Football is a team sport in which two teams try to score goals against each other. The team that scores more goals wins the match.
Each team usually has 11 players on the field, including a goalkeeper. Players mainly move the ball with their feet, but they can also use their head and other parts of the body. Most players are not allowed to deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms. The goalkeeper can use their hands inside their own penalty area, subject to certain restrictions.
Below are the basic rules you need to understand how a football match works.
Football at a Glance
Teams: 2
Players: Up to 11 per team, including the goalkeeper
Match length: Two 45-minute halves
Objective: Score more goals than the opposing team
Goal size: 7.32 × 2.44 m
Ball: Spherical, 68–70 cm in circumference
A goal is scored when: The whole ball completely crosses the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar
Objective of the Game and Scoring
The main objective in football is simple: score the ball into the opposing team’s goal while preventing the other team from scoring in yours.
Every valid goal counts as one goal, regardless of where the shot was taken from.
Scores such as 1–0, 2–1 or 3–3 show how many goals each team has scored.
A goal is awarded when the whole ball completely crosses the goal line between the two goalposts and under the crossbar, provided that the scoring team has not committed an offence immediately beforehand.
If any part of the ball is still above the goal line, a goal has not yet been scored.
The Football Field and Goals
A football field is rectangular.
Its exact dimensions can vary depending on the competition. For international matches, the field is between 100 and 110 metres long and between 64 and 75 metres wide.
A halfway line divides the field into two halves. Each half contains a goal, a penalty area and a goal area.
The standard goal dimensions are:
- 7.32 m wide
- 2.44 m high
In front of each goal is the penalty area.
This area is particularly important because the goalkeeper is allowed to handle the ball there, and certain offences committed by the defending team inside its own penalty area can result in a penalty kick.
The penalty mark is 11 metres from the goal line.
The Football
A football must be spherical.
A standard official ball has:
- a circumference of 68–70 cm
- a weight of 410–450 g at the start of the match
- a pressure of 0.6–1.1 atmospheres at sea level
This is the standard type of ball used in top-level adult football.
How Many Players Are on a Football Team?
A football match is played between two teams.
Each team can have no more than 11 players on the field at one time, and one of them must be the goalkeeper.
This means that when both teams have a full line-up, there are 22 players on the field.
As a general rule, a match cannot start or continue if a team has fewer than seven players.
The number of substitutions allowed depends on the rules of the particular competition.
Players also have different responsibilities on the field. Goalkeepers protect the goal, defenders mainly focus on defending, midfielders connect defence and attack, and forwards usually play closer to the opposing goal.
You can learn more in Football Positions Explained.
Football Player Equipment
The basic compulsory equipment for an outfield player includes:
- a shirt with sleeves
- shorts
- socks
- shin guards
- footwear
Shin guards are worn under the socks and help protect the lower legs.
The two teams must wear colours that make them easy to distinguish from each other.
The goalkeeper must also wear colours that distinguish them from the other players and match officials.
Players are not allowed to wear anything that may be dangerous to themselves or other players. Jewellery, for example, is not permitted during a match.
How a Football Match Starts
A football match begins with a kick-off from the centre of the field.
Before the match, the referee conducts a coin toss. The team that wins the toss chooses between the options provided by the rules, such as which goal to attack in the first half or taking the kick-off.
The ball is placed on the centre mark.
After the referee gives the signal, a player kicks the ball. Once the ball is kicked and clearly moves, it is in play.
The teams change ends for the second half.
After a goal is scored, play also restarts from the centre. The kick-off is taken by the team that conceded the goal.
How Long Does a Football Match Last?
A standard football match consists of two halves of 45 minutes.
There is a half-time interval of no more than 15 minutes.
However, a match almost always finishes after the clock reaches 90:00.
The referee adds time to compensate for delays caused by things such as:
- substitutions
- injuries
- time-wasting
- disciplinary sanctions
- other stoppages
This is why you may see a time such as 90+5. It means the match is in the fifth minute of added time at the end of the second half.
In competitions where a winner must be decided, the rules may also provide for extra time and a penalty shoot-out.
When Is the Ball In or Out of Play?
The ball is out of play when it completely crosses either a touchline or goal line, whether on the ground or in the air.
The ball is also out of play when the referee stops the match.
An important detail is that simply touching the line does not mean the ball is out.
The lines are part of the field. As long as some part of the ball remains above the line, the ball is still in play.
If the ball hits a goalpost or crossbar and rebounds back onto the field, play normally continues.
What Is a Goal?
A goal is scored when the whole ball completely crosses the goal line:
between the two goalposts and under the crossbar.
The team scoring the goal must also not have committed an offence immediately beforehand.
After a goal, the team that conceded restarts play with a kick-off from the centre of the field.
What Is a Foul?
A foul is an offence committed during play.
For example, the referee may award a foul when a player:
- kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
- pushes an opponent
- trips or attempts to trip an opponent
- challenges an opponent dangerously
- makes an illegal tackle
- holds an opponent
- deliberately handles the ball or commits another handball offence
Not every physical contact between players is a foul.
Physical contact is a normal part of football. The referee judges the nature of the challenge and whether a player’s action was careless, reckless or used excessive force.
Depending on the offence, the opposing team may receive a direct or indirect free kick. Certain offences committed by the defending team inside its own penalty area result in a penalty kick.
