If you are introducing your child to soccer, you need to let him know about some of the rules of the game. Children as young as 3 or 4 can sign up for a community league to participate in soccer games. Coaches arrange for drills to introduce the children to some of the basic concepts of the sport. Parents should reinforce these rules if practicing at home.
Hands Off
The first and easiest rule to teach your child is to not touch the ball with her hands while it remains in play. Exceptions to this rule are if the child plays goalie or needs to throw in a foul ball back into play.
Kick Offs
To start the game, a maximum of 10 field players and one goalie for each team enter the field. The field is divided by a center line with each opposing team on opposite sides of the line. The ball is placed in the middle and once the whistle is blown, each team's center fielder attempts to kick the ball first. Players pass and kick the ball down the field to score on the opposing team. Lines are drawn on the field to set boundaries.
Penalty Kick
Penalty kicks occur when a player commits a foul against the opposing team. Common fouls include tripping, pushing, striking, holding or kicking an opponent. If an opponent is accidentally hit, a foul will not be called. During the penalty kick, the ball is set approximately 12 yards away from the goal and the player has a chance to kick it into the goal.
Corner Kick
Corner kicks are done when the ball leaves the field after a missed goal. The opposing team kicks the ball back into play from the corner of the field.
Scoring
The ball must cross the goal line of the opposing team's net in order for a point to be scored. If the ball is on the line or the goalie catches the ball, a point is not awarded. The winner of the game is the team that scores the most points in the allotted time. Youth soccer league games average 30 to 60 minutes long.
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