Football (FIFA) — Official Rules

Association football is played by two (2) teams of not more than eleven (11) players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper. A match is played in accordance with the Laws of the Game, which are written and amended by The IFAB (The International Football Association Board) and published by FIFA. The objective of each team is to move the ball into the opponents' goal while preventing the opposing team from doing the same. Only the goalkeeper, within their own penalty area, may handle the ball deliberately; all other players use any part of the body except the hands and arms.

A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided that no offence has been committed by the team scoring the goal. The team scoring the greater number of goals is the winner. If both teams score no goals, or an equal number of goals, the match is drawn. Where competition rules require a winner after a draw, the result may be decided by extra time, kicks from the penalty mark, or other competition procedures approved by the competition organiser.

Matches are played on natural, artificial, or hybrid surfaces, as permitted by competition rules. Where artificial surfaces are used in matches between representative teams of member associations or in international club competitions, the surface must be green and meet the FIFA Quality Programme requirements. The field of play is rectangular and marked with continuous lines that belong to the areas they bound. The two longer boundary lines are the touchlines; the two shorter lines are the goal lines. All lines must be of the same width, which must not be more than 12 cm (5 in).

General dimensions (all matches): the touchline (length) must be minimum 90 m (100 yd) and maximum 120 m (130 yd); the goal line (width) must be minimum 45 m (50 yd) and maximum 90 m (100 yd). The touchline must always be longer than the goal line.

International matches: the touchline (length) must be minimum 100 m (110 yd) and maximum 110 m (120 yd); the goal line (width) must be minimum 64 m (70 yd) and maximum 75 m (80 yd).

The two ranges are distinct: the international limits are a narrower subset used for representative-team and major international fixtures, not the general standard.

A goal is placed on the centre of each goal line, consisting of two upright posts and a crossbar. The distance between the inside of the posts is 7.32 m (8 yd) and the distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the ground is 2.44 m (8 ft). The penalty area extends 16.5 m (18 yd) from the inside of each goalpost. The penalty mark is made 11 m (12 yd) from the midpoint between the goalposts. The penalty arc has a radius of 9.15 m (10 yd) from the centre of each penalty mark. The centre circle has a radius of 9.15 m (10 yd), and the quarter-circle corner arc has a radius of 1 m (1 yd) from each corner flagpost.

The ball is spherical, made of suitable material, with a circumference of between 68 cm and 70 cm, a weight at the start of the match of between 410 g and 450 g, and a pressure of 0.6–1.1 atmosphere (600–1,100 g/cm²) at sea level (size 5). If the ball becomes defective during play, the match is stopped and restarted with a dropped ball. Approved balls bear the FIFA Quality, FIFA Quality Pro, or IMS — International Match Standard mark.

The compulsory equipment of a player is a shirt with sleeves, shorts, socks, shinguards, and footwear. Shinguards must be made of suitable material providing reasonable protection and covered by the socks. A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous. Jewellery of all kinds is forbidden. The two teams must wear colours that distinguish them from each other and from the match officials. Under the approved 2026/27 amendment to Law 4 (effective 1 July 2026), non-dangerous items may be permitted if they are safely and securely covered.

A match is played by two teams, each with a maximum of eleven (11) players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. A match may not start, or continue, if either team has fewer than seven (7) players. If a team has fewer than seven players because one or more have deliberately left the field, the referee is not obliged to stop play; competition rules determine the abandonment threshold and procedure.

In official competitions, each team may use up to five (5) substitutes, except for the goalkeeper and special cases. To reduce disruption, each team may make substitutions in a maximum of three (3) substitution opportunities during the match, plus substitutions at half-time (and, in extra time, the half-time interval of extra time). Substitution opportunities used at the same time count as one. Unused substitutions and opportunities are not carried forward. The names of substitutes must be given to the referee before the match; a substitute who is not named may not take part.

Where a competition adopts the protocol, an additional permanent concussion substitution may be made when a player has, or is suspected of having, concussion. This substitution is in addition to the team's normal substitution limit and does not use a substitution opportunity. The opposing team is permitted to make an additional substitution of its own in response, preserving fairness.

Each match is controlled by a referee who has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game from the moment of entering the field of play until leaving it. Decisions are made to the best of the referee's ability according to the Laws and the spirit of the game, and are based on the opinion of the referee, who has the discretion to take appropriate action within the framework of the Laws. Decisions regarding facts connected with play, including whether a goal is scored, are final. The referee may change a decision only on realising it is incorrect, provided play has not restarted or the match has not ended.

The referee may be assisted by two assistant referees, a fourth official, additional/reserve assistant referees, and, where used, video assistant referees (VAR). Assistant referees indicate offside, ball out of play, the team entitled to a restart, and offences they observe. Under the approved 2026/27 amendment to Law 5 (effective 1 July 2026), referee body cameras (chest- or head-mounted) may be used as a competition option, with the competition providing the cameras and controlling the use of the footage.

