Football is the most popular sport in the world. Millions of spectators watch matches in the world’s most prestigious leagues and argue passionately when the rules are broken. So that you can enjoy the game to the full – whether as a spectator or as a professional or amateur footballer – we bring you a quick overview of the rules of football.
Basic rules
Like every sport on the planet, football is played within the limits of specific rules. The rules of football are published every year, and amended when necessary, by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The version prepared by the Slovak Football Association (SFZ) for 2020 has 216 pages.
We have condensed this ambitious scope into 17 basic rules that are the standard for any professional or international football match. Read them and start playing.
1. The pitch
Football is played on a rectangular pitch with a grass or artificial (artificial turf) surface. The pitch is 90–120 m long and 45–90 m wide. The playing area is marked with white lines, and the halfway line divides the pitch into 2 equal halves.
The goal area (six-yard box) extends 5 m from each goalpost along the goal line and 5 m into the pitch. 16.5 m from each goalpost along the goal line and 16.5 m into the pitch is the penalty area (18-yard box). At a distance of 11 m from the goal line is the penalty mark (penalty spot).
2. The football
A standard football has a spherical (round) shape with a circumference of 68–70 cm. It weighs 410–450 g and should be inflated to 0.6–1.1 atmospheres. These dimensions apply to officially sanctioned matches; youth leagues use smaller balls, which are more suitable for them.
3. Number of players
In a football match, 2 opposing teams face each other, each made up of 11 players (10 outfield players and 1 goalkeeper). A match cannot start or continue if there are fewer than 7 players of one team on the pitch (including the goalkeeper). The number of substitutions varies depending on the competition; in most leagues the maximum number of substitutes is 3.
4. Players’ equipment
According to the rules, a player must take the field in a football shirt with sleeves, shorts, football boots, shin guards and socks long enough to cover the shin guards completely. Teams must wear different-coloured kits so that they can be told apart.
5. The referee
Every football match has its own referee, who controls the game and oversees compliance with the rules. The referee may stop play at any time if he feels that a player has committed a foul or when the ball is out of play. For breaches of the rules, dissent or violent conduct, the referee shows players yellow and red cards.
6. Assistant referees
On each side of the pitch there is one assistant referee, often called a linesman. Their job is to help the referee run the football match fairly and in accordance with the rules. By raising their flag they signal offside, fouls and other offences, including those that happen off the pitch.
7. Duration of a football match
A match is usually divided into 2 halves, each lasting 45 minutes, with a 15-minute break between them. At the end of each half, the referee may add so-called added time, which is proportional to the length of delays during play (stoppages, injuries, other interruptions).
If the result of a match in the knockout rounds of various tournaments is not decided in normal time, both teams play extra time (15 minutes = 1 half of extra time). If there is still no winner after that, there is a penalty shoot-out.
8. Starting and restarting play
Before the match, a coin toss decides which team takes the kick-off. The match is also restarted with a kick-off after a goal is scored, at the start of the second half and at the start of each half of extra time. During the kick-off, every player of the opposing team must be at least 9.15 metres from the ball (outside the centre circle).
9. Ball in and out of play
The ball is out of play when it has wholly crossed the goal line or touchline. Then a corner kick, goal kick or throw-in is taken. The ball is also out of play when the referee blows the whistle and stops play. Apart from these two situations, the ball is always in play.
10. How goals are scored
A goal is scored when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line between the goalposts and under the crossbar. Players can score from open play, from a direct free kick or from a penalty kick, provided no rule was broken beforehand. At the end of the match, the winner is the team that scores more goals.
11. Offside
One of the most complicated rules of football. If a player is nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the second-last defender and the ball, they are considered to be in an offside position. Offside does not apply if the player is in their own half at the moment of the pass or of receiving the ball.
A player in an offside position is penalised by the referee if, at the moment a team-mate touches or plays the ball, in the referee’s opinion they are interfering with play, interfering with an opponent or trying to gain an advantage from that position.
The referee does not penalise a player for offside merely for being in an offside position, nor if the player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, a corner kick or a throw-in. Today, offside positions (and other refereeing decisions) are assessed using the video assistant referee (VAR system), which reviews these decisions using video footage.
12. Fouls and misconduct
A foul occurs when a player deliberately pushes, holds or kicks an opponent. The referee can sanction the seriousness of a foul with a yellow or red card. After being shown a yellow card the player continues playing. After receiving a red card the player must leave the field of play. If the referee shows a player who already has a yellow card a second yellow card, the player automatically receives a red card and must leave the field of play.
13. Free kicks
They are divided into direct and indirect free kicks. The referee awards them when the rules are broken by a foul or misconduct. An indirect free kick must first be played to a team-mate before the ball may be directed at goal. With a direct free kick the player taking it may choose to shoot straight at the opponents’ goal and try to score.
14. Penalty kick
The referee awards a penalty kick when a defending player commits a foul or otherwise breaks the rules in their own penalty area (in the 18-yard box). For the kick, the ball is placed on the marked spot (penalty spot), and only the goalkeeper and the player taking the penalty remain in the penalty area. The other players stand outside the penalty area. During a penalty kick, the goalkeeper may only move along the goal line.
15. Throw-in
A team is awarded a throw-in when the last person to touch the ball before it left the field of play was an opposing player. When throwing the ball back into play, the player must have both feet on the ground, both hands on the ball and throw the ball from behind and over their head.
16. Goal kick
The referee awards a goal kick when the attacking team sends the ball out of play over the goal line and doesn’t score a goal. The goal kick is taken from a distance of 5 m usually by the goalkeeper. Until recently, when taking a goal kick the ball had to leave the entire penalty area before a player of the same team could touch it. Today, a player may touch the ball after it is kicked even inside the penalty area.
17. Corner kick
The referee awards a corner kick to the attacking team when the defending team sends the ball out of play over the goal line without scoring a goal (i.e. without scoring an own goal). The corner kick is taken from the corner flag, and a goal can be scored directly from a corner.
Rules are there to be followed
These rules govern all IFAB member organisations and are observed in every international and league match. Almost all organised football in the world is played according to the same rules.
What are you waiting for? Get your team quality kits, put on your boots, run onto the pitch and start playing “the beautiful game”, as football is rightly called.