The length of the field must always exceed the width. The dimensions of the field of play may vary to enable players of different levels of skill and physical attributes to play the game. The size of the field of play and the width between the goal posts and height of the crossbar from the ground may be modified for matches between players of under 16 years of age, for women, and for players over 35, provided USSF approves the modifications.

Referees should arrive in plenty of time to inspect the field, goals, flags, and markings for accuracy and safety. No part of the field surface or the goals and flagposts may be dangerous to the players. If the field conditions are dangerous or unsuitable for play, the referee must refuse to officiate the game and, unless there is a possibility that the problem can be corrected, should leave immediately after announcing his decision to both sides. Unresolved problems with the field that do not involve safety should be reported to the competition authority, even if the game is played.

The goals must be securely anchored to the ground.

The compulsory corner flagposts and the optional halfway flagposts should be no less than 5 feet high; anything shorter is dangerous to the players. If used, the optional halfway flagposts must be at least 1m/1 yard outside the touch line.

The markings of the field should not be dangerous, must not protrude above the surface or be placed in ruts or hollows, and should be easily visible. The goal line should be the same width as the depth of the goal posts and the crossbar.

The lines belong to the areas of which they are the boundaries. The area beyond the goal line and crossbar and inside the goal net (if one is provided) is not part of the field of play.

The optional line drawn outside the field of play, 10 yards from the corner arc and at right angles to the goal line, may not touch the goal line. The line allows the officials to judge that defenders keep the proper distance at the taking of a corner kick.

If a photographer's line is provided, it must be marked behind the goal lines in accordance with the rules of the competition.

If the lines are not marked properly, the referee should try to have proper markings put down by the home team before starting the game, time permitting.

Goalkeepers or other players may not make unauthorized marks on the field of play. The player who makes such marks or alterations on the field to gain an unfair advantage may be cautioned for unsporting behavior. Players may return bent or leaning corner flags to the upright position, but they may not bend or lean them away from the upright position to take a corner kick, nor may the corner flag be removed for any reason.

Know the number of substitutes specified by the competition. The Law now allows a team to list up to 18 players on its game roster. All players' and nominated substitutes' names must be provided to the referee before the start of the match. The practice of obtaining rosters at halftime, after the game, or not at all, is not permissible. If the rules of the competition do not require rosters or team lists, the referee must obtain verbal agreement from both sides before the kickoff regarding the number of substitutions. If there is nothing in writing, then apply the terms of Law 3 to the letter.

If a player whose name was given to the referee prior to the match is not able to enter or re-enter the field in time for play to begin, due to late arrival or unreadiness of equipment or uniform, he may subsequently enter the field at a stoppage. The player may enter the field from any point on the boundary line, but only after the referee has inspected his equipment.

If, while the game is in progress, the referee finds that a team has more than the allowed number of players, he must stop play, and then remove and caution the extra player from that team. The person to be removed and cautioned would be whoever was not listed on the team roster as a "starter" or who had not already been formally substituted for a "starter"; in other words, probably a named substitute. The restart is a dropped ball at the place where the ball was when play was stopped (subject to the special circumstances described in Law 8). In all competitions, especially those that allow multiple substitutions, the officials must be extremely vigilant in counting the number of players who leave and substitutes who enter to prevent problems of this nature.

If a goal is scored by the team that had more than the allowed number of players and the referee discovers this before play is restarted, the goal is not valid and the restart is a goal kick. If the referee does not discover the extra player until after the kick-off, the goal remains valid and may not be taken away. The referee must report the incident to the proper authority.

After the player being replaced has left the field, the referee must signal his permission for the substitute to enter. A substitution is not complete and the substitute may not take part in the game until he has entered the field of play. Referees who deviate from the formal process by which a substitute becomes a player -- whether in the interest of saving time or because the steps are thought to be too complex and cumbersome -- do so at their own peril and will eventually discover that the Laws of the Game specify the procedure for very good reasons. Deviations may lead to situations that the referee cannot settle within the Law. For example, a substitute might commit a violent act after being allowed to enter the field before the player whom he is replacing has left. Then the referee must decide whether the act was a foul or a misconduct and, if the guilty party is dismissed, whether the team plays short.

Referees should prevent unnecessary delays due to the substitution process. One source of delay is a request for a substitution that occurs just as a player starts to put the ball back into play. This often (incorrectly) results in the restart being called back and retaken. Another common source of delay is a substitute player who is not prepared to take the field when the request to substitute is made. In each case, the referee should order play to be restarted despite the request and inform the coach that the substitution can be made at the next opportunity.

