Laws of the Game of Soccer
Please click on the Law Number to go directly to the text of that Law.
Law 1
The Field of Play
Law 2
The Ball
Law 3
The Number of Players
Law 4
The Players’ Equipment
Law 5
The Referee
Law 6
The Assistant Referees
Law 7
The Duration of the Match
Law 8
The Start and Restart of Play
Law 9
The Ball In and Out of Play
Law 10
The Method of Scoring
Law 11
Offside (Thoughts on Offside from a U8 Referee)
Law 12
Fouls and Misconduct
Law 13
Free Kicks
Law 14
The Penalty Kick
Law 15
The Throw-In
Law 16
The Goal Kick
Law 17
The Corner Kick
Law 18
The Most Important One of All – Common Sense!

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Guidance for Referees and Coaches, ════►
please click on the AYSO logo here
 Guidance for Referees and Coaches


THE VERY BASIC RULES OF THE GREAT GAME OF SOCCER (Part 2 of 2)

Please click here to read Laws 1 - 8.

LAW 9 – THE BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY (WHEN IS THE BALL OUT OF PLAY?)
The ball is out of play when it completely crosses the outside edge of the goal line or touch line, either on the ground or in the air or the referee blows the whistle.



Only the ball in the bottom right-hand corner is out of play as the whole ball has crossed the line (one can see grass between the line and the ball).

THE OBJECT Remember, the object of soccer is for players to get the ball into their opponent's goal using any part of their body except their arms and hands. Only goalkeepers may use their hands while inside their own penalty area. These elements are discussed in Laws 7 – 17.

LAW 10 – THE METHOD OF SCORING (WHO CAN SCORE A GOAL?)
Any player on the field, including the goalkeeper, may score a goal. A goal scored by a team in the goal it is defending is called an “own goal” and the goal is awarded to the opponent, except if it occurred directly from a restart.

LAW 11 – OFFSIDE (THE “CHERRY-PICKING” LAW)

If a player is ruled offside by the Center Referee (if there is an Assistant Referee, the assistant has the primary responsibility for identifying an offside infraction, but the Center makes the final decision), the ball is awarded to the opposing team, which restarts play with an indirect free kick (see Law 12).

A player is in an offside position if they are ahead of the ball, except if he/she:
• is in his/her own half of the field,
• has two opponents even with or between him/her and the opponent's goal line. The referee's "moment of judgment" is the instant the ball is played, not when it is received.

Simply being in an offside position, is not an infraction, until the referee determines that at the moment the ball is played or touched by a teammate, the player in an offside position is involved in active play:
• by interfering with play, or
• interfering with an opponent, or
• gaining an advantage by being in that position.

Players cannot be offside if they:
• are the first to receive the ball from a throw in, corner kick or goal kick.
To learn more about this complex law, please view the
the USSF Offside Presentation by clicking on the logo
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LAW 12 – FOULS AND MISCONDUCT (WHAT ARE THE VIOLATIONS OF THE GAME?)

Fouls are split into two groups:

• Penal fouls punished with a direct free kick (“DFK”) or penalty kick, depending on where the offence was committed, and
• Non-penal fouls are punished with an indirect free kick (“IFK”)

The ball must be in play and the foul must occur on the field for a foul to be called.

PENAL FOULS
There are 10 major fouls that result in a direct free kick (DFK) and from which a goal may be directly scored against the opponents.
The 10 fouls are divided into two groups: The first six require that the foul must be committed carelessly, recklessly or with disproportionate force:
• Kicking or attempting to kick an opponent.
• Tripping an opponent.
• Striking or attempting to strike an opponent.
• Pushing an opponent.
• Charging an opponent.
• Jumping at an opponent.

These four require only that they be committed:
• When tackling an opponent, making contact with the opponent before the ball.
• Spitting at an opponent.
• Holding an opponent.
• Handling (any part of the hand or arm below the shoulder) the ball deliberately, except by a goalkeeper in her/his own penalty area. (Region 70 guide to the handling law.)

NON-PENAL FOULS
There are four minor fouls that result in an indirect free kick (IFK). At least one additional player of either team must touch the ball before a goal can be scored from an IFK. The referee indicates an IFK with one arm straight in the air.
Dangerous Play: including high kicking near another player's head, heading the ball low down near an opponent’s feet or trying to play a ball held by a goalkeeper.
Impeding the Progress of an Opponent: getting between an opponent and the ball when the ball is not within playing distance.
Preventing the Goalkeeper from Releasing the Ball from his/her hands.
Committing any other offence not mentioned in this Law for which play is stopped to administer a caution or eject a player.

