The Laws of the Game

Teachers Notes

Task 1 - Rules

Before 1888 each school had its own rules for playing football. Why was it important to establish a common set of rules for everyone?


Task 2

When children play games in the school playground, they make up rules and then often change them.

  • What sort of changes are made in your playground
  • Who makes the changes?
  • Why are the changes necessary?

For example - in a game of football who decides what should be used as goal posts, where in the playground they should be placed and how wide apart should they be.


Task 3

Try to make up a set of rules for any of the games played in the playground such as skipping, marbles, hide-and-seek or tag.


Task 4

The rules of professional football are called The Laws of the Game. There are 17 Laws.


Football is basically a very simple game. Explain why it is necessary to have so many Laws covering all aspects of the game.


Law 5 requires a referee to be appointed for each game to 'Enforce the Laws'.

  • Why is this necessary?
  • Explain why there is usually no referee when you play your games in the playground.
  • What qualities does a person need to have to be a good referee?


Task 5

Players who break the Laws of the Game are punished by the referee. He awards advantages to the other team. Explain why this is necessary.


Task 6

Laws are necessary to control the way people behave towards each other as well as in the games they play. For example your school rules:

  • What are the school rules?
  • Why are they necessary?
  • Who is the ‘referee’?
  • What are the ‘penalties’ if the rules are broken?
  • What would happen in school if there were no rules?


Task 7

Laws are also made for everyone in the whole Country to obey:

  • There is a system for making laws which everyone must obey. How are these laws made? Give examples.
  • There must be ‘referees’ to see that the laws are kept. Who are the people responsible for enforcing the laws?
  • There must be a system of ‘penalties’ to deal with those who break the laws. Think what this system is and how it works.

Ask the children to give their views on the statement - Laws are made for everyone to obey.