document_title: Asian nations at the FIFA World Cup

question_text: how many asian countries are participating in fifa world cup 2018

question_tokens: how many asian countries are participating in fifa world cup 2018

root

text: Asian nations at the FIFA World Cup

text: Overview[edit]

text:
1930  (13)

1934  (16)

1938  (15)

1950  (13)

1954  (16)

1958  (16)

1962  (16)

1966  (16)

1970  (16)

1974  (16)

1978  (16)

1982  (24)

1986  (24)

1990  (24)

1994  (24)

1998  (32)

2002  (32)

2006  (32)

2010  (32)

2014  (32)

2018  (32)

2022  (32)

Total

Teams
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
1[1]
0
1
1
2
2
2
4
4
4
4
4
5

37

Top 16
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
0
0
1
0
2
0
2
0
1

6

Top 8
—
0
0
—
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0[a]
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0

2

Top 4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0

1

Top 2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0

1st

0

2nd

0

3rd

0

4th

1

tag: table

text:
Country

Participations

Years

Best result

 South Korea
10
1954, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018

4th

 Japan
6
1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018

R2

 Australia[2]
5
 1974, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018

R2

 Iran
5
 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018

R1

 Saudi Arabia
5
 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018

R2

 North Korea
2
 1966, 2010

QF

 Indonesia[3]
1
 1938

R1

 Israel[1]
1
 1970

R1

 Kuwait
1
 1982

R1

 Iraq
1
 1986

R1

 United Arab Emirates
1
 1990

R1

 China PR
1
 2002

R1

text: Results[edit]

text: Most finishes in the top four[edit]

text:
Team

#

Top-four finishes

 South Korea

1

2002

text: Team results by tournament[edit]

text:
1st — Champions
2nd — Runners-up
3rd — Third place
4th — Fourth place
QF — Quarterfinals (1934–1938, 1954–1970, and 1986–present: knockout round of 8)
R2 — Round 2 (1974–1978, second group stage, top 8; 1982: second group stage, top 12; 1986–present: knockout round of 16)
R1 — Round 1

Q — Qualified for upcoming tournament
 ••  — Qualified but withdrew
 •  — Did not qualify
 ×  — Did not enter / Withdrew / Banned
   — Hosts
    — Not affiliated in FIFA

text: The team ranking in each tournament is according to FIFA.[4] The rankings, apart from the top four positions (top two in 1930), are not a result of direct competition between the teams; instead, teams eliminated in the same round are ranked by their full results in the tournament. In recent tournaments, FIFA has used the rankings for seedings for the final tournament draw.[5]

tag: p

text: For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.

text:
Team

1930(13)

1934(16)

1938(15)

1950(13)

1954(16)

1958(16)

1962(16)

1966(16)

1970(16)

1974(16)

1978(16)

1982(24)

1986(24)

1990(24)

1994(24)

1998(32)

2002(32)

2006(32)

2010(32)

2014(32)

2018(32)

2022(32)

Total

Qual.Comp.

 Australia[2]

•
•
R114th
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
R216th
R121st
R130th
R130th

5
14

member of OFC

 China PR

×
×
×
×
•
×
×
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
R131st
•
•
•
•

1
11

 Indonesia[3]

×
R115th
×
×
×
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
×

1
12

 Iran

×
×
×
×
×
×
•
R114th
×
×
•
•
R120th
•
R125th
•
R128th
R118th

5
10

 Iraq

×
×
×
×
×
•
×
•
R123rd
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

1
11

 Israel[1]
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
R112th
member of OFC
member of UEFA
1
8

 Japan
×
×
×
×
•
×
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
R131st
R29th
R128th
R29th
R128th
R215th

6
15

 Kuwait

×
×
•
•
R121st
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

1
12

 North Korea
Part of Japan

×
QF8th
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
×
×
•
R132nd
•
•

2
12

 Qatar

×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Q
1
12

 Saudi Arabia

×
×
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
R212th
R128th
R132nd
R128th
•
•
R126th

5
11

 South Korea
Part of Japan
×
R116th
×
•
×
•
•
•
•
R120th
R122nd
R120th
R130th
4th
R117th
R215th
R127th
R119th

10
15

 United Arab Emirates

×
×
•
R124th
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

1
9

text: Tournament standings[edit]

text:
Team
Champions
Finals
Semifinals
Quarterfinals
2nd Round

 South Korea

0
0
1
1
2

 North Korea

0
0
0
1
0

 Japan

0
0
0
0
3

 Australia

0
0
0
0
1

 Saudi Arabia

0
0
0
0
1

text:
Quarterfinals = knockout round of 8: 1934–1938, 1954–1970, and 1986–present; second group stage, top 8: 1974–1978
2nd Round = second group stage, top 12: 1982; knockout round of 16: 1986–present

tag: ul

text: Overall team records[edit]

text: As per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws. 3 points per win, 1 point per draw and 0 points per loss.

text: Results through World Cup 2018

text:
Team

Pld

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Points

Topscorers

 South Korea

34
6
9
19
34
70
–36
27
Ahn Jung-hwan, Park Ji-sung, Son Heung-min 3

 Japan

21
5
5
11
20
29
–9
20
K. Honda 4

 Saudi Arabia

16
3
2
11
11
39
–28
11
S. Al-Jaber 3

 Iran

15
2
4
9
9
24
–15
10
S. Bakhtiarizadeh, I. Danaeifard, H. Estili, Y. Golmohammadi, R. Ghoochannejhad, M. Mahdavikia, H. Rowshan, K. Ansarifard 1

 Australia

16
2
4
10
13
31
–18
10
T. Cahill 5

 North Korea

7
1
1
5
6
21
–15
4
Pak Seung-zin 2

 Israel

3
0
2
1
1
3
–2
2
M. Spiegler 1

 Kuwait

3
0
1
2
2
6
–4
1
F. Al-Dakhil, A. Al-Buloushi 1

 Iraq

3
0
0
3
1
4
–3
0
A. Radhi 1

 Indonesia[3]

1
0
0
1
0
6
–6
0

 United Arab Emirates

3
0
0
3
2
11
–9
0
A. Jumaa, K. Ismaïl 1

 China PR

3
0
0
3
0
9
–9
0

text: Appearances[edit]

text: Ranking of teams by number of appearances[edit]

text:
Team

Appearances

Record streak

Active streak

Debut

Most recent

Best result (* = hosts)

 South Korea

10
9
9
1954
2018
Fourth place (2002*)

 Japan

6
6
6
1998
2018
Round 2 (2002*, 2010, 2018)

 Australia[2]

5
4
4
1974
2018
Round 2 (2006)

 Saudi Arabia

5
4
1
1994
2018
Round 2 (1994)

 Iran

5
2
2
1978
2018
Round 1

 North Korea

2
1
0
1966
2010
Quarterfinals (1966)

 Indonesia[3]

1
1
0
1938
1938
Round 1

 Israel[1]

1
1
0
1970
1970
Round 1

 Kuwait

1
1
0
1982
1982
Round 1

 Iraq

1
1
0
1986
1986
Round 1

 United Arab Emirates

1
1
0
1990
1990
Round 1

 China PR

1
1
0
2002
2002
Round 1

text: Debut of teams[edit]

text: Each successive World Cup has had at least one team appearing for the first time. This table shows the national associations in alphabetical order per year.

text:
Year

Debutants

Total

1930

0

1934

0

1938

 Dutch East Indies[6]

1

1950

0

1954

 South Korea

1

1958

0

1962

0

1966

 North Korea

1

1970

 Israel#

1

1974

 Australia

1

1978

 Iran

1

1982

 Kuwait

1

1986

 Iraq

1

1990

 United Arab Emirates

1

1994

 Saudi Arabia

1

1998

 Japan

1

2002

 China PR

1

2006

0

2010

0

2014

0

2018

0

2022

 Qatar

1

Total

13

text: Summary of performance[edit]

text:
Year
Host
Size
#E
#A
#A-
Asianfinalists
#WCQ
Stage
Results
Coach

1930
Uruguay
13
13
0
0
-

1934
Italy
16
32
2
1[7]
-

1938
France
15
32
2
1[8]
 Dutch East Indies [9]
0
Round 1
lost 0-6  Hungary
 Johan Mastenbroek

1950
Brazil
15
34
4
4[10]
-

1954
Switzerland
16
45
3
1[11]
 South Korea
2
Round 1
lost 0-9  Hungary, lost 0-7 Turkey
 Kim Yong-sik

1958
Sweden
16
55
12
9[12]
-

1962
Chile
16
56
3
1[13]
-

1966
England
16
74
4
2[14]
 North Korea
2
QF
lost 0-3  Soviet Union, drew 1-1 Chile, won 1-0 Italy QF: lost 3-5 Portugal
 Myung Rye-hyun

1970
Mexico
16
75
7[15]
1[16]
 Israel
4
Round 1
lost 0-2  Uruguay, drew 1-1 Sweden, drew 1-1 Italy
 Emmanuel Scheffer

1974
West Germany
16
99
18
3[17]
-

1978
Argentina
16
107
21
4 [18]
 Iran
12
Round 1
lost 0-3  Netherlands, drew 1-1 Scotland, lost 1-4 Peru
 Heshmat Mohajerani

1982
Spain
24
109
21
1 [19]
 Kuwait
9
Round 1
drew 1-1  Czechoslovakia, lost 1-4 France, lost 0-1 England
 Carlos Alberto Parreira

1986
Mexico
24
121
28
4[20]
 Iraq
8
Round 1
lost 0-1  Paraguay, lost 1-2 Belgium, lost 0-1 Mexico
 Evaristo de Macedo

 South Korea
8
Round 1
lost 1-3  Argentina, drew 1-1  Bulgaria, lost 2-3  Italy
 Kim Jung-Nam

1990
Italy
24
116
26
2[21]

 South Korea
11
Round 1
lost 0–2  Belgium, lost 1–3  Spain, lost 0–1 Uruguay
 Lee Hoe-taik

 United Arab Emirates
9
Round 1
lost 0–2  Colombia, lost 1–5  West Germany, lost 1–4  Yugoslavia
 Carlos Alberto Parreira

1994
USA
24
147
30
2[22]
 Saudi Arabia
11
Round of 16
lost 1-2  Netherlands, won 2-1 Morocco, won 1-0 Belgium Round of 16: lost 1-3 Sweden
 Jorge Solari