With the above exception, referees may not ignore or deny permission for a legal substitution that is properly requested. Although Law 3 requires that the referee be "informed before any proposed substitution is made," this does not mean that the referee can deny permission for any reason other than to ensure that the substitution conforms to the Law. Even if it seems that the purpose is to waste time, the referee cannot deny the request, but should exercise the power granted in Law 7 to add time lost through "any other cause." (Rules of those competitions that permit multiple substitutions and re-entries can sometimes lead to confusion. Study the advice under 8.3 regarding the start of the second half.)

If the referee allows more than the specified or agreed-upon number of substitutions and discovers this only after play has been restarted, this is a violation of Law 3. It is also a serious error by the referee. The referee must remove the illegal substitute at the earliest opportunity and replace him with the former player, restarting as appropriate to the reason the ball was out of play. The referee must file a complete report.

The referee may caution a player who leaves the field without waiting for the permission of the referee when his substitution is requested.

If a player accidentally passes over one of the boundary lines of the field of play or if a player in possession of or contesting for the ball passes over the touch line or the goal line without the ball to beat an opponent, he is not considered to have left the field of play without the permission of the referee. This player does not need the referee's permission to return to the field.

An opponent may exploit a situation in which the goalkeeper has temporarily left the field in the course of play by quickly and correctly taking a throw-in or a corner kick. Even though the goalkeeper may still be returning to the field, a goal scored under these circumstances is valid. No offense has been committed.

If a person who is not a nominated substitute enters the game as a substitute, he will be considered "illegal" and must be removed from the game. Such a person cannot be cautioned, as he is neither a player nor a substitute. If the referee stopped the game to deal with this person, the restart would be a dropped ball at the place where the ball was, subject to the special circumstances imposed in Law 8. The referee must submit a full report.

The referee must stop play and caution and remove from the game a player who has been replaced and subsequently returns to the field as a substitute. The caution is given for unsporting behavior, as a substituted player is not permitted to take any further active part in the match.

If a player has received permission to leave the field, he must do so. If he interrupts his exit to play the ball as play continues, the player should be cautioned for unsporting behavior. The game must be restarted with an indirect free kick taken by a player of the opposing team, from the place where the infringement occurred (subject to the special circumstances outlined in Law 8).

Postgame: Any misconduct committed by players or substitutes after the match has been completed must be described in the game report and reported to the competition authority. Since such misconduct cannot result in a formal caution or send-off, no card may be displayed.

If the game is stopped to deal with infringements of Law 3 (except for interference by persons who are not players), play is restarted with an indirect free kick taken by a player of the opposing team from the place where the ball was when play was stopped (subject to the special circumstances of Law 8).

Only the players who were on the field at the end of the game (or off the field for treatment of injury or repair of equipment) may participate in kicks from the penalty mark. All players who are not injured must take a kick before anyone on the same team takes a second kick. If a player is dismissed during the taking of the kicks, the contest continues without him. Although Law 3 requires that a match may not be started with fewer than seven players on each side, this does not apply to the taking of kicks from the penalty mark. Unless the rules of competition prescribe otherwise, if one of the teams is able to field only five or six players for the kicks, the taking of kicks may begin, and it may continue as long as there is one player left.

It is implicit in the Law that each side wear a distinctively colored jersey, that shorts and socks be uniform for each team, and that the uniforms be distinguishable from the uniforms worn by the other team. The referee shall ensure that each player wears his uniform and equipment properly. Players' jerseys must remain tucked inside their shorts, socks must remain pulled up, and each player must wear shinguards under the socks. Slide pants or similar undergarments must be the same main color as the shorts.

The referee must inspect the players and their equipment to ensure that there is nothing dangerous to any player. Players may not wear anything that the referee considers dangerous to the player or to their teammates or opponents.

All items of jewelry are normally considered dangerous; however, referees should consider carefully any item of clothing or jewelry that is clearly religious or medical in nature and permit it to be worn if it is not dangerous and not likely to provide the player with an unfair advantage. At the most skilled, professional level of the game, the degree of danger presented by jewelry is left to the discretion of the referee.

