FIFA World Cup: Here are some weird rules of football
What's the story
The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off yesterday in Russia. In the first game of 2018 edition, Russia thrashed Saudi Arabia 5-0. This game gave us a glimpse of the mega carnival which lies ahead of us. Several of you might be familiar with the basic rules of football, but there are some lesser known rules as well. Here we look at the same.
Bizarre
Penalized for taking one's shirt off
This is one of the most bizarre rules. As per Law 12, if a player takes his shirt off after scoring a goal, he automatically receives the yellow card. If a player celebrates with the crowd, then he can be served a yellow card as well. This rule came into effect in 2004 after International Football Association Board felt that such behavior is unsportsmanlike.
Back passes
Anything but the foot
The rule states that a goal-keeper can't handle the ball with his hands, if his team-mate kicks the ball to him. However, apart from the foot, other means of back passes can be intercepted by hands. For instance, if the ball is headed back to the goalie, he is allowed to grab it. A player can also use his thigh, shin or knee.
Bizarre
Other weird rules of this game
If any external object (including a dog) prevents a goal-bound ball, no matter how close the ball is to the goal-post, a goal will not be awarded. Post a goal-bound shot taken by a player, if the ball gets damaged (like getting flat or losing some piece), the goal won't be allowed. During penalty kick if the same thing happens, it will be re-taken.