Explainers
Football, explained
The laws, the formats and the money — written for fans who want the actual rule, not the argument about it.
Rules
Rules · 6 min
The offside rule explained: position, phases and the calls that decide games
Offside is the most argued-about law in football and one of the simplest once you separate position from offence.
Rules · 7 min
VAR explained: what it can review, what it cannot, and how a decision is changed
Video review was sold as an end to obvious errors. Six seasons in, the arguments are about interpretation, not technology.
Rules · 6 min
Handball in 2026: arm position, silhouette and the deflection problem
The handball law has been rewritten four times in a decade. The current version is shorter than the arguments it creates.
Rules · 5 min
Penalty shootouts: the rules, the order and the psychology
A shootout is not a lottery. It is a five-round contest with a fixed protocol and a very well-documented bias.
Rules · 5 min
The eight-second goalkeeper rule: why referees now award corners
The old six-second law was never enforced. The new eight-second version comes with a visible countdown and a corner kick.
Rules · 5 min
Substitutions explained: five changes, three windows and concussion replacements
Five substitutions are permanent; three windows are the limit. The difference decides how coaches manage the last 20 minutes.
Transfers
Finance
Europe
Europe · 6 min
UEFA coefficients: how they decide pots, seedings and extra Champions League places
Two numbers run European football: the club coefficient and the association coefficient.
Europe · 7 min
The Champions League league phase: 36 teams, eight games, one table
Since 2024-25 there are no groups. Every club is ranked in a single table and the draw is seeded by coefficient.
World Cup
Tables
Quick answers
Short questions about scores, tables and coverage are answered on the FAQ page.