
The Laws of the Game
A Game Studies Book about Soccer
CRC Press
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 15. May 2026
Book
Hardback
192 pages
978-1-041-06803-7 (ISBN)
Description
This book applies theories, methods, and concepts from game studies to soccer. This is a game studies book about soccer that studies the rules and design of soccer and the impact that technology has on the game's evolution.
The book comprises nine chapters that approach soccer from different game studies angles. The different chapters study the game off the pitch (the design), on the pitch (the gameplay), and around the pitch (the culture). The book establishes conversations with game studies, illuminating what we take for granted in the field and showing what is left to study. At the same time, it provides readers with a deep understanding of the importance of soccer, why we should pay attention to it, and how it reflects broader trends in culture, technology, politics, and play.
This book will be of great interest to game, media, and sports scholars, as well as undergraduate and graduate students in those fields.
The book comprises nine chapters that approach soccer from different game studies angles. The different chapters study the game off the pitch (the design), on the pitch (the gameplay), and around the pitch (the culture). The book establishes conversations with game studies, illuminating what we take for granted in the field and showing what is left to study. At the same time, it provides readers with a deep understanding of the importance of soccer, why we should pay attention to it, and how it reflects broader trends in culture, technology, politics, and play.
This book will be of great interest to game, media, and sports scholars, as well as undergraduate and graduate students in those fields.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Postgraduate and Professional Reference
Illustrations
6 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder, 5 s/w Zeichnungen, 11 farbige Abbildungen
5 Line drawings, black and white; 6 Halftones, black and white; 11 Illustrations, color
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
420 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-041-06803-7 (9781041068037)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2026
CRC Press
€115.99
Available for download

E-Book
04/2026
CRC Press
€115.99
Available for download
Persons
Miguel Sicart is a Professor at the IT University of Copenhagen, where he is currently the Head of the Center for Digital Play.
Bo Kampmann Walther is an Associate Professor, PhD, at the Department for the Study of Culture, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
Bo Kampmann Walther is an Associate Professor, PhD, at the Department for the Study of Culture, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
Content
Introduction, Chapter 1: The Universal Game Around the World, Chapter 2: The Beautiful Rule, Chapter 3: Can Football Be Automated? Data, Intelligence, and Play, Chapter 4: Possibility Space, Chapter 5: The Midfield, Chapter 6: Football is a game of emergence. Or is it?, Chapter 7: Games within the game: football and metagaming, Chapter 8: Dark play, Chapter 9: Platforms