what are the rules of association football? In a standard match, two teams try to score by putting the whole ball into the opponent’s goal, while following the Laws of the Game. Players cannot use their hands or arms to play the ball, except for the goalkeeper inside their own penalty area.
The rules also cover offside, fouls, restarts, substitutions, and how officials manage the match. Here’s a practical guide to the main laws, what common decisions mean, and how rules can differ in youth games or particular competitions.
what are the rules of association football?
Association football is played under the Laws of the Game, maintained internationally by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). A standard match has two teams of up to 11 players each, including a goalkeeper. The basic aim is to score more goals than the other team before time runs out.
Players may use any part of the body except their hands and arms to play the ball. The goalkeeper has a limited exception: inside their own penalty area, they may handle the ball, subject to restrictions. The referee enforces the laws, restarts play after stoppages, and can issue cautions or send players off.
The Laws set the common framework, but competition rules can adapt certain details. Substitution limits, match length in youth football, and the use of video review may vary. The explanations below describe the standard 11-a-side game unless a variation is noted.
How a match starts and how long it lasts
A regular senior match is played in two halves of 45 minutes. The referee may add stoppage time to account for delays such as injuries, substitutions, and goal celebrations. The referee announces the added time, but play can continue beyond it if a stoppage occurs during that period.
Half-time lasts no more than 15 minutes under the Laws. A competition may set a shorter break. In youth matches, playing time is commonly reduced by competition rules, so the duration is not the same everywhere.
A coin toss decides which team chooses its first-half direction or takes the opening kick-off. The other team kicks off. A kick-off also restarts play at the start of the second half and after each goal. The ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves.
Each team must have at least seven players for a match to continue. A team may begin with fewer than 11 if competition rules allow it, but it cannot have more than 11 players on the field. A substitute must enter with the referee’s permission, and the player being replaced must leave before the substitute joins play.
How a goal is scored and when the ball is out
A goal counts when the whole ball crosses the goal line between the posts and beneath the crossbar, provided the scoring team has not committed an offense. If any part of the ball remains over the line, it has not fully crossed. The ball can be on the ground or in the air.
The ball is out of play when it has completely crossed a touchline or goal line, or when the referee stops play. It remains in play if it rebounds off a goalpost, crossbar, corner flag, or match official and stays on the field, unless the referee stops the match for another reason.
A goal cannot be scored directly against the opponent from a kick-off, throw-in, or indirect free kick. If one of these restarts goes straight into the opponent’s goal, the referee awards a goal kick or corner kick, depending on the restart and which goal the ball entered. A direct free kick or corner kick can score directly against the opposing team.
Offside in plain language
A player is in an offside position when, at the moment 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 is not an offense by itself.
The referee penalizes offside only if the player then becomes involved in active play. That can mean playing or touching the ball, interfering with an opponent, or gaining an advantage from a rebound or deflection. The referee judges the position when the teammate plays the ball, not when the receiving player finally gets to it.
A player level with the second-last opponent, level with the last two opponents, or behind the ball is not in an offside position. There is also no offside offense when a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, throw-in, or corner kick. If offside is called, the other team takes an indirect free kick from where the offense occurred.
Common misconception: An attacker is not automatically offside just for standing near the goal. The position of teammates and opponents at the exact moment the ball is played matters, as does whether the attacker takes part in the play.
Fouls, free kicks, and penalty kicks
A direct free kick is awarded for certain offenses, including kicking, tripping, pushing, striking, holding, or tackling an opponent carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force. Handball offenses can also lead to a direct free kick. A foul by a defender inside their own penalty area that would otherwise result in a direct free kick usually leads to a penalty kick.
Some offenses lead to an indirect free kick. Examples include playing in a dangerous manner without contact, impeding an opponent without contact, and certain goalkeeper offenses. The ball must touch another player before a goal can be scored from an indirect free kick. The referee signals it by holding one arm above the head until the ball touches another player or goes out of play.
For a direct free kick, the kicker can score directly against the opposing team. Opponents generally must stay at least 10 yards (9.15 meters) from the ball until it is in play, unless they are on their own goal line between the goalposts. The referee can manage the distance with a defensive wall when needed.
At a penalty kick, the ball is placed on the penalty mark. The goalkeeper must stay on the goal line between the posts, facing the kicker, until the ball is kicked. Other players must remain outside the penalty area, behind the penalty mark, and at least 10 yards from it until the kick is taken. The kicker must kick the ball forward.
Not every touch on an opponent is a foul. The referee considers what happened, the level of force, and whether a player acted carelessly or dangerously. A fair shoulder-to-shoulder challenge can be legal when both players are playing distance from the ball and neither uses an illegal charge.
Yellow cards, red cards, and goalkeeper handling
A yellow card is a caution. It may be shown for offenses such as unsporting behavior, persistent fouling, dissent, or delaying a restart. A player shown two yellow cards in one match is sent off and must leave the field and its immediate surroundings, subject to the competition’s rules.
