the ball from dead.