The FIFA rules in football are the Laws of the Game, which set standards for scoring, fouls, offside, restarts, and match officials. They are written and maintained by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), not FIFA alone.
For a standard match, the laws cover 11 players per team, two 45-minute halves, and specific procedures for goals, throw-ins, free kicks, and penalties. Competition rules can affect details such as substitutions and extra time.
This guide explains the rules most likely to matter while watching or playing, clears up common misunderstandings, and notes where tournament rules may differ. It focuses on 11-a-side association football, not futsal or beach soccer.
What are the fifa rules in football?
They are the Laws of the Game: a shared set of rules for association football. The laws explain how a match starts, when a goal counts, what constitutes offside or a foul, how play restarts, and what referees can do when rules are broken.
IFAB maintains the laws. FIFA is one of IFAB’s members and applies the laws in its competitions, but it is not the sole rule-making body. National associations and competition organizers use the same basic laws, with certain options permitted by the rules or competition regulations.
The details below describe standard 11-a-side football. Youth matches, futsal, beach soccer, and some local competitions have different rules. Tournament regulations may also set procedures for substitutions, extra time, or deciding a tied match.
How many players are on a football team?
A standard match has two teams, with no more than 11 players per team on the field. Each team must have a goalkeeper. A match cannot start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players.
Players can change positions during play, but the referee must be told if the goalkeeper is replaced by another player. A substitute who enters without the referee’s permission can be cautioned, and play may need to be stopped to address the situation.
Substitution limits depend on the competition. In many official competitions, each team may make up to five substitutions. Those changes are usually limited to three substitution opportunities during the match, with substitutions at halftime not counting as an opportunity. Competition rules specify whether extra time allows an additional substitute or opportunity.
In other matches, organizers may set different substitution arrangements within the options allowed by the laws. Check the competition rules rather than assuming that every match follows the same limit.
How long is a football match?
A standard match lasts 90 minutes: two halves of 45 minutes. The referee allows a halftime interval, which must not exceed 15 minutes. The competition rules can set the length of the interval.
The referee adds time at the end of each half for delays, including substitutions, injuries, goal celebrations, disciplinary action, and time-wasting. This is commonly called added time or stoppage time. The referee can add more time if delays occur during the announced added time, but cannot shorten it.
A match that is tied after 90 minutes does not automatically go to extra time. The competition decides whether a draw stands or whether the teams play extra time or a penalty shoot-out. When used, extra time is normally two periods of up to 15 minutes each, followed by a shoot-out if the score remains level and the competition requires a winner.
Abandoned matches and other unusual interruptions are handled under the competition’s regulations. The referee reports what happened; the competition organizer decides the next steps.
When does a goal count?
A goal is scored when the whole ball crosses the goal line between the goalposts and beneath the crossbar. Part of the ball still on or above the line means the ball has not fully crossed. A goal cannot count if the attacking team committed an offense before the ball entered the goal.
The ball also has to cross the goal line in a place between the posts, not outside a post or above the crossbar. A referee may award a goal even if the ball returns to the field after crossing the line, because the decision depends on whether the whole ball crossed at the moment in question.
Players cannot score by deliberately using a hand or arm. A goalkeeper may handle the ball inside their own penalty area, subject to restrictions explained below. The rules also cover accidental handball: not every contact between the ball and a player’s arm is an offense. The referee considers the player’s action and position under the law.
What is offside in football?
A player is in an offside position if, when a teammate plays or touches the ball, the player is in the opponents’ half and nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. Being in that position alone is not an offense. The player is penalized only if they become involved in active play, such as playing the ball, challenging an opponent, or gaining an advantage from a rebound or deflection.
A player level with the second-last opponent, level with the last two opponents, or behind the ball is not in an offside position. The goalkeeper does not automatically count as the last defender; the referee considers the position of all opponents.
There is no offside offense when a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, throw-in, or corner kick. For other restarts, the offside law applies. The key moment is when a teammate plays or touches the ball, not when the offside-positioned player receives it.
Common misconception: A player is not automatically offside just for standing near the opponents’ goal. They must be in an offside position when a teammate plays the ball and then take part in the play.
Which actions are fouls?
A referee awards a direct free kick for offenses such as kicking, tripping, pushing, striking, holding, or tackling an opponent carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force. Deliberate handball by an outfield player can also be a direct-free-kick offense. Some serious offenses may lead to a caution or sending-off as well as the free kick.
A careless challenge shows a lack of attention or consideration. A reckless challenge disregards the danger to an opponent and normally requires a caution. Using excessive force, or endangering an opponent’s safety, can result in a red card.
An indirect free kick is awarded for certain offenses where a direct free kick does not apply. Examples include dangerous play without contact, impeding an opponent without contact, and some goalkeeper offenses. A goal cannot be scored directly from an indirect free kick: the ball must touch another player first.
Some conduct is a foul only when it meets the law’s conditions. For instance, shoulder-to-shoulder contact can be legal when players challenge fairly for the ball. A player who gets the ball first is not automatically entitled to continue through an opponent with careless or dangerous force.
What do yellow and red cards mean?
A yellow card is a caution. A player can be cautioned for offenses such as unsporting behavior, dissent, delaying a restart, failing to respect the required distance, or repeatedly breaking the rules. The precise decision depends on the incident and the law.
A red card means a player is sent off and cannot take further part in the match. Serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting or biting, denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity through an offense, and certain abusive or offensive conduct can result in a sending-off. A player who receives a second caution in the same match is also sent off.
After a player is sent off, the team generally plays with one fewer player. A substitute cannot take the dismissed player’s place. The referee records the incident, while the relevant competition or football authority determines any further suspension.
