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Five Laws of the Game that Specifically Concern the Goalkeeper

The goalkeeper may not:

1. take more than four steps while controlling the ball with his hands before releasing it from his possession;

2. touch the ball again with his hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player;

3. touch the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a teammate;

4. touch the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a teammate;

5. waste time.

When are socks illegal?

As everyone knows, the referee is God and King on the soccer pitch, having the first and final word regarding all interpretations of the Laws of the Game. The question of what is “unsporting conduct” is intentionally left open to interpretation, so that the referee can deal with unusual cases and incidents. For example, if a player wears a different-coloured pair of socks than the rest of his team, it suddenly becomes easier for someone in possession of the ball dribbling up the field, head down and concentrating, to spot that player. A bright red pair of socks on a striker, for instance, will stand out against the green turf. There is no strict provision against this tactic in the Laws of the Game, but players shouldn’t expect to get away with it. The referee has power even over players’ uniforms, and a good one will not allow mismatched socks, and might even call this unsporting behaviour and give that striker yellow card for trying — both literally and figuratively — to pull a fast one with his red socks.