Football quiz: history and laws of the game

This quiz is for fans, Sunday-league players and youth players who want to know the game better. It steers clear of transfers and current league tables and sticks to what does not change: the laws of the game, the dimensions of the pitch and the landmark dates of international competition.

It starts with team size and match length, then moves on to offside, official measurements and the origins of the modern game. Tip: many pitch markings are round numbers in yards, because the laws were first written in England, so thinking in yards often points to the right figure.

Football quiz: history and laws of the game

1. How many players does each team have on the pitch at kick-off? *

2. How long is a standard adult match, not counting added time? *

3. What colour card does the referee show to send a player off? *

4. Which country hosted and won the first World Cup, in 1930? *

5. In which of these situations can a player not be penalised for offside when receiving the ball directly? *

6. How far from the goal line is the penalty mark? *

7. How wide is a regulation goal, between the posts? *

8. Which team won the first FIFA Women’s World Cup, in 1991? *

9. In which year did the Football Association in London draw up the first common rules of modern football? *

10. Which French administrator, the driving force behind the World Cup, gave his name to its first trophy? *