The Laws of the game
The rules (technically referred to as The Laws of the Game) are broken up into 17 areas, or Laws. What follows is only a summary of the most important points - for a full reading of the Laws, refer to the FIFA Laws of the Game website. Additionally, BYSA uses some modified rules for youth play as set forth by Middlesex Youth Soccer that may differ from the FIFA laws.
These modifications include:
No heading of the ball until U14. If a player heads, or attempts to head a ball, the play is stopped, and the other team is given an Indirect Free Kick from the spot of the foul.
When a goalkeeper throws, punts, or drop kicks a ball after he/she picks up the ball, the ball cannot cross the halfway line in the air. If the ball crosses the halfway line in the air, play is stopped, and the other team is awarded an Indirect Free Kick at the halfway line.
If the play is restarted by a Goal Kick (U10 and younger), the defending team must retreat beyond the halfway line, and may not cross it until the ball is in play. The kicking team does not have to wait for the opposing team to fully retreat before taking the kick, but it is their option to wait, or play. If they do not wait, the ball is in play per the standard of Law 16: The Goal Kick
U10 and younger - No Penalty Kicks (Law 14) shall be awarded. If a foul occurs inside the Penalty Area, the ball will be placed outside the Penalty Area, parallel to the goal line closest to where the foul was committed. A Direct Free Kick from that spot will be awarded.
Law 3: Number of Players
In youth soccer, the number of players increases along with the size of the field, and the age of the players. Currently, BYSA uses the following size teams on the field:
Pre-K, K, Grade 1/2 (U4 - U6 - U8) - 4v4, no goalkeepers.
Grade 3/4 (U10) - 7v7, including goalkeepers
Grade 5/6 (U12) - 9v9, including goalkeepers
Grade 7/8 (U14) and older - 11v11, including goalkeepers
LAW 9: the ball in and out of play
The ball is out of play when it completely passes over the goal line or touchline. Imagine that the white lines on the field extend up into space - ALL of the ball must be outside that line. A ball resting on the line is considered in play, as is any ball that strikes the goal posts, corner flags, or referee and stays within the goal line or touch line.
Law 11: Offside
For the new soccer fan, the offside rule is the most difficult to understand, and with good reason! With so many moving players and parts, it can be hard to determine offside without training and careful attention to the run of play.
The technical description is: a player is offside if they are on the attack, is ahead of the ball AND the second to last defender (including goalkeeper), on the attacking half of the field, at the time the ball is kicked. Got it? Of course not. It's complicated. Thousands of words have been written to try and explain the offside rule - but 1 or 2 videos are much more effective. Both of these videos are 2 minutes or less: Offside Video 1 and Offside Video 2
LAW 12 & 13: Fouls and Misconduct/Free Kicks
The referee and assistants are the judge and jury on all matters that occur on the pitch, and are tasked with enforcing the laws of the game. Fouls are called when a player or team violates one of the laws that control the play of the game. There are 2 categories of fouls that result in 2 different types of free kicks (Law 13), and on top of that, for serious infringement of the laws, the referee may issue a yellow or red card to a player.
Fouls resulting in an Indirect Free Kick
An goal cannot be scored directly from a Indirect Free Kick without a second player touching the ball first. If the ball enters the goal from an Indirect Free Kick without touching another player, it is no goal, and the other team is awarded a goal kick to restart play. Fouls that result in a Indirect Free Kick awarded to the opposing team if a player, in the opinion of the referee, commits any of the following three offenses without contact to the opposing player:
plays in a dangerous manner
impedes the progress of an opponent
prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands
commits any other offense, not previously mentioned, for which play is stopped to caution or dismiss a player
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following offenses:
takes more than four steps while controlling the ball with his hands, before releasing it from his possession (rarely enforced)
touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player
touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate
touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate
Fouls Resulting in a Direct Free Kick
A goal may be scored directly from a Direct Free Kick - another player does not have to touch the ball before it enters the net. Fouls that result in a Direct Free Kick are usually more serious in nature, and include the following six offenses in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:
kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
trips or attempts to trip an opponent
jumps at an opponent
charges an opponent
strikes or attempts to strike an opponent (red card)
pushes an opponent
A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following four offenses:
tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball
holds an opponent
spits at an opponent (red card)
handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
In addition. a player (or coach) may be shown a Yellow (caution) or Red (eject) card if the following is true:
Yellow Card
A player or coach is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following seven offenses:
is guilty of unsporting behavior
shows dissent by word or action
persistently infringes the Laws of the Game
delays the restart of play
fails to respect the required distance when the play is restarted with a corner kick or free kick
enters or re-enters the field of play without the referee's permission
deliberately leaves the field of play without the referee's permission
Red Card
A player or coach is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following seven offenses:
is guilty of serious foul play
is guilty of violent conduct
spits at an opponent or any other person
denies an opponent a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player's goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick
uses offensive, insulting or abusive language
receives a second caution (2 yellow cards) in the same match
A player that is sent off for a Red Card cannot be replaced, and his/her team must play shorthanded for the rest of the game.
Law 14: The penalty kick
If a foul is committed in the Penalty Area, the referee may award a Penalty Kick. All the players except the kicker and the goalkeeper must stand outside the Penalty Area and Penalty Arc. The ball is placed on the Penalty Spot. The goalkeeper must remain on the Goal Line until the ball is kicked. Once the kicker starts his/her run to the ball, the kicker must not stop moving until the ball is struck. Once the ball is kicked, players may enter the Penalty Box, and the ball is live.
Law 15: The throw in
If the ball crosses the Touch Line, the game is restarted by a Throw In. A player from the team that did not play the ball over the Touch Line picks up the ball, and with both hands, throws the ball over their head into the field. Both feet must be in contact with the ground, and must remain outside the field - they may touch the line, but may not cross it. The opposing team must remain 2 yards from the player taking the Throw In.
law 16: the goal kick
If the ball crosses the Goal Line after being last touched by an attacking player (and does not go into the goal) then play is restarted by a Goal Kick. The ball is placed anywhere within the Goal Area and is kicked into play, usually by the goalkeeper, but any player may take the kick. The ball may now be played inside the Penalty Area by the kicking team (new Spring 2020), but all opposing players must be outside of the Penalty Area when the ball is kicked. The kicker may not touch the ball again until another player has touched the ball.
U10 and younger - the opposing team must retreat to the halfway line before the kick is taken, although if the kicking team wants to kick it before all the players have retreated to the halfway line, the ball is in play.
Law 17: The Corner Kick
If the ball crosses the Goal Line after being last touched by a defensive player (and does no go into the goal) then play is restarted by a Corner Kick. The attacking team places the ball within the Corner Arc on the side the ball went over the Goal Line, and kicks the ball back into play. The kicker may not touch the ball again until another player has touched the ball.