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On a goal kick, may anyone else (on the goalie’s team) touch the ball in the penalty box before it clears the box?
No, the ball may not be touched before it leaves the penalty box. However, defenders may stand in the box during the kick. Offensive players must stay out of the box.

What happens if a goal kick does not clear the penalty box?
The goal kick is taken again since the ball did not officially enter play. The idea of a ball not being in play, or "dead," is important. If the ball is considered dead, no fouls may be called. However, sendoffs and cautions can be issued during a dead-ball situation

On a throw-in, what is the call when the thrower throws it and then touches it again before anyone else?
A turnover, and an indirect kick for the opposing team.

On a corner kick, a direct kick, an indirect kick or a kickoff from the center circle, what is the call if the kicker kicks the ball and then touches it again before anyone else?
A turnover, and an indirect kick for the opposing team.

Can a goal be scored directly from a kick-off, goal kick, corner kick or throw-in?
Yes, on a goal kick, corner kick and kick-off. No, on a throw-in.

What is the proper placement for a direct kick near the net? Are defenders allowed to form a "wall," or is it a free shot on the goalie? Do you place the ball where the foul occurred, or in the center of the penalty box?
In the case of a serious foul (see later section for definition of fouls) inside the penalty box, the attacking team is awarded a penalty shot, which is taken twelve yards from the net and dead-center. No "wall" can be formed. If a serious foul is committed outside the box, the result is a direct kick from the point of infraction. If it is a non-serious foul, either inside or outside the box, the opposing team is given an indirect kick from the point of infraction. In all of these other situations the defense is permitted to form a "wall." On the other hand, the attacking team is entitled to take a "quick kick"—that is, as soon as the referee places the ball on the ground. The offense is not obligated to let the defense set up a "wall."

On a direct kick, an indirect kick or a corner kick, is there a certain amount of room the defenders must give the kicker?
Yes. Ten yards. 

Where are players allowed to stand on a penalty shot ?
All players except the goalie and the shooter must be ten yards from the ball, out of the penalty box and behind the ball (behind the penalty spot). You are allowed to stand on the side of the box as long as you are behind the ball.

Where must a player stand relative to the sideline when performing a legal throw-in? Must both feet be outside the sideline?
When throwing in, a player must have both feet either behind or on the white line.

On a throw-in, is there a certain distance the defenders must stand from the thrower?
No, but no interference is allowed.

On a throw-in, can goalies pick up the ball that is thrown?
No. It is an infraction that results in an indirect kick for the other team.

On a throw-in, can a receiving player legally straddle the sideline, with one foot out of bounds?
A player receiving the ball may stand completely out of bounds, as long as the ball is in bounds. The call is based on the location of the ball when the receiving player makes contact.

When is the ball out of bounds?
The whole ball must be over the whole white line to be out of bounds. The touch lines and goal lines are part of the field of play. If any part of the ball is within the field of play, it is in bounds.

A ball is kicked toward the goal line and a defender is able to hover around the ball preventing an attacker from reaching it before it crosses the line. Is this a legal play?
The defender may block the attacker as long as the ball is within playing distance -- a yard or so -- of the defender. If the defender blocks the attacker while the ball is beyond playing distance, it is an obstruction resulting in an indirect kick to the opposing team. 

If a ref does not see who kicked the ball out of play, is it okay to do a drop ball?
The Laws of the Game do not permit a dropped ball in an out-of-bounds situation. The only proper restart is a throw-in. Two good rules of thumb: If you’re not sure, hold your signal for a second or two, and let the players deal with it. Often they’ll make the call with no dispute because they know what happened. You may also observe the direction in which the ball left the field of play; almost always it was traveling in a direction that favored the team last in possession. If all else fails, give it to the defense and get on with the game.

What is the definition of offside?
Of all soccer rules, offside is the most complicated and most hotly debated. To start with a simple definition, offside occurs in a circumstance where two things are true: The ball is played to an attacker who is in front of the ball, and fewer than two members of the defensive team are between the attacker and the goal-line. But attackers can be offside even if the ball is not played to them. The critical factor is whether the attacker was somehow involved in the play.

