Cabot Soccer Association General
Laws
Important Note: If there
is contradiction among the CSA general laws, the CSA age-specific laws, or the
official FIFA laws, the age-specific laws have primary authority in their
specified league (if applicable). If not mentioned in the CSA age-specific
laws, the CSA general laws apply. If not mentioned in either the CSA
age-specific laws or the CSA general laws, the official FIFA laws apply.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
The Ball
(Law 2):
The Number
of Players (Law 3):
·
Maximum number
of players per team allowed on field at any one time is eight
·
Substitutions:
o
Substitutions
are allowed:
§
Prior to a
throw-in of your possession
§
Prior to a goal
kick of either team’s possession
§
After a goal
§
After an injury
§
At half-time
o
Referee must be
made aware of substitution before it
takes place (except for a half-time sub)
o
Players to be
substituted must be at the halfway line and the players they are substituting
must exit the field at the halfway line (except for a half-time sub)
o
Players to be
substituted must wait for the referee to signal them onto the field or for the
players they are substituting to exit field before entering the field (except
for a half-time sub)
The
Players’ Equipment (Law 4):
·
All players must
wear shin guards and socks that completely cover the shin guards
·
Players’
footwear may be cleats or tennis shoes
·
Jewelry of any
kind (watches, earrings, etc.) or any other metallic accessories will absolutely not be allowed
The Referee
(Law 5):
- The
center referee has absolute authority
in connection with his or her duty to enforce the laws of the game
The
Duration of the Match (Law 7):
- The game
shall be divided into two equal halves of thirty minutes each
There shall
be a maximum of ten minutes for the half-time between halves
The Start
and Restart of Play (Law 8):
·
All players on
their own half of the field until kick has been taken
·
The ball must be
kicked and it must move forward
·
A goal may be
scored directly from a kick-off
Offside
(Law 11):
- A player
is in an offside position if he or
she is nearer to his opponents goal
line than both the ball and the
second to last defender
- It is not an offense in itself to be in an offside
position
- A player
in an offside position is only penalized if, at the moment the ball
touches or is played by one of his team (not
himself), he or she is involved in active play by:
- Interfering
with play
- Interfering
with an opponent
- Gaining
an advantage by being in that position
- There is
no offside offense if a player receives the ball directly from a goal
kick, corner kick, or throw-in
- For any
offside offense, the opposing team is awarded an indirect free kick
Fouls and
Misconduct (Law 12):
- A direct
free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the
following offenses:
- Tackling
an opponent, making contact with the opponent before
the ball
- Holds an
opponent (including shirt, arm, etc.) or stretching arms out to prevent
the opponent from moving around
- Handles
the ball deliberately. Contact with the hand, arm, or outer shoulder is not an offense in itself. It is completely
at the referee’s discression to
decide whether the contact was deliberate.
- A direct
free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the
following offenses 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
- Pushes
an opponent
- An
indirect free kick may be awarded to the opposing team if, in the opinion of the referee, a player plays
in a manner that is dangerous to someone, was committed with an opponent
nearby, and the player’s action created a disadvantage to that opponent
(caused the opponent to cease active play).
Free Kicks
(Law 13):
- For an
indirect free kick, a goal can be scored only
if the ball subsequently touches another player before it
enters the goal
- If a
direct free kick is kicked directly into opponents goal, a goal is awarded
- If a
direct free kick is kicked directly into team’s own goal, a corner kick is
awarded to the opposing team
- For all indirect free kicks, the referee should
signal with a vertical arm
The Penalty
Kick (Law 14):
- A penalty
kick occurs when a player commits a foul in the penalty area which would
result in a direct free kick had the player not been within the penalty
area
- The ball
must move forward
- A goal can be scored directly
from a penalty kick
The
Throw-In (Law 15):
- A
throw-in is awarded when the whole
of the ball passes over the touch line (on ground or in air)
- At the
moment of delivering the ball, the thrower:
- Has part
of each foot either on the touch line or on the ground outside the touch
line
- Uses
both hands
- Delivers
the ball from behind and over his head
- A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in
The Goal
Kick (Law 16):
- A goal
kick is awarded to the defending team when the whole
of the ball, having last touched a player of the attacking team, passes
over the goal line (on ground or in air)
- Opponents
must remain outside the penalty area until the ball completely exits the penalty area
- If an
opponent enters the penalty area or touches the ball before it completely exits the penalty area, the kick
is retaken
- The ball
is kicked from anywhere within the goal area
(including the line defining the goal area) by a player of the defending
team
- A goal can be scored directly
from a goal kick, but only against the opposing team
The Corner
Kick (Law 17):
- A corner
kick is awarded to the attacking team when the whole
of the ball, having last touched a player of the defending team, passes
over the goal line (on ground or in air)
- A goal can be scored directly
from a corner kick, but only against the opposing team
General Law
of Encroachment (Applies to Law 8, 13, 14, & 17):
- At the
start and restart of play (kick-offs), free kicks, penalty kicks, and
corner kicks, opponents must be ten yards away from the ball