Goalkeepers traditionally wear items of clothing besides those prescribed under Law 4. They must wear a jersey color distinct from the players of both teams. Goalkeepers also may wear soft hats or caps, gloves, pants with special hip or thigh pads, jerseys with pads along the elbows and arms, and separate pads for knees or elbows, as long as these items of clothing do not present a danger to any players, are of a color distinct from the uniforms of players of either team and are, in the opinion of the referee, clearly related to the goalkeeper's function. The referee should prevent any player other than the goalkeeper from wearing an item of clothing or equipment that is permitted to the goalkeeper under these criteria.

If the two goalkeepers' shirts are the same color and neither has another shirt to change into, the referee shall allow the match to proceed.

Shoes are a required item of player equipment. If a player, due to a collision with an opponent or other cause, loses a shoe and immediately scores a goal, the goal would be valid. The player lost his shoe by accident and did not intentionally play without the shoe. It is within the referee's discretion to allow such a player to continue playing for a short while until he can recover his shoe and put it back on.

Sending a player off the field to repair incorrect uniform or equipment does not require a report by the referee. In addition, the inspection of a player after the correction of a problem with uniform or equipment may not be delegated to another official unless competition rules expressly permit it.

Referees may wear only the black primary jersey or the fuchsia alternate/summer jersey. No other colors will be worn except by authority of the USSF. ("Summer" is defined by the respective state referee committee. "Summer" in the north may be a shorter period than "summer" in the south. A referee may also wear the summer uniform on any warm sunny day.) If the uniform colors worn by a goalkeeper and the referee or by a team (or both teams) and the referee are similar enough to invite confusion, the referee must attempt to have the goalkeeper or the team(s) change to different colors. If there is no way to resolve the color similarity, then the referee (and the assistant referees) must wear the colors that conflict least with the players. Referees and assistant referees must wear the same color jerseys, and all must wear the same length sleeves. The referee uniform does not include a hat, cap, or other head covering, with the exception of religious head covering. Referees must wear the badge of the current registration year.

The referee's authority begins when he arrives at the area of the field of play and continues until he has left the area of the field after the game has been completed. The referee's authority extends to time when the ball is not in play, to temporary suspensions, to the half-time break, and to additional periods of play or kicks from the penalty mark required by the rules of the competition.

Before the game, the referee must discuss with his assistant referees and fourth official (if one has been assigned) the rules of the competition and the proper procedures and mechanics to be followed by each official (as prescribed in the USSF Guide to Procedures).

Referee signals should be restricted to those authorized by IFAB/FIFA (play on - advantage, penalty kick, indirect free kick, direct free kick, goal kick, corner kick, and caution or send off when showing the card), unless there is a clear need to communicate other information to the players or to the assistant referees and fourth official. Other signals or methods of communication intended to supplement those described in the USSF Guide to Procedures are permitted only if they do not conflict with established procedures and only if they do not intrude on the game, are not distracting, are limited in number and purpose, and are carefully described by the referee before the match. Such signals should be kept to an absolute minimum, and should not be demonstrative or draw undue attention to the referee.

When starting or restarting the game, the referee may signal to both teams by using his whistle, a hand signal, a word or two, or a simple nod or other acknowledgment. Such a signal should be clearly understood by both teams.

"The Laws of the Game are intended to provide that games should be played with as little interference as possible, and in this view it is the duty of referees to penalize only deliberate breaches of the Law. Constant whistling for trifling and doubtful breaches produces bad feeling and loss of temper on the part of the players and spoils the pleasure of spectators." (Former International F.A. Board Decision 8 to Law V, now considered an integral element of the "Spirit of the Game.")

The referee has the power to stop the match for any infringement of the Laws, to apply advantage under the appropriate conditions, or to decide that an infringement is trifling or doubtful and should not be called at all. However, the referee also has the power to stop play for other reasons, including misconduct for which the referee intends only to warn the player regarding his behavior and not to issue a caution. In these circumstances, the referee should take care that ordering such a stoppage would not disadvantage the opposing team. As the stoppage will not have occurred for a foul or misconduct, play would be restarted with a dropped ball.

If a player is bleeding, he must leave the field immediately to have the bleeding stopped and his skin and uniform cleaned as thoroughly as possible. When the player is ready to return to the game, the referee will inspect the injured area and the uniform for blood before giving his permission to re-enter the game. The referee may not delegate this task to another official and must make himself available to inspect the bleeding. The referee inspection can occur only at a stoppage in play and the player may then enter the field from any point on the boundary line. The player who was instructed to leave the field to repair an equipment problem must go through exactly the same procedure, and the referee must make himself available to inspect the repair.