A match lasts two equal halves of 45 minutes, which may only be reduced by agreement between the referee and the two teams before the start of play and in accordance with competition rules. Players are entitled to an interval at half-time not exceeding 15 minutes. A short drinks break (maximum one minute) or cooling break (up to three minutes) may be permitted by competition rules.

Allowance is made in each half for all time lost through substitutions, assessment and removal of injured players, time-wasting, disciplinary sanctions, medical stoppages permitted by competition rules (such as cooling breaks), delays relating to VAR checks and reviews, and any other cause, including any significant delay to a restart (e.g. goal celebrations). The amount of additional time is at the discretion of the referee.

If competition rules require a winner, extra time of two equal periods of 15 minutes is played, with a 5-minute interval before extra time and a short interval (no rest) between the two extra-time periods. If the match is still level after extra time, the winner is determined by kicks from the penalty mark: teams take kicks alternately, with the better of the first five kicks, then sudden death, deciding the result. Each eligible player must take a kick before any player can take a second.

Play is started and restarted with a kick-off at the start of each half, after extra time, and after a goal has been scored. At a kick-off, all players except the kicker must be in their own half, and opponents must be at least 9.15 m (10 yd) from the ball; the ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves and a goal may be scored directly. When the referee stops play and no specific restart is prescribed, play resumes with a dropped ball. The ball is dropped for the player on the team that last touched it (or the goalkeeper, if the stoppage occurred in the penalty area), at the position where it was last touched; all other players must remain at least 4 m (4.5 yd) away until the ball is in play.

The ball is out of play when it has wholly passed over the goal line or touchline on the ground or in the air, or when play is stopped by the referee. In all other circumstances, the ball remains in play, including when it rebounds off a goalpost, crossbar, or corner flagpost and stays in the field, or when it rebounds off a match official who is on the field of play. If the ball touches a match official and a team starts a promising attack, scores a goal, or the team in possession changes, the referee stops play and restarts with a dropped ball.

A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the posts and under the crossbar, provided no offence (such as handball or a foul) was committed by the scoring team. If the goalkeeper scores a goal against the opponents by throwing the ball directly with the hand, a goal kick is awarded to the opponents. The team scoring more goals wins; an equal number is a draw. Competition rules may use extra time, kicks from the penalty mark, or other approved procedures to determine a winner; the away-goals rule remains a permitted competition option in the Law text, although many competitions have abolished it in their own rules.

A player is in an offside position if any part of the head, body or feet is in the opponents' half (excluding the halfway line) AND any part of the head, body or feet is nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. The hands and arms of all players, including the goalkeepers, are not considered. A player is not in an offside position if level with the second-last opponent or level with the last two opponents.

Being in an offside position is not an offence in itself. A player in an offside position is penalised only if, at the moment a team-mate plays or touches the ball, they become involved in active play by interfering with play (playing or touching the ball), interfering with an opponent (obstructing line of vision, challenging for the ball, or clearly impacting the opponent's ability to play the ball), or gaining an advantage by playing a ball that rebounded or was deflected off the goalpost, crossbar, a match official, or an opponent, or was deliberately saved by an opponent. There is no offside offence if the player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, throw-in, or corner kick.

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following against an opponent in a manner the referee considers careless, reckless, or using excessive force: charges, jumps at, kicks or attempts to kick, pushes, strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt), tackles or challenges, or trips or attempts to trip. A direct free kick is also awarded for holding, impeding with contact, biting or spitting, or throwing an object at the ball/opponent/official, and for a handball offence. If any of these offences is committed by a defending player inside their own penalty area, a penalty kick is awarded.

It is an offence if a player deliberately touches the ball with the hand/arm, including moving the hand/arm towards the ball. It is also an offence (even if accidental) if a player touches the ball with a hand/arm that has made their body unnaturally bigger, or scores in the opponents' goal directly from their hand/arm (even accidentally), or scores immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm (even accidentally). The boundary of the arm for handball is the bottom of the armpit. It is not normally an offence if the ball touches the hand/arm directly from the player's own head/body/foot (or a nearby player), or when the arm is close to the body and not in an unnaturally bigger position.

An indirect free kick is awarded for offences not punishable by a direct free kick, including: dangerous play, impeding an opponent without contact, dissent or offensive language, and offences against the goalkeeper. A goalkeeper commits an indirect-free-kick offence if, within their own penalty area, they touch the ball with the hand/arm after releasing it before another player touches it (double-handling), or touch the ball with the hand/arm after it has been deliberately kicked to them by a team-mate or received directly from a team-mate's throw-in.

Under the 2025/26 amendment to Law 12 (binding from 1 July 2025), a goalkeeper must not control the ball with the hand(s)/arm(s) for more than eight (8) seconds. To assist the goalkeeper, the referee gives a visual 5-second countdown with a raised hand (counting down the final five seconds). If the goalkeeper exceeds eight seconds, the referee awards a corner kick to the opposing team — replacing the previous 6-second / indirect-free-kick sanction. There is no caution unless the offence is repeated. If an opponent prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball within the eight seconds, a free kick is awarded to the goalkeeper's team (unless advantage applies).

