Football · Sport Rules
Laws of the Game
Football's Laws 4 to 17 as Insporta tests them: 610 sourced facts written from the IFAB Laws of the Game, from the players' equipment to the corner kick.
Law 4The Players' EquipmentLaw 4 covers what a player may and must wear: the five compulsory items and their conditions, the safety principle that bans jewellery and dangerous equipment, the colour rules that keep the teams, the goalkeepers…2 parts · 3 tests · 30 factsLaw 5The RefereeLaw 5 gives the referee full authority to enforce the Laws in connection with a match: the period that authority covers, control exercised in cooperation with the other match officials, the role of timekeeper and…3 parts · 5 tests · 50 factsLaw 6The Other Match OfficialsLaw 6 covers the officials who assist the referee: the assistant referees and what they signal, the additional assistant referees positioned at the goal line, the fourth official with the administrative and touchline…2 parts · 4 tests · 40 factsLaw 7The Duration of the MatchLaw 7 fixes the match at two equal halves of 45 minutes, reducible only by agreement between the referee and both teams before kick-off and in accordance with competition rules. Players are entitled to a half-time…2 parts · 3 tests · 30 factsLaw 8The Start and Restart of PlayLaw 8 governs two restarts. A kick-off starts each half and each period of extra time and restarts play after a goal: the team that wins the coin toss chooses which goal to attack, the other team takes the first…2 parts · 4 tests · 40 factsLaw 9The Ball In and Out of PlayLaw 9 defines the only two ways the ball is out of play: it has wholly passed over the goal line or touchline, whether on the ground or in the air, or the referee has stopped play. The boundary lines belong to the…1 parts · 2 tests · 20 factsLaw 10Determining the Outcome of a MatchLaw 10 sets out when a goal is scored and how a match is won. A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided the scoring team has…3 parts · 4 tests · 40 factsLaw 11OffsideLaw 11 has two halves that must not be run together. 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 nearer to the opponents' goal…4 parts · 6 tests · 60 factsLaw 12Fouls and MisconductLaw 12 is the largest Law and splits into a foul half and a misconduct half. A direct free kick is given when a player charges, jumps at, kicks, pushes, strikes, tackles or trips an opponent, or attempts any of…6 parts · 10 tests · 100 factsLaw 13Free KicksLaw 13 covers free kicks. A free kick is either direct, from which a goal may be scored straight against the opponents, or indirect, from which a goal counts only after the ball has touched another player. The…3 parts · 6 tests · 60 factsLaw 14The Penalty KickLaw 14 covers the penalty kick, awarded when a defender commits a direct-free-kick offence inside their own penalty area or off the field as part of play; that award itself is Law 12, and Law 14 governs how the kick…3 parts · 5 tests · 50 factsLaw 15The Throw-InLaw 15 governs the throw-in, the restart when the whole of the ball passes over a touchline on the ground or in the air. It is awarded to the opponents of the player who last touched the ball. The thrower stands…2 parts · 3 tests · 30 factsLaw 16The Goal KickLaw 16 governs the goal kick, the restart awarded to the defending team when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, on the ground or in the air, having last touched an attacker, and a goal is not scored.…2 parts · 3 tests · 30 factsLaw 17The Corner KickLaw 17 governs the corner kick, the restart awarded to the attacking team when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line outside the goal, on the ground or in the air, having last touched a defending-team…2 parts · 3 tests · 30 facts
Laws 1 to 3 are planned. Each guide paraphrases the Law in its own words; the authoritative text is the IFAB Laws of the Game at theifab.com.