If a player was permitted to leave the field for treatment of an injury, only the referee can allow this player to return to the field of play. This is not a substitution. The player who left the field for treatment of an injury may return during play with the permission of the referee, but only from the touch line. If the ball is out of play, the player may return with the permission of the referee across any boundary line.

Coaches may provide tactical advice to their players, including positive remarks and encouragement. The referee should only take action against coaches or other team officials for irresponsible behavior or for actions that bring the game into disrepute. A coach or other team official may not be cautioned or sent off nor shown any card; however, at the discretion of the referee, such persons may be warned regarding their behavior or dismissed from the field of play and its immediate area. When a coach or other team official is dismissed, the referee must include detailed information about such incidents in the match report.

The referee may terminate a match for reasons of safety (bad weather or darkness), for any serious infringement of the Laws, because a team does not appear or leaves before completion of the game, or because of interference by spectators. Only the competition authority, not the referee, has the authority to declare a winner, a forfeit, or a replay of the match in its entirety. The referee must report fully on the events.

The referee may abandon a match if the field or any of its equipment do not meet the requirements of the Laws. An abandoned match is replayed unless the competition rules provide otherwise.

"Assistant referees, where neutral, shall draw the referee's attention to any breach of the Laws of the Game of which they become aware if they consider that the referee may not have seen it, but the referee shall always be the judge of the decision to be taken." (Former International F.A. Board Decision 1 to Law VI)

If the assistant referee signals a ball out of play, but the referee does not see his signal for an extended period, during which play is stopped and restarted several times, the assistant referee should lower the flag. The FIFA Referee Committee has declared that it is impossible for the referee to act on the assistant referee's signal after so much play. If the referee misses the assistant referee's signal for offside, the assistant referee should stand at attention with the flag raised until the defending team gains clear possession or until a goal kick or throw-in is awarded to the defending team. To avoid such situations, the referee should make eye contact with the assistant referees as often as possible. In addition, the assistant referees must be alert for and mirror each other's signals if needed to assist the referee.

The assistant referee should maintain his signal if a serious foul or misconduct is committed out of the referee's sight or when a goal has been scored illegally. The referee should cover this situation during the pregame conference with the assistant referees.

Among the specifically stated responsibilities of the assistant referee is to indicate "when a player may be penalized for being in an offside position." Because "it is not an offence in itself to be in an offside position," the assistant referee must interpret this responsibility to require that he determine not only if an attacker is in an offside position but also if that same player is involved in active play by interfering with play, interfering with an opponent, or gaining an advantage by being in the offside position (see Law 11). The assistant referee should use his unique perspective on the touchline as a trained, neutral official and provide the appropriate signal so that the referee can make a final determination as to whether the attacker will be penalized for an offside infringement.

Where neutral assistant referees are not available, the referee may use club linesmen. Club linesmen should report to the referee before the start of the game for instructions. The referee should make it clear that the decision of the referee is final and must not be questioned. The relationship of club linesmen to the referee must be one of assistance, without undue interference or any opposition. Club linesmen are to signal only when the ball is entirely over the goal line or touch line.

The referee may not arbitrarily shorten or lengthen the halves of a game where the time has been specified by the competition authority (league, tournament, etc.).

The amount of time the referee allows for time lost in either half of a game or in any overtime period for the reasons listed in Law 7 (Allowance for Time Lost) is entirely at his discretion. Referees should remember that, in addition to the reasons listed in Law 7, there are "other causes" that consume time, such as kick-offs, throw-ins, dropped balls, free kicks, and replacement of lost or defective balls. Many of the reasons for stoppages in play and thus "lost time" are, however, entirely normal elements of the game. This should be taken into account in applying discretion regarding the time to be added. The main objective should be to restore playing time to the match which is lost due to excessively prolonged or unusual stoppages.

If the referee ends play early, then the teams must be called back into the field and the remaining time must be played as soon as the error is detected. The halftime interval is not considered to have begun until the first period of play is properly ended. If the ball was out of play when the period was ended incorrectly, then play should be resumed with the appropriate restart (throw-in, goal kick, etc.). If the ball was in play, then the correct restart is a dropped ball where the ball was when the referee incorrectly ended play (subject to the special circumstances in Law 8).

The Laws of the Game apply when additional time must be played or kicks from the penalty mark must be taken to satisfy a requirement by the competition authority that there be a winner of a match. Misconduct during extra time or kicks from the penalty mark is treated as if it had occurred during regulation time.

