Outside of North America, soccer is known as football and is played by millions of people of all ages worldwide. Soccer is a unique sport in which players use their feet to kick or push a ball. Many of soccer's rules have been designed to govern the intricacies, but there are certain elements to playing soccer that are both basic and simple. International soccer is governed by the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA).
Players and Contact
One of the primary rules is that only the goalkeeper may touch the ball with her hands while it is in play. The ball may come in contact with any other part of a player's body. If a player other than the goalkeeper handles the ball, a free kick is awarded, in which a player of the team that did not handle the ball is allowed to kick or pass the ball unimpeded by the opposing team. When a free kick is awarded, the opposing team must stand at least 10 yards from the ball. A second basic rule of soccer is that each team must field 11 players, but one of the players from each team must be a goalkeeper.
Sizes and Weights
A third rule concerns the dimensions of the field. The field must be a minimum of 100 yards and a maximum of 130 yards long. It must also be a minimum of 50 yards and a maximum of 100 yards wide. The difference in size is based on age, disability and skill level. The two opposing teams face each other on the field, with the object to score into the opposing team's goal. The team with the most goals wins. A fourth rule pertains to the ball, which must be inflatable to a circumference of no more than 28 inches. The weight of the ball should be no more than 16 oz. and it should be inflated with pressure of no more than 15.6 psi.
Conduct and Penalty Kicks
A fifth rule governing soccer states that there can be no intentional physical contact between opposing players. Any intentional contact, such as pushing, kicking or tackling, can result in a penalty kick. The procedure for a penalty kick is covered by a sixth basic rule which explains that the ball is placed on the penalty mark. The player taking the penalty kick attempts to score a goal. The goalkeeper may try to prevent a score, but all other players must move off to the side.
Boundaries
A seventh basic rule applies to a ball that goes out of bounds along the sidelines, called touch lines. A player for the team that did not kick the ball out of bounds may throw the ball in bounds to one of his teammates. The player must remain out of bounds when throwing, due to the no-hand contact rule while the ball is in play. An eighth basic rule governs the procedure for when the ball crosses the goal line but is not a score. The goal line extends the width of the field, but the actual goal is situated in the middle of the goal line and extends eight yards. A player on the team that did not kick the ball out of bounds is awarded a corner kick. The ball is placed in the corner of the playing field to the left or the right of the goal.
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