Laws 1 through 6 describe the game environment. (The field is rectangular, the ball is a sphere, each team has 11 players in jerseys and shinguards, and there is a referee and two assistant referees.)
A typical soccer field is shown here. The rectangle nearest the goal is the goal area. The larger rectangle outside the goal area is the penalty area. The lines on the ends of the field are called goal lines. The lines on the sides of the field are called touch lines.
Soccer balls come in three sizes. Older children and adults use size 5 soccer balls. Medium children use size 4. Small children use size 3.
Older children play with eleven players from each team on the field, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Lower ages often use fewer players.
A soccer team must wear matching jerseys, except the goalkeeper, who must wear a contrasting jersey. Shin guards are required for all players.
The referee is the person carrying a whistle. Sometimes there are 2 referees on the field, but usually there is 1 referee and 2 assistant referees.
The assistant referee is the person carrying a flag, but no whistle. Assistant referees stay on the side of the field and help the referee by signaling with the flag when the ball leaves the field or when they see someone breaking the law.
Laws 7 through 10 describe the game mechanics. (The game lasts 90 minutes, beginning with a kickoff, the ball is sometimes out of play, and points are scored for goals.)
Soccer games are played in two equal halves with a 5 to 15 minute rest between halves. Each half lasts 45 minutes for older children. Younger children use shorter halves. The lowest ages often play games in 4 short quarters.
At the start of each half and after each goal, play is restarted with a kickoff. The ball is placed in the exact center of the field and a player kicks the ball. A coin toss determines which team will be allowed to kick the ball to start the first half of play. The opposite team will kick off to start the second half.
The ball is out of play when the referee blows the whistle to stop play, or when the ball goes completely across a goal line or touch line.
A goal is scored when the ball goes completely across the goal line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar.
Laws 11 through 14 describe fouls and their punishments (offside, major and minor fouls, and the free kicks that result.)
This law discourages attackers from waiting around in front of the goal for teammates to send the ball forward to them. A player on the attacking team is offside if he goes past the second-to-last opponent before the ball does. A poem for remembering the offside rule...
| A player
who's past the second-to-last will be offside when the ball is passed. |
There are 4 levels of punishment for law breakers.
A team taking a free kick is given a single kick of the ball without interference from opponents. On a direct free kick, the kicking team may score a goal directly from the kick. On an indirect free kick, the ball must be touched by at least two players before going into the goal.
Direct free kicks awarded in the fouling team's penalty area become penalty kicks. The ball is set on the penalty kick spot, twelve yards from the goal. Everyone leaves the penalty area except the kicker and the goalkeeper. The kicker tries to score a goal with a single kick, and the goalkeeper tries to prevent that.
Laws 15 through 17 describe what happens when the ball leaves the field (throw-ins when the ball leaves the side of the field, and goal kicks or corner kicks when the ball leaves the end of the field.)
If a team sends the ball over a touch line, the opponents bring it back into play with a throw-in. A player holds the ball behind his head, then throws the ball onto the field by bringing it over the top of his head, using both hands. Both feet must be touching the ground on or outside the touch line as the ball is thrown.
If a team sends the ball over its opponent's goal line, the opponents bring it back into play with a goal kick. The ball is placed inside the goal area and kicked out of the penalty area.
If a team sends the ball over its own goal line, the opponents bring it back into play with a corner kick. The kicking team takes a direct free kick from the nearest corner area.