Why do Referees say "Before the snap of the ball" along with "Illegal procedure"?  Can't be after.
138525
Any penalty that happens before the snap of the ball is announced, because it informs people that the defense has no choice to take the play instead of the penalty.   Sometimes that information is redundant, but sometimes not.
1098953
There are 2 colors of "cards" which the referee will hold up to indicate serious fouls or behavior which won't be tolerated. He carries these cards in his shirt pocket, so if he reaches for his pocket it's a bad sign for the player who committed the foul. These cards are about the size of a playing card and one is yellow and the other is red. When a card is to be given (it isn't actually given to the offending player, it is actually just shown to him and to everyone else) the referee will stop the game, call the player over, hold up the card and write the player's name in his notebook. This is called "booking" the player and when it happens the player has been "booked", (e.g., "she was booked"). Any time a Yellow or Red Card is shown, a "direct" or "indirect kick" will also be awarded. \nYellow Card - Indicates a formal "caution" for any of the following 7 offenses:\n\n   1. "unsporting behavior" - this includes hard fouls; holding an opponent or deliberately handling the ball for the purpose of preventing an opponent from gaining possession of the ball; faking an injury; saying things that are designed to confuse or distract an opponent; harassment (such as jumping around, shouting or making gestures to intentionally distract an opponent; jumping in front of a corner kick, free kick or throw-in; worrying the goalkeeper or trying to prevent him from putting the ball into play; & adopting a threatening posture), gaining an unfair advantage by leaning on, climbing on the back of, or holding a teammate or the goal; blatant cases of holding and pulling an opposing player or his uniform; any action designed to deceive the Referee; and behavior which in the Referee's judgment is unsporting or causes an unfair advantage,\n\n   2. dissent by word or actions,\n\n   3. persistently breaking the rules,\n\n   4. delaying the restart of play,\n\n   5. defenders failing to stay the proper distance away from the kicker on a corner kick or free kick (see" Corner Kick" & "Free Kick"),\n\n   6. entering the field without the referee's permission\n\n   7. deliberately leaving the field without the referees permission.\n\nA player who receives 2 Yellow Cards is given a Red Card & ejected. FIFA rules do not require a player to leave the field for the first yellow card. However, some leagues' rules do. You must go by your league's rules. \n\n(I used to play D3 soccer, and when I had a fiberglass cast on my broken arm, I would have to pad it, and I'd start every game with 1 yellow card.  Not sure why--they must have thought I was faking it, or that I'd whack someone!)\n\nRed Card - A player must be shown a Red Card and "sent off" (i.e., made to leave the field) for the 7 offenses listed below. A player shown a "Red Card" & sent off may not be replaced during that game (i.e., his team must play a player "short" for the rest of the game; however, in some leagues a player may be replaced if he is ejected for receiving a second Yellow Card). The 7 offenses for which a player must be shown a Red Card and sent off are:\n\n   1. serious foul play (includes any use of excessive force or brutality against an opponent when challenging for the ball. Examples include a dangerous slide tackle from behind, or an "over the top tackle" in which a player raises his foot so the cleats could hit a player, or a two footed tackle that takes down the opponent. FIFA has broadened this definition by saying that "Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play. For current rules visit www.fifa.com, Laws of the Game. The above quote is from Questions and Answers, Additional Instructions for Referees).\n\n   2. violen
1020916
They are pros that there is no way to change the decision made on the field, so why complain?  There is always human err when it comes to officiating sports.  FIFA doesn't have a video review process.  Referees cannot see everything that 25 cameras can.  Bottom line is, if they can score a goal that doesn't count they should also be able to score one that does count, and they didn't.  \n\nDon't get me wrong, though, I love France.  Allez Les Bleus!
1162943
There is too much passion in football for referees to be making wrong calls. I think the time is long due for FIFA to introduce   a 4th referee who will be watching replay before important decisions like Penalty and Red card and some funny call are made. Until that is done, weaker teams will have to suffer from some of these referees who think too highly of some nation that others. This world cup would have been far better if instant replay had been introduced. The referees are killing the game and swinging the wins the wrong way and that upset me. Its a pain to go out in a world cup on wrong calls.
566009
The rule was changed so that play would not be interrupted unnecessarily. Like you, I didn't quite get it. I looked up "new offside rule" on Google and came up with the link below. It seems to explain it quite well.
1097117
diving is a yellow card offence (im a ref...ive got the FIFA rulebook right in front of me) but for some reason most of us dont call it....\nand like said previously "this disguisting behavior is only found in italy"
1102961
The call was made, and it went in favour of the italians. \nThats all. \n\nthe rule is that there is a 'high risk' if you tackle inside the penalty box, but, high risk doesnt mean every tackle is 'legitimate'. \n\nA tackle is required, for starters. And, well, from MY perspective, it was the italian guy tripping over the aus. defender's body. \nI dont think that you will receive a conclusion because of the mixed thoughts on this topic. \n\nlol, jst stop posting, soccer_mind, you are just embarrassing yourself with your limited vocabulary.
