Official Laws
It may be a little excessive to have to go through all 136 pages of the official FIFA book of rules every time you want to look something up, though, so I’ve summarized all the important details in this easy guide. I’ll take you through all 17 sections of the laws, so that when we’re finished you’ll hopefully have a much greater understanding of the game.
The Field of Play
The soccer rules regarding the field of play just give you an introduction to the dimensions and technicalities of the pitch. Try not to get too concerned with all this- I have included it for your interest but it doesn’t really make a massive difference to your playing of the game. As long as you understand the basics of the pitch, the actual requirements for pitch dimensions are not vital at this stage.
Nonetheless the pitch must be rectangular with a width between 45m and 90m, and a length between 90m and 120m. These dimensions are different for international matches in which the width must be between 64m and 75m, and the length must be between 100m and 110m.
The playing surface can be natural or artificial, but it does have to have certain markings and lines on it. There are goal lines the width of the pitch at either end, whilst the longer boundaries are touch lines. The halfway line divides the pitch with a centre spot in the middle. Around this is the centre circle which has a radius of 10 yards. A flag post of at least 1.5m is placed in each corner of the pitch. A corner arc is drawn around each flag post with a radius of 1m.
The goal area, or the six yard box as it is commonly known, extends 6 yards out into the pitch and its sides are drawn at right angles to the goal line. There is a parallel line connecting these two outward lines. The goals themselves (consisting of two vertical posts, 8 yards between them, and a horizontal cross bar to join them) are positioned on the centre of each goal line. The goal posts and the cross bar must have equal width and depth of no more than 12cm.
The Soccer Ball
The ball must be spherical and be made of leather, or another appropriate material. It has to be between 410g and 450g in weight, with a circumference of 68-70cm.
The Number of Players
The minimum and maximum number of players per team is 7 and 11 respectively. One of these players per team should be a goalkeeper, but the other players can spread out as they wish. An outfield player may swap for the goalkeeper with the referee’s permission. Up to 3 substitutions may be used per team from a selection of up to 7 back-up players, depending on the competition.
The Players’ Equipment
Each player must wear a shirt, shorts, shin pads, socks and boots/cleats. The goalkeepers have to wear different colours to the rest of the players to distinguish themselves, whilst no one may wear anything dangerous (e.g. jewelry) or have anything on show that is an expression of religion, politics or advertising.
The Referee
It is the role of the referee to police the game, enforce the rules and keep the time. They have the right to abandon the match under certain conditions, caution players, send players off and restart the match. They are helped by two assistants or linesmen and, at the top level, by a fourth official.
The Assistant Referees
Assistant Referees is another term for linesmen, and they are responsible for helping the referee to decide when the ball has gone out of play and thus whether a throw in, goal kick or corner kick should be awarded to either team. They are also there to assist the referee in making other difficult decisions which may initially have been missed, in addition to spotting whether the goalkeeper has stepped off his line at a penalty kick before the kick was taken (illegal). Finally, it is their duty to determine whether or not there is an offside offence upon a player receiving the ball in their opponent’s half of the pitch.
Duration of the Match
The game is made up of two halves of 45 minutes, but depending on the competition this could be reduced due to bad light for example. There is a half time interval of no more than 15 minutes. The referee may add stoppage time onto the end of each half due to factors such as injuries and substitutions. In some cup competitions, there may be extra time in the event of a draw: this would normally be an extra two halves of 15 minutes each in length.
The Start and Restart of Play
Before a match begins the referee takes charge of a coin toss between the two captains. The winning side chooses which end of the pitch their team will take in the first half. The other team will then take the kick off. In the second half the two teams swap ends, with the team that won the toss now taking the kick off.
A kick off is also given to a side every time they concede a goal…and they can score themselves directly from the kick off! During the kick off all players must be in their own half and opponents have to be 10 yards away (i.e. outside the centre circle). Once the referee gives his signal the ball must be kicked forward from the centre spot and, at risk of giving away an indirect free kick, the kicker cannot touch it again until someone else has done so.
If there is a pause or delay in the match, drop balls can also happen. These are quite simply where the referee drops the ball between two opposing players to re-start the match, and they take place in the same position where the cause of the stoppage occurred.
The Ball In and Out of Play
The ball is declared out of play every time that the referee officially stops the game, and when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line or touch line.
The Method of Scoring
A goal is scored when the whole soccer ball crosses the goal line between the posts and under the cross bar, as long as no infringements of the laws have been committed. Outfield players must not use their hands or arms at all, whilst keepers can only use their hands inside their own penalty area. The team who gets the most goals in a match wins.
Offside
A player is in an offside position when they are in their opponent’s half and are nearer to the opponent’s goal line, than the ball and the second last opponent. This is only an offence if they are interfering with play, interfering with an opponent or are gaining an advantage by being there. This offence brings an indirect free kick when the player is judged to become ‘active’ once the ball is played.
