Questions and Answers (FIFA)

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The Laws of the Game is the official book of rules to play Association Football, published in four languages (English, French, Spanish, German) by The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). For several years, in order to clarify interpretation and application of some of the laws, FIFA published Questions and Answers (Q&A).

Many qualified referees were never made aware of these Q&A, and the Q&A often gave conflicting and very esoteric clarifications to the Laws of the Game (LOTG) rule book. The LOTG is maintained and written by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) whereas the Q&A was written by FIFA office staff.

The Q&A were superseded in July 2007 with the release of the new Laws of the Game Additional Instructions and Guidelines for Referees section. IFAB has taken control of the situation and incorporated the clarification material into the Additional Instructions section that is now part of the LOTG. These additional instructions are categorized like the 17 LOTG and written in a concise but clear form similar to the laws themselves. Included in this new section, beside some of the Q&A material, are guidance and diagrams for the referee's positioning such as flag signalling, positioning during set plays, and use of the whistle.