Ward's Soccerpedia

(London: Robson Books, 2006) 1861059833. 232 x 155 mm; laminated pictorial wrappers; pp. viii + 304 + (i). Trace of foxing. Very good condition. "In this brilliantly comprehensive book Andrew Ward explores the laws of football through anecdotes, incidents and precedents. He uses hundreds of examples to show the extraordinary range of events that can happen in a game, any game. Read about the player who lost a finger while celebrating a goal, the referee who dismissed himself, the player who ate a referee's notebook, the penalty awarded with two balls on the pitch, and the player who was sent off after just two seconds. Ward focuses on the eleven-a-side contest rather than off-the-field distractions such as celebrity girlfriends and mega-bucks transfer deals. Here is a book that will settle arguments and open up debate. Find out why the penalty-area arc was added to the pitch markings in 1937; why a new injury procedure was introduced in 1997; and discover key points affecting issues such as technology, the two-referee system and ex-players as referees. Arranged in an accessible A to Z format, this entertaining and authoritative book offers all football followers the chance to get to know the laws of the game in detail." .