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The Referee's World

A referee blows the whistle during a night match
The whistle starts and stops every match.

Every football match has one person who knows the rules better than anyone else on the pitch: the referee. Many of the rules we take for granted today began with one clever idea, a famous argument or a mistake in a big match.

This guide tells the stories of five of them: the penalty kick, the yellow and red cards, the offside rule, the vanishing spray and video review.

How to play: open a rule, watch the short scene and make your call. Then test yourself in Ref’s Call, aim for the bar in the Crossbar Challenge and learn the whistle signals.

Five rules, five stories

The Penalty KickThe Penalty KickTwelve yards, one kick: the idea of an Irish goalkeeper.✓ Call madeYellow and Red CardsYellow and Red CardsBorn at a traffic light after a chaotic World Cup match.✓ Call madeThe Offside RuleThe Offside RuleThree defenders, then two, then level is onside.✓ Call madeThe Vanishing SprayThe Vanishing SprayA white line that keeps the wall 9.15 m away.✓ Call madeVideo ReviewVideo ReviewFour kinds of decisions a video team can check.✓ Call made

Play

Ref’s CallRef’s CallTen situations, one decision each.Crossbar ChallengeCrossbar ChallengePower, angle and a lot of nerve.Whistle SignalsWhistle SignalsListen and learn the referee’s voice.
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