by D. Victor

Created on: November 13, 2008   Last Updated: February 02, 2009

It is crucial to understand that rules in soccer are really decisions taken by the IFAB under relevant laws of the game. Technically we'll be referring to the basic laws of soccer- 17 of them. To get a good idea of soccer, one only needs to peruse a few fundamental laws of the game.

The soccer field must be rectangular, between 45 and 90 metres in width and between 90 and 120 metres in length. It has designated markings that denote certain areas such as the corners, penalty area and goal area. A soccer field must be properly marked in order for a match to occur.

Association soccer must be played with approved soccer balls. These balls should have a certain pressure, weight and size. For FIFA sanctioned tournaments, the balls will have a prescribed logo. Association soccer matches must begin with a minimum of seven players and a maximum of 11. These players must be outfitted in certain gear- stockings, shinguards, footwear, a jersey and shorts.

A soccer match has two equal periods of 45 minutes each. Changes to these must be sanctioned by tournament rules or provisions. Each half of a soccer match is started with a kick-off. The kick-off is also used to restart play after a goal has been scored. When the ball goes out of play, the match is restarted by a throw-in (out over the touch lines), a goal kick or corner (out over the goal lines).

For a goal to be scored in soccer, the entire ball must cross the goal line between the uprights and under the crossbar, whether in the air or on the ground. For a goal to stand, no infringement should have been committed by the team scoring the goal.

The Offside Law is a major feature of soccer. It is an offside offence to be involved in active play if at the moment the pall is played by a teammate you were in an offside position. This definition assumes that the passing and involvement occurs in the same phase of play. The phases of play change when the ball is touched or controlled.

There are prescribed fouls and misconduct in soccer. The difference is that a foul is committed when the ball is in play, by a player and on the field of play. Fouls and misconduct carry different penalties. They can result in free kicks or players or substitutes being cautioned or sent off. Misconduct applies to team officials as well.

The rest of the laws cover the kicks from certain areas that are taken during the game. This is a very brief overview of the basic, however. Each law is in depth and takes much time and effort to learn and apply. However, if you have an idea of these laws, you can consider yourself a true soccer (really football) fan.

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