What Are Football Rules?
Football is played by two teams trying to score more goals than the other side while following the 17 Laws of the Game. In simple terms, football rules explained means knowing who can play, when play starts or stops, how goals count, and what happens after fouls, offside, cards, restarts, and VAR checks.
Football rules set the shared limits for players, the referee, and match officials. The basic football rules cover team size, match time, scoring, fouls, free kicks, penalties, throw-ins, goal kicks, corner kicks, yellow cards, red cards, goalkeepers, and the ball in or out of play.
Use football rules for beginners as a practical map, not a legal code. Start with the flow of play, then read deeper guides on the offside rule, VAR, handball, penalty shootouts, free kicks, and goalkeeper rules when a decision needs more detail during live televised matches.
What Are the 17 Laws of Football?
IFAB maintains the Laws of the Game, the global framework behind association football. This is football rules explained as a simple map. The football rules sit inside those laws, while the practical rules of football are applied by national associations and competitions through their own competition rules.
Use this table as a route map, not a legal code. Each law points to a part of the match, and later sections unpack the most common decisions for new fans, including offside, fouls, restarts, goalkeepers, and technology.
| Law | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Field of play | Pitch markings and goal areas. |
| Ball | Size 5 match ball. |
| Players | Team numbers and substitutes. |
| Players’ equipment | Kit and safety requirements. |
| Referee | Main authority during play. |
| Other match officials | Assistants and support officials. |
| Duration of the match | Halves, interval, and added time. |
| Start and restart of play | Kick-off and restart procedures. |
| Ball in and out of play | When play continues or stops. |
| Determining the outcome of a match | Goals, winners, and tie-breakers. |
| Offside | Position plus active involvement. |
| Fouls and misconduct | Unfair play and discipline. |
| Free kicks | Direct and indirect restarts. |
| Penalty kick | Spot kick for area offences. |
| Throw-in | Touchline restart. |
| Goal kick | Defensive goal-line restart. |
| Corner kick | Attacking goal-line restart. |
How Many Players Are on a Team?
Each team starts with 11 players, including one goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is the only player with special permission to handle the ball, and only inside their own penalty area. Under football rules, a match cannot continue if either team has fewer than seven players available to play.
Everyone else is an outfield player, usually grouped as defenders, midfielders, and forwards. These labels describe jobs, not fixed lanes. Defenders protect the goal, midfielders link play, and forwards try to create or score goals, but players may move around as the match develops in open play.
Substitutes officially replace players during the match when the competition rules allow it. In basic football rules, the named limit depends on the competition, but many top competitions now permit five substitutions. Some also allow a sixth substitute in extra time, where their competition rules say so.
How Long Is a Football Match?
Under the rules of football, a standard match lasts 90 minutes, split into two 45-minute halves. There is a 15-minute half-time interval between them, giving players a short break before the second half begins.
Those 45 minutes are not always the exact time you watch. Stoppage time is added at the end of each half for delays, so play can continue beyond 45 or 90 minutes.
In some knockout matches, a draw after normal time leads to extra time, normally two 15-minute periods. If the match still needs a winner after a draw, penalty shootouts can decide it when the competition rules require one.
For beginners, think of the clock as a guide to the planned halves, not a promise of the final whistle. Added time means the half can run longer when play has been delayed.
How Does Kick-Off Work?
Kick-off is the restart that begins each half and follows every goal. Before the first kick-off, the referee uses a coin toss so teams know who starts and which direction they attack. The ball is placed on the centre spot, and the first touch puts it in play.
At kick-off, all players must be in their own half until the ball is played. Opponents must stay at least 9.15 metres, or 10 yards, from the ball. This space lets the team taking the kick restart without being closed down instantly.
One common misunderstanding in football rules is that the ball must travel forward. That changed in 2016: a kick-off may now be kicked in any direction. After a goal, the team that conceded takes the next kick-off from the centre spot. Play then continues as normal.
When Is the Ball In or Out?
The ball is out of play only when the whole ball crosses the whole touchline or goal line, on the ground or in the air. If even a small part of the ball is still above the line, play continues. This is one of the simplest football rules to watch.