A red card means a player is sent off. Serious foul play, violent conduct, denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity through an offense punishable by a free kick or penalty, and using offensive or abusive language can lead to a red card. A sent-off player cannot be replaced in standard 11-a-side football, leaving the team with one fewer player.
The goalkeeper may handle the ball inside their own penalty area, but not after a teammate deliberately kicks it to them or throws it directly to them from a throw-in. If the goalkeeper releases the ball from their hands, they cannot handle it again until another player touches it. Under the current Laws, a goalkeeper who controls the ball with their hands or arms for more than eight seconds concedes a corner kick; the referee signals the final five seconds.
Handball is not simply any contact between the ball and an arm. The referee considers whether a player deliberately handled it or made their body unnaturally bigger with their arm or hand. A player also cannot score directly with a hand or arm, even if the contact is accidental.
How the main restarts work
The way play restarts depends on why the ball went out or why the referee stopped the match. The table gives the standard options and what each one is for.
| Restart | When it is used | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Throw-in | The whole ball crosses a touchline | The opponents of the player who last touched the ball throw it in from where it left the field. The thrower uses both hands, delivers the ball from behind and over the head, and keeps part of each foot on or outside the touchline. |
| Goal kick | The attacking team last touches the ball before it crosses the defenders’ goal line without a goal being scored | The defending team kicks the ball from within the goal area. The ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves. |
| Corner kick | The defending team last touches the ball before it crosses its own goal line without a goal being scored | The attacking team kicks the ball from the nearest corner area. Opponents must stay at least 10 yards away until the ball is in play. |
| Free kick | The referee stops play for a foul or other offense | The non-offending team takes a direct or indirect kick, depending on the offense. The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves. |
| Dropped ball | The referee stops play for a reason not covered by another restart | The referee drops the ball for the player who last touched it, with the other players at least four meters away. If play was stopped inside the penalty area, the ball is dropped for the defending goalkeeper. |
For a throw-in, both feet must be on the ground as the ball is released, with part of each foot on the touchline or on the ground outside it. The thrower cannot touch the ball again until another player has touched it. Opponents must stand at least two meters away.
On a goal kick, the ball does not have to leave the penalty area before another player can touch it. Opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play. On a corner kick, the ball is placed in the nearest corner area and is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves.
Substitutions, extra time, and penalty shootouts
Substitution limits are set by the competition. In many senior competitions, teams may use up to five substitutes, usually across no more than three substitution opportunities during the match, with half-time changes not counting as an opportunity. The competition rules determine the exact allowance, so five substitutes should not be assumed for every game.
Some competitions allow extra time if a knockout match is tied after 90 minutes. This is commonly two periods of 15 minutes, though competition regulations govern the format. If the score is still level, the match may be decided by a penalty shootout. A shootout is separate from normal play and does not add its goals to the match score as ordinary goals.
In a shootout, eligible players take kicks from the penalty mark in turn. The teams normally take five kicks each, and the shootout ends early if one team has an unassailable lead. If the score remains tied after those kicks, the teams continue with one kick each until one team leads after the same number of kicks. Competition rules and the Laws govern which players may take part.
What changes in youth, futsal, and recreational games
Youth matches often use shorter halves, smaller fields, smaller goals, or modified substitution rules. Those adjustments are set by the organizing body, not by a single worldwide standard for every age group. Check the league’s rules before a match if playing time or roster size matters.
Futsal is a separate indoor form of football with its own laws. It usually has five players per side, including the goalkeeper, a smaller court, and different restart and timing procedures. Do not assume that a rule from outdoor 11-a-side football automatically applies to futsal.
Recreational leagues may also adopt local rules to suit the venue or players. Common adjustments include rolling substitutions or no offside rule. Such changes apply only if the competition has adopted them; the standard Laws remain the default for regular association football.
Simple ways to avoid common rule misunderstandings
- Watch the whole ball: It must fully cross a boundary line before it is out or fully cross the goal line for a goal.
- Separate position from offense: Being in an offside position is not enough; the player must become involved in active play.
- Know the restart: A throw-in, goal kick, corner, and free kick each has different requirements.
- Do not assume every hand contact is handball: The referee applies the law based on the player’s action and arm position.
- Read the competition rules: Substitution limits, youth match length, and extra-time formats can differ.
One detail many new players miss is that a restart can be taken quickly. Opponents must respect the required distance, but the team taking the free kick does not always need to wait for the referee to set a wall. If a player chooses a quick restart and opponents intercept it from a legal position, play can continue.
Referees may also apply the advantage rule. If the team that was fouled is better off continuing immediately, the referee can let play go on instead of stopping for a free kick. The referee can still caution the offender at the next stoppage when the offense warrants it.
The core rules are straightforward: score by putting the whole ball over the goal line, avoid fouls, and follow the referee’s decisions. Offside depends on both a player’s position when a teammate plays the ball and whether that player becomes involved.
Use this explanation of what are the rules of association football as a starting point, then check your competition’s rules for substitutions, match length, and any local modifications. Before playing, confirm which version applies to your age group or league.