Should the ref call offside if the ball is passed forward to a teammate who was onside at the time of the pass, even if there was an additional teammate who was in an offside position but not involved with the play at the time of the pass?
If the offside player was truly not interfering with the play, it is not a violation. If the offside player draws the attention of a defender and therefore becomes part of the play, however, it is a violation.

Consider the situation where an offensive player is in an offside position but is not seemingly involved with the play. Here are three questions. A) If another player comes through and scores, is the goal disallowed because of the first player? B) If the second player kicks a ball that bounces off the post and the first player scores, is the goal disallowed? C) If the second player kicks a ball that bounces off a defender or the goalie and the first player then scores, is this a fair goal?

A) The ref has to decide if the player in the offside position was interfering with the play or not. A rule of thumb: If players are anywhere in the goalie box, then they are automatically drawing off defenders or screening the goalie. But if the offside player was over on the wing and no one was taking any notice, then the goal should be allowed.

B) If the ball bounces back from the post and the player in the offside position scores, the goal must be nullified as the offside player gained an advantage. This can be really difficult to call, but the whole point of offside is: Did you gain an advantage from that position?

C) The technical issue here is possession. If the ball glances off a defender or goalkeeper, including an uncontrolled save, the offensive team is still considered to be in control and the first player must be called offside and the goal nullified. But if the goalkeeper intentionally parries the ball with a hand pass, or if a defender plays the ball (rather than it inadvertently hitting the defender), then the defense has gained possession. You cannot be offside if you receive the ball from an opponent. So if the defense plays the ball and gives it up to the offensive player who was in an offside position, and the player scores, that’s a good goal.

If two attackers are heading toward the opposing goal on a breakaway with no defenders except the goalkeeper in front of them and player A passes the ball forwards to player B, is that offside?
Player A may pass the ball forward to Player B but only if B is behind A when the ball is kicked, even if there are no defenders in front of the play. To be offside, the ball has to go forward and B has to be in front of A. Just to complicate this a little more, B must have been behind A at all times during the breakaway after passing the next to last defender prior to the pass from A. If player B is ahead of A at any time on the breakaway after passing the next to last defender, then B may not take a forward pass from A without being offside.

In the same situation player A passes the ball back to player B. Is that offside?
A backwards pass is not offside. One of the best plays in soccer is to be deep behind the defense and pass the ball back to your advancing teammates. This is similar to a trailing play in basketball or a backwards lateral in American football.

Does the offside rule apply if attackers are in their own half of the field ?
No, the rule does not apply until the attackers have crossed the center line.

Does the offside rule apply on a goal kick, corner kick or throw-in?
No. However, once anyone touches the ball, the rule is back in effect. In other words, for the play to be legal, the player in an offside position must be the first one to touch the ball when it enters play. Otherwise that player must quickly return to an onside position.

Does the offside rule apply on a direct or indirect kick?
Yes, it does apply.

At what level do we begin to enforce the offside rule?
In Division One, offside is not called. In Division Two, offside is rarely called, only to stop blatant goal-hanging. In Division Three and up, offside is enforced.

Is there a minimum distance that referees are required to be from the potential offside line in order to make the call? At times the refs seems rather far away, and it seems they are guessing that an offside has occurred.
Unless there are neutral assistant refs running the sidelines—that is, knowledgeable individuals who are not affiliated with either team—the offside call must be made by the referee. Even with neutral assistants, the referee must still exercise judgment. So a referee must try to keep pace with play in order to get the best position to call an offside. But there is nothing in the Laws of the Game concerning referee position. Referees are taught to cover the field by moving through an imaginary diagonally-oriented oval running from one corner of the field, through the midfield circle, to the opposite corner of the field. They are also taught to operate 10 to 15 yards from the play in order to get a good view yet not interfere with play.

A defensive player inadvertently kicks a ball that is then picked up by the goalie. Is this a violation? What if a defensive player does intentionally pass it to the goalie who then picks it up?

The goalie may pick up an intentional pass back only if it is headed or chested. If the ball is kicked with the foot, the ref must decide whether the defender was trying to make a legitimate defensive play where the ball inadvertently went to the goalie, in which case the goalie may pick it up. However, if a goalie picks up an intentionally kicked pass from a defender, it is a violation that results in an indirect kick for the other team at the point of infraction. Note: for balls picked up wrongly inside the six-yard goalie box, the placement for the indirect kick is on the goal-box line, not inside the goalie box.

