Basic football rules for anyone starting to follow the game
August 21, 2026 · 6 min
Getting into football can be confusing at first: offside, cards, stoppage time... But the basic rules are simpler than they seem. At Golazo Scores we've put together this guide so that in just a few minutes you can grasp the essentials and enjoy any match knowing exactly what's happening on the pitch.
The objective and match length
Football pits two teams of eleven players against each other. The aim is simple: put the ball in the opponents' net more times than they put it in yours. Every time the ball fully crosses the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar, it's a goal.
A match lasts 90 minutes, split into two halves of 45. In between there is a break of around 15 minutes. At the end of each half, the referee adds a few minutes ('stoppage time' or 'added time') to make up for stoppages due to injuries, substitutions or time-wasting.
How the ball is put back into play
When the ball goes out over the touchlines, play restarts with a throw-in, taken with both hands from behind the head. If it goes out over the goal line off a defender, the attacking team takes a corner kick; if an attacker touched it last, the goalkeeper takes a goal kick.
Only the goalkeeper can handle the ball, and only inside their own penalty area. Every other player uses their feet, head, chest... any part of the body except the arms and hands.
Offside, made simple
Offside is the rule that takes the longest to get your head around. In short: an attacker cannot be ahead of the second-to-last opponent (usually the last defender, since the goalkeeper tends to be the last player) at the exact moment a teammate passes them the ball.
The idea behind the rule is to stop a player simply 'hanging around' right next to the opposition goal. You can't be offside if you receive the ball in your own half, or from a throw-in, corner kick or goal kick.
Fouls, cards and penalties
When a player commits an offence (a reckless tackle, a push, deliberately handling the ball), the referee blows for a foul and the opposing team takes a free kick from that spot. If the foul happens inside the offending team's own penalty area, a penalty is awarded: a direct shot from eleven metres with only the goalkeeper to beat.
To punish misconduct, the referee shows cards: a yellow card is a caution, a warning. A red card means a sending-off, and the team plays with one player fewer for the rest of the match. Two yellows equal a red.
Looking for live scores? See live scores.
← Back to all guides