 South Korea
13
Round 1
drew 2-2  Spain, drew 0-0 Bolivia, lost 2-3  Germany
 Kim Ho

1998
France
32
174
36
0
 Iran
17
Round 1
lost 0-1  Yugoslavia, won 2-1  United States, lost 0-2  Germany
 Jalal Talebi

 Japan
14
Round 1
lost 0-1  Argentina, lost 0-1  Croatia, lost 1-2  Jamaica
 Takeshi Okada

 Saudi Arabia
14
Round 1
lost 0-1  Denmark, lost 0-4  France, drew 2-2  South Africa
 Carlos Alberto Parreira (fired after two matches, replaced by  Mohammed Al-Kharashy for the final match)

 South Korea
12
Round 1
lost 1-3  Mexico, lost 0-5  Netherlands, drew 1-1  Belgium
 Cha Bum-kun (fired after two matches, replaced by  Kim Pyung-seok for the final match)

2002
South Korea & Japan
32
199
35
5[23]
 China PR
14
Round 1
lost 0-2 Costa Rica, lost 0-4 Brazil, lost 0-3 Turkey
 Bora Milutinović

 Japan
0
Round of 16
drew 2-2  Belgium, won 1-0  Russia, won 2-0  Tunisia Round of 16: lost 0-1 Turkey
 Philippe Troussier

 Saudi Arabia
14
Round 1
lost 0-8  Germany, lost 0-1  Cameroon, lost 0-3  Republic of Ireland
 Nasser Al-Johar

 South Korea
0
SF
won 2-0  Poland, drew 1-1  United States, won 1-0  Portugal Round of 16: won 2-1(a.e.t.)  Italy QF: won 0-0 (pen. 5-3)  Spain SF: lost 0-1  Germany 3-place match: lost 2-3  Turkey
 Guus Hiddink

2006
Germany
32
197
44
5[24]
 Iran
12
Round 1
lost 1-3  Mexico, lost 0-2 Portugal, drew 1-1 Angola
 Branko Ivanković

 Japan
12
Round 1
lost 1-3  Australia, drew 0-0  Croatia, lost 1-4  Brazil
 Zico

 Saudi Arabia
12
Round 1
drew 2-2  Tunisia, lost 0-4  Ukraine, lost 0-1  Spain
 Marcos Paquetá

 South Korea
12
Round 1
won 2-1  Togo, drew 1-1  France, lost 0-2   Switzerland
 Dick Advocaat

2010
South Africa
32
205
[25] 43
3[26]
 Australia
14
Round 1
lost 0-4  Germany, drew 1-1 Ghana, won 2-1 Serbia
 Pim Verbeek

 Japan
14
Round of 16
won 1-0  Cameroon, lost 0-1  Netherlands, won 3-1  Denmark Round of 16: lost 0-0 (pen. 3-5) Paraguay
 Takeshi Okada

 North Korea
16
Round 1
lost 1-2  Brazil, lost 0-7 Portugal, lost 0-3 Ivory Coast
 Kim Jong-hun

 South Korea
14
Round of 16
won 2-0  Greece, lost 1-4  Argentina, drew 2-2  Nigeria  Round of 16: lost 1-2  Uruguay
 Huh Jung-moo

2014
Brazil
32
203
43
3[27]
 Australia
14
Round 1
lost 1-3  Chile, lost 2-3  Netherlands, lost 0-3  Spain
 Ange Postecoglou

 Iran
16
Round 1
drew 0-0  Nigeria, lost 0-1  Argentina, lost 1-3  Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Carlos Queiroz

 Japan
14
Round 1
lost 1-2  Ivory Coast, drew 0-0  Greece, lost 1-4  Colombia
 Alberto Zaccheroni

 South Korea
14
Round 1
drew 1-1  Russia, lost 2-4  Algeria, lost 0-1  Belgium
 Hong Myung-bo

2018
Russia
32
210
46
0

 Australia
22
Round 1
lost 1-2  France, drew 1-1  Denmark, lost 0-2  Peru
 Bert van Marwijk

 Iran
18
Round 1
won 1-0  Morocco, lost 0-1  Spain, drew 1-1  Portugal
 Carlos Queiroz

 Japan
18
Round of 16
won 2-1  Colombia, drew 2-2  Senegal, lost 0-1  Poland Round of 16: lost 2-3  Belgium
 Akira Nishino

 Saudi Arabia
18
Round 1
lost 0-5  Russia, lost 0-1  Uruguay, won 2-1  Egypt
 Juan Antonio Pizzi

 South Korea
18
Round 1
lost 0-1  Sweden, lost 1-2  Mexico, won 2-0  Germany
 Shin Tae-yong

text: Competitive record[edit]

text: 1938: The first Asian nation at the World Cup[edit]

text: The Indonesian team, prior to independence in 1945. Indonesia was the first Asian team to participate in the FIFA World Cup when the team qualified for the 1938 tournament after its opponent, Japan, withdrew from the qualification heats. The 6–0 loss to eventual finalists Hungary in the first round of the tournament in Reims, France, remains the nation's only appearance in the World Cup. The straight knock-out format used at the time made it the only game ever played by the Indonesians. Thus, Indonesia holds the World Cup record as the team with the fewest matches played (1) and one of the teams with the fewest goals scored (0). They were 15th place in the rankings.

text: 1950: India's withdrawal[edit]

text: Burma, Philippines and Indonesia withdrew before the draw, so India qualified automatically. India later also withdrew because of the expense of traveling (or, according to some reports, after a FIFA ruling that players were not allowed to play barefoot). Other teams economized by sailing, rather than flying, to the tournament. FIFA decided not to invite another team, leaving the World Cup three teams short.

text: 1954: South Korea's first World Cup[edit]

text: In the 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification, the Asian zone was allocated one place (out of 16) in the final tournament. In the 1954 World Cup qualification, three countries from the AFC participated. China PR withdrew, South Korea won against Japan and for the first time qualified for the World Cup. South Korea lost twice 0–9 to Hungary and 0–7 to Turkey. They were 16th place in the rankings.

text: 1958–1962: World Cup without Asia[edit]

text: At the 1958 World Cup qualification, FIFA rejected South Korea's entry. Qualifications were held with Africa, Turkey, Cyprus and China PR withdrew in the first qualification round, Indonesia and Egypt in second. Sudan withdrew in the final qualification round as they refused to play against Israel for political reasons. Israel technically would have qualified automatically, but before the qualification rounds began, FIFA ruled that no team would qualify without playing at least one match (except for the defending champions and the hosts), and Israel had yet to play any. A special play-off was created between Israel and the runner-up of one of the UEFA Groups, where the teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis, with the winner qualifying. After Belgium refused, Wales, the runner-up of UEFA Group 4, was the team drawn from the UEFA group runners-up. Israel lost both times 0–2 and did not reach the World Cup.

text: There was only one round of play at the 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification. The three teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would advance to the UEFA/AFC Intercontinental play-off. Indonesia withdrew. South Korea won twice against Japan and advanced to the UEFA/AFC Intercontinental play-off. South Korea lost both times against Yugoslavia and did not reach the World Cup.

text: 1966: North Korea's impressive performance[edit]

text: AFC, CAF, OFC confederations competed together in the qualification rounds. After having no teams from Africa or Asia qualifying for the previous two World Cups, FIFA decided to allocate a single spot to the winner of a four-way play-off between the winners of three African groups and the winner of the Asian zone. South Africa was suspended by FIFA due to apartheid. All 15 remaining African teams withdrew in protest against there being no automatic qualification for an African team, leaving the AFC–OFC winner to qualify by default. Japan then withdrew because the three-team tournament was moved from Japan to Cambodia, leaving only Australia and North Korea to contest the final place. Because North Korea lacked diplomatic relations with most countries, finding a suitable venue for the match proved difficult, until Head of State Norodom Sihanouk, an ally of Kim Il-sung, agreed to hosting the matches in Phnom Penh. North Korea easily won both legs to qualify. North Korea qualified for the eighth FIFA World Cup held in England.

text: North Korea got to Group 4. North Korea predictably lost the first game against the USSR by 0–3, the second was 1–1 against Chile. However, in an upset North Korea beat Italy 1-0 at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough, and finished above them, thus earning qualification to the next round along with the USSR. This was the first time that a nation from outside Europe or the Americas had progressed from the first stage of a World Cup. In their match against Portugal, they lead 3–0 after only 22 minutes. Portugal's Eusébio changed the pace, scoring four goals in the game and José Augusto added a fifth in the 78th minute to earn Portugal a 5–3 win. In a 1999 documentary featuring interviews with surviving members of the team, they describe themselves as having been welcomed home as national heroes.

text: 1970: Israel debut at the World Cup[edit]

text: The 1970 AFC and OFC FIFA World Cup qualification were held together. Israel, New Zealand and Rhodesia received byes and advanced to the second round directly. The remaining three teams, Australia, Japan and South Korea, played against each other twice in South Korea. Australia advanced to the second round Group 1 and won over Rhodesia and advanced to the final round. In Group 2, Israel advanced to the final round when they defeated New Zealand twice. North Korea, despite their good performance in the previous tournament staged in England in 1966, refused to play in Israel and withdrew. In the final round, Israel defeated Australia 2–1 on aggregate and reached the World Cup. Israel qualified for their only World Cup to date as an Asian team. Soon after this, however, they left the Asian Football Confederation, and now compete in the European zone as they are now a member of UEFA. As of 2018, this is Israel's only World Cup finals appearance.

text: Israel lost their first game 0–2 against Uruguay, the other ended in a 1–1 draw against Sweden and 0–0 with Italy. Israel ranked last in the group and did not advance in the tournament. The team finished 13th out of 16 teams.

text: 1974: Another World Cup without Asian nations[edit]

text: The Asian and Oceania zone competed for one place in the World Cup. India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines withdrew before the matches were played. The remaining 15 teams were divided into two zones, based on geographical and political considerations. Zone A had 7 teams (teams from East Asia, plus Israel). All matches were played in the Republic of Korea. Zone B had 8 teams (teams from West Asia and Oceania, plus Indonesia and North Korea). South Korea won Zone A and Australia Zone B. In the final round, South Korea and Australia were tied 2–2 on aggregate, and a play-off on neutral ground in Hong Kong was played to decide the qualifier. Australia won this match through a Jimmy Mackay goal, scored off a free kick.

