# Two Quick Soccer Questions **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 4, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730 "2017-04-04T14:39:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/1 "2017-04-04T14:39:01Z")
1. How long after you score a goal does the ref generally give you to slide around on your knees, invoke your god, hug your teammates, and whatnot, before he makes play resume? 2. On TV, is there a universal convention for identifying the home vs. visiting team in the score? Like, if the score says Bournemouth 1 - 0 Arsenal, does that mean that Arsenal is the home team? Is the convention consistent across all networks, reporters, leagues, etc? (In other words, does EPL do it one way and MLS another?) ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/2 "2017-04-04T14:46:55Z")
1. Home team is listed first in soccer. For most American sports home team is listed second (probably because in baseball the home team bats in the bottom of the inning and that convention spread), but MLS follows the international soccer standard. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/3 "2017-04-04T14:58:16Z")
1. According to the rules: > [@](#): > > _ **Kick-off** _ > [ul] > [li]after a team scores a goal, the kick-off is taken by the other team.[/li][li]all players must be in their own half of the field of play[/li][li]the opponents of the team taking the kick-off are at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball until it is in play[/li][li]the ball must be stationary on the centre mark[/li][li]the referee gives a signal[/li][li]the ball is in play when it is kicked and moves forward[/li][li]the kicker must not touch the ball again until it has touched another player[/li][/ul] there’s no official time limit, however it takes a few minutes to get everyone reset anyways, so I’d imagine it’s entirely the ref’s discretion. If everything and everyone else is ready to restart play and one team is still airplaning around the stadium, I’m guessing a yellow card could be issued for “unsporting behavior” or delaying the game: > [@](#): > > CELEBRATION OF A GOAL > > Players can celebrate when a goal is scored, but the celebration must not be excessive; choreographed celebrations are not encouraged and must not cause excessive time-wasting. > > Leaving the field of play to celebrate a goal is not a cautionable offence but players should return as soon as possible. > > A player must be cautioned for: > [ul] > [li]climbing onto a perimeter fence[/li][li]gesturing in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way[/li][li]covering the head or face with a mask or other similar item[/li][li]removing the shirt or covering the head with the shirt[/li][/ul] > > DELAYING THE RESTART OF PLAY > > Referees must caution players who delay the restart of play by: > [ul] > [li]appearing to take a throw-in but suddenly leaving it to a team-mate to take[/li][li]delaying leaving the field of play when being substituted[/li][li]excessively delaying a restart[/li][li]kicking or carrying the ball away, or provoking a confrontation by deliberately touching the ball after the referee has stopped play[/li][li]taking a free kick from the wrong position to force a retake[/li][/ul] From here: [Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct](http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-12---fouls-and-misconduct) ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/4 "2017-04-04T18:59:07Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > 1. How long after you score a goal does the ref generally give you to slide around on your knees, invoke your god, hug your teammates, and whatnot, before he makes play resume? > > 2. On TV, is there a universal convention for identifying the home vs. visiting team in the score? Like, if the score says Bournemouth 1 - 0 Arsenal, does that mean that Arsenal is the home team? Is the convention consistent across all networks, reporters, leagues, etc? (In other words, does EPL do it one way and MLS another?) Even the most elaborate celebrations take less than a minute, and there isn’t as much angst about ‘excessive celebrations’ as in American sports. Except keep your shirt on. Apparently taking off your shirt in delight is beyond the limits of sportsmanship. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/5 "2017-04-04T19:05:48Z")
> [@planetcory](#): > > Except keep your shirt on. Apparently taking off your shirt in delight is beyond the limits of sportsmanship. Which is a pity - a lot of those Young Soccer Players look quite buff. It’s a rather recent decision to enforce it, too - it used to be nobody batted an eye when the Players took their Shirts off to Switch with the opposite Team (as a gesture of friendship and respect) at the end of the game. Now they wear two Shirts in order to stay clothed when they do that. I don’t know what they are afraid of - more women getting interested in Soccer? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/6 "2017-04-04T20:36:06Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > there’s no official time limit, however it takes a few minutes to get everyone reset anyways, so I’d imagine it’s entirely the ref’s discretion. As a soccer ref (youth-level now, but in my days I’ve done most all ages), this is right on the mark. Referee decides when the game restarts. At club/professional level, the referee can add time to the end of the period/half for delays like this. How much time is added is at the discretion of the ref (soccer refs are pretty powerful). > [@](#): > > If everything and everyone else is ready to restart play and one team is still airplaning around the stadium, I’m guessing a yellow card could be issued for “unsporting behavior” or delaying the game: Again, yep. Or he just have the other team kick off, like this… [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EqTaohqgL8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EqTaohqgL8) ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/7 "2017-04-04T23:05:50Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > Which is a pity - a lot of those Young Soccer Players look quite buff. It’s a rather recent decision to enforce it, too - it used to be nobody batted an eye when the Players took their Shirts off to Switch with the opposite Team (as a gesture of friendship and respect) at the end of the game. > > Now they wear two Shirts in order to stay clothed when they do that. I don’t know what they are afraid of - more women getting interested in Soccer? :dubious: Not that recent. Over a decade I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/8 "2017-04-05T01:41:22Z")
1. Almost everywhere I have seem the home team is listed first, even in USA where all other sports its opposite. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/9 "2017-04-05T02:21:57Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > 1. Almost everywhere I have seem the home team is listed first, even in USA where all other sports its opposite. > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk It used to be a little confusing though because for a while ESPN at least, and I think some other U.S.-based English language telecasters, would list the home team second as with other U.S. sports. It was confusing, of course, because the international telecasters listed the home team first. They finally changed to the international standard about—what—ten years ago? But it might have been kind of uneven. Like, they may have switched first on foreign professional games (e.g. Premier League) and then only later for the MLS. As for how much time a referee allows for celebration after a goal—as others have said—it is entirely at the ref’s discretion. A ref will generally give more leeway if it’s a particularly important goal (for example-- a goal that pulls a team even late in a knockout round of an big tournament) but even so, he or she is counting the seconds and will often add time at the end of the half to make up for it. It does take some time for everyone to get into position even if there’s little celebrating and no tactical time-wasting. In a high-level professional or international match I’d say the fastest a restart happens is about 20 seconds after a goal is scored. The longest amount of time allowed would be maybe around 50 seconds to a minute. But it is hugely variable and depends on a lot of things. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/10 "2017-04-05T02:33:53Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > At club/professional level, the referee can add time to the end of the period/half for delays like this. How much time is added is at the discretion of the ref (soccer refs are pretty powerful). > > [snip] > > Or he just have the other team kick off, like this… [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EqTaohqgL8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EqTaohqgL8) That’s an interesting situation. I wish the video had given a good idea of just how long the goalkeeper fooled around. I’d also like to see where the keeper was when the ref blew the whistle to restart. You can’t tell from the video but it looks like he was around the top of the penalty area with his back to the kick-off. I think the referee might have been a little unsporting to do that (but I don’t know all that happened). Seems if the keeper was taking an excessive amount of time celebrating he maybe should have seen a yellow card. That hurts. but at least wakes him up to the fact that he better get his butt ready. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/11 "2017-04-05T02:40:42Z")
It should be noted that, in soccer, the final score is reported according to the Home Team First rule. Thus, the score of a game between Manchester United and Arsenal, played at Old Trafford, in which Arsenal wins by scoring two goals to United’s one would be: Man U. 1 - 2 Arsenal I find this quite a bit more helpful than the typical American score reporting, which puts the winner first, regardless of who was at home. A referee can, and sometimes does, caution players (and show the yellow card) for excessive celebrations. More likely, he will simply add time at the end of the half to cover any excess time spent celebrating. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/12 "2017-04-05T08:27:09Z")
> [@planetcory](#): > > Even the most elaborate celebrations take less than a minute, and there isn’t as much angst about ‘excessive celebrations’ as in American sports. Except keep your shirt on. Apparently taking off your shirt in delight is beyond the limits of sportsmanship. This could also have something to do with preventing players from showing off a t-shirt with a slogan(often political) underneath their football tops. This was a controversy a few years back. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/13 "2017-04-05T09:03:48Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Again, yep. Or he just have the other team kick off, like this… [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EqTaohqgL8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EqTaohqgL8) Even without excessive celebrating that seems very risky. What if the keeper saves it, or blocks it and a defender gets to the ball first. They can then just blast it straight at the opposing goal and if on target there’s nobody to stop it. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/14 "2017-04-05T09:29:28Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Even without excessive celebrating that seems very risky. What if the keeper saves it, or blocks it and a defender gets to the ball first. They can then just blast it straight at the opposing goal and if on target there’s nobody to stop it. It’s rather hard to hit the opposite goal at that distance, even if free from interference, which you wouldn’t be. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/15 "2017-04-05T10:13:20Z")
