How to Play French Football

French football requires what Americans know as a soccer ball.

French football is actually the same game as American soccer. However, the history of this game has made it much more popular in Europe than it has been in the United States. Football (as played by the French) was actually originally an English game. Created in 1863, football was first played in Cambridge, England. In 1899, the number of players was fixed at eleven; a team arriving with fewer than eight players had to forfeit the match. Today, French football has several simple rules.

Instructions

1. Find the proper equipment and assemble players. A football in France has a circumference of 70 cm and weighs 453 g. The football field is between 90 and 120 meters in length and between 45 and 90 in width. Players typically wear protective equipment and specialty shoes to prevent injury. Certain leagues may have particular requirements for its players, who can be excluded from playing until they put on the proper attire. The number of replacement players allowed in a French football match is usually fixed at a maximum of five. Goals are made of two posts, 7.32 meters apart. Nets are commonly used today, but did not appear until 1891.

2. Time the game correctly. A French football match lasts 90 minutes, divided in half into two periods of 45 minutes. Between these two halves, there is a rest of 15 minutes. Additional time, known in English as "stoppage time," is called "les arrêts de jeu" in French, and can be added at the referee's discretion.

3. Find a trained referee. Referees in France must be at least 15 years old and have to pass regulatory examinations. The role of the referee is to observe the players and to start and stop play when necessary. He is differentiated from the players by his clothing, which is usually more muted than the players' uniforms. The referee has two assistants, who cover different areas of the field and alert the referee if play needs to be stopped or if they rule that a goal has been scored. It is also the referee’s responsibility to stop the game or alert players to problems in case of unusual events, such as an animal entering onto the turf.

4. Know the rules of “cards.” The referee also gives out red and yellow cards. The yellow card is a warning, after the referee witnesses an error on the part of a player who is endangering others. If a player receives two of these cards in the course of a match, he is expelled from the game. The red card, on the other hand, is an immediate expulsion after a serious error (for example, a tackle that hurts a player). Injuries to the referee himself are also punished by a red card.

References

• France Sport: Football Règles