text: 1978: Iran's debut[edit]

text: A total of 21 AFC and OFC teams and Israel entered the competition. However, South Vietnam could not compete after being annexed by Vietnam. The Asian zone was allocated one place (out of 16) in the final tournament. The 21 teams would be divided into 5 groups. Sri Lanka, North Korea, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates withdrew. Hong Kong, South Korea, Iran, Kuwait and Australia won in their group. Iran won the final group and  qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time.

text: The group consisted of Iran, Netherlands, Peru and Scotland. Iran, the reigning Asian champion, went out of the tournament winless. Iran lost two of their three group stage games: 0–3 against the Netherlands and 1–4 against Peru. However, they managed to draw 1–1 against Scotland with a late Iraj Danaeifard goal. The team finished 14th out of the 16 teams.

text: 1982: Kuwait's debut[edit]

text: A total of 21 AFC and OFC teams entered the qualification. Iran withdrew before the draw was made. The Asian and Oceania zone was allocated two places (out of 24) in the final tournament. The remaining 20 teams would be divided into four groups. New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and China PR advanced to the Final Round. In the Final Round, Kuwait ranked first place and immediately qualified to the World Cup. China PR and New Zealand finished level on points and goal difference, and a play-off on neutral ground (Singapore) was played to decide the qualifier. Kuwait won 2–1 and  qualified to the World Cup for the first time.

text: Kuwait's group consisted of Czechoslovakia, England and France. In the opening match, Kuwait held Czechoslovakia to a 1–1 draw. In the game between Kuwait and France, with France leading 3–1, France midfielder Alain Giresse scored a goal vehemently contested by the Kuwait team, who had stopped play after hearing a piercing whistle from the stands, which they thought had come from Soviet referee Miroslav Stupar. Play had not yet resumed when Sheikh Fahid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, brother of the Kuwaiti Emir and president of the Kuwaiti Football Association, rushed onto the pitch to remonstrate with the referee. Stupar countermanded his initial decision and disallowed the goal to the fury of the French. Maxime Bossis scored another valid goal a few minutes later and France won 4–1. Kuwait lost the third game 0–1 against England. Kuwait finished fourth in their group and 21st out of the 24 teams.

text: 1986: Iraq's debut, South Korea's return[edit]

text: A total of 27 AFC teams entered the competition. The Asian zone was allocated two places (out of 24) in the final tournament. Teams were divided into two zones, based on geographical considerations. Zone A had 13 teams (teams from West Asia) and Zone B had 14 teams (teams from East Asia). Lebanon, Oman withdrew. Iran were disqualified. Iraq won Zone A Final Round, South Korea won Zone B. Iraq and South Korea qualified for the 1986 World Cup.

text: As of 2018, this was the last time Iraq qualified for the finals. Iraq lost all three games: 0–1 against Paraguay, 1–2 against Belgium and 0–1 against Mexico, and finished 23 out of the 24 teams. However the defeat to Paraguay was controversial, as Iraq's Ahmed Radhi had scored a header from a corner right at the end of the first half which the referee disallowed as he incorrectly blew the whistle for half-time just before the header went into the back of the net.[28] The defeat to Belgium was also controversial as the referee gave a yellow card to Iraq's Basil Gorgis in a case of mistaken identity (the yellow was supposed to be given to Ghanim Oraibi) while the score was 0–2. Gorgis sarcastically applauded the referee's incorrect decision which led to him getting sent off and Iraq lost 1–2.[29] South Korea qualified for the first time since 1954. In its first game, South Korea lost 1–3 against Argentina, in the second game drew Bulgaria 1–1 in a downpour and in the third lost 2–3 against Italy. South Korea finished 20 out of the 24 teams.

text: 1990: United Arab Emirates first World Cup[edit]

text: Twenty-six teams were in the running for these spots; Bahrain, India, Maldives and South Yemen withdrew without playing a qualifying match. The Maldives withdrew before the final draw, leaving 25 teams to be divided into six groups of four or five teams each. South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, China PR, Saudi Arabia and North Korea advanced to the Final Round. South Korea and the United Arab Emirates qualified for the 1990 World Cup, taking the first two places.

text: The United Arab Emirates qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time, its only appearance to date, but lost all three of its games: 2–0 to Colombia, 5–1 to West Germany and 4–1 to Yugoslavia. All three of the UAE's first round opponents reached the last 16. They were 24th (and last) place in the rankings. South Korea also lost all its three games: 0–2 to Belgium, 1–3 to Spain and 0–1 to Uruguay, and finished 22 out of 24 teams.

text: 1994: Saudi Arabia reaches the Round of 16[edit]

text: A total of 30 teams entered the qualification. The Asian zone was allocated two places (out of 24) in the final tournament. The 30 teams were divided into six groups of five teams each, although Myanmar and Nepal withdrew after playing no match. The teams would play against each other twice. The group winners would advance to the Final Round. Iraq, Iran, North Korea, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Japan advanced to the Final Round, with Saudi Arabia and South Korea taking the first two places in the World Cup.

text: Saudi Arabia qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time. Their group consisted of Belgium, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Saudi Arabia lost its first game 1–2 against Netherlands, although they scored the first goal. Later, they beat Morocco 2–1. Against Belgium, Saudi player Saaed Al-Owairian ran from his own half through a maze of Belgian players to score the game's only goal. Both teams went through. For the much-fancied Dutch, however, progression to the second round was a somewhat nervier experience. Netherlands won the group, Saudi Arabia finished second and Belgium qualified as one of the best third-placed teams. In the first knockout stage match, Saudi Arabia faced Sweden and lost 1–3 after two goals from Kennet Andersson and one from Martin Dahlin. They were 12th place in the rankings.

text: South Korea's World Cup began with two draws against Spain (2–2) and Bolivia (0–0). However they lost the decisive match 2–3 against title holders Germany. They were 20th place in the rankings.

text: 1998: Four Asian nations at the World Cup[edit]

text: A total of 36 teams entered the competition. The Asian zone was allocated 3.5 places (out of 32) in the final tournament. Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia and South Korea qualified for the 1998 World Cup. Japan qualified for the first time.

text: Saudi Arabia[edit]

text: Saudi Arabia were placed in Group C alongside South Africa, Denmark and hosts France. Saudi Arabia started with a 1–0 defeat by Denmark. Next, France scored four to eliminate Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia (0–2–0), which again failed to show any resemblance to the 1994 team that reached the second round, played most of the game with ten men after defender Mohammed Al-Khilaiwi was given a direct red card in the 19th minute for a poor tackle on Bixente Lizarazu. Forward Thierry Henry scored two goals, while David Trezeguet and Lizarazu scored one each for France. With two goals against Saudi Arabia, South Africa led but watched in horror as the Saudis scored on two penalty kicks to gain a 2–2 draw. The Saudis entered the match under new coach Mohammed al-Kharashi, a longtime assistant, after Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira was fired following the 4–0 loss to France.

text: Japan[edit]

text: Japan lost all three of its matches in its debut. In the first, it fell 1–0 to Argentina, with Gabriel Batistuta scoring for the opponents, knocking the ball over the Japanese goalkeeper on the edge of the penalty area. In the second match, against Croatia, a late Davor Šuker goal ensured a 1–0 Croatia victory and his nation's progression to the next round, simultaneously eliminating Japan from the tournament. Japan's World Cup campaign officially ended with an unexpected 2–1 defeat to rank outsiders Jamaica. Two goals from Theodore Whitmore gave Jamaica their first ever win in the World Cup finals, although Masashi Nakayama had the honour of scoring Japan's first-ever goal at the World Cup finals, which came in the 74th minute.

text: Iran[edit]

text: Iran's first game of Group F was played against Yugoslavia, a 1–0 loss instigated by a Siniša Mihajlović free-kick. Iran recorded their first World Cup victory in the second game, beating the United States 2–1, with Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia scoring goals for Iran. The Iran–U.S. World Cup match was preheated with much excitement owing to each country's political stance after the Iranian Revolution. In an act of defiance against all forms of hatred or politics in sports, however, both sides presented one another with gifts and flowers and took ceremonial pictures before the match kickoff. Following the defeat by Iran, the U.S. were eliminated from the World Cup. Iran played Germany in the third game, where they lost 2–0. German goals were scored from Oliver Bierhoff and Jürgen Klinsmann. The one win and two defeats left Iran third in the final group standings, not enough for progression to the next round.

text: South Korea[edit]

text: South Korea entered the 1998 World Cup without a single win to their name despite 14 World Cup games' experience. South Korea played Mexico, the Netherlands and Belgium. In the first game, South Korea lead in the 27th minute thanks to a Ha Seok-ju free-kick that was deflected into the Mexican goal. A couple of minutes after the goal was scored, however, Ha Seok-ju was sent off for a bad challenge from behind, and Mexico leveled the score through half-time substitute Ricardo Peláez. With approximately 15 minutes remaining, Luis Hernández put Mexico in the lead with a simple tap-in. Hernández then went on to complete the victory after scoring Mexico's third goal. South Korea had to wait four more years to record their first ever victory in a World Cup: its next game against the Netherlands was a heavy 0–5 defeat, the third-worst loss in the nation's World Cup history. Its third game was against Belgium. A big win would have given Belgium a chance of progressing and an early goal by Luc Nilis might have set them on the way. The Koreans, however, mounted stiff resistance and in the second half, and Yoo Sang-chul scored the equaliser in an eventual 1–1 draw.

text: 2002: South Korea and Japan hosted the World Cup[edit]

text: South Korea and Japan were selected as hosts by FIFA on 31 May 1996. Initially, South Korea, Japan and Mexico presented three rival bids. However, the two Asian countries agreed to unite their bids shortly before the decision was made, and they were chosen unanimously in preference to Mexico. This was the first (and so far the only) World Cup to be hosted by two countries. The 2002 World Cup was the tournament's 17th staging. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was utilized. South Korea and Japan, the co-hosts, qualified automatically, leaving 2.5 spots open for competition between 40 teams. Myanmar withdrew from the tournament after being placed in Group 2 but before any matches had been played, therefore reducing the group to three teams. Afghanistan, Bhutan, North Korea and Timor-Leste did not participate in the qualification process. Asia's two remaining automatic qualifying berths were taken by Saudi Arabia and China PR. Iran failed to become a third Asian representative in the World Cup after losing their AFC/UEFA playoff against the Republic of Ireland.

