Sweef | Padsokka – André Trantraal & Ashley Marais | English Summary

Sweef en ander Verhale

Padsokka – André Trantraal & Ashley Marais

No one knows the rules of street soccer, and no one will tell you because they’re not your mother. However, the author will only speak once about the rules, as a favour to the reader.

There is no age limit; people young and old can play. It is usually played in communities where there are no parks. People will always argue over goals since the actual goalposts are bricks. If it’s too high, it doesn’t count. When a goal is scored, the side that conceded must kick it into play, just like in rugby. If the ball lands in someone’s yard, it is thrown back into play. An interesting fact: most homeowners aren’t fans of street soccer and often threaten to cut the soccer ball up into little pieces.

Whenever a car appears, players yell “irons!” and everyone stands to one side. When old ladies walk on the road, play stops until she has walked past. The same applies to young women. However, when any man, young or old, walks past, play continues. These rules are unspoken and yet anyone who plays seems to understand it. It’s a beautiful thing to see.

SummariesKeroshan PillayComment