Preface notes
- Changed the original plan for this one
- Was going to go over rules I see messed up a bunch
- Now going over each Law to build the knowledge base first
- If have any questions go to webpage and drop them, socceraperspectiveforparents.com
- Can also email me, soccerpodcastforparents.com
- How going to go
- Going to be different then offsides
- Won’t read laws for this one because don’t think I need to.
- May read sections of a law
- Will pull what I think is the important part of each law
- Will also be going over sections that aren’t a law if I need to
Laws of the game
- Information starts on pg. 11 with Philosophy and spirit of the Laws
-Just basically goes over the purpose of the Laws and some other things that are not really of much importance to us
- Managing changes to the Laws pg. 14
-Goes over how and why changes are made to the game.
- The future pg. 15
-Gives their plan for the upcoming year
- Notes on the Laws of the Game
-Just gives some information they think are needed such as the languages they publish the Laws in, whether metric or imperial are to be the main used (metric over rules imperial), how to apply the Laws and a key for the Laws.
-General modifications
- Says that Football Associations can make modifications as needed to help the sport in their country
- They have recently allowed them to make more changes especially when it comes to
- Youth
- Veterans
- Disability
- Grassroots
- Ask for the FAs to inform of the changes
- Guidelines for temporary dismissals (sin bins)
- Outlines rules for how to use temporary dismissals in the game
- Can explain further if wanted, but think the penalty box in hockey
- Guidelines for return substitutes
- Tells how to apply return substitutes
- In normal play at higher leagues once a player substitutes out, they can’t substitute back in. This explains how to handle it if it is allowed in a league.
- Will see this in youth play and they can substitute back in they just have to follow the rules on how to substitute in accordance with Law 3
Law 1: The Field of Play
- Lays out everything about the field the game is to be played on
- Everything in here applies to adult fields, although most of it carries over to youth fields except field dimensions and goal dimensions
-Those can be decided by the individual Football Associations in accordance with the general modifications section earlier.
- 1: Field Surface
- Can be either a fully natural or artificial surface. Can’t mix between them
- If artificial, it must meet some standards FIFA has for quality
- If artificial must be green
- 2: Field Markings
- Gives what lines are to be on the field and how they are to be marked.
- Field must be rectangular
- Marked with continuous lines
- Lines cannot be dangerous
- The lines are part of what they are marking the boundary of
- An artificial material can be used to mark lines on a natural field if it’s not dangerous
- Only the lines that are in this Law are to be marked
- If an artificial surface is used other lines are ok if they are a different color and distinguishable from the soccer lines
- The two long lines are called touchlines
- The two short lines are called goal lines
- The field is cut in half with a line dividing it into two halves. It runs from touchline to touchline. It is called the halfway line
- The center mark is at the midpoint of the halfway line. A circle is marked around the midpoint with a radius of 9.15 m or 10 yds
- All measurements are done from the outside of the lines since the lines are considered part of field or area that the lines are marking
- You measure the penalty mark from the back edge or outside edge of the goal line to the center of the mark
- You can have optional marks made 9.15 m or 10 yads from the corner arc on the goal line and touchlines
- All the lines will have the same width of 12 cm or 5 ins
- The goal lines must have the same width as the goalposts and crossbar
- If a player makes an unauthorized mark on the field, they get a yellow card on the next stoppage of play
- 3: Dimensions
- Touchline length is between 90 m to 120 m or 100 yds to 130 yds
- Goal line length is between 45 m to 90 m or 50 yds to 100 yds
- For youth soccer in USA
- U9/U10 (7v7) – 60 yds x 40 yds