text: China PR[edit]

text: China PR qualified for the finals for the first time. Coached by Bora Milutinović (the fifth national team he coached in five consecutive World Cups), the nation failed to earn a point or even score a goal. As football is widely followed in China, national team success is considered to be a source of national pride. Around 300 million people tuned into broadcasts of China's 2002 World Cup matches, with a staggering 170 million new television sets being bought by citizens in order to watch their nation's first World Cup appearance. Its first game was against Costa Rica. Costa Rica dealt China PR a harsh blow by taking the lead against the run of play on 61 minutes. Rónald Gómez's slick backheel played Paulo Wanchope in, and Wu Chengying's challenge only popped the ball up for Gómez to fire in a left-foot shot. China PR had no time to gather their thoughts before they were 2–0 down. China's PR best moment of the first-half came on 39 minutes when they broke quickly after fending off a Costa Rica free-kick. Its second game against Brazil was a 0–4 defeat. China PR looked lively and appeared to be enjoying themselves, even when they overhit the ball, but China PR could not do anything about Roberto Carlos's left-footed free-kick goal in the 15th minute. Ronaldo then scored two and Ronaldinho one to effectively end the match. China PR searched for their first goal of the tournament in their third match, against Turkey. After just ten minutes, however, they were already down 0–2. Just before the half-hour mark, China PR almost scored their first goal of the tournament when Yang Chen hit the post. Hasan Şaş again set up Turkey with a cross to the far post, this time for Ümit Davala to score off the post. China PR failed to score a goal and was eliminated from the tournament.

text: South Korea[edit]

text: South Korea beat Poland 2–0 after Hwang Sun-hong and Yoo Sang-chul scored. The first real chance for the home side came in the 20th minute, when Yoo Sang-chul shot across the face of an outstretched Jerzy Dudek. South Korea started to apply more pressure and took the lead in the 25th minute: Lee Eul-yong played the ball into Hwang Sun-hong, who hit the ball first-time into the net. In the 53rd minute, South Korea scored their second goal: Yoo Sang-chul ran towards Tomasz Wałdoch and Radosław Kałużny, then confidently shot between them and past goalkeeper Dudek. Even the President of Korea waved his hat at the goal, which secured South Korea's first-ever win at the World Cup finals. In its second match, against the United States, the game's first real scoring chance fell to the U.S.' Clint Mathis, who scored with a left-footed drive from the middle of the penalty area. Later on, in the 78th minute, an Ahn Jung-hwan glancing header completely stunned American goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who seemed rooted to the spot as the ball sailed into the net. South Korea missed the chance to take all three points right at the end when Choi Yong-soo stabbed another shot over the bar, with only Friedel to beat. South Korea played its third match against Portugal, needing a win to be guaranteed a place in the second round, though earning one point would suffice (for the U.S. as well, however).

text: The South Koreans tore apart a Portuguese side who had João Pinto and Beto sent off. In the 70th minute, Park Ji-sung smashed in a brilliant goal for Korea to secure a 1–0 victory and Korea's progression to the next round. Here, South Korea beat Italy 2–1 in sudden-death extra time. In the 18th minute, Christian Vieri headed Italy into the lead from a Francesco Totti corner. Ahn Jung-hwan had the best chance for Korea in the 36th minute when he shot over the bar from close range. Two minutes from time, the stadium erupted as Italy defender Christian Panucci failed to clear the ball, with Seol Ki-hyun pouncing on his mistake. Totti received his second yellow card for diving in the penalty area. Ten-men Italy finally fell to a 117th-minute, golden goal header scored by Ahn Jung-hwan, who at the time was ironically playing for Italian club Perugia.

text: In the quarter-finals, Spain were unable to win a second consecutive penalty shootout, losing to South Korea after having two goals controversially disallowed in normal time, with South Korea becoming the first (and, as of 2014, the only) team from outside Europe and the Americas to reach the last four of a World Cup. Four minutes after the restart, a Spanish goal was disallowed, while a second Spanish goal was disallowed after the linesman judged that the ball had gone out of play before Fernando Morientes headed the ball into the net. In the 100th minute, Morientes turned on a long throw-in and crashed his shot against the left post. Korea won 5–3 on penalties and became the first ever Asian nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, where they would face Germany.

text: The match started slowly: South Korea kept possession well and Germany appeared content to keep the volume of the crowd down, with both sides entering half-time level at 0–0. In the 75th minute, however, Michael Ballack ran on to Oliver Neuville's low cross; his shot was blocked by goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, but Ballack followed up to convert the rebound and secure Germany's place in the final with a 1–0 victory. With the semi-final defeat, Korea contested the third-place match in Daegu against the other defeated semi-finalist, Turkey. Turkey, however, won third place after an entertaining 3–2 victory in a match that included the fastest ever World Cup goal, scored by Parma striker Hakan Şükür after just 11 seconds. Lee Eul-yong replied in the ninth minute with a curling free-kick into the top right-hand corner, but shortly after, İlhan Mansız put Turkey back in front in the 13th minute after splitting the South Korean defence by playing a swift one-two with Şükür. Song Chong-gug then managed to stun Turkey goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber when his long-range shot deflected off of Cha Du-ri's bottom, in injury time, for a last consolation goal that ended the game on a slight high note for the home fans.

text: Saudi Arabia[edit]

text: Saudi Arabia were eliminated as the worst team in tournament, after three defeats and no goals scored, including an 0–8 loss to Germany, 0–1 to Cameroon and 0–3 to the Republic of Ireland.

text: Japan[edit]

text: Hosts Japan topped their group with two wins and one draw. In the first match, they drew 2–2 with Belgium. Marc Wilmots broke the deadlock with a beautiful overhead kick in the 57th minute. Two minutes later, Japan's Takayuki Suzuki, in the penalty area, got a foot on to Shinji Ono's pass from the half-way line. In the 67th minute, Arsenal's Junichi Inamoto ran through three defenders to give Japan a 2–1 lead. Five minutes later, the stadium was momentarily silenced when Peter Van Der Heyden, beating the offside trap on the edge of the area, neatly lobbed Japan goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki as he came off his line. Japan advanced to the second round with a 1–0 win over Russia and a 2–0 victory against Tunisia. Japan register their first ever World Cup finals victory. However, they subsequently exited the tournament during the Round of 16 after a 1–0 defeat to Turkey. Ümit Davala headed Turkey into the lead from an Ergün Penbe's corner in the 12th minute. An Alessandro Santos free-kick crashed against the woodwork later on to give the Japanese some hope for the second-half. Japan made a couple of substitutions at half-time as they looked for fresh initiative. Hidetoshi Nakata deflected shot almost troubled Turkish goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber. Japan continued to look for the equaliser, with Akinori Nishizawa's header on target and Tomokazu Myojin shooting just narrowly wide. With ten minutes left in the game, Nishizawa's shot flew over the bar and with it Japan's hopes of a place in the quarter-finals.

text: 2006: Iran returned to the World Cup[edit]

text: Forty-four Asian teams are affiliated with FIFA, but Cambodia, Philippines, Bhutan and Brunei decided not to take part, while Myanmar was banned from the competition, so a total of 39 teams took part to compete for 4.5 places in the World Cup. Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan and Iran qualified for the 2006 World Cup finals.

text: Iran[edit]

text: Iran started their campaign with high expectations from fans and media. Their first match was against Mexico in Group D. The game was level 1–1 at the half-time, but Iran lost at the end because of a defensive mistake, and the match finished 3–1, with goals scored by Omar Bravo and Zinha for Mexico and Yahya Golmohammadi for Iran. Iran then played Portugal in the second game, losing 2–0; goals were scored by Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo, the latter from a penalty. The two losses meant Iran was eliminated from the competition even before contesting their third and final game against Angola. Iran drew 1–1, with Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh scoring the Iran goal.

text: Japan[edit]

text: Japan also failed to advance to the Round of 16 after finishing the group without a win, losing to Australia 1–3 in the first match. In the 26th minute, Shunsuke Nakamura scored the first goal, only for Australia to respond with three late goals in the 84th, 89th and 92nd minutes. In game two, Japan drew with Croatia 0–0. After defeats in the opening game, both Japan and Croatia seemed reluctant to take any early risks and for 20 minutes, little appeared to transpire. In the 21st minute, however, Niko Kranjčar missed penalty, while five minutes into the second-half, the ball arrived at the far post only for Atsushi Yanagisawa to horrendously miss an open goal, skewing the ball back across the goalmouth. In Japan's third match, it lost to Brazil 1–4, despite scoring the game's first goal, in the 34th minute, from Keiji Tamada.

text: South Korea[edit]

text: South Korea won its first match 2–1, against Togo; goals were scored by Lee Chun-soo and Ahn Jung-hwan. The victory marked Korea's their first World Cup finals win outside of home soil. In the second game, a 1–1 draw with France, Thierry Henry scored in the ninth minute, but Park Ji-sung leveled the score in 80th minute. Before the last match, against Switzerland, Korea had a strong chance to reach the round of 16. Switzerland scored first from a Philippe Senderos headed a goal off a Hakan Yakin free-kick in the 23rd minute. France went ahead against Togo in the 55th minute, which would mean that if Switzerland were to win, South Korea would be eliminated. Switzerland's star striker, Alexander Frei, doubled Switzerland's lead with 13 minutes to play while France won their match, resulting in South Korea's elimination from the competition.

text: Saudi Arabia[edit]

text: Saudi Arabia drew the first match 2–2 with Tunisia; Saudi Arabia had the lead as late as the 93rd minute, but Radhi Jaidi leveled the score. The Saudis' next game was against Ukraine, a 0–4 defeat. Saudi Arabia knew before kick-off that they had to score at least four goals to stand a chance of qualifying, but survival was clearly priority number one as they allowed Spain, who had changed their entire first 11, to feel their way into the match. Juanito scored at the 39th minute and buried their chances of progression beyond the group stage.

text: 2010: South Korea and Japan reaches the Round of 16, North Korea's return[edit]

text: Forty-three teams competed for spots at the 2010 World Cup; Laos, Brunei and the Philippines did not enter qualification. This was the first time Timor-Leste competed in World Cup qualification and the first time Australia attempted to qualify as a member of the AFC, having moved from the Oceania Football Confederation at the start of 2006. Asia's four automatic qualifying berths were taken by Australia, Japan]], North Korea and South Korea.

