📘 The Laws of the Game

A rectangular grass or artificial pitch, longer than it is wide, with two goals, marked boundary lines, a halfway line, a centre spot and circle, penalty areas, penalty marks and corner arcs. The Laws fix maximum and minimum dimensions so pitches are consistent.

A spherical ball of an approved size (size 5 for adults) and pressure. It is replaced by the referee if it becomes defective, and only the referee may authorise a change during play.

A match is played by two teams of up to eleven players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper. A minimum number is required for a match to start or continue, and substitution rules govern how unused replacements may enter.

The basic kit is a shirt, shorts, socks, shinguards and footwear. Nothing dangerous, including jewellery, may be worn; goalkeepers must wear colours that distinguish them from others.

The referee has full authority to enforce the Laws. Decisions on facts connected with play are final; the referee may change a decision only on realising it was wrong or, if play has not restarted, on another official’s advice.

Assistant referees (linespeople) signal offside, out-of-play and fouls the referee asks about; a fourth official manages substitutions and added time, and video assistant referees may review clear and obvious errors where used.

Two equal halves of forty-five minutes, with a short half-time interval. The referee adds time at the end of each half for stoppages, and a competition may use extra time and kicks from the penalty mark if a winner is required.

Play starts each half and resumes after a goal with a kick-off from the centre spot. A dropped ball restarts play when it is stopped for a reason not covered by another Law.

The ball is out of play when it wholly crosses a goal line or touchline, or when play is stopped by the referee. It is in play at all other times, including when it rebounds off a post, crossbar, corner flag or the referee on the field.

A goal is scored when the whole ball passes over the goal line between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided no offence was committed by the scoring team. The team scoring more goals wins; matches may be drawn or decided by kicks from the penalty mark.

A player is in an offside position if nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender when the ball is played to them. Being in the position is not an offence; it is penalised only if the player becomes involved in active play.

Careless, reckless or excessive force against an opponent, handling the ball deliberately, and other listed offences are fouls. Cautionable (yellow card) and sending-off (red card) offences carry the corresponding sanctions, some applied to substitutes and team officials too.

Fouls are punished by a direct free kick (which can be scored straight at goal) or an indirect free kick (which must touch another player first). Opponents must keep the required distance until the ball is in play.

A direct free kick awarded to the attacking team for a foul inside the defenders’ penalty area, taken from the penalty mark with only the goalkeeper to beat, who must remain on the goal line until the ball is kicked.

Awarded when the ball wholly crosses a touchline, taken from the point it left the field by throwing it with both hands over the head. The thrower faces the field, keeps part of both feet on the ground, and a goal cannot be scored directly.

Awarded when the whole ball crosses the attacking team’s goal line, last touched by an attacker, without a goal being scored. Taken from the goal area, it can now be scored directly against the opponents.

Awarded when the whole ball crosses the goal line, last touched by a defender, without a goal being scored. Taken from the nearest corner flag, it may be scored directly into the opponents’ goal.