September 21st, 2011 by admin

The Rules of the Game of Soccer

There are 17 official rules of soccer, but these are some of the basic ones. The first is that there is a maximum of 11 players on the field, one of which must be the goalkeeper, or goalie. The minimum amount of players to constitute a team is usually seven. Use of the arms or hands to move the ball is not permitted, except by the goalie. The goalie can only do so in a specific area in front of their goal.

The players are required to wear a shirt, socks, shorts, shoes and shin guards. They are not allowed to wear jewelry or anything else that might be dangerous in the field of play. Goalies must wear clothing that distinguishes them from the other players.

A standard match is played with two 45 minute periods known as “halves”. Unlike American football, the clock keeps running even when the ball is out of play. The referees have the discretion to replace time during extenuating circumstances such as injuries or substitutions. When the ball goes out of play, it is usually put back into play via a penalty kick, a throw-in, a corner kick or a goal kick.