Football: Rules and how it works
Browse SportsMonkie's rules and how it works about football, organized in one crawlable topic hub.
16 articles in this topic.
What Is a Corner Kick in Football? Rules and Tactics
A corner kick restarts football after the defending team last touches the ball before it crosses its goal line.
What Is a Yellow Card in Football? Cautions Explained
A yellow card is the referee’s formal caution for misconduct, such as persistent infringement, delaying a restart, or unsporting behavior.
What Is a Free Kick in Football? Direct vs Indirect Rules
A free kick restarts football after an offence. A direct free kick can score immediately, while an indirect kick must touch another player first.
What Is a Penalty Shootout in Football? Rules and Order
A football penalty shootout decides a drawn knockout match through alternating kicks, with sudden death if the scores remain level.
What Is Aggregate Score in Football?
Aggregate score combines the goals from both legs of a two-match tie to decide which team advances.
What Is Stoppage Time in Football? How It Is Added
Stoppage time compensates for delays such as substitutions, injuries, goals, disciplinary action and video reviews.
What Is VAR in Football? Video Assistant Referee Rules
VAR supports on-field officials by reviewing clear errors in goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity situations.
Futsal Rules Explained: Court Size, Fouls, Goalkeeper and Restarts
Futsal rules explained for beginners: 5-a-side teams, court size, two 20-minute halves, kick-ins, four-second rule, fouls, goalkeeper rules and soccer differences.
Offside in Soccer Explained: The Rule in Plain English
Offside is called when an attacker is nearer the goal than the ball and the second-last defender as the ball is played. See how the offside rule works.
How Big Is a Soccer Field? Official Dimensions Explained
A standard soccer field is 100-130 yards long and 50-100 yards wide. FIFA sets tighter ranges for internationals: 110-120 long and 70-80 yards wide.
Soccer Ball Weight and Pressure: Official FIFA Standards
A FIFA-approved match ball must weigh 410 to 450 grams and be inflated to 0.6-1.1 atmospheres (8.5-16 psi) at sea level under the Laws of the Game.
Penalty Shootout Rules Explained (Football)
A penalty shootout decides a tied knockout match: teams take five penalties each, alternating, and the side with more goals wins. If level, it goes to sudden death.
What Is Extra Time in Football? The 30 Minutes
Extra time in football is two 15-minute halves played when a knockout match is level after 90 minutes. If still tied, it goes to a penalty shootout.
What Is Stoppage Time in Football? (Added Time)
Stoppage time — also called added time or injury time — is the extra minutes the referee adds to the end of each half to make up for time lost during play.
What Is the Away Goals Rule in Football? How It Worked
The away goals rule broke ties in two-legged ties by counting goals scored away from home as extra weight. Here's how it worked and why UEFA scrapped it.
How Long Is a Soccer Game? Full Time, Stoppage & More
A soccer game is 90 minutes, split into two 45-minute halves. Add stoppage time, extra time, and penalties and it can stretch well beyond two hours.