FIFA Soccer Rules

The official soccer rules are revised annually, it is usually done in July by FIFA. It is the soccer governing body.  The youth organizations just adjust the rules for children’s use.  Typical adjustments are size of the field, length of the game, number of team players per team, frequency of substitutions, “offside” is not so strictly called and slide tackling is sometimes not legal.  Field sizes, length of games, ball sizes & rules differ by age group level.  The FIFA rules does not require separate teams for girls and boys, but many associations and soccer clubs have different leagues for girls and boys.  

The Soccer Rules are difficult to comprehend and sometime not so simple.  The official FIFA rules have 17 sections and the rule hand book is 70 pages.  It also contains another 44 pages of Q and A.  In addition, the rule interpretation is discussed in special memos, referee clinics, videos for referees and a 300 page long guide book for soccer officials.  There is also a simplified explanation of the FIFA Soccer Rule.

Related Posts

• FIFA Soccer Rules: The Laws of the Game
• The Concept of having a Sufficient Soccer Field