Is it true that an offensive player may not interfere once the goalie has hands on the ball?
When the goalie is perceived to have control of the ball, no offensive player may continue attacking. This does not mean that when the goalie has touched the ball it is dead. Far from it. If the ball is not under the control of the goalie, it's a live ball, and an attacker may go for it. A word of advice, though: Referees have an obligation to protect the goalie just as they protect the quarterback in football.

What limits are there on goalies once they have picked up the ball?
They can take four steps or use up five seconds, or a combination of same, before getting rid of the ball. They may not anymore roll the ball to themselves and pick it up. Once the ball is on the ground the goalie must kick it out. This new rule was introduced a few years ago to prevent wasting time when a team is ahead.

Fouls are of many kinds, with or without the ball. They include:

--hand-ball, i.e. intentionally hitting the ball with a hand, arm or shoulder

--tackling the person rather than the ball

--tripping or attempting to trip

--kicking or attempting to kick a player

--pushing with a straight-arm

--pushing in the back

--holding

--jumping in, using your back to tackle

--dangerous play, normally translated as a high, dangerous kick toward the face

--tackling from behind (if you don’t hit the ball first)

--kicking at the ball while your hips are on the ground

For a complete list of fouls you might look at the FIFA Internet site (URL below).

For any rough or deliberate foul, including hand-ball, tripping, pushing, and other blatant fouls, the call is a direct kick. If the foul occurs inside the penalty box the call would therefore be a penalty shot. For minor infractions, i.e. dangerous play or obstruction, the call is an indirect kick, even if the foul occurred inside the penalty box. The referee should use common sense and allow the game to proceed as much as possible. There will always be elbowing, a little pushing, and so on.

A foul occurs if a player commits a violation in a manner that is careless, reckless or involves excessive force. (Rule of thumb: the first category gets a whistle, the second a yellow card, the third a red card.) Referees are instructed not to stop the game for every "trifling breach of the laws." You’re looking for either a clear violation or for something that alters the course of play, poses a danger to players, or for a pattern of small abuses. In a practical sense, you are also determining the level of intensity in the game with your earliest foul calls. Call things tight and you may avoid an overly rough game but you also run the risk of frustrating players. Call things loose and you may have a more exciting game but you risk it degenerating into unsportsmanlike conduct. You must assess the teams, their style of play, your ability to control situations, and so on, in order to strike a balance. The most important rule of thumb: BE CONSISTENT. Also remember that soccer is a contact sport. A collision between players may be legal.

Should the ref consider whether a player intended to commit a foul?
A player’s intention is not relevant when calling fouls, except in the case of a hand-ball.

What is the definition of a hand-ball? Do inadvertent cases where the ball bounces up and hits a player’s hand count as a hand-ball?
The part of the body at issue is from the fingertips to the shoulder. One key element in making a decision is the player’s intention. The wording of the rule is "deliberately handles the ball." A rule of thumb: Hand to the ball is a foul; ball to the hand is not a foul. But a ball that strikes a hand that is spread out to the side of a player’s body or held over the head, rather than in a normal position, can be construed as a player trying "deliberately" to interfere with the ball. The other key element in your decision is whether the pereptrator’s team gained an advantage. If the normal flow of the game was not affected, or if the opposing team instead gained an advantage, then the referee should not call a hand-ball foul, even if the action was deliberate. All in all, the U.S. Soccer Federation is encouraging U.S. refs to call fewer hand-balls.

Can girls players legally use their hands to protect the chest area? Can boy players protect their private parts as well?
The answer is yes in both cases, as long as their arms are folded close to their bodies. They may not move their arms to knock the ball down to their feet. Such an action is a foul, resulting in a direct kick or a penalty shot for the other team.

