Law 1--The Field Of Play

Dimensions. The field is always in the shape of a rectangle.

The length can be between 100 and 130 yards.

The width can be 50 to 100 yards.

(But the field must always be longer than it is wide.)

Marking. The field is marked with lines, including the boundary lines on the longer sides of the field (the touch lines) and on the shorter sides (the goal lines).

The center of the field is marked with a center spot, surrounded by the center circle with a radius of ten yards. In each corner of the field, there should be a flag on a post at least five feet high.

The Goal Area. At each end of the field, two lines are drawn at right angles to the goal line, starting six yards from each goal post.

These lines extend six yards into the field and are joined by a line parallel with the goal line.

These lines form the goal area.

The Penalty Area. At each end of the field, two lines are drawn at right angles to the goal line, starting eighteen yards from each goal post.

These lines extend eighteen yards into the field and are joined a line parallel with the goal line. These lines form the penalty area.

Inside the penalty area, there is a mark made twelve yards from the mid-point of the goal line.

This is the penalty mark, where all penalty shots are taken.

From the penalty mark, an arc of a circle, with a radius of ten yards, shall be drawn outside the penalty area.

The Corner Area. Around each corner-flag post is a quarter circle with a radius of one yard inside the field of play.

The Goals.The goals are in the center of each goal line.

A goal is made of two upright posts, eight yards apart and joined by a horizontal crossbar eight feet above the ground. Goal nents can be made of hemp, jute, or nylon.

Law 2--The Ball

The official (Size 5) ball is a sphere twenty-seven to twenty-eight inches around.

It should weigh between fourteen and sixteen ounces.

Law 3--Number of Players

A match is played by two teams, each made up of eleven players, one of whom is the goalkeeper.

Youth league soccer games often play with fewer players.

Law 4--Players' Equipment

The basic equipment includes a jersy, shorts, socks, shinguards, and cleats.

Players can't wear anything that might be dangerous to other players.

Shinguards must be covered entirely by the socks and made of a material that provides adequate protection.

The goalkeeper must wear colors that make him or her stand out from the other players and from the referee.

Law 5--Referees

The referee's job is to enforce the laws of the game.

His decisions are final.

The referee can decide not to call a penalty in cases when he is satisfied that, by doing so, he would be giving an advantage to the offending team.

The referee is also the official timekeeper.

If the referee sees a player commit a foul or act in an unsportsmanlike act, the referee can oficially warn that player by showing him or her a yellow card.

If a player commits another foul, or another unsportsmanlike act, the referee can officially eject a player by showing that player a second yellow card, followed immediately by a red card.

Law 6--Linesmen

The two linesmen are assistants to the referee.

The linesmen tell the referee when the ball has gone out of bounds and, by means of pointing a flag in the direction of one team or the other, which team is to put the ball back into play with a throw-in, goal kick, or corner kick.

They also tell the referee when a team wishes to make a substitution.

The linesmen can also help the referee make calls, but the referee can always overrule a linesman's call.

Law 7--Duration of the Game

Official soccer games are made up of two halves of 45 minutes each, with a break of 15 minutes between the halves.

Youth soccer games are usally shorter and played in quarters of eight, ten, twelve, or fifteen minutes each.

Law 8--The Start Of Play

Before the start of a game, the referee tosses a coin.

The team that wins the toss can choose to kick off or to defend one goal or the other.

Before the kickoff, the players on both teams must be on their respective sides of the field.

The players on the team not making the kickoff must remain at least ten yards from the ball until it is kicked off.

At the kickoff, the ball is placed on the center spot.

When the referee gives a signal, a member of the kicking team must kick the ball into the opponents' side of the field.

The ball is officially kicked off after it has traveled the distance of its own circumference.

The kicker is not allowed to kick the ball a second time until it has been touched by another player.

After a goal is scored, the teams switch sides and the kickoff is taken by the team that didn't make the first kickoff.

Law 9--Ball In and Out of Play

The ball is out of play when it has completely crossed the goal line or touch line.

Law 10--Method of Scoring

A goal is scored when the entire ball crosses over the goal line and into the goal.

The team scoring the greatest number of goals during a game shall be the winner.

If no goals or an equal number of goals are scored, the game shall be termed a "draw."

Law 11--Offside

At the time the ball is passed, a player is in an offside position if he is nearer to the opponents' goal line than the ball, unless he is in his own half of the field, or is not nearer to his opponents' goal line then at least two of his opponents (usally, the last defender and the goalkeeper).

It is not considered a foul just to be in an offside position.

A player is called for being in an offside position only when he or she becomes part of a play.

In other words, a player can't stand between the last defender and the opponent's goal, but when that player recieves a pass from a teammate, he will be called for being offside.

A player can't be declared offside if he recieves the ball direct from a goal kick, a corner kick, or a throw in.

If a player is declared offside, the referee can award an indirect free kick, which is taken by a player on the opposing team from the spot where the foul occurred, unless the offense is committed by a player in his opponents' goal area, in which case the free kick shall be taken from any point in the goal area.

The offside rule is often not invoked by referees in youth soccer games.

Law 12--Fouls and Misconduct

If a player commits one of the following fouls, the referee will give the opposing team a direct free kick.

