Laws of the Game
Encyclopedia
The Laws of the Game are the codified rules that help define association football. These laws are published by the sport's governing body FIFA
, with the approval of the International Football Association Board
, the body that writes and maintains the laws. The laws mention: the number of players a team should have, the game length, the size of the field and ball, the type and nature of fouls that referees may penalize, the frequently misinterpreted Offside law, and many other laws that define the sport.
Today, the above 17 laws are less than 50 pages of a 5.5″ by 8.5″ (roughly A5-size) pamphlet. This is compared to other professional sports
where the rule books number into the hundreds and thousands of pages. In 1997, a major revision dropped whole paragraphs and clarified many sections to simplify and strengthen the principles. These laws are written in English Common Law
style and are meant to be guidelines and goals of principle that are then clarified through practice, tradition, and enforcement by the referee
s.
The actual law book has long contained 50 pages more of material, organized in numerous sections, that contain many diagrams but did not fit with the main 17 laws. In 2007, many of these additional sections along with much of the material from the FIFA
Questions and Answers (Q&A), were restructured and put into a new Additional Instructions and Guidelines for the Referee section. This section is organized under the same 17 law points, consists of concise paragraphs and phrases like the laws themselves, and adds much clarifying material that previously was only available from National organizations and word of mouth among referees.
and approved at a meeting of the Football Association
(FA) on 8 December 1863.
The Football Association Laws of 1863 as published in Bell's Life in London
for approval on 5 December 1863:
At its meeting on 8 December the FA agreed, as reported in Bell's Life in London
, John Lillywhite should publish the Laws, which he said he could do at a cost of a shilling
for the pocket size and 1s 6d for the larger size for club rooms.
(IFAB). They meet at least once a year to debate and decide any changes to the text as it exists at that time. The meeting in Winter generally leads to an update to the laws on 1 July of each year that take effect immediately. The laws govern all International matches and National matches of member organizations.
The board was established on December 6, 1882 when representatives from the Scottish Football Association
(SFA), the Football Association of Wales
(FAW) and the Irish Football Association
(IFA) (now the governing body in Northern Ireland and not to be confused with the Football Association of Ireland
(FAI) the governing body in the Republic of Ireland) were invited to attend a meeting in Manchester
by the FA; previously games between teams from different countries had to agree to which country's rules were used before playing.
When the international football body on the continent FIFA
was founded in Paris
in 1904, it immediately declared that FIFA would adhere to the rules laid down by the IFAB. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. Today the IFAB is made up of four representatives from FIFA representing their over 200+ member Nations and one representative each from the four associations of the United Kingdom. Because six votes are required to make any changes to the Laws, no change can be made without FIFA's approval, but FIFA cannot change the Laws on its own.
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, with the approval of the International Football Association Board
International Football Association Board
The International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...
, the body that writes and maintains the laws. The laws mention: the number of players a team should have, the game length, the size of the field and ball, the type and nature of fouls that referees may penalize, the frequently misinterpreted Offside law, and many other laws that define the sport.
Current Laws of the Game
The current Laws of the Game (LotG) consist of 17 individual laws:- Law 1: The Field of PlayAssociation football pitchAn association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
- Law 2: The Ball
- Law 3: The Number of Players
- Law 4: The Players' Equipment
- Law 5: The Referee
- Law 6: The Assistant RefereesAssistant referee (association football)In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
- Law 7: The Duration of the Match
- Law 8: The Start and Restart of Play
- Law 9: The Ball In and Out of PlayBall in and out of playThe ball in and out of play is the ninth law of the Laws of the Game of association football, and describes to the two basic states of play in the game.-In play:...
- Law 10: The Method of Scoring
- Law 11: Offside
- Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct
- Law 13: Free kicks (directDirect free kickA direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
and indirectIndirect free kickAn indirect free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. Unlike a direct free kick, a goal may not be scored directly from the kick. The law was derived from the Sheffield Rules that stated that no goal could be scored from a free kick...
) - Law 14: The Penalty KickPenalty kickA penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
- Law 15: The Throw-InThrow-inA throw-in is a method of restarting play in a game of Association football.-Procedure:The throw-in is taken from the point where the ball crossed the touch-line. The throw-in is taken by the opponents of the player who last touched the ball when it crossed the touch-line, either on the ground or...
- Law 16: The Goal KickGoal kickA goal kick, called a goalie kick in some regions,is a method of restarting play in a game of association football.-Award:A goal kick is awarded to the defending team when the ball goes out of the field of play by crossing the goal line when the last person to touch the ball was from the attacking...
- Law 17: Corner kickCorner kickA corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
Today, the above 17 laws are less than 50 pages of a 5.5″ by 8.5″ (roughly A5-size) pamphlet. This is compared to other professional sports
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
where the rule books number into the hundreds and thousands of pages. In 1997, a major revision dropped whole paragraphs and clarified many sections to simplify and strengthen the principles. These laws are written in English Common Law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
style and are meant to be guidelines and goals of principle that are then clarified through practice, tradition, and enforcement by the referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
s.
The actual law book has long contained 50 pages more of material, organized in numerous sections, that contain many diagrams but did not fit with the main 17 laws. In 2007, many of these additional sections along with much of the material from the FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
Questions and Answers (Q&A), were restructured and put into a new Additional Instructions and Guidelines for the Referee section. This section is organized under the same 17 law points, consists of concise paragraphs and phrases like the laws themselves, and adds much clarifying material that previously was only available from National organizations and word of mouth among referees.