- U11/U12 (9v9) – 80 yds x 50 yds
- U13+ (11v11) – 112yds x 76 yds
- 4: Dimensions for international play
- Touchline Length – 100 m to 110 m or 110 yds to 120 yds
- Goal line Length – 64 m to 75 m or 70 yds to 80 yds
- 5: Goal Area
- 5.5 m or 6 yds two lines are drawn at a right angle to goal line measured from inside of each goalpost
- They extend 5.5 m or 6 yds into the field of play
- They are then joined by a line that runs parallel to the goal line
- Area is called the goal area or 6 yd box
- 6: Penalty Area
- 16.5 m or 18 yds from the inside of each goalpost two lines are drawn at right angle to goal line
- At this point make right angle and measure 16.5 m or 18 yds in the field of play
- You then connect each of those lines with a line that runs parallel to the goal line
- This area is called the penalty area or the 18 yd box
- In the penalty area, a penalty circle or mark is made 11 m or 12 yds from the midpoint between the two goalposts
- From the center of the penalty mark a circle is drawn with a radius of 9.15 m or 10 yds
- This is only marked for the part of arc that is outside the penalty area
- This is because players must be outside 10 yards when a player is taking a penalty kick and the top of the box is within 10 yds
- 7: Corner area
-Quarter circle by flagpost is a radius of 1 m or 1 yd from the flagpost drawn in the field of play
- 8: Flagposts
- The flag is at least 1.5 m or 5 ft high
- Must be non-pointed top
- Must be placed in each corner
- Flagposts may be placed at halfway line
- 1 m or 1 yd outside of touchline
- Very rarely see this
- 9: Technical Area
- Applies really to stadiums with sitting areas for team officials, substitutes, and substituted players
- Therefore, doesn’t really apply to youth games, so wont dig too deep
- If you watch pro games, it’s the box marked around where the players and coaches are sitting
- Big thing to know is only one person can be in there at a time giving instructions to the players and they must remain in the confines of the box unless a special circumstance comes up like assessing an injured player or the ref gives them permission to exit.
- 10: Goals
- Placed center of goal line
- Consist of two vertical posts equal distance from flagposts with a horizontal bar connecting posts
- Must be made of approved material and not dangerous
- Both goals must have the same shape posts
- Distance between inside or posts is 7.32 m or 8 yds
- Distance from lower edge of crossbar to ground is 2.44 m or 8 ft
- Must be white and have the same dimensions
- If a crossbar breaks play is to stop until it can be fixed. If it can’t the match is ended
- No substitute is to be used such as a rope or flexible material
- Nets may be attached to goal and the ground behind
- They must be supported and not interfere with the goalie
- The goals must be secured to the ground firmly
- Youth goals in USA
- U9/U10 (7v7) – 6.5 Ft x 18.5 ft
- U11/U12 (9v9) – 7 ft x 21 ft
- U13+ (11v11) – 8 ft x 24 ft or regulation goals
- 11: Goal Line Tech
- Not used in youth so we are going to skip this
- Just fyi GLT is currently only used to confirm whether a goal was scored
- 12: Commercial Advertising
- Once again doesn’t really apply to youth soccer, so well skip it
- 13: Logos and emblems
- Same as above
-14: Video assistant referees (VARs)
- Same as above
Law 2: The Ball
- 1: Qualities and measurements
- Must be
- Spherical
- Suitable material
- Circumference of 68 cm to 70 cm or 27 ins to 28 ins
- Weigh between 410 g to 450 g or 14 oz to 16 oz at start of match
- Have a pressure of .6 to 1.1 atmosphere ( 600 – 1100 g/cm Sqed) at sea level (8.5 lbs/sq in. – 15.6 lbs/sq in.)
- 2: Replacement of a defective ball
- If a ball must be replaced
- Play is stopped and ball replaced
- Restarted with a drop ball
- If it becomes defective during a kick-off, goal kick, corner kick, free kick, penalty kick or throw-in, it is retaken
- If it becomes defective during a penalty kick as it moves forward and before it touches a player, crossbar, or goalposts the kick is retaken
- A ball change must be approved by the ref
- 3: Additional balls
- Any extras balls to be used during the match must meet the standards of Law 2 and the ref controls their use
Online Sources
- Laws of the Game (ussoccer.com)