Soccer Rules
If you want to start playing soccer you have to know the rules.
So what I have here is the main rules that apply to professional 11 a side soccer game.
The rules where you play might not be that strict or have some exclusions, you just have to agree on the rules before the start of the match.
If your playing in a league usually the referee explains the rules before the start of your first match.
Basics Soccer is a game of two teams of eleven players.
Objective of the game is to score more points than the opposing team.
Points are collected by scoring goals, a goal is scored by depositing a ball into the opponents area.
Players As I mentioned there are two team of eleven, one of these eleven is the goalkeeper who is permitted to handle the ball in the designated area.
A game is played over two 45 minute periods.
The eleven players are supplemented by the option to bring on a maximum of three substitutes from a pre-decided list of three to seven players Referee The referee adjudicates the match together with hiss assistant referees.
Assistant referees are usually two linesmen and a fourth referee situated on the touchline.
The referee is an independent umpire who awards free kick or penalty and other rule infringement.
Assistant referees Follow play from their respective touch lines and help to decide on throw-ins, corner kicks and goal-kicks along with offside decisions.
Can also draw the referee's attention and advise on or alert him/her to any on-field activity, which can influence all manner of decisions.
To signify their decision or grab the referee's attention, they wave a brightly coloured small flag, which they keep at all times.
Offside It is not an offence to be in a offside position.
A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponents goal than the ball and the second - last opponent.
If a player is in an offside position he is only penalised, the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team-mates.
Start of play Before the start of the match a coin toss takes place.
The winner of the coin toss gets the choice of which end to attack or whether to kick of.
If one team chooses which end to attack the other will be allowed to choose weather they want to kick-off in the first or the second half.
At the kick of all players must be in there half of the field.
The kick-off is also used after a goal is scored.
The team that conceded restart the game from the central circle.
Scoring The team that scores the most goals wins.
A goal is scored when the whole ball crosses the goal line between the goalposts.
The pitch Soccer is usually played on a natural or artificial (e.
g.
Astroturf) surface.
However, the shape of the field must be rectangular, with the dimensions of 90-120 metres long by 45-90 metres wide.
Fouls Fouls can be committed anywhere on the pitch, a free kick is awarded where the foul took place.
If the foul takes place in the penalty area a penalty kick is awarded.
there are different punishments for offences.
A referee can choose to give a simple free kick, or talk to the player.
If a single foul is deemed serious enough or a player is consistently offends during a match, the referee can show a particular player - a yellow card.
Yellow card is a caution given to a player.
If a player receives 2 yellow cards he is shown a red card.
Red Card - Showing a red card to a player means he/she is expelled from the match.
A straight red card (no previous 'caution') can be shown for extreme offences such as serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting, deliberate hand-ball to prevent a goal, a professional foul (denying a goalscoring opportunity) and insulting language and/or gestures.
Free kicks Free kick are taken after a foul is committed, the opposing team must be at least 10 yards away from the ball.
If this rule is not adhered to, the kick is retaken.
There are two types of free kick - indirect free kick and a direct free kick.
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team when a player commits a foul (e.
g.
dangerous play) or infringes certain technical requirements of the laws (e.
g.
touching the ball a second time following a restart, or the keeper touching the ball with his hands when a team-mate has used his foot to pass it back to the keeper).
An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team when play is stopped to caution or send-off a player when no specific foul has occurred Direct free kick - Allows the team to take a direct shot at the opponent's goal.
Awarded as a result of fouls with evidence intent to harm or reckless/excessive force (e.
g.
a sliding tackle which takes the player first, shirt-pulling and a deliberate hand-ball).
Penalty kick A penalty kick is a type of free kick taken from twelve yards (approximately eleven metres) out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.
Throw-in A throw-in is awarded when the whole ball crosses the touch line (conceded by the team who last touched the ball).
It is delivered off the field of play with both hands and from behind and over the deliverer's head.
Otherwise it is deemed to be a 'foul throw' and a throw-in is given to the opposition.
It cannot go direct to the goalkeeper's hands (if on the same team) and you cannot score directly from a throw-in.
Corner kick A corner kick is awarded once the whole ball crosses the goal line of the opposing team, after last touching one of their players.
Taken from the corner of whichever side the ball exited the field, in the prescribed quarter-circle space.
Opponents must be 10 yards from the corner arc and the kicker cannot touch the ball a second time without contact from someone else beforehand.
These are the best part of the rules although the rules of the game are explained a lot more in depth of the FIFA (International Federation of Association Football (French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association)) website.