> [@planetcory](#): > > Apparently taking off your shirt in delight is beyond the limits of sportsmanship. I’ve heard that it’s because of lobbying from sponsors. You’ve paid a bazillion bucks to have your logo on the shirts of Overpaid United. The star striker scores a goal! All the cameras are on him! Great! Except that the only thing anyone sees is a buff chest and some tattoos. It might be a conspiracy theory, though. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/16 "2017-04-05T13:54:21Z")
I thought the no-tearing-off-your-shirt rule came about because of Brandi Chastian, who tore off her shirt after a big goal in the 1999 Women’s World Cup. Because sexism. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/I3U2K0nXjt0/maxresdefault.jpg "Brandi Chastain: Her Historic 1999 World Cup Kick") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3U2K0nXjt0) ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/17 "2017-04-05T14:04:09Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](#): > > This could also have something to do with preventing players from showing off a t-shirt with a slogan(often political) underneath their football tops. This was a controversy a few years back. This is not the issue. A player can simply lift his shirt to show a slogan anyway. The official statement by the IFAB is that “Removing one’s shirt after scoring is unnecessary and players should avoid such excessive displays of joy.” (See the old “Additional Instructions for Referees” section of old versions of the _Laws of the Game_) Various theories are proposed as to why the IFAB imposed mandatory discipline for this in 2004. They include such concepts as protecting the value of the logos (which are still invisible if the player lifts the shirt up, but does not put it over his head), not offending Muslim viewers (who will still be offended by views of shirt-swapping post-game), shirts necessary for identification (they have the official jersey number of the player, but really, does the referee worry he won’t recognize who scored and then did some stupid thing afterwards?), etc. I suspect the real reason is two-fold: the Laws of the Game require that you be wearing a jersey, and the powers that be think taking it off and pulling a Ryan Giggs is, as noted above, “excessive.” I guess the NFL isn’t the only no-fun league. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/18 "2017-04-05T16:46:49Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > … **not offending Muslim viewers** (who will still be offended by views of shirt-swapping post-game), shirts . 😛 :dubious: Say what? That is fucking bullshit. Here is the aftermath of the [1996 Asian Cup Final](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae0GtofGm2I) in Abi Dhabi, starting at 6:40 you see several celebrating Saudi players take their shirts off and run. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/19 "2017-04-05T17:25:35Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > :dubious: > Say what? > That is fucking bullshit. Here is the aftermath of the [1996 Asian Cup Final](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae0GtofGm2I) in Abi Dhabi, starting at 6:40 you see several celebrating Saudi players take their shirts off and run. I just report what people say. Google “why can’t soccer players take off their shirts” and see what comes up as common explanations. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730/20 "2017-04-05T21:52:04Z")
In Tulsa in the mid 80’s in the NASL, the Roughnecks of Tulsa were waiting to make the kickoff while the opponents were celebrating making a goal to even the score and were ignoring the referee trying to get the goalie to go back to the net. He blew his whistle for the restart while the goalie was jogging back to his net and Tulsa quickly took the kick, the second player touched it back to Alan Woodward who thunder footed it directly on goal. The goalie saw it coming as his team was screaming at him but he was not fast enough to get back to prevent the goal. The shot was taken from about 10 yards inside Tulsa’s half of the field. Only the Tulsa player who took the second pass back to Woodward had gone into the opponents half of the field. He was back in his half and they were all out of the center circle waiting for the other team to take the restart kick they had coming. The stands were going nuts, the the entire Tulsa team was grinning big. The referee kept indicating it was a good goal. It was obvious that is was practiced so I think that goalie had a reputation for wasting time that way. They punished him for that mistake. His own teammates were unhappy with him. The referee had given plenty of time and told him to hurry which he did not do. I loved being a referee but you had to understand that you could not pass the buck. Right or wrong but right now yoiu make the decesions. I made it to a State One level badge and did adult, collage and semi-pro games. My age kept me from going for a National badge. Started as an Referee on kid games and worked my way upR, then R 2, then R 1 then State 2 then State 1. Have to be able to take & learn from some brutal after game assessments which get tougher & tougher the higher you go. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-quick-soccer-questions/783730.md?page=2)