Are you ready for the 2014 World Cup?

[Not me cheering for the start of a match.]

It's almost time for the first match to start!


If you are not a football fan but are considering following coverage of the tournament, this link offers a good guide to some basic terms. It isn't complete (the playing field, for example, is referred to as the pitch) but it's a good starter.

Here are a few more things that it helps to know.

Players are prohibited from intentionally touching the ball with their hands in any way, which is an offense known as a handball. In this game, though, the hand includes the arm, starting where the arm attaches to the shoulder so handling the ball is broadly construed. This rule has two exceptions. The first exception is the goal keeper, who can only pick up the ball inside the penalty box, which is the larger of two painted boxes on each end of the pitch. (The smaller box inside of the penalty box defines goal area.) The other exception is when a ball leaves the pitch on the sideline. In this case the team who isn't responsible for the ball going out of bounds (the one that didn't touch it last) has a player pick it up and throw it back in. With the proper form of course -- failure to do a throw in right will be flagged.

Why the two boxes on each end?

Because some fouls are handled differently depending upon where they occur. If a defender draws a foul in his team's penalty box, the opposing team earns a penalty kick. Some context is needed for this as it is a crucial occurrence in any match.

There are basically two kinds of free kicks awarded for fouls, indirect and direct. You'll know a typical free direct kick because defenders will line up between the ball and the goal (at least 10 meters away from the ball) while covering their crotches with their hands. A direct kick means you can score directly from the kick itself, whereas an indirect kick means the ball must be touched by another player first. But not just any free kick is a penalty kick. A penalty kick is a free direct kick awarded for a foul inside the penalty box that is taken from a designated central spot located between the lines for the penalty box and the goal box. In other words, right in front of the goal. And it's a one-on-one shot against the goalie at that point blank range. Which means that at the professional and international levels of competition, a failure to score on a penalty kick is considered to be either blown attempt for the one taking the shot or an amazing save by the keeper.

The smaller box marks the limits of goal area where a goal kick may be taken. What's a goal kick? If the ball leaves the pitch along the goal line (the one marking the far ends rather than the sides of the pitch) and an attacking player was the last to touch it, the defending team gets a goal kick to reintroduce the ball into play.

I'll finish up with the corner kick. If a defender is the last to touch the ball before it crosses the goal line and go out of bounds, the attacking team gets to place it on the corner of the pitch on the same side where the ball exited. Defenders must stand back 10 yards for the ball as with indirect kicks. Often the player taking the corner will try to "cross it" in front of the goal in the hopes that in all of the pushing and jumping it gets knocked into the net for a score. A different strategy is to kick the ball back away from the goal to another player who can either take a power shot (through the crowd) or try to pass it around to an open player.

As you might imagine, penalty kicks and corner kicks are major events in any match as they are prime scoring opportunities, and both are the responsibility of the defenders to avoid if possible (and for the attackers to try and draw). There are other rules and lots of team formations and strategies involved (see "diving" for example), but this short introduction includes the highlights that will best help you better appreciate the matches.

Go on and enjoy the international competition!