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Sports
What Referees Actually Do on the Pitch
Referees are the most visible and often the most criticised people at a match. Yet their role is more complex…
Sports
Sports
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Sports
What VAR Does, and What It Does Not
Video Assistant Referee, usually shortened to VAR, is a system that lets match officials review certain decisions using video. It…
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Sports
Formations Demystified: Reading 4-3-3 and Its Cousins
Commentators love to mention formations, from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2. These numbers are a quick shorthand for how a team arranges…
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Sports
How Youth Academies Work in Professional Football
Behind every professional club is a system for finding and developing young players. These youth academies, sometimes called development centres…
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Sports
Transfer Windows Explained for Curious Fans
Every year, football supporters hear that clubs are preparing for the transfer window. The term can sound mysterious, but it…
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Sports
How League Tables Work, and What Promotion and Relegation Mean
In many countries, football is organised as a ladder of divisions, with the best teams at the top and smaller…
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Sports
The Offside Rule Explained Without the Confusion
Offside is the rule that new viewers find hardest to follow, and even experienced fans argue about it. The core…