1863 rules
The Laws were first drawn up by Ebenezer Cobb MorleyEbenezer Cobb Morley
Ebenezer Cobb Morley was an English sportsman and is regarded as the father of The Football Association and modern Football.Morley was born at 10 Garden Square, Princess Street in Hull and lived in the city until he was 22. He moved to Barnes in 1858 forming the Barnes Club, a founding member of...
and approved at a meeting of the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
(FA) on 8 December 1863.
The Football Association Laws of 1863 as published in Bell's Life in London
Bell's Life in London
Bell's Life in London, and Sporting Chronicle was a British weekly sporting paper published as a pink broadsheet between 1822 and 1886.Bell's Life was founded by Robert Bell, a London printer-publisher....
for approval on 5 December 1863:
- The maximum length of the ground shall be 200 yards (182.9 m), the maximum breadth shall be 100 yards (91.4 m), the length and breadth shall be marked off with flags; and the goal shall be defined by two upright posts, eight yards (7 m) apart, without any tape or bar across them.
- A toss for goals shall take place, and the game shall be commenced by a place kick from the centre of the ground by the side losing the toss for goals; the other side shall not approach within 10 yards (9.1 m) of the ball until it is kicked off.
- After a goal is won, the losing side shall be entitled to kick off, and the two sides shall change goals after each goal is won.
- A goal shall be won when the ball passes between the goal-posts or over the space between the goal-posts (at whatever height), not being thrown, knocked on, or carried.
- When the ball is in touch, the first player who touches it shall throw it from the point on the boundary line where it left the ground in a direction at right angles with the boundary line, and the ball shall not be in play until it has touched the ground.
- When a player has kicked the ball, any one of the same side who is nearer to the opponent's goal line is out of play, and may not touch the ball himself, nor in any way whatever prevent any other player from doing so, until he is in play; but no player is out of play when the ball is kicked off from behind the goal line.
- In case the ball goes behind the goal line, if a player on the side to whom the goal belongs first touches the ball, one of his side shall be entitled to a free kick from the goal line at the point opposite the place where the ball shall be touched. If a player of the opposite side first touches the ball, one of his side shall be entitled to a free kick at the goal only from a point 15 yards (13.7 m) outside the goal line, opposite the place where the ball is touched, the opposing side standing within their goal line until he has had his kick.
- If a player makes a fair catch, he shall be entitled to a free kick, providing he claims it by making a mark with his heel at once; and in order to take such kick he may go back as far as he pleases, and no player on the opposite side shall advance beyond his mark until he has kicked.
- No player shall run with the ball.
- Neither tripping nor hacking shall be allowed, and no player shall use his hands to hold or push his adversary.
- A player shall not be allowed to throw the ball or pass it to another with his hands.
- No player shall be allowed to take the ball from the ground with his hands under any pretence whatever while it is in play.
- No player shall be allowed to wear projecting nails, iron plates, or gutta-perchaGutta-perchaGutta-percha is a genus of tropical trees native to Southeast Asia and northern Australasia, from Taiwan south to the Malay Peninsula and east to the Solomon Islands. The same term is used to refer to an inelastic natural latex produced from the sap of these trees, particularly from the species...
on the soles or heels of his boots.
At its meeting on 8 December the FA agreed, as reported in Bell's Life in London
Bell's Life in London
Bell's Life in London, and Sporting Chronicle was a British weekly sporting paper published as a pink broadsheet between 1822 and 1886.Bell's Life was founded by Robert Bell, a London printer-publisher....
, John Lillywhite should publish the Laws, which he said he could do at a cost of a shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
for the pocket size and 1s 6d for the larger size for club rooms.
International Football Association Board
The Laws of the Game are written by the International Football Association BoardInternational Football Association Board
The International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...
(IFAB). They meet at least once a year to debate and decide any changes to the text as it exists at that time. The meeting in Winter generally leads to an update to the laws on 1 July of each year that take effect immediately. The laws govern all International matches and National matches of member organizations.
The board was established on December 6, 1882 when representatives from the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
(SFA), the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
(FAW) and the Irish Football Association
Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association is the organising body for association football in Northern Ireland, and was historically the governing body for Ireland...
(IFA) (now the governing body in Northern Ireland and not to be confused with the Football Association of Ireland
Football Association of Ireland
The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for the sport of association football in the Republic of Ireland. It should not to be confused with the Irish Football Association , which is the organising body for the sport in Northern Ireland.For the full history, statistics and records...
(FAI) the governing body in the Republic of Ireland) were invited to attend a meeting in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
by the FA; previously games between teams from different countries had to agree to which country's rules were used before playing.
When the international football body on the continent FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
was founded in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1904, it immediately declared that FIFA would adhere to the rules laid down by the IFAB. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. Today the IFAB is made up of four representatives from FIFA representing their over 200+ member Nations and one representative each from the four associations of the United Kingdom. Because six votes are required to make any changes to the Laws, no change can be made without FIFA's approval, but FIFA cannot change the Laws on its own.
External links
- The current Laws of the Game (FIFA Site)
- Complete Summary of all the Official Rules
- The formation of the Football Association and the First FA Rules from the Association of Football Statisticians
- Q&A Laws of the Game (AskTheRef.com)
- Popular Misconceptions
- Soccer Dictionary Informative guide on the rules, professionals and jargon