A goal has a stricter-looking but matching test. The whole ball must pass fully over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar. It does not matter whether the ball is rolling, bouncing, or in the air, as long as it completely crosses that line. The same whole-ball test decides whether a shot has missed wide or high.
The ball can look out from one camera angle and still be in. Think of the line as a vertical wall rising from the grass. Until the entire ball has moved beyond that wall, play may continue. For goal decisions, goal-line technology checks whether it fully crossed.
The ball also stays in play after hitting the goalpost, crossbar, corner flag, or referee, if it remains on the field. That means players should not stop just because of a rebound. They should play to the whistle, unless the ball has clearly gone out or the referee has stopped play.
How Do Fouls and Free Kicks Work?
With football rules explained for beginners, a foul is an unfair action that stops an opponent playing normally. Common fouls include tripping, pushing, kicking, holding, careless challenges, and handball. The referee decides whether contact is a foul and then gives the correct restart.
The football rules make the restart depend on the type of offence. A foul punished with a direct free kick is more serious for the defending team because the kicker can score straight from the restart. An indirect free kick needs another player to touch the ball before a goal can count.
| Type | Can Score Directly | Common Offences | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct free kick | Yes, the kicker can score without another touch | Tripping, pushing, kicking, holding, careless challenges, handball | A defender trips an opponent outside the penalty area |
| Indirect free kick | No, another player must touch the ball first | Technical offences where the referee awards an indirect restart | The ball enters the goal before touching another player |
For every free kick, opponents must be at least 9.15 metres, or 10 yards, from the ball. This distance gives the fouled team room to pass, shoot, or restart quickly. The same distance applies whether the kick is direct or indirect.
The referee does not always stop play at once. If the fouled team keeps a better chance by playing on, the referee can apply advantage. In plain English, advantage means the referee waits because stopping the game would reward the team that committed the foul.
If the move breaks down quickly, the referee may bring play back for the original free kick. For deeper detail, use our guides to free kicks, handball, and penalty decisions, because each topic has extra judgement calls.
What Is a Penalty Kick?
A penalty kick is the punishment for a direct free kick offence committed by a defender inside their own penalty area. In the rules of football, it gives the attacking team a clear shot from the penalty mark.
The penalty mark is 11 metres, or 12 yards, from the goal. The kicker takes the kick from there, facing the goalkeeper. A goal counts if the whole ball crosses the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar.
The goalkeeper starts on the goal line and tries to save the shot. Put simply, they cannot stand forward in front of the line before the kick is taken. All other players must wait outside the penalty area and the penalty arc.
After the kick, normal play can continue unless the referee stops it. This is why penalties feel tense: one offence inside the box can become a direct scoring chance, with strict positions for the goalkeeper, kicker, and everyone else. It is one of football’s clearest restarts.
What Is the Offside Rule?
Offside stops attackers gaining an unfair position near goal before a pass is played. In football rules explained simply, the key moment is when a teammate plays or touches the ball, not when the attacker receives it.
A player is in an offside position if they are nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. This position alone is not an offence. The referee only penalises it if the player becomes involved in active play.
Think of offside as two checks. First, ask where the attacker was at the instant of the pass. Second, ask whether that attacker then affected the move. If either answer does not support offside, play should continue.
There is no offside offence directly from goal kicks, throw-ins, or corner kicks. After a teammate next plays the ball, normal offside applies again. That detail matters because many attacking runs from restarts look suspicious but are legal at the first touch.
The second-last opponent is simply the opponent with one other opponent closer to their own goal line. Do not judge offside by shirt colour, camera angle, or where the pass finishes. Judge the attacker’s position at the moment the teammate plays the ball.
For a beginner, the safest shortcut is this: offside position plus active involvement equals an offence. If you want diagrams, edge cases, and common match examples, read our full offside rule guide after this overview.
How Do Yellow and Red Cards Work?
Cards are the referee’s clear signals for misconduct under the football rules. A yellow card warns a player to stop, while a red card removes that player from the match. If the same player receives two yellow cards, the second yellow becomes a red.
| Card | Meaning | Consequence | Common Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow card | Caution for misconduct | Player stays on, but another yellow means red | General fouls, dissent, or delaying play |
| Red card | Sending-off for serious misconduct | Player leaves the field and cannot be replaced | Serious fouls or other major misconduct |
| Two yellow cards | Second caution becomes a red card | Player is sent off and team plays short | Repeating cautioned behaviour after a first yellow |
After a red card, the team continues with fewer players, so one mistake can change the whole match. The referee shows the card, records the decision, and play restarts according to the offence. For beginners, remember the simple ladder: warning, stronger warning, then removal from the game if the line is crossed.