text: North Korea[edit]

text: North Korea qualified for the first time since 1966; they were drawn into Group G, and played their first match against five-time winners Brazil on 15 June. Brazil won 2–1 in a game where North Korea were well organised defensively and showed resilience, frustrating the Brazilians. Despite their best efforts, however, they were nevertheless outmatched and eventually broken down. Maicon's relief was visible after his goal to finally put Brazil ahead. Their next game was against Portugal on 21 June, where they suffered a heavy 0–7 defeat. Despite starting well (much like against the Brazilians), with a defensive, well organised approach, once Portugal scored the first, the North Korean defense unfolded and the following six goals were scored with relative ease. In North Korea's last match, against the Ivory Coast on 25 June, the team fell 3–0. After losing all three matches in the group stages, North Korea were eliminated, finishing last in Group G.

text: South Korea[edit]

text: South Korea were drawn into Group B alongside Argentina, Nigeria and Greece. South Korea registered the first win at the 2010 World Cup with a 2–0 victory over Greece, with goals scored by Lee Jung-soo and captain Park Ji-sung. In the second match, South Korea fell to Argentina 1–4, with striker Gonzalo Higuaín scoring a hat-trick and Park Chu-young scoring an own goal for the Argentines; Lee Chung-yong scored Korea's consolation goal. South Korea coach Huh Jung-moo, who played against Argentina's Diego Maradona at the 1986 World Cup, saw his team struggle to live with Argentina's quick tempo and the quality of their pass-and-move football. The decisive match was with Nigeria, which ended 2–2 and with subsequent triumph for South Korea, because paired with Argentina's defeat of Greece, the draw sealed their first-ever progression beyond the group stage on foreign soil.

text: As Group B runners-up, South Korea faced Uruguay in the last 16. The South Koreans were effervescent in their attacking third but shaky in their defence, which was exposed as early as the eighth minute: Diego Forlán was fed on the left and played a low ball across the six-yard area, which was misjudged by goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong and his statuesque defence but not by Luis Suárez at the far post, who calmly slotted in for his second goal of the competition. In the 68th minute, the South Koreans' luck change when, off of a free-kick, Bolton's Lee Chung-yong pounced on Mauricio Victorino's attempted headed clearance to score a nod-in from eight yards out; it was the first goal Uruguay had conceded in the tournament. With ten minutes remaining, Suárez lurked on the fringes of the 18-yard area as a corner was swung in from the right. He cut in from the left before curling in a well-struck shot that left goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong rooted as the ball clipped the post on its way in. The South Koreans pressed and should have taken the game into extra-time, but substitute Lee Dong-gook's weak shot squirmed under the shirt of Fernando Muslera before it was comfortably cleared.

text: Australia[edit]

text: Australia were drawn into Group D, which also featured three-time world champion Germany, Ghana and Serbia. On 14 June, Australia faced Germany in Durban; Pim Verbeek surprisingly chose to play without a recognised striker. Australia were comprehensively defeated 4–0, and Verbeek was heavily criticised for his tactics,[30] with chief SBS Football Analyst Craig Foster calling for his immediate sacking.[31]

text: Australia's second group match, against Ghana, resulted in a 1–1 draw. Australia shot its only goal early in the first half by Brett Holman after Ghana's goalkeeper Richard Kingson fumbled the ball following a Mark Bresciano free-kick. Shortly after, a goal-bound strike from Ghana's Jonathan Mensah was blocked on the goal line by Harry Kewell's upper arm, resulting in a penalty kick and a straight red card for Kewell. Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan scored the equalizing goal. Despite the man advantage, however, Ghana were mostly limited to long-range shots on Australia's goal, and some desperate defending from Australia saw the game finish a draw.

text: In their final group match, against Serbia, Tim Cahill was back from suspension and scored via a header in the second half to give Australia a 1–0 lead. Only four minutes later, Brett Holman doubled the scoreline with an impressive long-range effort. Late in the second half, Serbia managed to score a late goal through Marko Pantelić after Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer fumbled the ball, with the game ultimately ending at 2–1. Germany had defeated Ghana 1–0, which meant that both Australia and Ghana finished on four points. Ghana, however, progressed to the knockout stage due to their superior goal difference. Verbeek completed his term as Australian coach at the end of the 2010 World Cup.

text: Japan[edit]

text: Japan hung on to win their first-ever World Cup match on foreign soil, defeating Cameroon 1–0. The game's only goal came in the 39th minute when Keisuke Honda controlled a cross at the far post and stabbed the ball past goalkeeper Souleymanou Hamidou. In the second game, Japan lost 0–1 to the Netherlands. Wesley Sneijder's powerful 52nd-minute winner from just outside the box settled a fascinating Group E contest between two contrasting sides who opened up in the second half and were creating good chances right up to the final whistle. Loitering just outside the penalty area, Sneijder lashed a powerful right-foot shot towards goal that goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima could only deflect into the net despite being well-placed to make the save. Japan had the best chance to level the score one minute from time, but unmarked substitute Shinji Okazaki fired over the net from ten yards out.

text: Japan's third, decisive match was against Denmark. Midfielder Keisuke Honda opened the scoreline, bending a 30-yard free-kick past Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sørensen in the 17th minute. Just 13 minutes later, teammate Yasuhito Endō fired past Sørensen's outstretched hand to make it 2–0 for Japan. Takeshi Okada's side had to survive a late scare as Jon Dahl Tomasson tapped in a rebound after goalkeeper Kawashima saved the Dane's penalty kick. However, subtite Shinji Okazaki's 88th-minute strike clinched second place in the group for Japan with a 3–1 victory.

text: Japan faced Paraguay in the last 16. The match was decided by a penalty shootout after the score was locked at 0–0 for 120 minutes. Paraguay won the shootout and progressed to its first ever World Cup quarter-final. The match was a generally unexciting affair, as Japan adopted a defensive posture while Paraguay itself maintained a solid defence. The first-half produced the occasional chance on goal, with Lucas Barrios having a shot saved shortly before a long-distance shot from Daisuke Matsui hit the crossbar of Paraguay's goal. The second half was similar, with both sides producing occasional chances to score rather than periods of outright dominance. The result of the deadlock was extra time, which continued goalless. A penalty shootout ensued, during which Yuichi Komano missed a spot kick for Japan. Paraguay scored all five of its penalties, clinching the win and subsequent progression to the quarter-finals.

text: 2014: Disappointment for Asians[edit]

text: The 2014 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil, marked the first time since 1990 where no Asian team managed to win a game, and where the AFC was the only FIFA confederation without both wins and teams represented in the knockout stages.[32][33] Three of Asia's four qualifiers in 2010—Australia, Japan and South Korea—qualified for the 2014 tournament. Iran, meanwhile, qualified for the first time since 2006.

text: Australia was eliminated early despite good performances against Chile and the Netherlands that both ended in close losses (1–3 and 2–3 respectively). In their third match, however, they were blown-out 3–0 to defending World Cup champions Spain, who were themselves also mathematically eliminated from the tournament.

text: Japan opened the scoring in its first match against the Ivory Coast, but lost the lead en route to an eventual 1–2 defeat. In the following games, the Japanese failed to break Greece's tight defence and finished in a goalless draw, and afterwards, despite equalizing Colombia at half-time, eventually lost 4–1 to ensure an early tournament exit.

text: South Korea opened the score against Russia after a blunder by goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, but wound up conceding the equalizing goal shortly after. A high-scoring match with Algeria had the Koreans defeated 4–2, and a 1–0 loss to Belgium ended Korea's campaign.

text: After an opening 0–0 draw with Nigeria, the Iranian defense held Argentina goalless for most of the match before a Lionel Messi goal in injury time. Needing to beat the already-eliminated Bosnia and Herzegovina to clinch the group's second spot in the knockout stages, Iran wound up defeated 3–1.

text: 2018: Five Asian Teams at the World Cup for the first time[edit]

text: The 2018 FIFA World Cup, held in Russia, marked the first time five Asian teams qualified for the FIFA World Cup.  Only Japan advanced past the group stage, a feat aided by fair-play points in tie-breaking. Aside from Australia, who only got a draw and two defeats, the other three had at least one win: Saudi Arabia got a 2-1 comeback over Egypt, Iran defeated Morocco, and in the biggest upset, South Korea beat defending champions Germany.[34] In the round of 16, Japan surprised a favored Belgium team and got a 2-0 lead, only to suffer a 3-2 comeback that ended with a Belgian goal in the last minute of stoppage time.[35]

text: Never qualified[edit]

text: This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2018)

text: Indonesia

text: Notes[edit]

text: Jump up ^ In 1982, the second round has 12 teams of which 4 progressed to the semi-finals.

tag: ol


document_title: The Car

question_text: what kind of car is the car in the movie the car

text: The Car

text: Plot[edit]

text: Two bicyclists cycling on a canyon are followed by a mysterious matte black car down the road. At the bridge, the car proceeds to crush one cyclist against the wall, and ram the other from behind, catapulting him off the bridge. A hitchhiker, hoping to get a ride, encounters the car and insults it after it purposefully tries to run him down. In response, the car runs over him several times and leaves. The local sheriff's office, called to the first of a series of hit and run deaths, gets a lead on the car that appears heavily customized and has no license plate, as pointed out by Amos Clemens (R. G. Armstrong) after he sees it run over the hitchhiker.

text: That night, in an apparent bid to kill Amos, the car instead runs over the sheriff, leaving Chief Deputy Wade Parent (James Brolin) in charge. During the resulting investigation, an eyewitness to the accident states that there was no driver inside the car, furthering Wade's confusion. Wade asks his girlfriend, Lauren (Kathleen Lloyd), who is a teacher at the local school, to cancel the upcoming marching band rehearsals for their safety. Lauren and her friend, who is Wade's deputy Luke Johnson's (Ronny Cox) wife, ask him to let them rehearse, to which Luke unwittingly agrees.

text: The car enters the town and attacks the school marching band as it rehearses at the local show ground. It chases the group of teachers and students into a cemetery. Curiously enough, the machine will not enter onto the consecrated ground as Lauren taunts the purported driver that any of the townsfolk have yet to see. Seemingly in anger, the car destroys a brick gate post and leaves. The police chase the automobile along highways throughout the desert before it turns on them, destroying several squad cars and killing five of Wade's deputies in the process. Wade confronts the vehicle and is surprised to see that none of his bullets put a dent on the car's windshield or tires. After trying to open the door (when it is revealed that the car has no door handles), Wade is knocked out and the car escapes.

