Soccer Laws of the Game

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 nations, making it the world's most popular sport. The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by getting the ball into the opposing goal.

The goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play and only in their penalty area. Outfield players mostly use their feet to strike or pass the ball, but may also use their head or torso to do so instead. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is level at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time and/or a penalty shootout depending on the format of the competition. The Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in 1863. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA; French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association), which organizes World Cups for both men and women every four years.

The laws mention the number of players a team should have, the game length, the size of the field and ball, the type and nature of fouls that referees may penalize, the frequently misinterpreted offside law, and many other laws that define the sport. During a match, it is the task of the referee to interpret and enforce the Laws of the Game.

The current Laws of the Game (LOTG) consist of seventeen individual laws, each law containing several rules and directions:

• Law 1: The Field of Play
• Law 2: The Ball
• Law 3: The Number of Players
• Law 4: The Players' Equipment
• Law 5: The Referee
• Law 6: The Assistant Referees
• Law 7: The Duration of the Match
• Law 8: The start and restart of play
• Law 9: Ball in and out of play
• Law 10: The Method of Scoring
• Law 11: Offside
• Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct
• Law 13: Free kicks (direct and indirect)
• Law 14: The Penalty Kick
• Law 15: The Throw-in
• Law 16: The Goal Kick
• Law 17: The Corner Kick

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