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.
• Offside Rule in Soccer — offside position, active involvement, second-last opponent and common myths.
• 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.