Main+Rules

Figuju __** ﻿ The Main Rules of Soccer **__ Rules 1 A team can bring in 10 outfield players and one goalkeeper on the pitch and can have several substitutes on the bench. For example, in official matches only 3 substitutions are allowed, with 5, 7 or 9 players on the bench.

Rule 2 A player must wear a shirt or jersey, footwear, shin pads, shorts and socks The two teams must have different colored equipment so that they can be differentiated on the pitch Rule 3 Two halves of 45 minutes each, separated by a 15 minutes break, since this 90 minute clock ticks even when the ball is out of play, during substitutions and the end of each half also brings a few minutes of "injury time" In some cases, when the match must have a winner (a knockout match for example), two extra mini-periods of 15 minutes each, with no break between them are added. If the match is tied at the end of extra time as well, the players go on for a penalty-shootout that will eventually decide the winner

Rule 4 There are 9 reasons for which the game can be stopped: Each period of time starts with a kick-off The game is also restarted with a kick-off if a team scores a goal If the ball goes out on the side lines If the attacking team took the ball out of play on the defending team's goal line If the defending team touches the ball last and ball goes over their own goal line, outside of the goal itself, then the opposing team earns a corner kick An indirect free kick is awarded when a team produces a non-penal foul dangerous play or offside A direct free kick is caused by a foul or handball and unlike the indirect free kick it can be struck directly towards the goal A penalty kick is similar to a direct free kick in that it is caused by a foul or handball, but the offence occurs inside the defending team's penalty area The dropped ball occurs when the referee stops the game for a special reason an injured player, ball becoming defective or the interference of an external factor

Rule 5 The ball is in play all throughout the match duration, except when it passes a bounding line (goal lines and touch lines), when an offence occurs or when play is stopped by the referee. In these particular cases, the ball is out of play and the soccer players cannot score goals or interact with the ball. In addition, substitutions can only occur when the ball is out of play according to the rules for the game of soccer. Rule 6 A goal is considered when the ball crosses one of the goal areas with its entire circumference. Goals can be scored from action, from penalty spots and direct free kicks.

Rule 7 A player, usually a striker, is called offside when he is nearer to the other team's goal than both the ball and the second last opponent. The second last opponent usually being the last defender from the opponent team, and the last being the goalie.

Rule 8 There's a difference between fouls and misconduct that many people fail to understand. A foul can occur when a player tries to get the ball from his opponent and kicks him or pushes him away accidentally, whereas misconduct means that a player willfully targets his opponent and punches, kicks or pushes him away. Fouls can only occur when the ball is in play, but misconduct can occur when it's out of play as well. Depending on the seriousness of the foul or misconduct, the referee can penalize it with a yellow or red card in addition to a free kick or penalty kick.

Rule 9 Players from the opposing team must be at least 10meters away from the position where the free kick will be struck. Also, the player that kicks the ball initially on a free kick cannot touch it again until a teammate or opposing player touches it. Rule 10 Penalty kicks are conceded when a defended player fouls or commits handball inside the 18 yard box (commonly known as the penalty box). It's important to know that not all offences inside the penalty box are punished with a penalty kick. For example, if a player commits dangerous play inside his own penalty box, the referee will award an indirect free kick from the place that the offence occurred. When the penalty kick is taken, the only two players in the 18 yard box are the penalty taker and the defending team's goalkeeper. Everyone else must stay outside the box and can only move towards the ball once it is kicked. So if the penalty is saved by the goalkeeper or strikes the bar, a player could run from the edge of the box and gain possession.

Rule 11 When the ball goes out of play on the side lines, the opponent of the player who last touched the ball will take a throw in. The throwing method has to follow some rather strict rules; otherwise the referee might dictate a throw in for the other team. The player taking the throw must keep his feet outside the side line, with the sole on the ground and the actual throw must be executed with the ball over the thrower's head.

Rule 12 The goal kick is a means of restarting play after the attacking team took the ball over the defending team's goal line. The goal kick acts as a direct free kick, so if a player would kick the ball so hard that it would reach the opposing team's goal and score, the goal would count. One extra soccer rule regarding the goal kick states that the kick must be powerful enough to pass the penalty area. So in case the goalkeeper executes the goal kick and passes the ball to a teammate in his own penalty box, the goal kick is re-taken.

Rule 13 A corner kick occurs when the ball passes over the defending player's goal line, with a defender having touched the ball last. The corner kick acts as a direct free kick taken from the corner of the pitch (if the ball passes the line on the left of the goal, the corner is taken from the left corner and if it passes on the right, the corner is taken from the right corner). The same rules as for a direct free kick apply, in that opposing players must be at least 10 meters away from the corner, the corner taker may score directly from the corner kick and the kicker can't play the ball a second time until it's touched by another player. The only additional rule is that the ball be placed in the corner arc.