Laws of Soccer

Soccer is not governed by rules. It abides laws. And these are the Laws of the Game (taken from FIFA’s 84-page edict and significantly simplified):

The Laws of the Game

01. The Field of Play
» Always play on a rectangle with flags in the corners and goals on each end.
02. The Ball
» Use a round ball, encased in leather or a suitable substitute.
03. The Number of Players
» You need 2 teams to play real soccer, and a full team has 11 players.
04. The Players’ Equipment
  • » Jersey
  • » Shorts
  • » Shinguards
  • » Stockings (that completely cover the shinguards)
  • » Footwear
05. The Referee
» Every match needs one to enforce the laws.
06. The Assistant Referees
» Every referee gets two.
07. The Duration of the Match
» There are two 45-minute periods during which time never stops.
08. The Start and Restart of Play
» The team that wins the coin toss selects a side, and the other team kicks off. The referee will take care of all restarts, so don’t worry.
09. The Ball In and Out of Play
» The ball is out of play only when it completely crosses a boundary line (on the ground or in the air) or when the referee blows his whistle.
10. The Method of Scoring
» Knocking the ball within the opposing goal frame and completely across the goal line scores a goal. Using only lawful moves of course.
11. Offside
» A notoriously complex—yet not—law. A player is offsides when he is nearer his opponents’ goal than both the ball and the 2nd last defender. Offsides is only penalized if, at the moment a teammate plays the ball, the player gains an advantage by being in that position. It’ll click at some point.
12. Fouls and Misconduct
  • » Fouls—including kicking, tripping, charging, striking, pushing, hitting, holding or handling the ball—earn a free kick for the other team.
  • » Players may also see a yellow warning card or a red ejection card for committing a foul.
  • » Plus if a player pulls a stunt like that in the penalty area, the other team gets a penalty kick.
13. Free Kicks
» Free kicks are either direct or indirect, depending on the penalty. A goal cannot be scored on an indirect kick without being touched by two players. On any kick, all opponents must be 10 yards away from the ball.
14. The Penalty Kick
» A penalty kick is awarded against a team that commits one of the ten offences that get a direct free kick inside its own penalty area. The player gets a shot on goal from a dozen yards away, just him and the keeper.
15. The Throw-In
» Both feet have to be touching the ground. Both hands have to throw the ball, starting behind the head. That’s it. Simple and strange.
16. The Goal Kick
» When the opponent knocks the ball across your endline, you get a goal kick.
17. The Corner Kick
» When you knock the ball across your own endline, your opponent gets a corner kick (taken from the corner of the field).