Football Rules: Complete Guide to the Laws of the Game

The Basics: Laws 1-3

Three fundamental laws define the playing environment, equipment, and participants. These laws have evolved from the Cambridge Rules of 1848 and the FA's first official rules of 1863.

Law 1: The Field of Play

The pitch must be rectangular, with the touchline between 100 and 110 metres and the width between 64 and 75 metres for international matches. The goalposts must be 7.32 metres apart and 2.44 metres high. The penalty area extends 16.5 metres from each goalpost. The centre circle has a 9.15-metre radius, the penalty spot is 11 metres from the goal line, and the corner arc has a 1-metre radius. Surfaces include natural grass and artificial turf meeting FIFA Quality Pro standards. The technical area for coaches must be clearly demarcated.

Law 2: The Ball

A size 5 ball must have a circumference of 68-70 centimetres, weigh 410-450 grams, and have an internal pressure of 0.6-1.1 atmospheres. The Telstar ball at the 1970 World Cup introduced the classic black-and-white panel design. Modern balls like the Nike Flight and Adidas Oceaunz feature aerodynamically textured surfaces. If the ball bursts during play, the referee stops the match and restarts with a dropped ball.

Law 3: The Number of Players

A match is played between two teams of no more than 11 players each, including one goalkeeper. A match cannot start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players. Substitutions have evolved from the first substitute in 1965 to five per match today, adopted permanently after the COVID-19 pandemic. The departing player must exit at the halfway line before the substitute enters.

Player Equipment and Referee: Laws 4-6

Law 4: Players' Equipment

Players must wear a jersey with sleeves, shorts, socks, shinguards, and footwear. Shinguards must be covered entirely by the socks and provide reasonable protection. Jewellery is strictly prohibited — necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets, and watches must be removed before taking the field. The goalkeeper must wear colours distinguishing them from other players and match officials. Goalkeepers may wear caps and tracksuit bottoms. The captain's armband must be worn on the left arm.

Law 5: The Referee

The referee has full authority from entering the pitch until leaving after the final whistle, including stoppage time and half-time. The referee carries a whistle, stopwatch, red and yellow cards, and a notebook. Modern referees use headset communication with assistant referees and the fourth official. The advantage rule must be applied when the non-offending team can benefit from continued play. VAR was introduced in the Premier League in 2019-20, checking clear and obvious errors in four categories: goals, penalties, direct red cards, and mistaken identity. Premier League referees include Michael Oliver, Anthony Taylor, and Paul Tierney, managed by PGMOL.

Law 6: Other Match Officials

Assistant referees signal offside, award throw-ins, and indicate when the ball has fully crossed the touchline or goal line. They carry a flag and communicate via earpiece. The fourth official handles substitutions, holds the electronic stoppage time board, and can replace the referee if necessary.

Match Duration and Start/Stop: Laws 7-8

Football is unique among major sports in that the clock never stops running.

Law 7: Duration of the Match

A match consists of two equal halves of 45 minutes each. Half-time must not exceed 15 minutes. The referee may add time lost through substitutions, injuries, time-wasting, VAR reviews, and goal celebrations. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar saw unprecedented stoppage time, with the England-Iran match adding 27 minutes in the second half — the most ever recorded in a World Cup match, largely due to a concussion injury to Iran's goalkeeper. This approach was adopted by the Premier League in 2023-24, with matches routinely extending beyond 100 minutes.

Law 8: Start and Restart of Play

A coin toss determines which team kicks off. A kick-off is taken from the centre spot, with all players in their own half and opponents at least 9.15 metres from the ball until it is played forward. A goal can be scored directly from a kick-off — Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored one for LA Galaxy in 2019 after spotting the goalkeeper off his line. The dropped ball was reformed in 2019: the referee drops the ball for the team that last touched it, with all other players at least 4 metres away.

Ball In and Out of Play: Law 9

The ball is in play from kick-off until the final whistle, except when it has fully crossed the goal line or touchline. The "whole of the ball must cross the whole of the line" principle is absolute. The ball is also out of play if it strikes a match official, a rare occurrence that caused controversy in 2019 when referee Michael Oliver was struck by the ball, leading to a Manchester City goal against Tottenham.

Scoring Goals: Law 10

A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the posts and under the crossbar, provided no offence has been committed by the scoring team. Own goals count for the opposing team — the Premier League credits them to the player who touched the ball last. A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in, indirect free kick, or goal kick.

Goal-line technology (GLT) uses seven cameras per goal to track the ball in 3D, sending a signal to the referee's watch within one second. GLT was introduced after Frank Lampard's ghost goal for England against Germany in the 2010 World Cup exposed the inadequacy of human decision-making. The system is 99.9% accurate and certified by FIFA before use in competitive matches.

