ABSTRACT
Football was first played with codified rules in the middle of the nineteenth century. The laws were refined to improve the game for both players and spectators. Perhaps the most frequently raised issue concerning the laws is whether the number of goals scored in a match should be increased. The decision as to whether a player is in an offside position is straightforward and the play is monitored continuously by the assistant referee on the touch-line. Free-kicks are partly a deterrent against unacceptable play, and partly a compensation to the aggrieved team for the loss of opportunity arising from the infringement of the rules. The award of a penalty-kick is almost, but not quite, the same as the award of a goal. In addition to the question of the rules of the game, one can ask about the rules of competitions.
