Especially for players aged 12 and up, soccer's rules are fairly standard whether you are talking about a high school match or more competitive squads up to and including the World Cup or continental club championships. Eleven players face a like number of opponents and try to get a ball past a goalkeeper. All roam a field with standard markings for a penalty box, midfield line, center circle and goal box. Still, governing organizations of soccer tweak the rules slightly depending on your age and level of play.
FIFA
The Laws of the Game promulgated by FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, govern international play, such as that which occurs in the World Cup and the Olympics and in the years of buildup including exhibitions and qualifying matches for each event. Professional leagues, such as Major League Soccer in the U.S., the Premier League in England, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy and other club associations also follow FIFA's Laws of the Game.
College
The NCAA in the U.S. follows the vast majority of FIFA's laws as well. Changes apply to substitutions, the clock and overtimes. In the regular season, two 10-minute sudden death overtimes follow a tie, whereas professional leagues usually let a regular-season tie stand. Colleges have the home team clock keep the official time unless there is a malfunction, whereas FIFA-sanctioned matches have the referee keep official time. FIFA allows no re-entry for substitutes at any time, while the NCAA allows one re-entry in the second half.
High School
The National Federation of High Schools allows goalposts to be padded, while the NCAA and FIFA don't permit this. The home team wears light or white jerseys and socks, a rule not specified by FIFA or the NCAA. The home team controls the clock unless the coaches or the state association ask the referee to keep the official time. The rules permit unlimited substitutions between periods and when a goal is scored.
Youth
US Youth Soccer and the American Youth Soccer Association amend the rules of the game to match the stamina and size of younger players. For example, players age 6 and under play on teams of three players without goalies on a small field 15 yards wide by 30 yards long. Games are four five-minute periods, unlike the adult and older youth games of two 45-minute halves. The goals are 4 feet high by 2 yards wide. Players use size 3 balls instead of the adult size 5 ones. As players get older, the teams becomes larger, with nine players per side for leagues under age 12. Older players take to a commensurately larger field for four 15-minute periods.
Member Comments