The soccer rules explained for beginners | OneFootball

Football, also known as soccer in North America, is followed by billions all over the globe. The sport that began in England in the 1800s has rapidly spread and become intertwined with various cultures ever since. For some, soccer is a way of life, but less than 200 years ago, the regulated sport was not a part of anybody's life.

For spectators, the sport is a constant catalyst for raw emotion, passion and relentless commitment to a cause.

Soccer is also one of the most accessible sports to play as all that is required is a vague resemblance of a ball and players to engage in the game. Many other sports typically require more equipment, such as cricket - which requires wickets, protective gear and a bat - but soccer-style games can take place in pretty much any environment, but its rules are not quite as straightforward.

Soccer has a wide range of unique formats and rules which are decided by the numerous governing bodies. For newcomers, it can certainly take a while to understand the various formats and rules that are present in soccer's abundance of major competitions.

Here we have you covered with everything you need to know to become an expert when it comes to the current version of the beautiful game, as well as how it was created, and what could potentially change in the future.

The format of soccer matches is standardised across leagues all over the world. This format is at times different depending on whether a league or cup fixture is being played. For example, a league fixture will never feature a period of extra time - in a tied game, a draw is the final result.

Some cup games can follow the simple league format with no extra time or penalties in case of a tie. Or they can even feature extra time and penalties, depending on competition rules.

League games award three points for a win, a point for a draw, and zero for a loss. In cup games, points are typically not used in knockout competitions. Teams either win and advance to the next stage or lose and they're out.

Here is everything you need to know about how long a standard match is, as well as the breaks that a typical match schedule consists of. This will also discuss the various tiebreakers common and rare throughout sports history, and how stoppage time works.

A standard game of soccer is 90 minutes plus additional time. This involves two 45-minute halves, which are broken up by a half-time period. The game clock runs continuously, and it is not paused when the ball is out of play, or if there is any other sort of stoppage, for example, due to injury. However, the referee can keep track of any time wasted and this can be added on at the end of each half.

There have been potential restructures to the standard duration of a soccer match offered as recently as 2021 by the likes of Real Madrid club president Florentino Perez.

The Spaniard suggested that fixtures could be reduced to 60 minutes with a game clock that is paused at every single stoppage. That system works well in American sports, and perhaps it could help to improve the global sport of soccer even further.

For now, soccer persists with a 90-minute clock that constantly ticks away. However, in the future, perhaps soccer could take some inspiration from the time-keeping of its transatlantic neighbours.

Soccer is split into two periods of play - rather than four, which is typical of American sports. There is just one interval compared to the three which are common across the Atlantic Ocean - the likes of the NBA, NHL and NFL all follow a four-quarter format.

The half-time period lasts 15 minutes. This serves as a break for players to refresh themselves and perhaps receive tactical instructions from their coaches. This 15-minute slot between the two halves of action can often be a huge momentum turner in fixtures.

The players and coaches return to their respective dressing rooms during this period, besides some of the substitutions who at times remain on the pitch to warm up.

Substitutions can be made following the break and tactical changes are common too.

Stoppage time

Each half is concluded with a stoppage-time period. Here, additional time can be added on before the half/full-time whistle is blown. Time is added on for injury pauses and occasions of time-wasting as well as for any other reasons that fixtures may have been brought to a pause.

The official time added on by the referee serves as a minimum figure. Therefore, the referee can allow play to continue further than the allotted time if there are stoppages during the initial added-on time.

While soccer differs from many American sports in how its game clock works, it aims to maintain fairness by adding any significant wasted time at the end of each half, rather than regularly pausing its clock.

In huge competitions like the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022, accurate time-keeping has been deployed. This has allowed referees to track any time wasted down to a specific minute and second. This way, the referee can ensure that time-wasting or injury stoppages do not harm the integrity of the game.

Extra time

There are some occasions where more action will take place following the full-time whistle. Many cup competitions will enter an extra time phase if the scores are level after the initial 90 minutes plus stoppage time.

This period could be likened to overtime in American sports. However, only one period is played, rather than a repeat extra time in the case of a sustained tie. A winner is often found in the biggest of games this way. The extra period involves two further halves of 15 minutes, and if the scores are still level after that, then the final official tiebreaker of a penalty shootout takes place.

Penalty shootouts

Penalty shootouts are perhaps about as dramatic and exciting as soccer games can become. After 120 minutes of hard work and dedication, everything comes down to the players shooting against their opposition goalkeeper from the 12-yard spot.

This involves both teams selecting five takers to shoot against the goalkeeper from the penalty spot. Whichever team scores more out of five will win, but if the scores are level, then sudden death proceeds.

Some of the lengthier penalty shootouts enter sudden death. This means that to win, a team needs to score on the same penalty kick that the opposition misses. For example, if Team A scores their sixth penalty and Team B misses, then Team A wins. However, if both miss, then another round continues until a winning scenario is reached.

There have been some immensely long penalty shootouts throughout history, in which it has taken a remarkable amount of time for a winner to finally be declared. The world record was set in 2022 in the English non-league. Washington defeated Bedlington 25-24 on penalty kicks in the first round of an amateur cup competition known as the Memorial Cup.

Major cup finals have also been decided by a significant number of penalty kicks in the past. Liverpool, for example, defeated Chelsea 11-10 in the 2022 Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

The typical last resort tiebreaker often separates teams quickly after a tiring 120 minutes, but at times it can prolong the anticipation surrounding the potential winner even further.

Rare tiebreakers through history

There were, however, situations in the past where different tiebreakers have been used to decide the outcome of soccer games. Back in 1968, Italy and the former USSR were tied at the end of the extra period in the semi-final of the European Championship. This was at a point in time when penalty shootouts did not yet exist. A coin toss followed instead and Italy captain Giacinto Facchetti secured a fortunate path to the final for his team.