A player is cautioned (yellow card) for: unsporting behaviour (C6), dissent (C2), persistently infringing the Laws (C5), delaying the restart of play (C1), failing to respect the required distance (C4), entering or leaving the field without permission (C3), and stopping a promising attack (SPA). A player is sent off (red card) for: serious foul play (S3), violent conduct (S4), spitting or biting (S5), offensive/abusive language or gestures (S6), denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by handball (S2) or by an offence (S1 — DOGSO), and receiving a second caution (S7). A player who has been sent off must leave the field; the team continues with one fewer player and may not replace them.

The referee may play advantage when an offence occurs if the offended team would benefit, penalising the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not develop within a few seconds. A caution or sending-off arising from the offence may be deferred and shown at the next stoppage. Where a player commits an offence in their own penalty area that denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) but was a genuine attempt to play the ball, the player is cautioned (yellow), not sent off — the so-called double-jeopardy exception; a penalty kick is still awarded. Offences that are holding, pulling, pushing, or with no attempt to play the ball, or serious foul play, remain a sending-off even in the penalty area.

Free kicks are either direct (a goal may be scored directly against the opponents) or indirect (a goal may be scored only after the ball touches another player; the referee raises an arm above the head until the ball is touched or goes out of play). The ball must be stationary and is in play once kicked and clearly moves. At all free kicks, opponents must be at least 9.15 m (10 yd) from the ball until it is in play, unless on their own goal line between the posts. If a defending team forms a wall of three or more players, all attackers must remain at least 1 m (1 yd) from the wall until the ball is in play; otherwise an indirect free kick is awarded.

A penalty kick is awarded for a direct-free-kick offence committed inside the offender's own penalty area while the ball is in play. The ball is placed on the penalty mark (11 m); the identified kicker and the defending goalkeeper are the only players inside the penalty area, all others being at least 9.15 m behind the ball and outside the area until the kick is taken. The goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot on or in line with the goal line when the ball is kicked and may not be touching the goalposts, crossbar, or nets. The kicker must not feint after completing the run-up. The ball is in play once kicked and clearly moves forward; the kicker may not touch it again until it has touched another player.

A throw-in (Law 15) is awarded when the whole ball passes over the touchline; it is taken from where the ball crossed the line, with both feet on or behind the line and the ball delivered from behind and over the head using both hands. No goal may be scored directly from a throw-in and there is no offside. A goal kick (Law 16) is awarded when the whole ball passes over the goal line, last touched by an attacker, without a goal; the ball may be played from anywhere in the goal area and is in play once kicked and clearly moves (a goal may be scored directly against the opponents). A corner kick (Law 17) is awarded when the whole ball passes over the goal line, last touched by a defender, without a goal; the ball is placed in the corner arc nearest where it crossed the line, opponents stay at least 9.15 m (10 yd) away, and a goal may be scored directly.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) may assist the referee only in the event of a clear and obvious error or a serious missed incident in four match-changing categories: (1) goal / no goal, (2) penalty / no penalty, (3) direct red card (not a second yellow), and (4) mistaken identity when the referee cautions or sends off the wrong player. The referee may review the on-field monitor (an on-field review, OFR) before making the final decision, which always rests with the referee. The principle is minimum interference, maximum benefit.

Approved at the IFAB 140th AGM (28 February 2026) and effective 1 July 2026 (with first major use at the FIFA World Cup 2026), the 5-second countdown principle is extended to two new restarts. If the referee considers a throw-in is taking too long or being deliberately delayed, a visual 5-second countdown is initiated; failure to take it results in a throw-in awarded to the opposing team. If a goal kick is delayed, the same 5-second countdown applies; failure to take it results in a corner kick for the opponents.

Effective 1 July 2026: a substituted player must leave the field within ten (10) seconds of the substitution board being shown or the referee's signal; if they delay, the entry of the substitute is held until the first stoppage after one minute (running clock) of play following the restart. In addition, where a player receives on-field assessment for an injury, or their injury causes play to be stopped, the player must leave the field and remain off it for one minute (running clock) once play has restarted — discouraging feigned injuries and time-wasting.

Effective 1 July 2026, where there is clear evidence the VAR may additionally assist the referee with: a red card arising from a clearly incorrect second yellow card; mistaken identity for a yellow or red card when the referee penalises the wrong team or the wrong player is shown a card; and (as a competition option) a clearly incorrectly awarded corner kick, provided the review can be completed immediately and without delaying the restart. These additions extend the original four VAR categories.

Further changes effective 1 July 2026 include: Law 3 — in senior 'A' international friendly matches, the number of substitutes is increased to eight (8), and both teams may agree a further increase up to a maximum of eleven (11); Law 5 — referee body cameras (chest- or head-mounted) as a competition option; Law 4 — non-dangerous items permitted if safely and securely covered; and clarifications to Law 8 (dropped-ball possession) and the accidental double-touch at a penalty kick (if the kicker accidentally touches the ball twice and it is scored, the kick is retaken). The 'captains-only' approach, allowing only the team captain to approach the referee on major decisions, is also reinforced.