Football Rules for Beginners: How the Game Works

Seven key rules to understand first

Know the objective. Two teams try to score by getting the whole ball over the opponent’s goal line, between the posts and beneath the crossbar, without committing an offence. A goal counts regardless of which part of the body legally played the ball; a goal cannot be scored directly with a hand or arm.
Follow the match clock. A standard senior match has two 45-minute halves, with a half-time interval. The referee adds time at the end of each half for delays such as substitutions, injuries and goal celebrations. A competition may use extra time or a penalty shoot-out if a winner is required after a tie.
Use your feet—or another legal body part. Outfield players can play the ball with most parts of the body, including the head, chest and legs, but generally not their hands or arms. The goalkeeper may handle the ball inside their own penalty area, subject to restrictions such as the prohibition on handling a deliberate kick from a teammate.
Restart play correctly. A kick-off starts each half and restarts play after a goal. The ball is out when it wholly crosses a touchline or goal line, on the ground or in the air. A throw-in, goal kick or corner kick restarts play depending on how and where it went out.
Recognize fouls and cards. Tripping, pushing, holding, kicking or attempting to kick an opponent carelessly, recklessly or with excessive force can be a foul. The referee may award a free kick or penalty; a yellow card is a caution and a red card sends a player off.
Apply offside only when relevant. Being in an offside position is not itself an offence. At the moment a teammate plays the ball, an attacker is generally in that position if they are nearer the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent; they are penalized only if they become involved in active play.
Respect the referee’s decisions. The referee manages the match, applies the laws and decides matters such as fouls, goals and added time. Players should stop when play is stopped and follow the signal for the restart.

How a football match is organized

In this article, “football” means association football, also called soccer in some countries. It is played by two teams, normally with up to 11 players on each side on the field, including a goalkeeper. A team cannot continue with fewer than the minimum number set by the Laws of the Game. Substitution limits and procedures depend on the competition.

The field has two goals, touchlines along the sides and goal lines at each end. The halfway line divides the field; the penalty area marks where the goalkeeper can handle the ball and where certain fouls by defenders can result in a penalty kick. The exact field dimensions can vary within the laws’ permitted ranges, particularly between levels and venues.

Players may pass, dribble or shoot. The defending team tries to regain possession and prevent a goal. There is no rule requiring a team to pass the ball a certain number of times or to attack in a particular formation. Tactics such as pressing, keeping possession or defending deep are strategic choices, not laws.

Restarts, goals and the ball going out

When the ball wholly crosses a touchline, the other team takes a throw-in from near the point where it crossed. The thrower must face the field, use both hands, and deliver the ball from behind and over the head, with part of each foot on or outside the touchline. Opponents must keep the required distance.

If the attacking team last touches the ball before it wholly crosses the defending team’s goal line without a goal, the defending side usually takes a goal kick. If a defender last touches it, the attacking side takes a corner kick. The ball is in play at other times, including when it rebounds off a goalpost, crossbar or referee and stays on the field, subject to the laws’ specific circumstances.

A goal is awarded only when the whole ball crosses the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar. The referee may disallow it if the attacking team committed an offence during the move, such as a handball offence or offside. A ball that lands on the line has not wholly crossed it.

Fouls, free kicks and penalties

A direct free kick is awarded for many physical offences, including a careless tackle or a push. The team taking it can score directly. An indirect free kick requires the ball to touch another player before a goal can count; the referee signals this by holding an arm raised until the kick has been taken and the ball touches another player or goes out of play.

A penalty kick is awarded for a direct-free-kick offence committed by a defender inside their own penalty area, subject to the laws. The kick is taken from the penalty mark, with the goalkeeper on the goal line between the posts and other players positioned as required. It is not awarded simply because the ball is in the penalty area; the referee must judge that a relevant offence occurred there.

Not every physical challenge is a foul. A fair shoulder-to-shoulder challenge can be allowed when the players are competing for the ball and the contact is not careless, reckless or excessive. The referee considers what happened, not just whether a player fell.

Offside without the confusion

Offside is often misunderstood as “standing behind the defenders.” The position is assessed when a teammate plays or touches the ball, and the attacker must also be in the opponents’ half. The attacker is not offside if level with the second-last opponent or level with the last two opponents; the goalkeeper is not automatically one of the opponents used for the calculation.

An attacker in an offside position is penalized only if they become involved in active play—for example, by playing the ball, challenging an opponent for it, or gaining an advantage from a rebound or save. There is no offside offence directly from a goal kick, throw-in or corner kick. These details are why a player can look beyond the defence without the referee necessarily stopping play.

What to watch for as a beginner

Track possession: Notice which team has the ball and how the other team responds when possession changes.
Watch the referee: A whistle or signal explains why play stopped and which team gets the restart.
Look at the whole ball: It must completely cross a boundary line to be out, and completely cross the goal line to count as a goal.
Separate rules from tactics: Formations, passing patterns and pressing styles are choices; offside, fouls and restarts are laws.

One useful correction to a common misconception: a player is not automatically penalized just for being in an offside position. Another is that the goalkeeper does not have unlimited permission to pick up the ball; handling is restricted to their own penalty area and specific handling offences still apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many players are on a football team?

A team normally has 11 players on the field, including the goalkeeper. Competition rules govern substitutions, and a match cannot continue if a team falls below the minimum number set by the Laws of the Game.

How long is a football match?

A standard match has two 45-minute halves. The referee adds time for delays, and a competition may require extra time or penalties to decide a winner in a tied match.

Can you be offside in your own half?

No. For an offside offence, the player must be in the opponents’ half when a teammate plays the ball. Being in an offside position alone is not enough to stop play.

Can the goalkeeper pick up a teammate’s pass?

Generally, the goalkeeper cannot handle the ball inside their own penalty area if a teammate deliberately kicked it to them or passed it directly from a throw-in. The referee awards an indirect free kick for an offence of this kind.

What happens if the score is tied?

In many matches the result is a draw. If a competition needs a winner, its rules may provide for extra time, a penalty shoot-out, or another specified procedure.

Sources: The IFAB Laws of the Game. Menus and buttons can differ slightly by version. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.