There was also once a different way of winning a knockout tie during extra time in international tournaments. The golden goal rule meant that as soon as one team netted in extra time, the game was over and the score was final.

The golden goal rule meant that both teams often went in search of a winner in extra time. In contrast, the modern game tends to offer two teams who set up defensively in the extra period and prioritise avoiding conceding over scoring a potential winner.

The rules of soccer

Besides soccer's general format, many key rules are followed in each game around the world. These allow the game to be fair across all competitions and leagues and ensure that players are punished for rash play.

The rules constantly evolve, with small and sometimes significant tweaks being implemented to advance the game. Various governing bodies have different levels of authority over the laws of the game in different areas of the footballing globe.

Cards

Cards are a key feature of every game of soccer around the globe. Referees have yellow and red cards which they can award to players for fouls, handballs or other disciplinary issues. A yellow card is the more minor one, yet two will result in a player being dismissed from the field for the remainder of a fixture.

A red card on the other hand is reserved for the most severe fouls and results in a player being directly sent off the pitch for the remainder of the tie.

In either case, in which a red card is received by a player, their team then has to play with a man down. Unlike American sports, a bench player cannot take the position of a player who has been removed from the field of play by the referee.

Players per team

There are 11 players per team in a soccer game. One goalkeeper and 10 outfield players. The modern game typically also allows five substitutions from as many as 12 players on the bench depending on the competition. Each team's substitutions have to be made over three stoppages of play (the half-time interval does not count as one of the stoppages).

This means that managers cannot make changes to their team on more than three occasions outside natural intervals. A maximum of five substitutions have to be introduced between these three stoppages, otherwise, the manager will lose the remainder of their substitutions.

Outfield players cannot, for any reason, handle the ball without giving away a foul. Only goalkeepers can use their hands to save shots. The handball rule typically means that outfielders cannot touch the ball with any part of their arm or hand.

In cases in which outfield players handle the ball, free kicks and penalties are awarded if the player's arms are not by their side in a natural position. The IFAB's current rules also state that a handball will not be awarded if the ball deflects off a player's body onto their arm and the ball is not heading towards the goal.

There are also situations in which goalkeepers can be guilty of a handball offence. While goalkeepers can use their hands inside their box, they cannot do so outside of their area. If they handle outside the box, then a free kick will be awarded to the opposition.

When the ball goes out of bounds on the sideline, a throw-in is awarded to the team that did not touch the ball last. If a team is on the attacking side of the pitch and the ball goes out of the opponent and behind the byline - which is aligned with the goal - then a corner is awarded. This allows the attacking team to kick the ball in from the corner of the pitch.

Goal kicks are awarded if the ball goes beyond the byline with the last touch coming from the attacking player.

There are also sometimes situations in which the play has to be restarted as the ball hits the referee, which interferes with the play. This happens when the referee's touch significantly affects the direction of the ball. Play is restarted via a drop ball, which one member of each team will contest, by trying to get their boot on the ball first.

The offside rule

The offside rule is one of the most important rules in soccer. It states that any attacker must be behind or in line with at least two opposition players - goalkeeper included - when the ball is played to them. If this is not the case, then a free kick will be awarded and any potential goal will be disallowed. The attacker's body - besides their arm which they cannot score with - must be behind at least two opposition players.

There is no margin for error or benefit of the doubt for the attacker here. If the attacker is the slightest fraction offside, then they will be penalised and any potential goal will not count.

An exception to this rule is if a player is passed the ball by a teammate who is ahead of them on the pitch. Any ball at a teammate's level or behind the man in possession will never be offside, regardless of where the opposition is situated.

Match officials

When it comes to making decisions for individual games, there is a team of professional match officials employed. They are experts in soccer legislation, which allows them to implement the laws of the game whenever necessary.

There is a central referee who follows the play and awards fouls and subsequent free kicks or penalties. Fouls outside the penalty area result in free kicks and inside a penalty is awarded. The referee is the main official who can also give cards to players.

Two linesmen monitor offside decisions - one on each side of the pitch. A fourth official is also positioned in between the coaches' technical areas on the sideline. This official serves simply to assist the main referee.

Video Assistant Referee

In the modern game, the traditional team of four on-field officials are supported by a team of video assistant referees at an external location. They will consult the referee on any on-field decisions that could potentially be incorrect.

They can inform the referee of a certain decision to make, based on the various replay angles that are available to them. Or if they are not sure, then they can summon the referee to watch the replay himself on a pitch-side monitor from where a final verdict can be made.

Association football - which led to the term 'soccer' - was established in 1863 with a standardised set of rules after members of 12 clubs collaborated to create a game that could be played nationwide in the United Kingdom.

The meeting which led to the creation of the English Football Association and the subsequent establishment of soccer was triggered by one specific individual. Ebenezer Morley was a lawyer from Hull, who managed to combine his two passions of legislation and soccer to create the sport that is adored today.

Morley founded a soccer club known as Barnes Football Club in 1862. Soon after his first official venture into the sport, he wrote a letter to a newspaper titled 'Bell's Life' which led to the famous meeting of 1863. From there on, a unified set of rules for the game were declared, and the FA went on to establish the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in 1886 which has since served as an independent governor of soccer's format and rules around the world.

The global soccer institution FIFA was founded in 1904 in Paris, France by seven founder nation representatives: Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Although it has consistently invited more nations to join throughout its history.

Since it was formed, FIFA has helped to spread organised soccer all over the globe, and it made the first-ever international competitions possible. FIFA made soccer an Olympic sport and established the World Cup in 1930.

The governing body joined IFAB in 1914. This has allowed it to be involved in the constant evolution of the sports format and rules ever since, in addition to the organisation of soccer fixtures and competitions around the world.