If the player in question is actually level with the last opponent, however, then they are not in an offside position. Moreover, a player cannot be offside from a goal kick, a corner or a throw in.
Fouls and Misconduct
The following offences, committed in a careless or reckless way, warrant a direct free kick (or a penalty if inside the area):
- Kicking or trying to kick an opponent
- Tripping or trying to trip an opponent
- Jumping at an opponent
- Charging at an opponent
- Striking or trying to strike an opponent
- Pushing an opponent
- Making contact with the player before the ball in a tackle
- Holding an opponent
- Spitting at an opponent
- Handling the ball deliberately (except the goalie in the penalty area)
An indirect free kick may be given against a goalkeeper in his area for the following offences:
- Controlling the ball with his hands for more than 6 seconds
- Touching the ball again with his hands once he has released it from his possession after those 6 seconds, and before it touches another player
- Touching the ball with his hands when a team mate passes it to him
- Touching the ball with his hands when a team mate throws it to him
An indirect free kick may be awarded against an outfield player for:
- Playing dangerously
- Obstructing an opponent
- Preventing the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands
- Being judged ‘offside’
The referee may show a yellow card to a player if he is:
- Being unsporting
- Showing dissent by word or action
- Persistently breaking the laws
- Delaying the restart of play
- Not standing back far enough when a throw in, corner or free kick is taken
- Entering the field of play without permission
- Exiting the field of play deliberately without permission
The referee may show a yellow card to a non-playing substitute for:
- Being unsporting
- Showing dissent by word or action
- Delaying the restart of play
A player may be shown a red card for any of the following offences (they then have to leave the field and its vicinity):
- Being guilty of serious foul play
- Being guilty of violent conduct
- Spitting at anyone
- Stopping the opposition from scoring by handling the ball
- Denying the opposition a goal scoring opportunity through an offence worthy of a free kick or a penalty
- Using offensive language or gestures
- Receiving two cautions (yellow cards) in a match
Free Kicks
Direct and indirect free kicks are therefore given for different offences. When a free kick is taken all opponents have to be 10 yards from the ball. If they are not then the kick is re-taken.
A direct kick is one where the team taking the kick may score directly, whereas with an indirect kick the ball must touch another player before entering the opposition’s goal. A team can thus never score straight from an indirect free kick, whilst a direct free kick can never lead to an own goal: if the ball goes straight into the taking-team’s goal then a corner kick is awarded to the opposition instead.
If the free kick is inside the penalty area (a penalty) then all opponents must be outside the area (except the goalkeeper). In this case if the kicker, having taken the free kick, touches the ball before someone else does then an indirect free kick is given to the other team.
Penalty Kicks
A penalty kick is given when an offence is committed inside the penalty area which would normally warrant a direct free kick. The ball is placed on the penalty spot and the kick taker must be identified before the penalty is taken. All other players must be on the field of play, outside the area, and behind the penalty spot such that they are 10 yards away from the ball. The ball is in play once it is kicked and moved forwards, but the kick taker can’t touch the ball again until it has touched another player. The goalkeeper must remain on his line until the kick has been taken, though he may move across his line beforehand.
If the kick taker or his team mates break these soccer rules and the ball goes in then the penalty is retaken. If the keeper or his team mates break the rules and the ball goes in then the goal stands, but if he saves it the kick is retaken. If the kick has to be retaken more than once then other rules apply, but such an occurrence is very rare indeed.
The Throw In
A throw in is awarded to one team when the opposition has caused the whole ball to cross the touchline and thus ‘go out of play’. The player taking the throw in must not be on the pitch, he must keep his feet planted on the floor, he must be facing pitch, and his hands must either be behind or over his head when throwing.
The goalkeeper cannot handle the ball inside the penalty area when it has been deliberately thrown back to him. The throw taker may not t touch the ball again having released it, before it is touched by another player. If players fail to obey these rules then indirect free kicks are awarded.
The Goal Kick
A goal kick is taken when the whole ball has crossed the goal line without going in the goal. A goal can be scored from a goal kick, but an own goal cannot.
The ball is kicked from anywhere within the six yard box by a member of the defending team. The kicker may not touch the ball again until it has been touched by someone else and the ball must travel outside the penalty area otherwise the goal kick is retaken.
The Corner Kick
A corner kick is awarded to the attacking team if the whole ball crosses the goal line (without going in the goal) having been touched last by a member of the defending team. The kick is taken from the small arc at the corner of the pitch and the kicker must not touch it again, having taken it, until it has touched someone else. Opponents must stay 10 yards away until the kick is taken.
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Try not to get too bogged down in all this detail: it is most important that you now have a solid grasp of the game’s basics, that you know what constitutes a foul and that you are well informed about the purposes of the sport. Having established this theoretical base, it is now possible to advance to consider the positions each team requires to play the game. If ever you need to look up some fragment of the soccer rules in the future, please return to this section to look-up all the major themes.