The fouls are:

kicking or attempting to kick an opponent,

tripping an opponent,

jumping at an opponent,

charging at an opponent in a dangerous way,

striking or attempting to strike an opponent,

pushing an opponent,

spitting at an opponent,

holding an opponent,

handling the ball (this does not apply to the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)

The direct free kick is taken by the opposing team from the place where the foul occured, unless the foul is commited by a player in his opponents' goal area.

In that case the free kick is taken from any point within the goal area.

If a player of the defending commits one of the above ten offenses within the penalty area, he shall be penalized by a penalty kick.

A penalty kick can be awarded irrespective of the position of the ball, if in play, at the time an offense within the penalty area is committed.

If a player commits any of the following fouls, the referee can award the other team an indirect free kick.

The fouls are:

Playing in a way considered by the referee to be dangerous (for example, attempting to kick the ball while held by the goalkeeper)

Charging a player when the ball is not within playing distance of the players concerned and they are defintely not trying to play it.

When not playing the ball, running between the opponent and the ball, or using the body to form an obstacle to an opponent.

(This is called "obstructing.")

When playing as goalkeeper, within his or her own penalty area:

1. taking more than four steps in any direction while holding, bouncing, or throwing the ball in the air and catching it again;

2. touching the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a teammate;

3. intentionally holding up the game or wasting time to give an unfair advantage to his own team.

A player shall be cautioned and shown the yellow card if he or she:

persistently infringes the Laws of the Game;

shows, by word or by action, dissent from any decision given by the referee;

is guilty of ungentlemanly or unladylike conduct.

For any of these last three offenses, in addition to the caution, an indirect free kick shall also be awarded to the opposing side from the place where the offense occured.

A player shall be sent off the field of play and shown the red card, if, in the opinion of the referee, he or she:

is guilty of violent conduct;

is guilty of serious foul play;

uses foul or abusive language;

is guilty of a second cautionable offense after having recieved a caution.

Law 13--Free Kicks

Free kicks come under two headings:

"direct," from which a goal can be scored directly against the offending side without touching another player, and

"indirect," from which a goal cannot be scored unless the ball has been played or touched by a player other than the kicker before passing through the goal.

When a player is taking a direct or an indirect free kick inside his own penalty area, all the opposing players must stay at least ten yards from the ball and remain outside the penalty area until the ball has been kicked out of the area.

The ball is in play immediately after it has traveled the distance of its own circumference and is beyond the penalty area.

When a player is taking a direct or an indirect free kick outside his own penalty area, all the opposing players must stay at least ten yards from the ball, until it is in play.

The ball shall be in play when it has traveled the distance of its own circumference.

Law 14--Penalty Kick

A penalty kick shall be taken from the penalty mark and, when it is being taken, all players, with the exception of the player taking the kick and the opposing goalkeeper, shall be within the field of play but outside the penalty area, at least ten yards from the penalty mark.

The opposing goalkeeper must stand on his own goal line, between the goal posts, until the ball is kicked.

The keeper can move from side to side, but cannot move toward the kicker before the ball is kicked.

The player taking the kick must kick the ball forward.

He cannot play the ball a second time until it has been touched or played by another player.

A goal may be scored directly from a penalty kick.

After the player taking the penalty kick has put the ball into play, no player other than the defending goalkeeper may play or touch the ball before the kick is completed.

If the ball hits a goal post or the crossbar and rebounds into play, the player taking the penalty kick must not play it again until it has been touched by another player.

Law 15--Throw-in

When the ball goes completely over a touch line, either on the ground or in the air, it is thrown in from the point where it crossed the line, in any direction, by a player of the team opposite to that of the player who last touched it.

The thrower, at the moment of delivering the ball, must face the field of play and part of each foot must be either on the touch line or on the ground outside the touch line.

The thrower must use both hands and must deliver the ball from behind and over his head.

The ball is in play immediately after it enters the field of play, but the thrower cannot again play the ball until it has been touched or played by another player.

A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in.

Law 16--Goal Kick

When the entire ball passes over the goal line (excluding that portion between the goal posts) either in the air or on the ground, having been last touched by one of the attacking team, it is kicked directly into play beyond the penalty area from any point within the goal area by a player of the defending team.

A goalkeeper cannot receive the ball into his hands from a goal kick.

If the ball is not kicked beyond the penalty area, the kick shall be retaken.

The kicker cannot play the ball a second time until it has touched or een played by another player.

A goal cannot be scored directly from a goal kick.

Players of the team opposing that of the player taking the goal kick must stay outside the penalty area until the ball has been kicked out of the penalty area.

When a goal kick has been taken and the player who has kicked the ball touches it again before it has left the penalty area, the kick must be retaken.

Law 17--Corner Kick

When the entire ball passes over the goal line (excluding the portion between the goal posts) either in the air or on the ground, having last been played by one of the defending team, a member of the attacking team shall take a corner kick, that is, the whole of the ball shall be placed within the quarter circle at the nearest corner-flag post, which must not be moved, and it shall be kicked from that position.

A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick.

Players of the team opposing that of the player taking the corner kick cannot approach within ten yards of the ball until it is in play, nor can the kicker play the ball a second time until it has been touched or played by another player.