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What are the most important soccer rules to know before you start playing the game? As a soccer fan, coach, or player from youth all the way up to the professional level, it is very important to know the rules of the game before you start playing.

Throughout history there have been a lot of variations of soccer and it wasn’t until the 19th century that the International Football Association Board of England established the official rules, or laws of the game. FIFA, which was created in 1904, is the current governing body of soccer, and it is responsible for overseeing the game and establishing all of the rules.

In this this blog post I will be going over the most important soccer rules to know if you are a beginner or need a review of the laws of the game.

The Field of Play

The soccer field is typically referred to as a football pitch and it is very important to understand the different markings of the field. Most, if not all, professional soccer fields will follow FIFA’s rules and regulations, so they will all be around the same size although there are slight variations from time to time depending on the league, level of play, stadium size, etc

Here are the most important markings on the soccer field to know:

• The center circle, which has the center spot in the middle of the field for kickoff, is at the center line of the field.
• There is also a corner flag at each corner arc, which separates the goal line and the sidelines.
• There is a penalty box on both sides of the field.
• Within each penalty box there is also a smaller rectangular area where the goalie takes goal kicks from.
• The long vertical lines are the sidelines, and the horizontal lines behind the goal boxes are called the goal lines.

The Ball

One of the reasons why soccer is the most popular sport in the world is because it is simple to play and hardly any soccer gear and equipment is needed to start playing. The only two things you really need are your bare feet and a ball.

At the professional level the soccer ball must be size 5, spherical, made of suitable materials, and have a circumference between 68 – 70 cm.

The Players

A standard soccer squad has up to 23 players on game day, consisting of 11 starting players and 12 bench players. In the best leagues in the world, teams are only allowed up to five substitutions per game, but youth levels, college levels, and other levels may allow more than that and they might also allow players to re-enter the game after being substituted.

Each player has a specific position each with unique roles, skills needed, and different placements on the field. Depending on the team’s formation and tactics, the team’s starting XI will consist of one goalkeeper and varying defenders, midfielders, and forwards.

• Goalkeeper:
  • They are the only players allowed to grab the ball with their hands but only if they are inside their penalty area. Their primary role is to prevent opponents from scoring by blocking shots at goal.
• Defenders:
  • The main job of defenders is to help the goalie and not allow the opposing team to score goals. The defenders are made up of center-backs and full backs, who can often play more as wing backs. The full backs are made up of the left and right full backs.
  • Some center backs may also play more as a sweeper.
• Midfielders:
  • The main job of midfielders is to help link up play between the defensive and offensive lines and there are a lot of different types of midfielders.
    • The central defensive midfielders; They are known as the CDM, the number 6 or as the holding midfielder
    • The central midfielders; They are known as the number 8 or as the box to box midfielder
    • The central attacking midfielders; They are known as the CAM, Number 10 or the attacking midfielder.
    • Wide midfielders: They are known as the right and left midfielders which differ slightly from traditional wingers
• Forwards:
  • The main job of forwards is to create goal scoring opportunities for their teammates as well as get assists and score goals themselves. The forwards are made up of center forwards, strikers and wingers, who are the left and right wingers.

A team must have at least seven players on the field to be eligible to play. This means if a team gets a lot of red cards and cannot field at least seven players, they forfeit the match.

The Players’ Equipment

When it comes to fielding players they must also follow specific rules to be able to play such as:

• Using the right type of soccer cleats
• Using shin guards
• Long soccer socks (or grip socks if you know how to wear them properly)
• Training jerseys
• Training shorts
• Other optional training gear that includes headbands, ankle braces, and insoles

The Referee and Other Match Officials

The referee is the main official responsible for enforcing the rules during a soccer match. They control the flow of the game, make decisions on fouls, goals, and stoppage time, and have the authority to issue yellow and red cards.

Assisting the referee are two assistant referees (often called linesmen), who help with offside calls, throw-ins, and fouls near the sidelines. In higher-level matches, there may also be a fourth official and VAR (Video Assistant Referee) to help with decisions.

Duration of the Match

In leagues governed by FIFA, and most other leagues around the world, a soccer match will last 90 minutes with two 45 minute halves separated by a 15 minute half-time break.

Stoppage time, also known as injury time, may be added to compensate for delays caused by factors during a match, such as time wasted during substitutions, fouls, injuries, throw-ins, and celebrations. The referee gets to choose the amount of stoppage time added on after the 45 minutes based on how much time they believe was wasted.

If the game ends in a draw after regulation time, but needs a clear winner such as during a play-off game, the game will go into extra time. If there is still no clear winner after extra time, the game will go into a penalty shootout.

The Start and Restart of Play

The start of play begins with a kickoff at the center circle after the referee blows the whistle. Kickoffs also occur at the start of the second half and after each goal scored.

