Unveiling Football's Hidden Rules: From Disallowed Free-Kicks to Bizarre Bookings
Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze faced an unexpected setback during the Premier League season opener due to a little-known rule. His free-kick was disallowed because a Palace player was too close to the Chelsea wall, in accordance with a rule introduced in 2019-20. This incident shed light on the existence of obscure laws in football, such as the one that led to Iliman Ndiaye receiving a booking for imitating a seagull. Another lesser-known rule pertains to players being cautioned for excessive goal celebrations involving masks, as seen with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's Black Panther mask celebration in the Europa League. Additionally, clubs in the English Football League (EFL) voted to ban players from using towels to dry the ball before a throw-in, opting for the multiball system instead. Violating this rule, as Luke Leahy did by drying the ball on a steward's jacket, can result in a caution. Furthermore, scoring directly from an indirect free-kick is prohibited, and if a team kicks the ball into their own net from a free-kick, it does not count as a goal; instead, a corner kick is awarded. The article also highlights the infamous own goal by Aston Villa's Peter Enckelman in 2002, where he miscontrolled a throw-in from his teammate. This piece is part of BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything service, dedicated to answering sports-related questions and providing insightful information to sports enthusiasts.