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1. No Hands
Soccer is all about the feet, no hands allowed.
A hand as defined by the rules of soccer as the area of the body from your finger tips to your shoulder.
If a player uses any part of his hand to intentionally handle the ball, a hand ball foul will be called.
The only player on the field who can handle the ball with his hands is the goalie. The exception to this rule is if the goalie receives a pass directly from a teammate. In this situation he can only use his feet.
A hand ball foul will result in an indirect kick from the point of the infraction.
2. Throw-ins
A throw-in is taken when the ball crosses a sideline and leaves the field. When taking a throw-in a player must have both feet on the ground and to throw the ball with both hands over the head.
3. Corner Kicks & Goal Kicks
A corner kick or goal kick is taken when the ball leaves the field across the end line. If the offensive team kicks it out, play is restarted with a goal kick. If the defensive team kicks it out, play is restarted with a corner kick.
The goal kick is taken from anywhere inside the goal box as it is affectionately called. It can be taken by any player, not just the goalkeeper.
The corner kick is taken from the corner nearest to where the ball left the field.
4. Fouls
“If it looks like a foul, it probably is.”
A player cannot kick, trip, jump at, charge, strike, push, hold, or spit at an opponent.
However, soccer can be a physical, contact sport when two opposing players both want the soccer ball.
What you need to know as a parent is that bumping or going shoulder-to-shoulder while competing for a ball is not a foul until the hands or elbows come up. This is a bit of a judgment call and not all referees will call it the same way. Some soccer rules are actually not black-and-white.
Remember though, the referee is ALWAYS right.
5. Direct and Indirect Free Kicks
The simple difference between the two is this: On a direct kick you can score by kicking the ball directly into the goal. On an indirect kick you cannot score. An indirect kick must be touched by another player before it can go into the goal – that is the kicker and a second person.
There are many soccer violations which result a direct or indirect kick.
In general, a direct kick comes from a contact foul or hand ball. Everything else is indirect.
6. Penalty Kick
A penalty kick results from a contact foul or hand ball by the defending team within the penalty area – the large box on either end of the field. So it’s a type of direct kick also.
The ball is placed on the penalty spot, 12 yards in front of the center of the goal.
All players must remain outside the penalty area and the penalty arc until the ball is kicked. The goalkeeper must have both feet on the goal line until the ball is kicked.
If after the ball is kicked, it rebounds off of the goal or the keeper and stays on the field, the ball is “live” and anyone can play it.
7. Two-touch Rule
A player cannot touch the ball twice in a row when putting the ball in play. You will see this called many times in youth soccer. It applies everywhere. You will see it frequently on kick-offs or direct and indirect kicks. If a kid barely hits the ball and decides to take another swipe at it, that is a two-touch.
This also applies to throw-ins. A kid cannot throw the ball in and then kick it. Nope. No way. No can do.
8. Yellow and Red Cards
This is the way punishment is given in soccer. The FIFA soccer rules give the guidelines for when to give a yellow card to a player and when to give a red card. I’m not going to get into the specifics here.
If a player is given two yellow cards in the same game, that is equal to a red card. A red card can be given at any time without the player first receiving a yellow card. When a player gets a red card, they must leave the game and their team must play short. An ejected player cannot be replaced.