If you spend a few days in Italy, you will quickly become acquainted with a few truths about life in this wonderful country. Italians tend to inject lots of passion into various aspects of their lives, including: family life, food, romance, politics, and of course Italian soccer. Granted, these are all wonderful things to feel passionate about, but there is a certain reverence dedicated to the beautiful game that Italian soccer fans celebrate with glee, it is something that they learn to love and honor from an early age.
If you want to fully understand the passion that Italians have for the sport, you will want to get your hands on tickets to witness a derby match between Associazione Sportiva Roma and Società Sportiva Lazio, both football teams based in Rome. The competition is high in these games and really gives you a chance to experience the Italian spirit.
Italian Soccer Rules | The Basics
Now before you go to watch one of the matches you need to know the basic rules of Italian soccer.
#1 Italian Soccer is known as Calcio
The first rule that you should know is that there is no soccer or football or even futbol in Italy. Here you call it calcio, a name derived from Calcio Fiorentino, a sporting event that dates back to the 16th century. The fanaticism for calcio is felt at the junior, professional and national levels. The highest level of passion is dedicated towards Serie A, which is the professional association football league; this is followed by undying love for the Azzurri (the Blues), the National Football Team of Italy.
#2 Italian soccer follows most of FIFA’s rules.
Aside from calling the sport calcio, Italian soccer rules mostly follow those of FIFA; however, there are a few unique details that will help you understand what elevates this sport to national fervor.
First we have the basics; Italians who are familiar with the English language know that football teams do not play games on the field; instead, clubs play matches on the pitch. A club is a squadra, a match is a gara, and the pitch is the campo.
Serie A calcio sticks to nearly 20 rules promulgated by FIFA. Eleven players in each club match up over 90 minutes split in two 45-minute periods with 15-minute halftime. To win the match, players must drive the ball past the opposite goal line; on any given Italian Sunday, you will know when this happens because the entire town roars in a crazy, unison celebration. Although every goal is cause for joy in calcio, you really have to watch a tie-breaking, last-minute colpo di tacco, which is a backheel touch, to experience a whole city going wild for their local club.
#3. The players add to the spirit of the game.
A few calciatori’s (players) tend to add flair and mystique to the sport. A great example is Francesco Totti one of the most famous and most loved Italian players, who can be called ‘la bandiera di Roma due to the fact that he always wore the colors of the same club in the city where he was born.
#4. Italian’s name goals after their players.
To witness a gol alla del Piero is a treat. This is when a player somehow slices the ball towards the upper corner of the goalposts from an opposite corner of the pitch. This incredible feat is named after Alessandro Del Piero, a player remembered for his flair on the pitch as well as his looks.
#5. Italian fan’s bring a lot of passion to the game.
When you are in a stadium, you may want to pay attention to la curva, a section behind the goals where the most ardent fans sit; they will sing, dance and celebrate in colorful ways.
The Calcio Season | When does soccer in Italy run?
The Serie A season is called l’andata; it runs from August until May across many regions in Italy, although 15 of the 20 clubs are based in the northern region.
Heated rivalries are known as derby matches around the world, but there is only one Derby D’Italia in the Serie A, which happens when Juventus, la vecchia signora, matches up against F.C. Internazionale Milano. This does not mean that you will only have one chance to enjoy a religious sporting experience when you visit Italy; there’s the Derby della Lanterna, Genoa vs Sampdoria, as well as the Derby della Mole, Juventus vs Torino.
The Derby della Capitale, Roma vs Lazio, is highly recommended. There is a chance that you may glimpse Francesco Totti even though he retired from calcio in 2017. He is a fixture of the club, and he is often announced and shown in the stadium’s big screen next to his glamorous wife and children sitting in the skybox. Even if you can only watch this derby from a pizzeria as you enjoy a Peroni or Moretti birra, you will certainly get the feel of what calcio is all about.