Throw-Ins, Goal Kicks, and Corners
Restarts are the simple ways play begins again after the ball leaves the pitch or the referee stops play. In basic football rules, the correct restart depends on which team touched the ball last and where it crossed the line.
| Restart | When Awarded | Key Rule | Can Score Directly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Throw-in | Ball wholly crosses the touchline after last touch by an opponent | Throw with both hands from behind and over the head, from the touchline area | No |
| Goal kick | Attacking team last touches the ball over the goal line without a goal | The defending team restarts from within its goal area | Yes, into the opponents’ goal |
| Corner kick | Defending team last touches the ball over its own goal line without a goal | The attacking team takes the corner kick from the nearest corner area | Yes, into the opponents’ goal |
| Dropped ball | Referee stops play for a reason not covered by another restart | The referee drops the ball to restart play fairly | No direct attacking goal |
For beginners, remember the goal line is the short line between the corner flags, while the touchline is the long side line. A goal kick or corner kick follows the last touch over the goal line. A throw-in follows the last touch over the touchline.
What Are the Goalkeeper’s Special Rules?
Goalkeepers are the only players who may handle the ball, but only inside their own penalty area. Outside it, they follow the same handball limits as everyone else. In football rules for beginners, the key idea is simple: the penalty area gives the goalkeeper special handling rights.
Those rights have limits. A goalkeeper cannot handle a deliberate kick from a teammate, and cannot handle a direct throw-in from a teammate. This is often called the back-pass rule. For a wider explanation, see our goalkeeper rules guide.
When the goalkeeper is allowed to use their hands, they should release the ball quickly under the six-second handling principle. Referees manage this in the flow of play. For edge cases, use a detailed handball rule article, because handling decisions often depend on where the ball and arm are.
How Do VAR and Goal-Line Tech Work?
VAR helps officials review clear, match-changing incidents under the football rules. It may check goals, penalty decisions, direct red cards, and mistaken identity, but it does not review every small foul or throw-in.
The referee still makes the final decision. They may take advice from VAR or check the pitch-side monitor. For the review process step by step, use the VAR guide linked from this hub.
Goal-line technology answers one narrower question: did the whole ball cross the goal line? It helps confirm goals because a goal only counts when the whole ball passes between the posts, under the crossbar, and fully over the line.
Together, these tools support the referee, not replace them. They aim to correct obvious errors while keeping the on-field official responsible for the final match decision.
Football Rules Explained FAQ
What are the 17 rules of football?
They are the 17 Laws of the Game, maintained by IFAB. This football rules explained guide groups them into play, fouls, restarts, officials, and outcomes.
How many players are allowed on each team?
Each team starts with 11 players, including one goalkeeper. A match cannot continue if a team has fewer than seven players.
How long does a match last?
A standard match has two 45-minute halves, added stoppage time, and a 15-minute half-time interval. Extra time is normally two 15-minute periods when used.
How many substitutions are allowed?
At top level, teams commonly use up to five substitutions. Always check the competition rules, because the exact allowance is set for each match.
Can you score from kick-off?
Yes, a goal can count from kick-off if the ball goes into the opponents’ goal. Since 2016, the ball may be kicked in any direction.
What is the difference between direct and indirect free kicks?
A direct free kick can score without another touch. An indirect free kick must touch another player before a goal can count.
Can a goalkeeper handle the ball outside the box?
No. A goalkeeper may handle the ball only inside their own penalty area, and not from a deliberate teammate kick or direct throw-in.
Why does offside exist?
For football rules for beginners, offside stops attackers gaining an unfair goal-hanging position. It is judged when a teammate plays the ball.
Keep this page as your hub for football rules. The basic football rules show football is easier to follow once you group laws by play, fouls, restarts, and discipline. Use deeper guides on offside, handball, VAR, penalties, free kicks, and goalkeepers when one decision needs detail.