The Rules of The Game
The rules of football are fairly simple to follow. The game will last for 90 minutes with 45 minutes played in each half. Additional time will be added on for injuries sustained in the game that held up play and for substitutions and in some matches where a result needs to be carved out after a draw; extra time will be played for 30 minutes.
If after these additional 30 minutes the score is still level; penalty shootouts will ensure that there is a winner. Eleven players for each tea, must be fielded and there will also be a substitutes bench from which three players can be brought onto the pitch but this number varies depending on the league and the match.
Yellow cards will be handed out to players who need to be cautioned for their behavior while red cards will be given to players who need to leave the pitch. Two yellow cards will automatically result in a red while some behavior will warrant a straight red card.
Opposition players must stand a minimum of 10 yards from the ball when a free kick is being taken and penalties will be given for any fouls committed within the penalty box area. The decision will often be placed on the linesman but the referee always has the final say.
All of the rules of the game can be seen online via any decent website such as football-info.org and others may choose to read about the rules in a book.