1021110
I think that the ref was just inconsistent with the calls and the red card to Pablo Mastroeni was not justified at all. At most it deserved a yellow card for a late tackle but definitely not a red card. The yellow card given to Eddie Pope which resulted in a red card was also completely stupid! The red card given to the Italian player Daniele De Rossi was justified because it was an obvious and intentional foul. The refs also called offsides on the Italians when the player was onside. The ref of the game had been put on probation before also for making bad calls.
765029
They sometimes bounce a ball in football and two players go for it when the play's stopped and ref doesn't know who'd had it prior to the stoppage. Only thing I can think of to answer your question.
1130823
It is my understanding that the refs are under pressure by FIFA to call the matches more strictly.  However,  I think they've gone a little too far this year!  \n\nIt is evident to me that many bookings (yellow and red cards) have been given out of fear of losing control of the games.  To my mind, any referee who fears losing control of a match shouldn't be out there in the first place.  \n\nThe practice has always been to call the players involved in a foul together and warn them verbally before issuing any cards.  Sometimes the official may call the team captains together and talk to them.  Either way, you don't come right out of the gates flashing yellow cards at the first players to commit a foul.  \n\nYou are right in saying the refs have been bad.  This is not average at all.  I'm disappointed to see so many games limited to 11 vs. 10, 10 vs. 10 or even 9 vs. 9 (Holland-Portugal), just because a referee fears losing control of the match.  \n\nI think we've probably seen yet another World Cup record set in the number of yellow and red cards given.  Personally, it's not the kind of record I want to see broken ever again!  Ironically the very control the referees have tried to affect through all the bookings has backfired on them!\n\nAnyway, that's my two cents.
1178348
Yellow cards (or cautions) are given out for 7 reasons.  Dissent (talking back to the ref), Unsporting behavior (hard fouls, etc.), Delaying the restart of play (says it all), persistent infringement of the laws of the game (a player fouls repeatedly), Failure to respect required distance on a free kick (isn't 10 yards from the ball), Enter or re-enters field w/o ref permission (self-explanitory), and Deliberately leaving the field of play (self-explanitory)\n\nIn the World Cup, if a player receives 2 yellow cards in a ROUND, or a red card, the player must sit out the game AFTER he received his second yellow card.\n\nThere are also 7 offenses that warrant a red card.  These are Serious Foul Play (SFP) (a tackle that endangers the player's safety), Spitting (at anyone), Violent Conduct (SFP against a player of same team or ref), Abusive language, Denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity to an opponent with an offense punishable by a free kick (Fouling a guy on a fast break), Denying a goal or obvious goal scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (player catches the ball as a last resort), and receiving 2 cautions in one match.
722660
not illegal if they play the ball. Only commits foul if takes player without ball.\nThe Grey area is that it is at the discretion of the ref as to the outcome.
512512
Yes,I would rather they don't have this rule simply because human judgement  can be controversial at times.Maybe they should come up with a demarcation line closer to the box that determine whether an attacker is offside or not.
1019485
ok i think you've gone a bit far with this, just because a ref missed an offside call doesn't mean that FIFA treats Africa unfairly...question what behavior? a ref making a mistake? what are they suppose to do, fine him for every time a player is only a couple inches off and he doesn't catch it? let's be realistic.
782877
This isn't an accident, but I thought it was pretty funny. A long time ago (in the early 80s), I was watching a pro football game. This one defensive player committed a flagrant foul in clear view of the referees. When the play ended, the referee called a time out, calmly pulled out his penalty flag, walked up to the offending player, and tucked the flag into the gridiron of his helmet. As the player was shaking his head like a violent animal trying to make it fall out, the referee took two steps back, pointed at the offending player, and called him for unsportsmanlike conduct.
1047325
English is the "official" language for the games.  When they argue with the referees, they normally do it in their own language, so the referee does not understand, ha.  Even though players argue, they usually don't get anywhere, cause it's always the referees final word.
967673
You asked a ton of questions! Here goes.\n\n1. It is not a foul if you hit the ball away from opponent's hand, assuming you only made initial contact with the ball, and not the opponent's hand nor other body parts in the process.\n\n2. Player with ball can not push the opponent. \n\n3. Player can attempt to take the ball away from any position, assuming they only make initial contact with the ball, and don't make contact with the ball holder's hand, body, etc.\n\n4. Kicking the ball accidently results in a stoppage of play. The team that did not kick the ball gets possession.  It is not considered a personal foul.\n\n5. It is legal, thus not a foul, to throw the ball at any bodypart of the  opponent in the hopes of it going out of bounds to maintain posession.  It would be considered good sportsmanship to try to avoid throwing the ball at the face and/or sensitive reproductive organs of the opponent.