Offside: Law 11

The offside rule is the most debated and misunderstood law in football. It prevents attacking players from loitering near the opponent's goal, ensuring the game is played with positional structure.

A player is in an offside position if any part of their head, body, or feet is nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. Hands and arms (from shoulder to fingertips) are not considered for offside purposes since 2023. Being in an offside position is not an offence — the player is only penalised if they become involved in active play by interfering with play, interfering with an opponent, or gaining an advantage.

There is no offside from a goal kick, throw-in, or corner kick. This creates tactical opportunities — teams take short corners specifically to avoid the offside trap. Semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), introduced at the 2022 World Cup and adopted by the Premier League in 2024, uses 12 tracking cameras and a sensor inside the match ball to determine offside in real time, reducing decision time from 70 seconds to under 25 seconds. However, the "toenail offside" controversy persists when players are penalised by millimetres.

Fouls and Misconduct: Law 12

Law 12 is the longest of the 17 laws, covering everything from careless tackles to violent conduct.

Direct free kicks are awarded for ten offences: kicking, tripping, jumping at an opponent, charging, striking, pushing, tackling, holding, spitting, and deliberate handball. Inside the defending team's penalty area, these offences result in a penalty kick. Indirect free kicks are awarded for dangerous play, impeding an opponent without contact, preventing the goalkeeper from releasing the ball, and the backpass offence.

Yellow cards are issued for unsporting behaviour, dissent, persistent infringement, delaying the restart, failure to respect distance, entering the pitch without permission, deliberately leaving without permission, and excessive celebration. Red cards are issued for serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting, denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO), using offensive language, and receiving a second yellow card.

The handball law has undergone significant changes since 2019. The "silhouette rule," introduced in 2021, judges whether a player's arm position extends beyond their natural body silhouette. Accidental handball immediately before a goal or that creates a scoring opportunity is now penalised. The Premier League saw 28 penalties awarded for handball in 2019-20, compared to just 12 the previous season.

Free Kicks, Penalties, Throw-ins: Laws 13-15

Law 13: Free Kicks

Free kicks are either direct (goal can be scored directly) or indirect (ball must touch another player). The referee signals an indirect free kick by raising one arm above the head. The defending wall must be at least 9.15 metres from the ball. Quick free kicks are permitted unless the referee must show a card. Players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored from quick free kicks that caught defences unaware.

Law 14: Penalty Kicks

A penalty kick is awarded for direct free kick offences inside the penalty area. The ball is placed 11 metres from the goal line. The goalkeeper must remain on the goal line between the posts until the ball is kicked. All other players must be behind the penalty mark and outside the area. The stutter-step run-up is permitted as long as the kicker does not stop completely. The Panenka — a chipped penalty down the middle — was invented by Antonin Panenka in the 1976 European Championship final.

Law 15: Throw-ins

A throw-in is awarded when the ball wholly crosses the touchline. The thrower must face the field, have both feet on the ground behind or on the touchline, and deliver the ball from behind and over the head with both hands. Rory Delap's long throws for Stoke City between 2008 and 2010 became a feared Premier League weapon, travelling over 30 metres into the penalty area.

Goal Kicks and Corners: Laws 16-17

Law 16: Goal Kicks

The goal kick procedure was changed in 2019 — the ball no longer needs to leave the penalty area to become in play. Goalkeepers can now play short passes to defenders inside the area, revolutionising build-up play. Ederson and Alisson have both taken goal kicks that led directly to counter-attacking goals, their precision passing turning defence into attack in seconds.

Law 17: Corner Kicks

A corner kick is awarded when the ball wholly crosses the goal line last touched by a defender. Opponents must be at least 9.15 metres from the ball. Teams employ elaborate routines, from short corners maintaining possession to inswinging and outswinging deliveries. The Premier League has seen a rise in short corners as teams prioritise possession over direct delivery.

Modern Rule Changes

VAR remains the most significant change in a generation, transforming how referees make decisions and how fans experience the game. Sin bins — 10-minute temporary dismissals for dissent and tactical fouls — were approved by IFAB in 2024, with the FA introducing them from 2025-26. Concussion substitutes, introduced permanently in 2021, allow extra replacements for suspected head injuries, prioritising player safety over tactical considerations.

The six-second rule for goalkeepers, rarely enforced but remaining on the books, empowers referees to penalise time-wasting. IFAB continues to refine the handball rule's "unnatural position" definition. The pace of change has accelerated in the 21st century, but the core principles established in 1863 remain the foundation of the world's most popular sport.

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