The following Infringements apply to a goalkeeper in his/her own penalty area:
1. holding the ball for more than six seconds while controlling the ball with their hands.
2. touching ball with hands after:
• a teammate has deliberately kicked it to the goalkeeper,
• a teammate has thrown it into the goalkeeper,
• releasing the ball, including parrying a ball that could have been caught, without it having touched another player

MISCONDUCT
There are two kinds of misconduct:
• Actions resulting in a caution (yellow card) from the referee. There are 7 actions for which a referee is required to caution a player.
• Actions resulting in a player being sent off or ejected from the field (red card). There are 7 actions for which a referee is required to send off a player.

A referee may warn a player to improve his or her conduct (or unsportsmanlike behavior) before a caution is issued.

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LAW 13 – FREE KICKS (HOW ARE THE VIOLATIONS OF THE LAWS PENALIZED?)

Direct free kicks (“DFK”) are awarded for penal fouls, and
Indirect free kicks (“IFK”) are awarded for non-penal fouls.

Goals may be scored by the kicker of a DFK, an IFK must touch another player, of either team, for a goal to be scored.

The referee identifies an IFK by raising his/her arm until the ball is touched by a second player.

LAW 14 – PENALTY KICK (HOW DOES THE GAME RESTART AFTER A PENAL FOUL IS COMMITTED BY THE DEFENDING TEAM INSIDE ITS OWN PENALTY AREA?)

The penalty kick is awarded when a defending player commits one of the 10 major (penal) fouls within their own penalty area while the ball is still in play. The penalty kick is taken by a player from the offended team from a spot 12 yards from the goal. All players must remain outside the penalty area, at least 10 yards from the ball, and behind the penalty-kick mark until the kick is taken, except for the kicker and the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper's feet must remain on the goal line until the ball is kicked. At the referee's signal, the kicker attempts to kick the ball into the opponent's goal and the goalkeeper tries to stop the ball from scoring. Once the kick is taken, the ball may be played by any player other than the kicker. The kicker may only play the ball again after it has been touched by a player from either team.

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LAW 15 – THROW IN (HOW DOES THE GAME RESTART AFTER THE BALL GOES OVER THE TOUCHLINE?)

After the ball has completely crossed the side boundary lines - called touchlines - a throw in is awarded against the team that last touched the ball. The throw in is taken from within 1 yard of where the ball left the field and must be thrown with two hands from behind and over the head in one continuous motion, while both feet are on the ground, on or behind the touchline. Note that a goal may not be scored directly from a throw in – another player must touch the ball before it crosses the goal line.

LAW 16 – GOAL KICK (HOW DOES THE GAME RESTART AFTER THE BALL GOES OVER THE GOAL LINE, WAS NOT A GOAL AND WAS LAST TOUCHED BY AN ATTACKER?)

The goal kick is taken by the defending team each time the ball crosses the goal line and was last touched by an attacking player, without a goal having been scored. The ball may be placed anywhere in the goal area and is not considered back in play until it has been kicked out of the penalty area.

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LAW 17 – CORNER KICK (HOW DOES THE GAME RESTART AFTER THE BALL GOES OVER THE GOAL LINE, WAS NOT A GOAL AND WAS LAST TOUCHED BY A DEFENDER?)

The corner kick is taken by the attacking team each time the ball is kicked by the defense over its own goal line, without a goal having been scored. The ball is placed within the three-foot arc in the corner of the field (nearest to where the ball went out of play) and kicked into play by the attacking team.

LAW 18 – COMMON SENSE (SPIRIT OF THE GAME)

Of course, it takes more than just reading the Laws of the Game to be able to be a referee or to have a comprehensive understanding of the Laws. Overriding all of the above, is the Spirit of the Game. Referees will often make decisions “for the good of the game.” Not always just the one at that moment, but for others in the future too.

To quote from the International Football Association Board decision #8:
"The Laws of the Game are intended to provide that the games should be played with as little interference as possible, and in this view it is the duty of the referees to penalize only deliberate breaches of the Law.  Constant whistling for trifling and doubtful breaches often produces bad feeling and loss of temper on the part of players and spoils the pleasure of the spectators."
In other words, referees are taught not to blow the whistle for minor infractions - different to most other sports that we may be more familiar with.

The context of the referee’s role is best viewed as the responsibility to keep the game safe, fair and fun!

Enjoy it!
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