A defensive player makes an horrendous foul in the penalty box. The whistle does not blow and the offensive team scores. Is it a goal?
Yes. Nullifying the goal and forcing the attacking team into the risky proposition of a penalty shot would give an advantage to the team that committed the foul. Therefore the goal stands. Unlike other American sports, "advantage" calls in soccer are a critical part of the decisionmaking. The ref may allow play to go on at any time if it is to the advantage of the team that did not commit the foul. The referee should let everyone know this by calling "Play On!" and sweeping both hands from the waist forward.

Is the white line part of the penalty box? Is the white line along the sidelines part of the field?
Lines on a soccer field are part of the area they define. The line around the penalty box is part of the penalty area. If a serious foul is committed on the line, the correct call is a penalty shot. Likewise the line along the sidelines is part of the field.

If the ball rebounds from the corner flag, what is the call
The ball is still in play.

An attacker runs across the goal line into the net during the scoring of a goal. Does the goal count?
Yes, it is absolutely legal.

Are coaches allowed to run out on the field if they see an injured player?
Coaches may not run onto the field unless they are invited by the ref, who must first stop play. An exception may be made in a dire emergency. Remember, the Laws of the Game instruct referees to allow play to continue if, in their opinion, a player is only slightly injured.

Since there is no goalie box, where should the ball be placed for goal kicks?
Goal kicks should take place from a point three yards upfield from the end line and three yards from the middle of the net. The further away from the net the better. A goal kick should be an advantage to the defending team.
 

Where must opposing players stand during a goal kick, corner kick or an indirect kick? They should be a distance of eight yards from the kicker.
 

Are players assigned positions in Division One?
Coaches should make every effort to get the players to distinguish between offensive and defensive positions. In some small-sided leagues, two attackers must always stay on the offensive side of the mid-line, and one defender must always be on the defensive side. We encourage this basic positioning, although it is not a mandatory rule in our league. The other players on the field can be considered midfielders with the freedom to roam.
 

Is offside called?
No. However, coaches should not employ a strategy in which players hang out by the net waiting for an opportunity to score. To teach wrong habits that will have to be unlearned is to do a disservice to the players. Besides, players should be encouraged to take part in the action, not to stand around.
 

When can substitutions be made?
During any dead-ball situation.
 

Are yellow or red cards handed out?

Not as such. Repeated fouls or inappropriate behavior (e.g., talking back to the ref) should be addressed with a warning to the player and coach. If the warning fails to curb the problem the referee may remove the player from the game for a five-minute "time-out" period during which a teammate may be subbed in.

1. Games should be played in a spirit of fair play. Except in extenuatating circumstances, coaches must make every effort to play each player at least half the game.

2. Only players registered with the league may play. Questions of eligibility should be referred to the division coordinator.

3. Games will be cancelled during thunderstorms, heavy rains or when conditions might pose a danger to the players or to the fields.  The coordinator makes the final decision and will notify the coaches. Coaches will notify the players.

4. Games will be 40 minutes long, broken into four 10-minute quarters. Games will normally be eight-versus-eight. If one team is short of players, the games should be played at even strength, e.g. seven-versus-seven, except in cases where one team has more than three substitutes on the sidelines-- in which case the game may be seven-versus-eight.

5. Coaches should avoid lopsided scores and should congratulate players from the other teams on their efforts. Coaches and players of winning teams should not engage in any tactics that might be considered taunting.

6. Referees should instruct the players about the rules whenver this does not interfere with the flow of the game. Fouls should be called for dangerous plays and other obvious infractions. Penalty shots should be a call of last resort.

7. A second chance will be given for incorrect throw-ins. All offensive players must be out of the big penalty box during goal kicks, whereas defensive players can be in the box.

9. Offsides should not be used as an offensive strategy. Goals scored as a result of an offsides situation will be nullified. Obvious “cherry-picking” should also be called, resulting in a goal kick for the defensive team. Otherwise players should simply be warned when they are offsides. 

10. Substitutions can be made during any dead-ball situation.

11. Players should treat each other with respect. They must shake hands after the game. Coachs should ensure good sportmanship and should, of course, set an example.

12. Harrassment of the referees will not be tolerated. Any spectator in violation of this rule can choose either to leave the playing area or accept an assignment as a referee. Referees have the authority to issue red cards to coaches who engage in harrassment, resulting in possible suspensions. League officials make the final decision on suspensions.
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