The Ball in Play and Out of Play

The ball is considered in play as long as it hasn’t completely crossed the sidelines or goal lines, and the referee hasn’t stopped play for a foul, offside, or another infraction. The ball remains in play even if it rebounds off goalposts, the crossbar, or the referee—as long as it hasn’t exited the field.

The ball is considered out of play when it has completely crossed the boundary lines, either on the ground or in the air. Once it’s out, the appropriate restart is awarded (throw-in, corner kick, or goal kick), depending on which team last touched the ball.

Determining the Outcome of a Match

The main goal of soccer is to score more goals than the opposing team, but how exactly does a soccer goal count?

In order for a goal to count, the entire ball has to cross the opponent’s goal line between the goal. It doesn’t matter if it rolls on the ground or flies through the air; if the ball has crossed the line without being touched by hand or arm, it counts as a goal.

The ball does not even have to hit the back of the net, but the entire ball does have to cross the goal line. This rule may seem simple enough, but there can be some confusion during heated matches, which is why nowadays referees use goal-line technology to make sure they choose the right decision.

The soccer goal must also have specific dimensions, which will vary depending on the level and age of the group of players.

The Offsides Rule

If there is no clear winner needed the match does end in a tie for both teams. There is also the “offside” rule which is very important to understand.The offside rule prevents attacking players from gaining an unfair advantage by staying too close to the opponent’s goal.

A player is offside if they are closer to the goal than the second-to-last defender when the ball is passed to them, unless they are in their own half. Being in an offside position isn’t a foul by itself—there must be active involvement in the play. If called offside, the opposing team is awarded an indirect free kick from the spot of the violation.

Fouls and Misconduct

The FIFA Laws state that players cannot purposely foul others, but accidental fouls are part of the game. However, whether a foul is intentional or not, the severity of the foul will be determined by the referee, who can punish players for misconduct and foul play.

Kicking intentionally, punching intentionally, tripping opponents on purpose, and biting players will lead to you getting punished by the referee, so these are things that you want to make sure stay away from the beautiful game. Assistant referees are great at spotting these kinds of things that some main referees may miss sometimes.

When a foul is committed, depending on the severity of the foul, a referee can give a player a yellow or red card. A yellow card acts as a warning, and a red card means the player has to be sent off the field and leave their team down a man.

Free Kicks

Also, when it comes to fouls, depending on where the foul took place, a team can either get a penalty kick if the foul was committed inside the goalie box or a free kick if the foul was outside the goalie box. There are two types of free kicks: indirect and direct free kicks, which also depend on the type of foul committed.

A direct free kick means the team can shoot directly at goal from that kick, while an indirect free kick means another teammate must touch the ball before playing it forward.

The Penalty Kick

A penalty kick is awarded when a foul occurs inside the defending team’s penalty area. The ball is placed on the penalty spot, and only the goalkeeper can defend while the shooter takes a direct shot at goal.

All other players must remain outside the penalty box until the kick is taken. Penalty kicks are high-pressure moments that often decide tight matches, especially during shootouts.

The Throw-in

When players kick the ball past the sidelines, their opponents get a throw-in from that spot. This rule encourages participants to keep the ball in play whenever possible and these are some of the basic steps and rules for taking proper throw-ins:

• The thrower must have both feet firmly planted on or behind the touchline.
• The ball must completely cross the boundary line before it’s considered out.
• The thrower can only re-enter play once another player touches the thrown ball.

The Goal Kick

When players fly the ball beyond the goal lines, there are multiple ways to restart play. A goal kick is given to the defending team when an attacking player is the last to touch the ball before it goes out-of-bounds through the goal line. The goal kick can be taken by the goalie or anyone else on the team.

The Corner Kick

On the other side, a corner kick happens when the defensive team is the last to touch the ball out-of-bounds through their own goal line. These rules create exciting strategic opportunities for each team during a game.

Corner kicks, on the other hand, are a bit more complex as they’re often used as set pieces to score directly from inside the opponent’s penalty box. A play can score directly from a corner kick, but that is pretty rare.

Summary

In conclusion, understanding the rules of the game is important for any aspiring player, coach, or fan. In this blog, I covered everything that you need to know about the basic rules of soccer such as equipment needed, field layout, positions, gameplay rules, out-of-bounds scenarios, fouls and consequences, as well as the goal scoring rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get better at soccer?

To get better at soccer you have to play the game a lot in a team environment, play a lot of variations of soccer such as pickup games, play a lot of other sports, as well as take care of the following areas of your life:

• Athletic training
• Breathing as a soccer player
• Sleep for soccer players
• Nutrition and hydration for soccer players
• Recovery techniques to recover faster
• Mitochondrial Function
• EMF exposure
• Nature

How can I learn more about the game?

To learn more about soccer the most important thing is to join a team and play the game as much as possible. If possible, analyze high level games as much as you can and your own games as well by recording them with a soccer camera. Also read soccer books, listen to podcasts and interviews watch soccer documentaries, as well as some movies, tv shows, and anime.