So what I have here is the main rules that apply to professional 11 a side soccer game.
The rules where you play might not be that strict or have some exclusions, you just have to agree on the rules before the start of the match.
If your playing in a league usually the referee explains the rules before the start of your first match.
Basics Soccer is a game of two teams of eleven players.
Objective of the game is to score more points than the opposing team.
Points are collected by scoring goals, a goal is scored by depositing a ball into the opponents area.
Players As I mentioned there are two team of eleven, one of these eleven is the goalkeeper who is permitted to handle the ball in the designated area.
A game is played over two 45 minute periods.
The eleven players are supplemented by the option to bring on a maximum of three substitutes from a pre-decided list of three to seven players Referee The referee adjudicates the match together with hiss assistant referees.
Assistant referees are usually two linesmen and a fourth referee situated on the touchline.
The referee is an independent umpire who awards free kick or penalty and other rule infringement.
Assistant referees Follow play from their respective touch lines and help to decide on throw-ins, corner kicks and goal-kicks along with offside decisions.
Can also draw the referee's attention and advise on or alert him/her to any on-field activity, which can influence all manner of decisions.
To signify their decision or grab the referee's attention, they wave a brightly coloured small flag, which they keep at all times.
Offside It is not an offence to be in a offside position.
A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponents goal than the ball and the second - last opponent.
If a player is in an offside position he is only penalised, the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team-mates.
Start of play Before the start of the match a coin toss takes place.
The winner of the coin toss gets the choice of which end to attack or whether to kick of.
If one team chooses which end to attack the other will be allowed to choose weather they want to kick-off in the first or the second half.
At the kick of all players must be in there half of the field.
The kick-off is also used after a goal is scored.
The team that conceded restart the game from the central circle.
Scoring The team that scores the most goals wins.
A goal is scored when the whole ball crosses the goal line between the goalposts.
The pitch Soccer is usually played on a natural or artificial (e.
g.
Astroturf) surface.
However, the shape of the field must be rectangular, with the dimensions of 90-120 metres long by 45-90 metres wide.
Fouls Fouls can be committed anywhere on the pitch, a free kick is awarded where the foul took place.
If the foul takes place in the penalty area a penalty kick is awarded.
there are different punishments for offences.
A referee can choose to give a simple free kick, or talk to the player.
If a single foul is deemed serious enough or a player is consistently offends during a match, the referee can show a particular player - a yellow card.
Yellow card is a caution given to a player.
If a player receives 2 yellow cards he is shown a red card.
Red Card - Showing a red card to a player means he/she is expelled from the match.
A straight red card (no previous 'caution') can be shown for extreme offences such as serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting, deliberate hand-ball to prevent a goal, a professional foul (denying a goalscoring opportunity) and insulting language and/or gestures.
Free kicks Free kick are taken after a foul is committed, the opposing team must be at least 10 yards away from the ball.
If this rule is not adhered to, the kick is retaken.
There are two types of free kick - indirect free kick and a direct free kick.
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team when a player commits a foul (e.
g.
dangerous play) or infringes certain technical requirements of the laws (e.
g.
touching the ball a second time following a restart, or the keeper touching the ball with his hands when a team-mate has used his foot to pass it back to the keeper).
An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team when play is stopped to caution or send-off a player when no specific foul has occurred Direct free kick - Allows the team to take a direct shot at the opponent's goal.
Awarded as a result of fouls with evidence intent to harm or reckless/excessive force (e.
g.
a sliding tackle which takes the player first, shirt-pulling and a deliberate hand-ball).
Penalty kick A penalty kick is a type of free kick taken from twelve yards (approximately eleven metres) out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.
Throw-in A throw-in is awarded when the whole ball crosses the touch line (conceded by the team who last touched the ball).
It is delivered off the field of play with both hands and from behind and over the deliverer's head.
Otherwise it is deemed to be a 'foul throw' and a throw-in is given to the opposition.
It cannot go direct to the goalkeeper's hands (if on the same team) and you cannot score directly from a throw-in.
Corner kick A corner kick is awarded once the whole ball crosses the goal line of the opposing team, after last touching one of their players.
Taken from the corner of whichever side the ball exited the field, in the prescribed quarter-circle space.
Opponents must be 10 yards from the corner arc and the kicker cannot touch the ball a second time without contact from someone else beforehand.
These are the best part of the rules although the rules of the game are explained a lot more in depth of the FIFA (International Federation of Association Football (French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association)) website.
