Blog: football guides, rules and tactics
Football17 guides on football rules, tactics, statistics, VAR, Serie A and the Champions League explained simply.
All Football17 guides: football rules explained simply, tactics, statistics and how the main competitions work.
Juventus-Napoli 2-0: Alajbegovic e Boga decidono una partita bloccata
La Juventus batte il Napoli 2-0: decidono Alajbegovic e Boga nel finale, pesa l'espulsione di Marianucci. Analisi, numeri e classifica.
Possesso palla nel calcio: cosa significa e perché non basta per vincere
Scopri come si misura il possesso palla, perché una squadra può dominare il pallone senza vincere e quali statistiche analizzare insieme al possesso.
The Captain in Football: Role, Armband, Responsibilities, and Relationship with the Referee
The captain is an important figure in a football team, recognized by the armband worn on the field. They act as a reference point for teammates, helping to maintain proper behavior and enabling communication with the referee, but without any special privileges or disciplinary powers. This Football17 guide explores the captain's responsibilities, the significance of the armband, the initial coin toss participation, the relationship with the referee, substitution scenarios, and the guidelines allowing the captain exclusive access to the referee in some competitions. It clarifies the distinction between regulatory responsibilities and team customs or organizational choices.
The Role of the Goalkeeper in Football: Saves, Exits, Positioning, and Statistics
The goalkeeper is one of the most important players in a team: they must defend the goal, read offensive situations, coordinate the defensive line, and contribute to building play. Their performance isn't measured solely by saves or goals conceded, as positioning, clearances, handling crosses, one-on-one situations, and passing accuracy also play key roles. This Football17 guide analyzes the goalkeeper's main tasks, the difference between saves and preventive actions, the modern goalkeeper's role in building from the back, and useful statistics to understand their performance. Through practical examples, we explore why a difficult save can change a match and why a goalkeeper with few interventions can still deliver a top-level performance.
Kick-off in Soccer: Rules, Player Positions, and Direct Goals
The kickoff restarts play at the beginning of both halves of a match, any extra time periods, and after a goal is scored. Although seemingly simple, there are precise rules regarding player positions, the opponents' distance, and the exact moment the ball is in play. This Football17 guide explains how the kickoff is performed, which team takes it, what the initial draw decides, and what infringements can lead to a retake or a free kick. It also highlights an interesting fact: it's possible to score directly from the kickoff, while if the ball enters the kicker's own goal directly, a corner kick is awarded to the opponents. Practical rule explanations are accompanied by common examples and situations.
Assists in Football: How They Are Awarded, Types of Passes, and Statistics
An assist in football is a key offensive statistic that measures a player's contribution to a goal by providing the decisive pass or action leading directly to a teammate's score. This Football17 guide explains what constitutes an assist, how it is generally recorded, differences between decisive passes, crosses, set-piece assists, and multi-touch plays before a goal. It also explores assist statistics, their relation to chance creation, and the variations in attribution criteria across data providers and competitions. Practical examples help readers understand how to correctly interpret these statistics and assess a player's role in goal creation.
Building from the back in football: how it works, advantages and risks
Building from the back is a tactical strategy that allows a team to start play from the goalkeeper and defenders, using controlled passes and coordinated movements to overcome opponent pressure. It requires technical precision, proper space occupation, and collaboration among all units. This Football17 analysis examines the role of the goalkeeper, central defenders, full-backs, midfielders, and key solutions to break pressing. It also covers the advantages of organized possession, risks of losing the ball in one’s half, common errors, and situations where long passes may be more effective. A practical guide to understanding how teams build play and evaluating the effectiveness of their choices during a match.
Individual Duels in Football: How to Analyze Marking, Dribbling, and Tackles
Individual duels in football are decisive moments where defenders contain attackers, midfielders protect possession, and offensive players bypass direct opponents. Analyzing these confrontations reveals performance insights beyond general statistics and results. This guide explains what duels are, the differences between tackles, dribbles, aerial duels, and ball protection, how to interpret available data, and what to observe during matches. Practical examples demonstrate why winning many duels doesn't always equate to better play and how to evaluate a player's tactical contribution in their team's context.
How Defensive Phase Works in Football: Pressing, Marking, Lines and Ball Recovery
The defensive phase is a fundamental aspect of understanding a football team's performance. It involves coordinated movements, pressing the ball carrier, space coverage, and inter-department cooperation, involving all players, not just defenders and the goalkeeper. This guide explores high, medium, and low pressing, defensive line functioning, man-to-man and zonal marking, immediate counter-pressing, defensive transitions, and interpreting statistics like shots conceded, interceptions, tackles, ball recoveries, and expected goals conceded (xGA). Through practical examples, it highlights how to identify strengths and weaknesses of defensive systems.
