Soccer is governed by the 17 Laws of the Game, written and maintained by the International Football Association Board, known as IFAB. Two teams of up to eleven players, one of them a goalkeeper, try to put the ball into the opponent’s goal without using their hands or arms. A senior match lasts two halves of 45 minutes, plus stoppage time, and the team that scores more goals wins. The Laws cover the field, ball, players and equipment, the referee and officials, match duration and restarts, how goals are scored, offside, fouls and misconduct, and the set pieces that restart play. Understanding a handful of core rules is enough to follow most matches.
Rulebook note: This guide summarizes the IFAB Laws of the Game, which are updated regularly, often each season. Competitions may adopt optional rules, such as the number of substitutes, and youth and local leagues often adapt field sizes, match lengths and heading rules. Check the current Laws and your competition’s regulations.
The 17 Laws at a glance
| Law | Covers |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | Field of play, ball, players, equipment |
| 5 to 6 | Referee and other match officials, including VAR |
| 7 to 8 | Duration of the match and start and restart of play |
| 9 to 10 | Ball in and out of play; determining the outcome |
| 11 | Offside |
| 12 | Fouls and misconduct |
| 13 to 14 | Free kicks and the penalty kick |
| 15 to 17 | Throw-in, goal kick and corner kick |
The field, ball, players and equipment (Laws 1 to 4)
A full-size field is 90 to 120 meters long and 45 to 90 meters wide, with goals 7.32 meters wide and 2.44 meters high. Adult matches use a size 5 ball with a circumference of 68 to 70 centimeters. Each team has a maximum of eleven players on the field, including a goalkeeper, and a match cannot start or continue if either team has fewer than seven. Competition rules set the number of substitutes; many top competitions allow up to five, usually within a limited number of substitution opportunities. Compulsory equipment includes a shirt with sleeves, shorts, socks, shin guards and footwear, and players must not wear anything dangerous, such as jewelry.
Referees and officials (Laws 5 and 6)
The referee has full authority to enforce the Laws, and their decisions on facts connected with play are final. Assistant referees help with offside, throw-ins, corners, goal kicks and incidents out of the referee’s view. Some competitions use a fourth official, additional assistant referees or video assistant referees, who can review clear and obvious errors involving goals, penalty decisions, direct red cards and mistaken identity.
Duration, starts and restarts (Laws 7 and 8)
A senior match has two halves of 45 minutes, with a halftime break of no more than 15 minutes. The referee adds stoppage time for substitutions, injuries, time wasting and other delays. Knockout matches may use extra time of two 15-minute periods and then penalties. Each half starts with a kick-off from the center mark, and a kick-off also restarts play after a goal. A goal can be scored directly from a kick-off against the opponents. When play is stopped for reasons such as an injury with no offense, it restarts with a dropped ball, usually given to the team that last touched the ball.
Ball in and out of play and scoring (Laws 9 and 10)
The ball is out of play when the whole of the ball has crossed the whole of the goal line or touchline, on the ground or in the air, or when the referee stops play. A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar, provided no offense has been committed. The team with more goals wins; if the score is level and a winner is needed, competitions may use extra time and penalties.
Offside (Law 11)
A player is in an offside position if any part of their head, body or feet is in the opponents’ half and nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. Hands and arms are not considered. Being in an offside position is not an offense in itself. A player is penalized only if, at the moment a teammate plays or touches the ball, they become involved in active play by interfering with play, interfering with an opponent or gaining an advantage. There is no offside offense directly from a goal kick, throw-in or corner kick. The restart for an offside offense is an indirect free kick.
Fouls and misconduct (Law 12)
Direct free kicks are awarded for offenses such as kicking, tripping, pushing, striking, charging, holding or making a careless, reckless or excessive tackle, as well as for handball. If a defender commits one of these offenses inside their own penalty area, the opponents get a penalty kick. Indirect free kicks are given for offenses such as dangerous play without contact and certain goalkeeper infringements. Yellow cards punish offenses like unsporting behavior, dissent and persistent fouling. Red cards punish serious foul play, violent conduct, denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and a second yellow card.
Free kicks and penalties (Laws 13 and 14)
Free kicks are direct or indirect, and opponents must stand at least 9.15 meters from the ball until it is in play. When the defending team forms a wall of three or more players, attackers must stay at least one meter away. A penalty kick is taken from the penalty mark, 11 meters from goal, with the goalkeeper on the goal line and all other players outside the penalty area and behind the penalty mark.
Throw-ins, goal kicks and corners (Laws 15 to 17)
When the ball goes over the touchline, the opponents of the team that last touched it take a throw-in with both hands, from behind and over the head, with part of each foot on or behind the line. When the ball crosses the goal line after last touching an attacker, the defending team restarts with a goal kick from anywhere in the goal area. When it last touches a defender, the attacking team takes a corner kick. Goals can be scored directly from goal kicks and corner kicks against the opponents, but not from throw-ins.
Core rules every fan should know
- The whole ball must cross the whole line for a goal or for the ball to be out.
- Only the goalkeeper may handle the ball, and only inside their own penalty area.
- Offside applies only in the opponents’ half and only when a player is involved in play.
- Two yellow cards in a match equal a red card.
- A sent-off player cannot be replaced.
- Advantage lets play continue after a foul if it benefits the fouled team.
Common misunderstandings
- That a ball on the line is out. It is still in play until the whole ball crosses the line.
- That being offside is always an offense. Only active involvement is penalized.
- That all handballs are fouls. Only certain contacts are offenses.
- That the rules never change. IFAB updates the Laws regularly.
Frequently asked questions
How many Laws of the Game are there?
There are 17 Laws of the Game, maintained by IFAB.
How long is a soccer match?
Two halves of 45 minutes, plus stoppage time, for senior matches.
What is the minimum number of players for a match?
Seven players per team; a match cannot start or continue with fewer.