text: That evening, Lauren, on her way home to pick up her things, is killed when the car jumps driving straight through her house and rams her, right when she is speaking to Wade over the phone. Luke puts forward to a grief-stricken and maddened Wade the theory that it acted in revenge for the insults hurled on it by Lauren and notes it cannot enter hallowed ground. Wade concocts a plan to stop the car by burying it beneath a controlled explosion in the canyons that lie outside of town. After discovering it waiting for him in his own garage, he is forced to carry out his plans post haste. He is pursued by the car into a mountainous canyon area where his remaining deputies have set a trap for the machine. In a final confrontation, Wade and Luke, at the edge of a cliff, bait the car into running straight at them, then jump aside as it goes over the cliff. With the dynamite detonated and the rubble falling on it, a monstrous demonic visage appears in the smoke and fire of the explosion, shocking the deputies.

text: The final scenes show Wade refusing to believe what the group saw in the flames, despite Luke's insistence about what he saw. The film concludes, in some cuts, with the car prowling the streets of downtown Los Angeles, clearly having survived.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
James Brolin as Captain Wade Parent
Kathleen Lloyd as Lauren Humphries
John Marley as Sheriff Everett Peck
Elizabeth Thompson as Margie
Ronny Cox as Deputy Lucas "Luke" Johnson
R. G. Armstrong as Amos Clemens
John Rubinstein as John Morris
Kim Richards as Lynn Marie Parent
Kyle Richards as Debbie Parent
Roy Jenson as Ray Mott
Kate Murtagh as Miss McDonald
Doris Dowling as Bertha Clemens
Eddie Little Sky as Denson
Lee McLaughlin as Marvin Fats

text: Production[edit]

text: The "evil" black car in the film was a customized 1971 Lincoln Continental Mark III designed by famed Hollywood car customizer George Barris. There were four cars built for the film in six weeks. Three were used for stunt work – the fourth was for closeups, etc. The stunt cars were destroyed during production – the fourth is now in a private collection.

text: The late Church of Satan leader Anton LaVey was given a "Technical Adviser" credit on the film. His quote: "Oh great brothers of the night who rideth upon the hot winds of hell, who dwelleth in the Devil's lair; move and appear," is given in the opening credits and is taken from the "Invocation of Destruction" in The Satanic Bible.

text: The film's main theme, heard predominantly throughout, is a reworked, orchestral version of the Dies Irae, also used in The Screaming Skull (1958) and The Shining (1980).

text: Reception and Home Release[edit]

text: The film was panned by critics, citing poor dialogue and acting. The film received a 27% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes based on 15 reviews. Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel gave the film one star and his headline referred to this film as "The Cinematic Turkey of 1977".[2] The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of the 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.[3]

text: The Car was released in standard definition and without additional features on DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment on July 20, 1999. Arrow Films released The Car on Blu-Ray on December 15, 2015. The Blu-Ray release features the first HD 1080p transfer of the film, as well as commentary and additional features.[4]


document_title: Caribbean Basin Initiative

question_text: the caribbean basin initiative of the 1980s sought to

text: Caribbean Basin Initiative

text: The Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) was a unilateral and temporary United States program initiated by the 1983 Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA). The CBI came into effect on January 1, 1984, and aimed to provide several tariff and trade benefits to many Central American and Caribbean countries. It arose in the context of a U.S. desire to respond with aid and trade to democratic movements that were active in some countries of the region, such as the guerrillas in El Salvador and the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Provisions in the CBERA prevented the United States from extending preferences to CBI countries that it judged to be contrary to its interests or that had expropriated American property.

text: The Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Expansion Act of 1990, known as "CBI II", made the CBI permanent. However, once the United States entered into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994 with Mexico it became easier for Mexico to export its products to the United States. CBI countries had lost their advantage relative to Mexico, a major competitor in industries such as textiles and apparel, so they sought to increase their own preferences and achieve "NAFTA parity". Those efforts were not successful until the 2000 Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, which was broadened in 2002. Several exports from the region continue to receive preferential status in the United States, however those preferences will likely be replaced by bilateral free trade agreements, and possibly by the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas.

text: Further information[edit]

text:
Caribbean Basin Interim Trade Program: CBI/NAFTA Parity. CRS Issue Brief for Congress. Updated January 12, 2005. [1]
Office of the United States Trade Representative, CBI page [2]
U.S. Department of Commerce, CBI page [3]
U.S. Department of Treasury, CBI page [4]
U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project, CBI page [5]
A contextual macro-analysis of media in the Caribbean in the 1990s[permanent dead link]
The Caribbean Basin Initiative: An Examination of Structural Dependency, Good Neighbor Relations, and American Investment. Michael Cornell Dypski. Journal of Transnational Law and Policy. Volume 12, Issue 1, pages 95–136. [6]
Overview of CBI from AllRefer.com [7]
El Salvador Trade & Investment [8]
Costa Rican Ministry of Commerce [9] (in Spanish)

text: United States foreign relations legislationUnited States–Caribbean relationsEconomy of the CaribbeanEconomy of Central America1984 in international relations1984 in law

text: All articles with dead external linksArticles with dead external links from July 2017Articles with permanently dead external links


document_title: My Name Is Earl

question_text: where was my name is earl supposed to take place

text: My Name Is Earl

text: Synopsis[edit]

text: Earl Hickey is a small-time thief, living in the fictional rural town of Camden, whose winning $100,000 lottery ticket is lost when he is hit by a car while he celebrates his good fortune. Lying in a hospital bed, he learns about karma during an episode of the talk show Last Call with Carson Daly. Convinced he has to turn his life around to be happy, Earl gives himself over to the power of karma. He makes a list of every bad thing and every person he has wronged and make efforts to fix them all. After doing a first good deed, he finds the $100,000 lottery ticket that he had lost. Seeing this as a sign of karma rewarding him for his commitment, Earl uses his newfound wealth to do more good deeds according to his list.[1]

text: Having divorced from his wife Joy Darville and separated from their two kids Dodge and Earl Jr., neither of whom are biologically related to him, Earl moves into a motel and lives with his brother Randy, and they meet Catalina, the motel's beautiful maid who illegally immigrated from somewhere in Latin America. Earl works on the list which mostly involves strangers and old acquaintances he has wronged, but also contains items involving his family. Initially Joy plots to kill or blackmail Earl for the lottery money, but later gives up. Joy marries Darnell Turner, a mutual friend who works at a local restaurant called the Crab Shack, and with whom she had been having an affair. In the season 1 finale, Earl discovers he had bought the lotto tickets using money he stole from another person, but when he tries to return his winnings to that person, the latter is inflicted with bad karma, so he returns the money to Earl.

text: The second season has Earl continuing to work on his list, however, Joy gets in trouble when she steals a delivery truck and ends up kidnapping and assaulting the worker who was inside. Joy is arrested for felonies that would put her in prison for life because it was her third strike. To soften the jury, she decides to have a surrogate baby for her half-sister Liberty Washington. When things do not go well at her trial, Earl sacrifices himself by confessing to all of Joy's crimes, and is sentenced to two years in a state penitentiary. Also during the season, Catalina was deported, so Earl and Randy visit her village in Latin America, and Randy marries Catalina in a green card marriage to bring her back.

text: In the third season, Earl is in the state prison, but continues to do good deeds despite not having his list. He meets Frank, with whom he had rented the trailer in which Joy and Darnell now live, while Randy gets a job as a prison guard to be close to Earl. Meanwhile, Joy gives birth to Liberty and Ray Ray's child. Earl's good deeds attract the attention of the state warden Jerry, who offers Earl a reduction in prison time for helping him resolve his issues. When Earl is about to leave, Jerry revokes Earl's reductions as he would lose such a productive helper, but Earl eventually gains the upper hand and forces Jerry to honor his early release. After leaving prison, Earl loses his confidence in the list; he has spent years and the last of his lottery winnings doing good things, but has nothing lasting to show for it, and is insistent that karma should have given him some kind of lasting reward by now. He reverts to his pre-list ways, doing cruel and illegal things until Frank's former girlfriend Billie Cunningham hits him with her car and sends him into a coma, and is subsequently hit herself. Randy is able to revive Earl by working on the list. Earl finds Billie and marries her, thinking she is karma's reward for his years of effort. When Earl and Billie argue over the list, and when Earl chooses the list over her, Billie goes into a rampage where she undoes his good deeds. However, when Billie hides in the Amish-like "Camdenite" settlement, she has a change of heart. She divorces Earl and gives him the rest of her insurance settlement money.

text: The fourth season goes back to focusing on Earl doing good deeds to cross off his list.[2] A major story arc during this season was that Darnell, who is actually a former assassin from a secret government agency, blows his witness protection cover. He, Joy and his family are forced to change identities and relocate until Darnell's father, also from the agency, goes on a mission with Darnell which clears them of needing protection. The season ends with a cliffhanger episode in which Earl and the gang learn from DNA test results that Earl is actually Dodge's biological father, but that Earl Jr.'s biological father is not Darnell.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Jason Lee as Earl Hickey, a small-time thug who turns his life around after winning money a lottery scratcher and making a list of wrongs that he plans to make amends for.
Ethan Suplee as Randy Hickey, Earl's slow-witted brother.
Jaime Pressly as Joy Turner, Earl's ex-wife who lives in a trailer park.
Nadine Velazquez as Catalina, the maid at the motel that Earl and Randy reside.
Eddie Steeples as Darnell Turner, a worker at the local restaurant that Earl and the gang frequent. He marries Joy in season 1.

text: Production[edit]

text: Conception[edit]

text: Creator and head writer Greg Garcia wrote the pilot while working on another sitcom, Yes, Dear. He initially pitched the series to Fox which passed on the series. He then approached NBC, which optioned the pilot on a cast-contingent basis, meaning they would order the pilot provided a suitable cast could be assembled. Jason Lee was approached for the lead role, but was uninterested in working in television and passed on the series twice before finally agreeing to read the pilot script. Though he liked the pilot, he was hesitant to commit to his first TV starring role until meeting with Garcia, after which he signed on to play Earl Hickey.[3]

text: Locations[edit]

text: My Name Is Earl is set in fictional Camden County. Creator Greg Garcia says:[citation needed]

text: The show doesn't technically take place anywhere....we like to think it's anywhere. We don't really say exactly where it is.

