Soccer Rules
Use this library to understand the Laws of the Game without losing the practical match context.
Start with the most common questions
- How Long Is a Soccer Game? — regulation time, half-time, added time, extra time and competition differences.
- What Does a Red Card Mean? — sending-off offences, DOGSO, second caution and what happens next.
- Soccer Throw-In Rules — legal technique, opponent distance, second touch and the 2026/27 delay countdown.
- Indirect Free Kicks — raised-arm signal, common offences and direct-vs-indirect difference.
- Assistant Referee Signals — throw-in, goal kick, corner, offside and substitution signals.
- What Is a Soccer Pitch? — field dimensions, markings and surfaces.
- Obstruction / Impeding — legal shielding vs impeding an opponent.
- U11 Soccer Rules — U.S. 9v9 development framework and local-rule caveats.
How we handle rule differences
IFAB is the primary source for the global Laws of the Game. Youth, high-school, college and competition-specific rules can differ, so those pages identify the governing ruleset rather than treating one format as universal.
Rule articles are written for practical use
Each guide should answer the question immediately, then explain:
- what the Law says;
- what the referee signals;
- what the restart is;
- common misunderstandings;
- competition-specific exceptions where relevant.
2026/27 review cycle
The rules section should be re-reviewed each time IFAB publishes a new Laws of the Game cycle. If a law changes, update both the affected article and any internal pages that summarize it.