Rules and Regulations of Soccer

Soccer, or football, as it is known outside the United States, is easily the most popular sport in the world. As such, it contains countless rule variations from country to country, region to region and league to league. It is a practical impossibility to catalog all the rules and regulations in effect across the globe. Certain basic rules remain, however, which define the sport and set it apart from similar activities, such as rugby and American- or Australian-rules football. The most commonly used rules are known as the Laws of the Game, as defined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

Soccer is played on a rectangular field (the exact dimensions vary, but usually about 100 yards long and 50 yards wide), evenly split between one team and the other. At the end of each team's territory is a goal, consisting of two posts and a cross-bar. Each team attempts to put a ball through that goal while simultaneously defending its own. Game length varies, but is often set by two 45-minute halves. The team with the most goals at the end of the game is the winner. Overtime periods and shootouts are used to determine ties, though ties often stand in games which are not crucial.

A soccer team consists of 11 different players, organized roughly into rows along their side of the field. The front most players are skilled at offense, able to get the ball into the opposing team's territory and punch it into the goal. Players in the middle rows play a combination of offense and defense, working both to protect the goal from the opposing team and get the ball to the forwards. Players in the rearmost positions are strictly defenders, charged with keeping the ball out of the goal. A single goalie stands in the mouth of the goal, charged with protecting it at all costs.

Soccer forbids the use of hands or arms during play. Instead, players can use their legs, body and head to trap and maneuver the ball. Soccer remains largely a game of kicking--using the feet and shins to maneuver past the opposing players and passing the ball to teammates. The only exception to this rule is the goalie, who may use his hands while defending the goal.

When the ball travels out of bounds, the team which last touched it is considered responsible. The opposing team is then permitted a throw-in, whereby one player uses both hands to toss the ball into play. When the ball goes out of bounds at the goal line, kicks are used to put the ball in play. If the defending team touched it last, the other team can launch a corner kick from the nearest corner of the field. If the attacking team touched it last, the defenders are permitted a goal kick from anywhere within the goal area.

Penalties in soccer include touching the ball with your hands, an attacking player getting ahead of too many defenders (offsides) and any number of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls, such as tripping or pushing an opposing player. Minor infractions, such as offsides, are punished by an indirect kick, in which the other team takes a kick from the point of the foul which must touch another player before it goes into the goal. Serious infractions, such as roughing opposing players or handling the ball, are penalized with a penalty kick--similar to an indirect kick except that the ball can go straight into the goal. Individual players may also be carded by the referee, which can result in their ejection if the referee deems it necessary.