text: In the episode "BB", Earl's driver's license address is at "Pimmit Hills Trailer Park, Space C-13, Camden County", but the state is not listed. Creator Greg Garcia said that Camden County is loosely modeled on Pimmit Hills, Virginia, the neighborhood where he grew up.[4][5] The actual location in Los Angeles was not a trailer park, but was built up to look like one.[6]

text: Many of the locations were filmed in San Fernando Valley in California. In the season 1 episode "The Professor", Earl receives a postcard from Alex with the address "Earl Hickey, The Palms Hotel RM 231, 9005 Lincoln Blvd, Camden USA" with Earl's hand covering up most of the postmark. The Palms Motel structure is actually a motel in North Hills, California, now named the Palm Tree Inn Motel. It was also used to film other shows and films such as Gilmore Girls, The Mentalist, and Heroes.[7][8][9][10] Exterior shots of the Crab Shack and Club Chubby were also taken from locations in Van Nuys and North Hills.[6] Houses and shops for the various characters come from locations in Van Nuys, Santa Clarita, Northridge, Moorpark, Los Angeles, and other Southern California cities.[11][12][13] In the episode "Didn't Pay Taxes", Earl and Randy climb the landmark Artesia water tower, although they do not refer to it by name.[14]

text: Other episodes have listed states that were unlikely to have Camden County. In the episode "Our Other Cops is On", officer Stuart Daniels states that his surveillance equipment was "supposed to go to Camden, New Jersey, but came here instead". In "Earl and Joy's Anniversary", when killer bees have invaded Camden and then left, Iqball says that the bees are heading for Texas. The flashback episodes "Inside Probe" describe Camden County as trying to stay independent during the American Civil War and forming its own country called Central, which lasted less than a day.

text: Cancellation and future[edit]

text: The series ended abruptly on September 23, 2008 after running for four seasons. Season four had ended with the caption 'To Be Continued'. The series' producer, 20th Century Fox Television, approached the Fox,[15] TBS[16] and TNT[17] networks to continue the series, but they were unable to come to terms without "seriously undermining the artistic integrity of the series."[16][18][19][20][21][22]

text: In October 2011, Jason Lee told E! Online he has been in talks with Greg Garcia to finish the list via a movie, possibly to be released online.[23]

text: On October 1, 2013, creator Greg Garcia participated in an AMA on reddit.com. Fan Jerry Denton asked "Who was Earl Jr's. real father and did Earl ever finish the list?"

text: Garcia replied:[23]

text: We never really got the chance to fully figure it out but the talk in the writers room was that Earl Jr.'s Dad was going to be someone famous. Like Dave Chappelle or Lil Jon. Someone that came to town on tour and Joy slept with. But when we got canceled we never got the chance to figure it out. I was worried about doing a cliffhanger but I asked NBC if it was safe to do one at the end of the season and they told me it was. I guess it wasn't. I had always had an ending to Earl and I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to see it happen. You've got a show about a guy with a list so not seeing him finish it is a bummer. But the truth is, he wasn't ever going to finish the list. The basic idea of the ending was that while he was stuck on a really hard list item he was going to start to get frustrated that he was never going to finish it. Then he runs into someone who had a list of their own and Earl was on it. They needed to make up for something bad they had done to Earl. He asks them where they got the idea of making a list and they tell him that someone came to them with a list and that person got the idea from someone else. Earl eventually realizes that his list started a chain reaction of people with lists and that he's finally put more good into the world than bad. So at that point he was going to tear up his list and go live his life. Walk into the sunset a free man. With good karma.

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: The show was well received by critics and audiences alike. One reviewer speculated that Earl's forthrightness to having led a life of idiocy is what endears him to the viewer, and is what suggests there is a depth to his character beyond what is initially seen.[1] Many of the negative and ambivalent reviews center on what is perceived to be base[24] and bigoted humor.[25]

text: Some critics claimed the series had a Scientologist bias or message, with actors Jason Lee and Ethan Suplee being Scientologists.[26] In 2008, Alec Baldwin publicly named Earl creator Greg Garcia as being a Scientologist;[27] Garcia quickly denied any involvement with Scientology, claiming that the Daily Mirror had incorrectly reported him to be a Scientologist.[28]

text: The series was nominated twice for Best International Programme at the British Academy Television Awards in 2007 and 2008. The pilot episode won Emmy awards for Outstanding Writing and Directing in a Comedy Series for Greg Garcia and Marc Buckland respectively at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards. Jaime Pressly won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. Other Emmy nominations include Beau Bridges and Giovanni Ribisi for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally aired

First aired
Last aired

1
24
September 20, 2005 (2005-09-20)
May 11, 2006 (2006-05-11)

2
23
September 21, 2006 (2006-09-21)
May 10, 2007 (2007-05-10)

3
22
September 27, 2007 (2007-09-27)
May 15, 2008 (2008-05-15)

4
27
September 25, 2008 (2008-09-25)
May 14, 2009 (2009-05-14)

text: DVD releases[edit]

text: Season releases overview[edit]

text:
DVD Name
Release dates
Ep #
Additional Information

Region 1
Region 2

Season One[29]
September 19, 2006
September 25, 2006
24
The four disc box set includes all 24 episodes. Bonus features include deleted scenes, commentary tracks on selected episodes, selections from the season's gag reel, and a "mini-episode" vignette where Stewie Griffin from Family Guy influences Earl to get revenge on everyone who wronged him.

Season Two[30]
September 25, 2007
January 28, 2008
23
The four disc box set includes all 23 episodes. Bonus features include deleted scenes, commentary tracks on selected episodes, as well as other featurettes.

Season Three[31]
September 30, 2008[32]
October 20, 2008[33]
22
The four disc box set includes all 22 episodes. Bonus features include a gag reel, "Creating the characters" featurette and deleted scenes.

Season Four[34]
September 15, 2009
October 5, 2009
27
The four disc box set includes all 27 episodes. Bonus features include deleted scenes, a gag reel, "Earl's Fan Mail" featurette and a movie trailer inspired by the premiere episode. Also released on Blu-ray.

text: Ratings[edit]

text: The series premiered on September 20, 2005, drew in 14.9 million viewers in the United States, earning a 6.6 rating. By the airing of the third episode it was apparent that My Name Is Earl was the highest rated of NBC's new fall offerings, and a full season (22 episodes) was ordered. In its first month, it was also the highest rated new sitcom of the season to air on any network and was the highest rated sitcom on any network in the 18–49-year-old demographic. The show was renewed for a second season (2006), a third (2007), and a fourth (2008).

text:
Season
Timeslot (EDT)
Season Premiere
Season Finale
TV Season
Viewers
(in millions)

1
Tuesday 9:00 P.M. (September 20 – October 18, 2005)
Thursday 9:00 P.M. (October 25 – December 27, 2005)

September 20, 2005
December 27, 2005
2005
10.9[35]

2
Thursday 8:00 P.M.
September 21, 2006
December 19, 2006
2006
8.9[36]

3
September 27, 2007
December 25, 2007
2007
7.3[37]

4
September 23, 2008
December 16, 2008
2008
6.6[38]

text: Syndication[edit]

text: 20th Century Fox Television has cleared My Name Is Earl in nearly 50% of the U.S., said Bob Cook, the company's president and chief operating officer. 20th had sold the off-net sitcom to the Fox, Tribune, CBS, Hearst-Argyle, and Sinclair station groups for a fall 2009 debut.[39]

text: My Name Is Earl aired in off-network syndication and on TBS, Ion Television, and MyNetworkTV in the United States, and is currently available on the streaming service Netflix. Canada airs the series on Joytv. The series premiered in January 2006 on Channel 4 in the UK. The fourth and Final season was shown on E4 in October 2008. In 2013, 5* gained the repeat rights to the series.

text: Comic book[edit]

text: Independent comic book publisher Oni Press had announced a comic book tie-in to the series in 2006,[40] and season one's DVD release included ads for the comic; but none were produced. Since the cancellation of the show, Oni has abandoned the comic.[41]


document_title: Replay review in gridiron football

question_text: how many challenges does a coach get in the nfl

text: Replay review in gridiron football

text: By league[edit]

text: National Football League[edit]

text: The National Football League first adopted a limited Instant Replay system in 1986,[1] though the current system began in 1999, bringing in the opportunity to "challenge" on-field calls of plays. The current system mirrors a system used by the now defunct USFL in 1985. Each coach is allowed two opportunities per game to make a coach's challenge. Before the 2004 NFL season, the instant replay rule was slightly changed to allow a third challenge if both of the original two challenges were successful.

text: A challenge can only be made on certain reviewable calls on plays that begin before the two-minute warning and only when a team has at least one time-out remaining in the half. Up until the 2005 season, coaches could signal a challenge via an electronic pager, now used only by the replay assistant.[2] The coaches now throw a red flag onto the field, indicating the challenge to the referees. This red flag was originally the "backup plan" if the pager were to fail, but it has become the more popular option among NFL coaches to signal a replay request.

text: The referee has 60 seconds to watch the instant replay of the play and decide if the original call was correct. The referee must see "incontrovertible visual evidence" for a call to be overturned. If the challenge fails, the original ruling stands and the challenging team is charged with a timeout. If the challenge overrules the previous call, the call is reversed; should there have been an official score change, the score will be changed again, resulting in the original score and with no loss of a timeout.

text: Because of the limited number of challenges, and the possible penalty of a lost timeout, coaches typically reserve their challenges for key plays. A questionable call may not be challenged once the next play is underway, so coaches may be forced to make a quick decision without the benefit of seeing a replay on television or on the stadium screen. If a questionable call is made in favor of the offense, then the offense will often line up and snap the ball quickly to prevent the opposing coach from challenging the call. Often players on the field will signal to the coach if they believe the play should be challenged.

text: During a scoring play (starting in 2011), turnovers (starting in 2012), or after the two-minute warning of each half, and in overtime, reviews can only take place if the replay assistant, who sits in the press box and monitors the network broadcast of the game, determines that a play needs review; coaches may not challenge during these times. In those cases, the replay assistant will contact the referee by a specialized electronic pager with a vibrating alert. If a review takes place during that time while the clock is running, the clock will stop for the review, and then it will start running once the ball is set and ready for play. Starting with the 2010 season, any reviews with the clock running inside one minute will have a 10-second rundown, which can be voided if either team uses a timeout.