More serious offences or unsporting behaviour may also result in a yellow card, which is a caution, or a red card, which sends the player off.
Direct and Indirect Free Kicks
After many offences, the referee awards a free kick from the place where the offence occurred.
There are two main types of free kicks in football.
Direct Free Kick
From a direct free kick, a player can score directly against the opposing team without another player touching the ball first.
Indirect Free Kick
From an indirect free kick, a goal cannot be scored directly against the opposing team. Another player must touch the ball before a goal can be awarded.
The referee signals an indirect free kick by raising one arm above their head.
For most free kicks, opposing players must usually remain at least 9.15 metres from the ball until it is in play.
What Is a Penalty Kick?
A penalty kick, often simply called a penalty, is a special kick taken from the penalty mark, 11 metres from goal.
It is awarded when the defending team commits an offence inside its own penalty area that would normally result in a direct free kick.
During a penalty, the two main participants are the player taking the kick and the opposing goalkeeper.
The ball is placed on the penalty mark. Other players must remain outside the penalty area and respect the required distance from the ball.
After the referee gives the signal, the player takes the kick and must kick the ball forward.
A penalty is one of the most dangerous situations for the defending team because the attacking player gets a close-range shot against the goalkeeper.
What Is a Throw-In?
When the ball completely crosses a touchline, a throw-in is awarded to the opponents of the player who touched the ball last.
A player throws the ball back into play from approximately the point where it left the field.
When taking a legal throw-in, the player must:
- face the field
- have both feet correctly positioned on or outside the touchline
- hold the ball with both hands
- deliver the ball from behind and over the head
A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in.
Once the ball has been thrown back onto the field, play continues normally.
What Is a Goal Kick?
A goal kick is awarded when the attacking team touches the ball last before it completely crosses the defending team’s goal line without a goal being scored.
The defending team restarts play from inside its goal area.
The ball is in play once it is kicked and clearly moves. Opposing players must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play.
For example, if an attacker shoots over the goal and the ball crosses the goal line, the defending team receives a goal kick.
What Is a Corner Kick?
A corner kick is awarded when the defending team is the last to touch the ball before it completely crosses its own goal line without entering the goal.
The attacking team then restarts play from the corner nearest to where the ball crossed the goal line.
For example:
an attacker shoots → a defender blocks the shot → the ball crosses the goal line.
The result is a corner kick for the attacking team.
A goal can be scored directly from a corner kick against the opposing team.
What Is Offside?
Offside is one of the best-known rules in football.
In simple terms, the rule prevents attacking players from simply standing near the opposing goal and waiting for a pass behind all of the defenders.
A player may be in an offside position if, at the moment a teammate plays or touches the ball, the player:
- is in the opponents’ half of the field
- is closer to the opponents’ goal line than the ball
- is closer to the opponents’ goal line than the second-last opponent
There is one very important point:
Being in an offside position is not an offence by itself.
An offence is only given if the player then becomes actively involved in play — for example by playing the ball, interfering with an opponent or gaining an advantage from their position.
This means a player can sometimes stand beyond the defensive line without the referee stopping play.
Offside is one of those rules that is much easier to understand with a diagram than with text alone.
What Are Set Pieces?
A set piece is a common football term for a situation in which play restarts in a structured way after a stoppage, giving players time to take up specific positions.
The term most commonly refers to:
- direct free kicks
- indirect free kicks
- corner kicks
- penalty kicks
In a broader sense, other fixed restarts such as kick-offs, throw-ins and goal kicks can also be discussed as restarts of play.
“Set piece” is a useful football term, but it is not a separate type of offence or a separate Law of the Game.
For example, if someone says that a team is “dangerous from set pieces,” they usually mean that the team is particularly good at creating scoring chances from corners and free kicks.
How Is the Winner Decided?
In a standard football match, the team that scores more goals wins.
For example:
2–0 — the first team wins.
1–2 — the second team wins.
1–1 — the match is a draw.
If the competition allows a draw, the match ends there.
If a winner must be determined — for example, in a knockout match — the competition rules may require additional procedures.
These usually include:
Extra time — up to two additional 15-minute periods.
If the teams are still level:
A penalty shoot-out may be used to determine the winner.
A penalty shoot-out and a penalty kick awarded during normal play are not the same thing.
A penalty kick during the match is awarded as a punishment for an offence. A penalty shoot-out takes place after the match to determine which team advances or wins.
The Most Important Things to Remember
To start watching football and understand what is happening, you only need to remember a few basic ideas.
Two teams try to score goals against each other. Each team can have up to 11 players on the field, including a goalkeeper. A standard match lasts 90 minutes plus added time. Every goal counts as one.
If the ball crosses the touchline, play usually restarts with a throw-in.
If the ball crosses the goal line after being touched last by an attacking player, the defending team usually receives a goal kick.
If a defending player touches it last, the attacking team usually receives a corner kick.
When a player commits an offence, the referee may award a direct or indirect free kick. Certain offences committed by the defending team inside its own penalty area result in a penalty kick.
Finally, the offside rule prevents attacking players from gaining an unfair advantage by simply waiting near the opposing goal for a pass.
That is already enough to watch a football match and understand most of what is happening on the field.
What to Learn Next:
→ Football Positions Explained
→ Essential Football Terms