Whether it’s a World Cup final, the Premier League or an amateur match, the laws of the game of football are the same at all levels with the primary goal being to maintain fairness in the most popular sport practice in the world.
From offside to the equipment of the players, what are the rules of football?
The first rules and laws of football date back to 1863
- It was in 1863 that the first official rules of football were created.
- A few years later, in 1886, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) was created. It is made up of the four countries of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- The objective of this association is to ensure compliance with the laws of the game.
- In 1913, FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, joined the IFAB.
Safety of participants, integrity of the game, respect, these are the watchwords of the rules of the game.
Revision of the gaming laws by FIFA
In 2016, FIFA carried out a review of the Laws of the Game which resulted in a new official Laws of the Game 2018/2019 document one that governs the practice of football today.
National federations around the world are subject to these rules which have no other purpose than to preserve the spirit of the game.
What are the official dimensions of a football field?
Regarding the dimensions of the field, law 01 of football provides for a length of the touchline between 90m and 120m.
The goal line must be a minimum of 64m and a maximum of 75m. When it comes to international matches, these dimensions increase to between 100m-110m and 64m-75m respectively.
The land must be rectangular. It is divided into two halves marked by a center line. In the middle of this line is a circle with a radius of 9.15 m.
The dimensions of the football goal
Regarding football goals , the distance between the two posts is 7.32 m, while its height stands at 2.44 m.
Regulation of soccer balls
Law 02 of football asserts that the football must be spherical; with a circumference between 68 and 70 cm and a weight between 410 and 450 g at the start of the match.
Balls used in official competition matches must bear one of the following labels: FIFA Quality Pro, FIFA Quality, IMS International Match Standard.
This proves that they have been duly tested.
Rules relating to football teams
Law 03 of football refers to the players and the teams.
- Each team must consist of a maximum of eleven players.
- No match can continue if one of the teams has less than seven players.
- If changes of players are planned, the name of the substitutes must be communicated to the referee before the start of the match.
Law 04 on players’ equipment authorises that no participant should wear anything dangerous, such as jewelry.
Mandatory equipment during a football match
Mandatory equipment includes: jersey with sleeves, shorts, socks, shin guards, shoes.
As for the referees, they must have a whistle, a watch of yellow and red cards and a notebook.
Video arbitration assistance is now authorized. For matches where it is implemented (official matches), a viewing room is compulsory.
It houses the video assistant referee as well as the technicians.
Player offside, offside ball: what does the football law say?
Law 09 provides that the ball is out of play in the following two cases:
- when it has completely crossed the goal line or touchline
- when play has been stopped by the referee.
In all other situations, the ball is in play.
As for the player’s offside position, it is declared when any part of the player’s body is closer to the opponent’s goal line than the ball and the penultimate opponent.
The referee then awards an indirect free kick to the opposing team at the place where the infringement was committed. This is only valid inside the opposition’s half.
Faults and improprieties in football
Direct, indirect free kicks and penalty kicks are awarded by the referee following infringements committed during the game. The direct free kick concerns the following situations:
- Charge on the opponent
- Jump on the opponent
- Kick on an opponent, or even an attempt
- Pushing an opponent
- Hitting or trying to hit an opponent
- Tackle an opposing player
- Tripping an opponent, or just trying
As for the indirect free kick, it is signaled for the following faults:
- Playing in a dangerous way
- Obstructing the opponent without contact
- Preventing the opposing goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands
The faults punishable by a warning, yellow card or red card, relate to the following infractions:
- Delaying the resumption of play
- Showing blatant disapproval
- Deliberately leaving the pitch without the referee’s permission
- Not respecting the legal distance when taking a corner, a free kick or a throw-in
- Adopt unsportsmanlike behavior
Law on Penalty
A penalty kick is awarded in the following cases:
- If the player commits a fault punishable by a direct free kick in his own penalty area
- If the player commits an offense punishable by a direct free kick outside the field and within the framework of the game
When taking the penalty shoot-out, all players other than the shooter and the goalkeeper must be at least 9.15m from the penalty spot and outside the penalty area.
The Football Goal
Finally, since playing football means scoring goals, Law 10 of football provides that a goal is scored when the ball has completely crossed the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar.
The winning team is the one that has scored the most goals. Otherwise, the match is declared a draw
