Football Laws of the Game
Senior 6 · Physical Education
Football Laws of the Game
Lesson 1 of 4
25 min
Football's distances look odd in metres because the Laws were first written in England in yards and feet. The centre circle's 9.15 m is 10 yards, the penalty area's 16.5 m is 18 yards, the penalty mark's 11 m is 12 yards, and the goal, 7.32 m by 2.44 m, is 8 yards by 8 feet. Each number has a job: 9.15 m is the distance opponents must give at almost every restart, which is why it is also the radius of the centre circle and of the arc outside the penalty area. In Senior 3 you learned the pitch and the new time-wasting rules; here you go Law by Law, as a referee must, through the field, the duration of play and every restart, using The International Football Association Board (IFAB) Laws of the Game 2026–27.
Definition
Restart: the way play resumes after a stoppage: kick-off, dropped ball, free kick, penalty kick, throw-in, goal kick or corner kick.
Direct free kick: a free kick from which a goal may be scored directly against the opponents. Indirect free kick: a goal counts only if the ball touches another player before entering the goal; the referee signals it with an arm raised above the head.
Encroachment: a player entering an area, or coming closer than the required distance, before the ball is in play.
Ball in play: from a free kick, goal kick, corner and kick-off, the moment the ball is kicked and clearly moves.
| Marking | Size | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Centre circle and penalty arc | Radius 9.15 m | Keeps opponents 9.15 m away at the kick-off and a penalty kick |
| Penalty area | 16.5 m from each goalpost and 16.5 m into the field | Direct-free-kick offences by defenders here give a penalty; the goalkeeper may handle the ball only inside it |
| Goal area | 5.5 m from each goalpost and 5.5 m into the field | Goal kicks may be taken from anywhere inside it; a free kick to the defenders inside it may be taken from anywhere in it |
| Penalty mark | 11 m from the midpoint between the posts | Where every penalty kick is taken |
| Lines | No more than 12 cm wide; part of the areas they enclose | A ball on the line is still inside that area or still in play |
Worked example
Worked example 1: is it out? A ball of diameter 22 cm rolls along the touchline. Its centre is 10 cm outside the outer edge of the 12 cm line. Is it out of play?
| Restart | Opponents must be | Score directly? | Key points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free kick (13) | 9.15 m from the ball until it is in play | Direct: yes. Indirect: no | If 3 or more defenders form a wall, attackers must stay at least 1 m from it. A defenders' free kick in their own penalty area is in play once kicked. |
| Penalty kick (14) | Outside the penalty area, 9.15 m from the mark and behind it | Yes | The goalkeeper stays on the line, facing the kicker, between the posts, until the kick; at the kick, part of one foot on, in line with, or behind the line. |
| Throw-in (15) | 2 m from the point of the throw | No | Both feet on or behind the touchline; both hands; from behind and over the head. 2026–27: a five-second visible countdown for a delayed throw, then the throw goes to the opponents. |
| Goal kick (16) | Outside the penalty area | Yes, against the opponents | In play when kicked and clearly moving. 2026–27: a five-second countdown for delay, then a corner to the opponents. |
| Corner kick (17) | 9.15 m from the corner arc | Yes, against the opponents | The ball is placed inside the corner arc; the corner flag must not be moved. |
| Offence before the ball is in play | Goal scored | No goal |
|---|---|---|
| An attacker encroaches | Retake | Indirect free kick to the defenders |
| A defender encroaches | Goal stands | Retake |
| The goalkeeper leaves the line early | Goal stands | Retake; the goalkeeper is warned for a first offence, cautioned after that |
| The kicker feints after completing the run-up | Indirect free kick to the defenders; the kicker is cautioned | Indirect free kick to the defenders; the kicker is cautioned |
| A team-mate of the identified kicker takes the kick | Indirect free kick; that player is cautioned | Indirect free kick; that player is cautioned |
| The kicker accidentally touches the ball with both feet or the non-kicking foot (2026–27) | Retake | Indirect free kick to the defenders |
The logic: an offence by the team that benefits from the outcome cancels that outcome.
Worked example 2: two penalties, two decisions
Video: "All the new 2026–2027 IFAB + World Cup laws - Explained", Referee Channel. Watch for the five-second countdowns at throw-ins and goal kicks, the 10-second substitution rule and the new double-touch penalty rule. Some rules shown apply only at the World Cup.
Tip
Memory hook for restarts. "Throw-ins never score." A goal can be scored directly against the opponents from a kick-off, direct free kick, penalty, goal kick and corner, but never from a throw-in or an indirect free kick.
Warning
Common mistakes. A ball on the line is in play. An indirect free kick that goes straight into the opponents' goal is a goal kick, not a goal. The goalkeeper may stand behind the goal line at a penalty only with part of one foot on, in line with or behind it, and must not touch the posts or net.
Practice
Remember
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
