What are some basic rules for playing football?

Football Rules and Regulations

A game which involves kicking the ball from one side to the other has been played by people of various cultures and civilizations. The game was given the framework, according to what we know today by the English Football Association. It was they who laid down the basic rules of football which are being followed all over the world today.

So if you're just learning how to play soccer, then this article on the basic soccer rules is going to come in pretty handy.

Objective of the Game
The basic objective of the game is simple. The most important part of the game of football is the goal, a rectangular demarcated area at the end of both sides of a rectangular pitch on which the game is played. There are two teams playing the game at a time and the objective of the game is to somehow, within the framework of the rules of course, get the ball into this goal. Depending on the game plan, the teams need to score on the opposition's goal and simultaneously try and stop the opposition from scoring at our goal. The team with the maximum number of goals at the end of the game time is the winner.

The game is known as football, which means that it is to be played with the feet. But the players (except the goalkeeper) are allowed to use any part, apart from their forearms and hands, to drive the ball forward or defend. The goalkeeper is allowed to use his hands, but only in one part of the pitch, which is explained later in the article. Read on for soccer tricks and moves and soccer strategies and tactics.

Teams
To this end of scoring goals, each team will have 11 players. One of them is a goalkeeper, the man mentioned above as the one with the special provision of being allowed to touch the ball. The other 10 players are known as outfield players.

The Pitch
The basic football rules will tell you that the football pitch is 105m long and 68m wide. There aren't too many lines on the football pitch. The halfway line and the center circle are dead in the center of the pitch where the kick off takes place at the start of the game or the start of the second half or after the opposition has scored. The center circle has a radius of 10 yards (9.15m).

The goal, like I said is a rectangular area on each side, and is 8 yards (7.32 m) long and 8ft (2.44m) tall.

The penalty area is a rectangular area surrounding the goal on both sides of the pitch. This area has a few special provisions. It is only in this area that a goalkeeper guarding the goal in that area can handle or touch the ball. Consequently, if the goal-ward advance of an opposition attacker is stopped by fouling him, or the goal-ward trajectory of the ball is handled by a defender other than a goalkeeper, a penalty kick is given team whose player has been fouled. This area is 18 yards (16.5m) ahead from the line of the goal and 44 yards (40.3m) in front of the goal.

The penalty, explained later in the article is taken from the penalty spot 12 yards (11m) from the center of the goal.

The Time
The normal playing time is 2 half periods of 45 minutes each. But time may be added on at the end of each half for any stoppage during the regulation playing time, on account of any injury or disturbances. If the match is a knockout match and the scores are level, the match will be extended for a further 2 halves of 15 minutes each, plus the extra time for any stoppages.