Why are there so many rules?

As the playing fraternity is old people, safety becomes the key principle behind the rules. Well that's the theory and for some of the rules it is absolutely right. Here are a few of the main rules.

Contact

Contact of any form can be a danger to bodies that are growing frail so implementing a non-contact rule is good. This rule should be interpreted as any contact but inevitably some contact may occur through accident. This is a fairly clear rule to enforce and all contact, however it happens, should be penalised.

Three Touch

This is less of a direct safety issue but does contribute to bringing all players into play and also means, as a defender, that once the attacker receives the ball, it must be released within the three touches. So, rather than tackling the ball away from the attacker the defender's job becomes more of a shielding role, ensuring there's little opportunity to turn or shoot. Because the ball must therefore pass more amongst the attacking team there's more chance for interceptions and passes to go astray.

Head Height

Possibly the most contentious of the rules as everyone on the pitch has a different view and opinion, on the trajectory arc of the ball in relation to the height of the crossbar. Yes, it's not head height that defines the upper limit, it's crossbar height and then beyond that, you get the thoughts that all of the ball must be above the crossbar height, similar to how all of the ball must be over the goal line for it to be a goal. Is this rule to do with safety? Strictly speaking no, but it does limit the opportunities to head the ball which is considered dangerous.

Goalkeeper Area

This clearly protects the goalkeeper and adds a series of rules around players going in the area and goalkeeper's stepping outside. The edgy part of this rule is around the line itself and whether the line or a ball partially outside the line, is exclusively for the goalkeeper or if it's free for all.

Penalty Rules

As a penalty taker there are some evolving rules around the walk-up. It was one step, then multiple steps in a forward direction all within a one metre distance, and now some have extended this to two metres. Is this for safety reasons? Not really, but it may reduce the speed the ball travels towards the goal. It's also a rule that some referees choose to enforce very strictly and the merest hint of a backward rocking movement has seen scored penalties denied with no retake allowed.

Totting Up Rules

Some governing bodies have moved away from infringements for an individual being summed up to a Blue Card, to team based infringements being totted up to the point where a penalty is given. In the area of safety the team totting up does mean that, typically, the infringement count is lower before a punishment occurs. With the individual totting up, it was always the case that as a Blue Card was given on three infringements, when you got to two, you were substituted. With the team totting up rule, the shout always goes around the team to keep walking, don't tackle and give no dissent. This can only be good.