text: One concern about replay that was addressed some years ago was the situation where a coach would seek a review of a non-challengeable call (such as being forced out of bounds, or in some cases to challenge a runner down by contact). Before the rule was clarified, a team would lose the challenge and a time-out. The current rule does not penalize a team in such a case, provided the rule is not abused or taken advantage of.

text: The NFL replay system currently only covers the following situations:

text:
Scoring plays
Pass complete/incomplete/intercepted
Runner/receiver out of bounds
Recovery of a loose ball in or out of bounds
Touching of a forward pass, either by an ineligible receiver or a defensive player
Quarterback pass or fumble
Illegal forward pass
Forward or backward pass
Runner ruled not down by contact
Forward progress in regard to a first down
Touching of a kick
Other plays involving placement of the football
Whether a legal number of players is on the field at the time of the snap

text: If a play is overturned, the official is also responsible for making any related revisions to the game clock if applicable, especially in late, game-ending situations. For instance, if a player makes a reception and runs a long distance, several seconds may run off the game clock. If the play is challenged and the catch overturned, the game clock would be reset to have stopped at the moment of incompletion (presumably adding time back to the clock).

text: Note that the spot of the ball may be challenged in certain cases. In such cases, a decision to respot the football is not enough to win the challenge; only when the ball is respotted and the ruling on the field is reversed by remeasurement is the challenging team not charged a timeout.

text: Some unusual, and confusing sequences of events can occur during replay stoppages, and most have been addressed through rules clarifications. For instance, if a team commits a delay of game penalty (before the snap), the opposing team still has the opportunity to challenge, provided it is done before the ensuing snap. Also, inside the two-minute warning, if a team calls a timeout in the normal course of play, but the replay assistant calls for a challenge of that play, the initial timeout is ignored and restored in favor of the replay stoppage.

text: On occasion, challenges can sometimes backfire on teams. During a 2017 game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, Bears head coach John Fox challenged a call that had ruled Bears running back Benny Cunningham down at the Packers two-yard line despite Cunningham extending his arm out and touching the pylon, which under NFL rules would rule it a touchdown. While the Bears won the challenge, the referees actually ruled that Cunningham lost control of the football before being down and fumbled the ball into and out of the end zone, which by NFL rules resulted in a touchback and a de-facto turnover to the Packers. While the Packers would punt on the ensuing drive, it turned out to be a key play in what was eventually a 23-16 Packers win.[3] Since the Bears did get the play overturned (albeit with unintended results), they weren't charged a timeout.[4]

text: History[edit]

text: The current replay system replaced a previous system used from 1986 through 1991, when a procedure similar to that of college football was used. In 1987 commissioner Pete Rozelle saved the system for another season; in 1988 Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney saved it.[5] From before 1986, and from 1992 to 1998, no replay system was used. While there is occasional controversy over the appropriateness of overturned calls, the system is generally accepted as an effective and necessary way to ensure a fair game. By consensus, the tipping point for replay being fully and permanently accepted by NFL owners came late in the 1998 season. The Seattle Seahawks were leading the New York Jets with time running out and the Jets facing a 4th-and-goal situation, when QB Vinny Testaverde evaded a pass rush and ran towards the end zone before diving near the goal line. The referee near the play called it a touchdown, giving the Jets a critical 32-31 win. However, replays showed very clearly that while Testaverde's helmet had crossed the goal line, the football never came close to breaking the plane of the goal line as required by the rules. If Seattle had won this game and the rest of their schedule played out as it ended up doing, they would have earned a wild card spot, but instead they missed the playoffs and coach Dennis Erickson and his entire staff were fired after the season. Owners could no longer claim that the inability to address such a massive error was tenable and brought replay back for the 1999 season. Replay has remained (with numerous adjustments) part of the NFL since then.

text: Despite the rules that a play cannot be challenged if another play was run, it has happened on at least one occasion under the current rules. In 2001, the Cleveland Browns were driving toward the east end zone of Cleveland Browns Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars for what would have been the winning score. A controversial call on fourth down gave the Jaguars the ball. Browns' receiver Quincy Morgan had caught a pass for a first down on 4th and 1. After Tim Couch spiked the ball on the next play, referee Terry McAulay reviewed Morgan's catch, claiming that the replay officials had buzzed him before Couch spiked the ball. Upon reviewing the play, McAulay determined that Morgan never had control of the ball, thus the pass was incomplete, and the Jaguars were awarded the ball via turnover on downs. Fans in the Dawg Pound began throwing plastic beer bottles and other objects on the field, in an incident dubbed "Bottlegate".[6] McAulay declared the game over and sent the teams to the locker rooms. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue then called to override the referee's decision to end the game, sending the players back onto the field, where the Jaguars ran out the last seconds under a hail of debris.[7] The loss would have major playoff implications for the Browns, who dropped to 6-7, although the Browns would have still missed the playoffs had they won the game in any event.

text: NCAA football[edit]

text: In 2006, the NCAA Football Rules Committee enacted instant replay guidelines and added them to the football playing rules. For games involving two schools from the same conference, league policy determines whether replay will be used. For non-conference games, the home team makes the determination.

text: Plays involving the sideline, goal line, end zone and end line, as well as other detectable situations, are reviewable (e.g., fumble/no fumble, pass complete/incomplete, touchdown/no touchdown, runner down/not down, player or ball inbounds/out of bounds, clock adjustments). Most fouls (e.g., holding, offside, pass interference) are not reviewable, except that in 2006, illegal forward passes, handoffs and punts from beyond the line of scrimmage, and too many players on the field are reviewable and the foul may be called after replay review. Also, while the foul of pass interference is not reviewable, it can be overturned on review based on touching of the pass. By rule, pass interference cannot apply if a pass has been touched by any player before the foul occurs, and the touching of a pass is a reviewable play at its conclusion from a secure booth in the press box. Most plays are routine and the game continues without interruption. If, however, the following criteria are met, the Replay Official may interrupt the contest by paging the game officials to stop the game before the next play starts. The criteria are:

text:
There is reasonable evidence to believe an error was made in the initial on-field ruling.
The play is reviewable.
Any reversal of the on-field ruling, which can only result from indisputable video evidence, would have a direct, competitive impact on the game.

text: Once per game, each head coach may also call a timeout and challenge the ruling on the previous play before the next play starts. A coach must have at least one timeout remaining in order to challenge (teams receive three timeouts per half). If the challenge is successful and the on-field ruling is overturned, the team keeps its timeout and is allowed only one more challenge. If unsuccessful, the team loses its timeout and is allowed no more challenges.

text: After reviewing the play from available video angles, the Replay Official decides if the call should be upheld or overturned. If the call is overturned, the Replay Official provides the proper information to restart the game, such as the team in possession, the yardline where the ball should be placed, the correct down and distance, and the correct time on the stadium clock. Should there have been an official score change, the score will be changed again, resulting in the original score.

text: History[edit]

text: College football instant replay was started by the Big Ten Conference in the 2004 season because of what happened in the 2001 Michigan vs. Michigan State football game when reviews were used experimentally in the Big Ten Conference only. In the 2005 season, all conferences were allowed to use instant replay. Among Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (see Division I-A) conferences, the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West Conference, Pac-10, and SEC used replay in 2005. The Sun Belt and Western Athletic did not.

text: In 2005, the Big 12 initially sought to provide field monitors which would allow the on-field referee to assist the replay official; however, by the first game of the season, they decided to only provide equipment to the instant replay booth. Conference USA used a similar system, but the on-field referee made the decision after viewing a TV monitor on the sideline. The Mountain West Conference was the only league to allow a head coach's challenge. Each head coach got one challenge per half. If the call was overturned, the challenging coach kept his timeout and got a second challenge for that half. If not, the challenging coach lost one of his three timeouts for the half. No more than two challenges per half per coach were allowed.

text: There is not currently an instant replay equipment standard, each conference must choose (and purchase) its own equipment. Therefore, systems are quite disparate: they can be as complex as the high-tech custom systems similar as those used in the NFL to as simple as several large screens hooked to a digital video recorder using the direct-to-air feed of the broadcasting entity televising the game or a venue's internal coverage unit. Television coverage of NCAA games varies widely depending on the athletic conference, with most lower-level games not televised at all and many middle-level games only covered through rudimentary local or Internet broadcasts; the quality of replay camera angles thus varies accordingly.

text: In 2005, the Big Ten, MAC, and SEC only allowed broadcast video (for games that are televised) to be used to determine the correct call. The other conferences allowed broadcast video and scoreboard video. Most conferences provided video equipment for games that were not televised.

text: Instant replay was used in post-season games for the first time in the 2005 season. It was used in all 28 bowl games as well as the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, née I-AA), Division II and Division III national championship playoff games.

text: Canadian Football League[edit]

text: The Canadian Football League board of governors approved the use of instant replay starting in 2006.[8] When implemented, the CFL system appeared to be modeled largely on the NFL's, although some differences had been incorporated to accommodate differences between the two codes.

text: CFL teams are allowed only one challenge per game. A team must have at least one timeout in order to challenge. If a challenge is not successful, a timeout is charged.[9] Regardless of the outcome, teams do not get any additional challenges.[10] After the three minute warning in the fourth quarter, unused challenges are lost for the remainder of the game.[11]

text: The current rule was instituted by new CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie in August 2017 and took immediate effect. Ambrosie said in a statement that fans had been very clear they wanted a change concerning the video review system.[9] He added that "Too many challenges and reviews are interrupting the game," and the last thing the game needs is an "artificial impediment" to the fans' enjoyment.[9]

text: Previously, the CFL rules were similar to the NFL in that teams were allowed two challenges per game, with a third challenge awarded if both challenges were successful.[12] Prior to 2013, when CFL teams were only allowed one timeout per half, a timeout was charged only if the team's second challenge was not successful.[13]

text: The CFL Command Centre in Toronto has replay officials which conduct all reviews, rather than using a booth on the sidelines. Replay officials review all challenges, all scoring plays, and all turnovers. They can also initiate a review for all plays after the three minute warning in the fourth quarter. There is no time limit to make a decision.[11]