If you’re one of the thousands that’s typed “How does ref decide when to end soccer match” into Google, don’t worry, you’re in fine company. One former manager who's probably completed that inquiry himself is the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson. His famous quip regarding how refs decide to end the match is that the refs have absolutely no clue. 

Soccer has a pretty extensive history, dating back to the original rules cobbled together in 1863. One would expect the basics to have always been the same, but the rule on how many players on a soccer field at any given time hasn’t always been set in stone.

Brazilian soccer players have often gone by one name for more than a century. In the 2018 World Cup, 15 of Brazil's 23 players typically are referred to by a single name. For most players, it means simply going by their first name, like Neymar, or a derivative of their first name, like Marquinhos (Marcos). The practice makes Brazil stand out from most national teams, and there are a few explanations for why Brazil soccer players have just one name.

When Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli announced his final 23-man roster for the World Cup, he didn't call on one of the hottest strikers on the planet. Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi tied Lazio's Ciro Immobile for golden boot honors in Serie A, scoring 29 goals in 34 games during the 2017-18 season. Instead of being rewarded for a stellar season, Icardi joined the unenviable list of World Cup snubs. 

For the first time ever, the FIFA World Cup will utilize video replays after voting unanimously to adopt the system back in March. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is most prominently used in Italy’s Serie A, Germany’s Bundesliga and MLS, but a World Cup debut is a different animal entirely. So how does VAR work in soccer and at the 2018 World Cup? Can you get sick from VAR?

Soccer field dimensions are anything but straightforward. Unlike the playing surfaces for football, basketball, hockey, tennis and most other sports, not all soccer pitches are created equally. FIFA does not stipulate the specific size of a football pitch, instead allowing a range of lengths and widths.

That said, there are requirements that must be met for every soccer pitch, many of which are more specific when it comes to international matches. 

Viewing a soccer match for your first time without knowing the rules and regulations may seem extremely daunting. Watching the clock run without stopping while players are on the ground or when the ball goes out of bounds seems unnatural compared to other sports. Because the clock counts up, you'd be right to ask: How long is a soccer game?

How long is halftime in soccer? Well, as stipulated by Law 7 of the FIFA Laws of the Game, “the halftime interval must not exceed 15 minutes.” Halftime in soccer lasts for 15 minutes, although the duration of the halftime interval could possibly be altered with the consent of the referee. Here is the law as outlined by FIFA.

Law 7 — The Duration Of The Match

Halftime interval

Goals are the ecstasy of football, so much so that it's hard to make a case defending 0-0 matches, even when they sometimes prove to be quite entertaining.

There's just something missing in the beautiful game when the ball does not kiss the back of the net. An abundance of goals is always welcome by fans and the press.

Of course, goals are nice, except when your favorite team concedes them.