ASSOCIATION MOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 180, 25 April 1908, Page 9

ASSOCIATION MOTES.

(By Centre Half.) The season proper • commences to-day with the start 'of- Senior 'First Division .matches, when tho following matches will be played: —Swifts v.. Petorio; Rovers V. Ramblers; Diamonds v. Y.M.C;A.; and Wanderers v. Thistle. ! The'Rovers-Ramblers fixture is set down: for:thel.Basm Reserve, and is bound to a : : considerable number -,of spectators. ■RqyeH.7were.-;the Charity, Cup ; winners-,-of last ; ;seaspn,while Ramblers are an' : . improving '.team,so a,- good 'game should result. "Ramblers .should* win. • Diamonds . arid Y.M.G.A. . meet on Newtown I'ark, and.' although both teams are'eveoljr matchedj'l.ami inclined 'to favour the .former! Swifts; arid Wanderers'should win their respective game£ ; Now that tile ■ Rugby-] authorities have removed their headquarters ,to .Miramar, the' soccer enthusiasts are !-alive to . the possibilities to placing, their game beforo, the public, and they intend making, every effort to do so. ■ It. is .the 1 ;, intention of tho committee ; to place the m,nst', attractive match on. the leading ground.' 'B.V this, is meant riot necessarily a game' between 1 two ' teams of equfll merit, but a match between two teams of which one is slightly bettor. In such a case •the superior play .of the 'better team. is bound, to be more marked ...and show, to greater advantago than against a,,team 1 , of similar calibre. i To a soccer enthusiast the dullness of : a rugger match is caused by the endless dreary Bcruriis and line-out play which take up a considerable period' of the duration of the match; and,', further, these points of Rugby call for sheer , doggedness, never for ..real cleverness of football. ; However, I'. am not here to'criticise the faults of Rugby football. ' j , There arc several points in the soccer game .which generally nonplu^i< the. Rugby follower.- First comes the oftsjde rule, which allows the ball to" be passed forward. An Association player is hover offsido (1) if lie has three of his opponents between himself and tho opposing goal; (2) if he is behind tho ball at the moment it was played' by ono of his own side; (3) if the'ball comes to him..off.an opponent; (4) in his own half of the ground, except as shown in my notes last week. ... / ■. These rules appear simple -enough, yet they are the. pons asinoriim of players' and spectator alik6. When-a player - plays the ball over tho touch-lino, the opposing wing .'half throws tho ball back into phay in any direction ho chooses. ~ When the attacking side gain a goal by placing the ball through., tho goal, play recommences from the centre of-tho field. J.f tho attacking side kick the ball over the defenders' goal-line (not through goal) tho defending 'sido gain a 5 goal kick, which is taken six i yards from the goal-post. If the . defending side'kick over, their own goal-line the'attacking side gain a corner kick; which is taken from the corner post. Tho whole of the ball must go over the goal or touchline before it is out of play. Tlie goalkeeper is the only player allowedto handle the ball, "and he can only do §o in his own half of the field. He cannot run with tho ball, but can bounce it on tho ground. l ' ' ' . No player is allowed to wilfully handlo tho ball, push, hold, charge from behind, trip, jump at, or kick an opponent; for breaches of this rule a free kick is awarded to tho opposing sido, from which a- goal can_- bo scored direct. Such'ft. free kick within eighteen vards from goal' becomes a penalty kick, : and the player taking this kick is allowed a free kick at f;oal from a spot, twelve yards from tho goal-line. All other, free kicks and. corner kicks have to', touch a player beforo a goal can be scored. A player can impedo an opponent, but must not heavily chargo him. ; This is an important factor in combination in soccer, especially amongst; backs. With tho idea of fostering the game in tho country districts, soveral-of\ tho local'clubs seat away teams- at Easter, but, unfortunately, wet weather was met with by every team. Swifts journeyed to Nelson, Y.M.G.A. i to Hastings, and Diamonds to, Kaponga, in the Taranaki district. Diamonds' won their game against Kaponga by 3 goals to 1. The game was played ' in "heavy rain; but tho winners always had : the game in hand,. They had their full sonvir team awaj. §