Serie A 2026/27: standings, schedule, results and teams
Guide to Serie A 2026/27 with standings, schedule, results, teams, statistics, and match updates on Football17.
How European Football Cup Qualifications Work
A simple guide explaining how European football qualifications work: how teams qualify for the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, and why the number of spots can change from one season to another.
How a Football League Schedule Works
A simple guide to the schedule of a football championship: first and second rounds, matchdays, early and late matches, postponements, and rescheduled games.
How Playoffs and Playouts Work in Football: Rules and Differences
A simple guide to playoffs and playouts in football: how they work, who participates, the differences between promotion and relegation, and the tiebreak criteria that may be used.
How Promotion and Relegation Work in Football
A simple guide to promotion and relegation in football: how they work, which teams move up or down divisions, and what playoffs and playouts are.
How to Read a Football League Table: Points, Matches, Goal Difference, and Criteria
A simple guide to understanding a football league table: points, matches played, wins, draws, losses, goals scored, goals conceded, goal difference, and tiebreak criteria.
How the Semi-Automatic Offside Rule Works in Football
A simple guide to semi-automatic offside: how the technology works, what data it uses, what the VAR sees, and why it can speed up decisions.
How Corner Kicks Work in Football: Rules and Special Cases
A simple guide to corner kicks: when they are awarded, how to take them, where opponents must stand, and what happens in key special cases.
How the Throw-In Works in Soccer: Rules, Distance, and Special Cases
A simple guide to the throw-in in football: when it is awarded, how it must be executed, where opponents should be positioned, and the consequences of improper execution.
How Goal Kicks Work in Football: Rules and Special Cases
A simple guide to goal kicks: when they are awarded, from where they are taken, when the ball is in play, and what happens if executed irregularly.
How the Advantage Rule Works in Football
A simple guide to the advantage rule in football: when the referee lets play continue, when they can go back to the foul, and how cards and disciplinary sanctions work.
Direct and Indirect Free Kicks in Football: Differences and Rules
A simple guide to direct and indirect free kicks: differences, when they are awarded, how they are executed, and when a goal is valid.
How Back-Pass to the Goalkeeper Works: When He Can Use His Hands
A simple guide to the back-pass rule to the goalkeeper: when the goalkeeper can use hands, when they cannot, and what happens if the rule is violated.
Handball in Football: When Is It a Penalty and When Is It Not
A simple guide to handball fouls in soccer: when they are punished, when they can lead to a penalty, what is meant by an unnatural arm position, and which cases are not infractions.
How Penalty Kicks Work: Rules, Rebounds, and Infractions
A simple guide to penalty kicks: when they are awarded, how they are executed, what happens on rebounds, and which infractions can cause the kick to be retaken or canceled.
How Injury Time Works in Football: Who Decides the Minutes and Why It Can Increase
A simple guide to injury time in soccer: who decides the additional minutes, which stoppages count, and why injury time today can be much longer.
How Substitutions Work in Football: Number of Changes, Windows, and Extra Time
A simple guide on substitutions in football: the number of allowed changes, what substitution windows are, and how substitutions work at halftime and during extra time.
How Yellow and Red Cards, Expulsions, and Suspensions Work in Football
A simple guide to yellow and red cards in football: when they are shown, their consequences, how expulsions work, and when suspensions apply.
How Extra Time and Penalty Shootouts Work in Football
A simple guide on extra time and penalty shootouts: when they are played, their duration, how the penalty shootout works, and what happens if the score remains tied.
How Goal Difference Works in Football: Meaning, Calculation, and When It Counts
A simple guide to goal difference in football: how it is calculated, when it is used in rankings, and why it can be decisive by the end of the season.
How the 'Classifica Avulsa' Works in Football: Criteria and Tie Cases
A simple guide to the 'classifica avulsa' in football: what it is, when it's used, the criteria considered, and how it determines the ranking order among teams with equal points.
How VAR Works in Football: When It Intervenes and What It Can Review
A simple guide to VAR in football: when it can intervene, which incidents it reviews, the difference between VAR and AVAR, and how on-field review works.
What Is Offside in Football: Simple Rule Explanation with Examples
A simple guide to offside in football: when it is called, when it is not an infraction, the role of VAR, and practical cases to better understand the rule.
What Are Expected Goals (xG): Meaning, Calculation, and How to Read Them
A simple guide to Expected Goals (xG): what they mean, how they're calculated, why they're useful, and how to interpret them in match statistics.
How the Serie A 2026/27 Works: Standings, Points, Relegations, and European Qualification
Complete guide to the Serie A 2026/27 season: how the standings work, points system, European competition qualifications, relegations, and tiebreakers.
How the Champions League 2026/27 Works: Format, Standings, and Qualification
Complete guide to the 2026/27 Champions League: 36-team format, league phase, single table, playoffs, qualification to the round of 16, and how the new UEFA system works.