How do throw-ins, goal kicks, and corners work?
Play restarts differently depending on how the ball left the field. The ball is out when the whole ball crosses a touchline or goal line, on the ground or in the air, or when the referee stops play. If it crosses a touchline, the restart is a throw-in. If it crosses the goal line, the decision depends on which team last touched it and whether a goal was scored.
| Restart | When it is awarded | Important rule |
|---|---|---|
| Throw-in | The whole ball crosses a touchline | The thrower uses both hands, delivers the ball from behind and over the head, and keeps both feet on or behind the touchline. |
| Goal kick | An attacking player last touches the ball before it crosses the defenders’ goal line without a goal | The defending team takes the kick from within the goal area. The ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves. |
| Corner kick | A defending player last touches the ball before it crosses the defenders’ goal line without a goal | The attacking team kicks the stationary ball from the nearest corner area. The ball is in play once kicked and clearly moves. |
For a throw-in, the thrower must face the field and use both hands. Opponents must stay at least two meters away. A player cannot score directly from a throw-in; if the ball enters the opponents’ goal without touching another player, the restart is a goal kick.
On a goal kick, opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play. The kicker can take the kick from anywhere in the goal area. On a corner kick, opponents must remain at least 9.15 meters (10 yards) from the corner arc until the ball is in play.
How do free kicks and penalty kicks work?
A direct free kick can go straight into the opponents’ goal and count. An indirect free kick must touch another player before a goal can be awarded. The referee signals an indirect kick by raising an arm and keeping it raised until the ball touches another player, goes out of play, or it becomes clear that a goal cannot be scored directly.
Opponents usually have to stand at least 9.15 meters (10 yards) from the ball until it is in play. The team taking the kick can restart quickly if the ball is properly placed and the referee has not required the restart to wait. A referee may manage the required distance when a team asks for it or when an incident needs attention.
A penalty kick is awarded for a direct-free-kick offense committed by a defender inside their own penalty area, subject to the laws. The ball is placed on the penalty mark, 11 meters (12 yards) from the midpoint between the goalposts. The kicker must be identified, and the goalkeeper must remain on the goal line between the posts, with at least part of one foot touching, in line with, or behind the goal line when the kick is taken.
Other players must be outside the penalty area, behind the penalty mark, and at least 9.15 meters from the mark. The ball must be stationary and kicked forward. It is in play once kicked and clearly moves. In a normal match, the kicker can play the ball again only after another player touches it.
What rules apply to goalkeepers?
A goalkeeper may handle the ball inside their own penalty area, but not without limits. They cannot handle a ball deliberately kicked to them by a teammate or a ball received directly from a teammate’s throw-in. If a goalkeeper releases the ball from their hands, they cannot pick it up again with their hands until another player touches it.
The goalkeeper is also protected from an opponent who prevents them from releasing the ball or challenges them unfairly while they control it with their hands. However, a goalkeeper can be challenged fairly when they are not in control of the ball and the challenge follows the usual rules.
Under the current Laws of the Game, a goalkeeper who controls the ball with their hands or arms for more than eight seconds gives the opponents a corner kick. The referee uses a visible countdown during the final five seconds. This replaced the former indirect-free-kick penalty for holding the ball too long, so older explanations may describe a different restart.
What are the referee’s powers, and is VAR always used?
The referee enforces the laws, keeps time, records goals and disciplinary action, and decides whether play should stop or continue. The referee can allow play to continue after an offense when the team that was fouled would benefit from doing so. This is called the advantage rule.
Assistant referees help with decisions such as whether the ball has left the field, which team gets a throw-in, and whether a player is offside. The match may also have a fourth official or other authorized officials, depending on the competition. The referee makes the final on-field decisions.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is not used in every match. A competition must choose to use it and provide the required setup. Where VAR is in use, it reviews specific situations: goals, penalty decisions, direct red cards, and mistaken identity when the referee disciplines the wrong player. A review is intended to address a clear and obvious error or a serious missed incident, not every disputed call.
Which rules can vary between competitions?
The core laws are shared, but the rules of a particular competition can determine how certain options work. The competition may set substitution limits, require a winner, specify extra-time procedures, or establish whether VAR is available. Youth and recreational football can also use permitted modifications, such as shorter halves or different squad arrangements.
Futsal and beach soccer are separate forms of the game with their own laws. They are not simply standard football played on a smaller field or on sand. Rules for the ball, restarts, player numbers, and match timing differ, so check the rules for the exact format you are watching.
| Situation | Standard 11-a-side rule | What to check in competition rules |
|---|---|---|
| Substitutions | Often up to five in official competitions, subject to limits on opportunities | Whether the five-substitute option applies and whether extra time adds an allowance |
| A tied match | A draw can stand if the competition allows it | Whether extra time, a penalty shoot-out, or another method decides the winner |
| Video review | VAR is optional, not universal | Whether VAR is approved and in use for that competition |
| Match format | Two teams of up to 11, normally playing two 45-minute halves | Whether youth, local, futsal, or beach-soccer rules apply |
Practical tip: Before a tournament match, look up its competition regulations as well as the Laws of the Game. This quickly answers the questions most likely to surprise spectators: how many substitutions are allowed, what happens after a draw, and whether a video review is available.
The clearest answer to what are the fifa rules in football is that the Laws of the Game set the shared standards for scoring, offside, fouls, restarts, and match officials. IFAB maintains those laws, while competition regulations can set certain match-specific options.
For a standard match, remember the basics: 11 players per side, two 45-minute halves, and a goal only when the whole ball crosses the goal line. Before watching a tournament, check its rules for substitutions, extra time, and VAR.