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Football, or soccer as some like to call it, is certainly the most popular sport in the world. Football is watched and followed by millions around the world. Just like any sport played around the globe, “The Beautiful Game” is played within the confinement of sets of rules known as ‘Laws of the Game’. According to the official definition given by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the Laws of the Game are the codified rules of association football. The laws mention the number of players in each team, the length of an official game, the size of the field and ball, the type and nature of fouls, the offside law, and many other laws that define the sport. A referee interprets and enforces the Laws of the Game during a match. The laws are administered by the IFAB who meet at least once a year to debate and decide any changes to the text as it exists at that time. Let's have a look at what they are: 1. FIELD OF PLAY The field of play is the surface where the game is going to be played. In a standard 11-a-side match, the football pitch must be 90-120 meters in length (touchline) and 45-90 meters in breadth (goal line). The playing surface is marked by white lines and a line running parallel to the goal line divides the pitch into two equal halves. The center is located on this line and a circle of 9.15 m is marked around it. 2. THE BALL A standard soccer ball should be spherical with a circumference in range of 68 - 70 cm and weigh in between 410g and 450g. The ball should be inflated to a pressure range of 0.6-1.1 atmosphere. 3. THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS According to the official rules, a football match is played between two teams each consisting of a maximum of 11 players, out of which 10 are outfield players and 1 is a goalkeeper. A match will not start or resume if a team has less than 7 players (including the goalkeeper). The amount of substitution depends on the competition, however, in most competitions 3 substitutions are allowed per match. 4. THE PLAYER’S EQUIPMENT The rules state that the player’s equipment should contain a jersey or shirt with sleeves, shorts, footwear, shin guard, and stocks. The socks must be long enough to cover the entire shin guard. The teams playing should have different colors of jersey to be easily distinguishable from their opponents. 5. THE REFEREE Every football match has officials who regulate the match and enforce the Laws of the Game. They are responsible to maintain the decorum of the game and penalize a player for breaking the rules. The referee has the power to stop the game at any point when he believes a foul has been committed or the ball has gone out of play. The official can also book players accordingly for a rash tackle or dissent. 6. ASSITANT REFERRES The assistant referees help the referee to conduct the match fairly following the rules. Each assistant referee is placed on each side of the field and has the power to signal offsides and intervene when an offense has taken near the sidelines. They can help the referees in making a decision regarding foul, handball, etc. 7. DURATION OF THE MATCH A typical football match is divided into two halves, each of 45 minutes with a 15 minutes break in between. At the end of each half, the referee may add on extra minutes appropriately that is proportional to the length of delays, call stoppage time (injury time). In case of a tie after 90 minutes, if a winner has to be decided, then the two teams play another two halves of 15 minutes each. If the match still remains tied after the extra 30 minutes, then the decision is made via a penalty shoot-out. 8. THE START AND RESTART OF PLAY A coin toss is in place before the kick-off, the winner of the toss decides whether his team would kick-off in first half or second half. Besides, to start the match the kick-off also occurs : (i) when a goal is scored, (ii) to initiate second half, (iii) to start each half of extra time. During the kick-off, each player of the opposing team must be at least 9.15 meters from the ball. 9. BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY The ball is considered out of play when the whole of the ball has crossed the goal line or touchline or when the referee has blown the whistle to pause the game. Apart from these two situations, the ball is considered to be always in play. 10. METHODS OF SCORING A goal is scored when the whole of the ball completely crosses over the goal line (between the goalposts and under crossbar) from the action, direct free-kick, or penalty-kick provided no infringement of the Laws of the Game has occurred before scoring. 11. OFFSIDE RULE Considered to be one of the trickiest rules in football, the basic concept of this rule is that if a player is nearer to his opponent’s goal line than the second-last opponent and the ball, then the player is considered to be in an offside position. A player is penalized for being in an offside position when the referee believes that he/she is gaining an advantage over the opposition when the player’s team impacts the play. There is no offside when the player receives the ball directly from a goal-kick, throw-in, corner-kick. 12. FOULS AND MISCONDUCT Misconduct is where a player deliberately pushes, holds, or kick his/her opponents. Fouls occur when the action is mostly accidental when a player is trying to get the ball from the opponent when the ball is in play. A referee can penalize a player and issue a yellow card or red card depending upon the seriousness of the foul or behavior of the player. The first yellow card received allows the player to continue the match, whereas the second yellow card received by that player will equate to a red card. When a player is shown a red card he/she will have to leave the field. 13. FREE KICKS Free kicks are categorized as Direct or Indirect. An indirect free-kick is the one where the ball must go to another player before it is being taken towards the goal to score. Direct free-kick is the one where the kicker can choose to score without passing it to another player. 14. PENALTY KICK A penalty is awarded to a team when an opposition player commits a major foul or deliberately handles the ball (except for the goalkeeper) on his own penalty area. The ball is placed on the penalty spot and only the goalkeeper and the penalty taker is allowed to be inside the box when a penalty kick is taken. 15. THROW IN A throw-in is awarded to a team when the last touch of the ball is by an opposing player before the ball has gone out of touchline. To correctly throw the ball, the player must have both feet on the ground, both hands on the ball, and delivers the ball from behind and over his/her head. 16. GOAL KICK A goal kick is awarded to a team when the opposition team puts the ball completely over the goal line and a goal has not been scored (i.e the ball didn’t cross the goal-line in between the two posts and under the crossbar). The ball is then kicked from any position within the goal by a player of the defending team. The ball must pass the penalty area and the kicker cannot touch it before it has been touched by another player. The opposition player must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play and a goal may be scored from a goal-kick given it’s against opposing team. 17. CORNER KICK A corner kick is awarded to an attacking team when the defending team puts the ball completely over the goal line without it having to pass in between the goalposts and under the crossbar. The ball is placed next to the corner flag and all the players from the opposing team must remain 9.15 meters away from the corner arc until the ball is in play. A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick given its against opposing team. Conclusion These laws govern all international matches and national matches of member organizations of the IFAB. These are the only rules which FIFA permits its members to use. Almost all organized football worldwide is played under these same rules. so what are you waiting for? Go and make your career in football and tell us in the comment section that what you liked most about football?