The decision made by the team winning the toss is no longer between which end of the field to defend or taking the kick-off. Now the decision is only which end of the field to attack; the other team takes the kick-off. When extra time is played, the coin toss again decides only which end the team winning the toss will attack in the first period of play. The team that wins the toss at extra time also kicks off to start the second period of extra time. A separate coin toss is required for kicks from the penalty mark; however, in this case, the winning team must kick first.

The ball must be kicked and move forward. Only minimal movement is needed to meet this requirement. The kick-off must be taken by a player competing in the match, in accordance with the Law, not by any non-player. Remember to note which team kicked off and in which direction the kick was taken.

Count the number of players in both teams before the beginning of each half and after any substitution. The referee's signal to start the second half is a tacit acknowledgment that the persons on the field are players and the persons wearing a goalkeeper jersey are the goalkeepers -- so long as the persons themselves are not illegal and the team is fielding the proper number of players.

If the referee mistakenly blows the whistle to stop play, the proper restart is a dropped ball at the place where the ball was when the whistle was blown (keeping in mind the special circumstances outlined in Law 8).

There is no requirement that players from both teams -- or that any player -- must take part at a dropped ball.

A dropped ball must be "dropped," not thrown down. The referee should hold the ball in the palm of his hand at waist level. At the proper moment, the referee should then pull away the hand beneath the ball and let it drop, taking care that the players do not play it until it has hit the ground. If the dropped ball leaves the field without having been played, the ball must be dropped again where it was previously dropped. The goalkeeper may participate at dropped balls.

The ball is out of play when it has completely crossed the goal line or touch line, or when the referee has stopped play. The commission of a "supposed infringement" does not stop play; play can be stopped for any infringement only by the referee's signal.

However, while it is the signal of the referee that announces a decision, play is considered to have stopped when the decision is made, not when the decision is announced. Thus, no act can be considered a foul if it occurs after the referee has decided to stop play (or after the ball has left the field) but before the signal has actually been given. The referee is the sole judge of when he has decided to stop play.

The Laws of the Game were not written to compensate for the mistakes of players. If a spectator blows a whistle and any player, thinking it was the referee, then illegally handles the ball, the referee could award a direct free kick (or penalty kick) to the opposing team. The same would be true if the player reacted to a referee's whistle from an adjacent field. If these things occur, the referee should exercise common sense in dealing with the action.

The referee should promptly signal his best decision on the direction for the restart when the ball appears to have gone into touch from "simultaneous" touches by members of both teams, rather than simply giving a dropped ball. The players quickly identify referee indecision, and will use it to their advantage.

All goals scored during playing time are valid. Balls that enter the goal after time has expired -- in other words, after the referee has blown the whistle -- cannot be scored as goals.

Law 10 defines the only method by which a goal can be scored. Referees should signal a goal only when it is absolutely clear that the ball has wholly crossed the goal line, beneath the crossbar and between the goal posts. If a referee signals a goal before the ball has wholly crossed the goal line, the goal is not valid. The game must then be restarted with a ball dropped in accordance with the special circumstances outlined in Law 8.

If a referee whistles for an infringement of the Laws before the ball has wholly crossed the goal line, beneath the crossbar and between the goal posts, the goal is not valid. The game must be restarted in accordance with the nature of the infringement, keeping in mind the special circumstances outlined in Law 8.

If the ball accidentally hits the referee or an assistant referee on the field of play and rebounds into goal, the referee must award the goal. To avoid being touched by the ball or interfering with play, assistant referees should remain off the field of play as much as possible and referees should avoid the immediate area where players are contesting for the ball.

An "own goal" scored by a team against itself is valid and is given to the opposing team.

If a spectator or other outside agent enters the field when the ball is going into goal and tries to prevent a score before the ball passes wholly over the goal line, a goal shall be allowed if the ball goes into goal, unless the spectator or outside agent has made contact with the ball or has interfered with play. If that occurs, the referee shall stop the game and restart it by dropping the ball at the place where the contact or other interference took place (keeping in mind the special circumstances outlined in Law 8). A goal may not be allowed based on where the ball might have gone in the absence of such contact or interference.

A game may end with the score tied unless the rules of the competition state otherwise.

Offside position occurs when a player is nearer the opponents' goal line than the last two opponents and is ahead of the ball. Measure relative position by players' torsos, not their arms or legs. The torso of the attacking player must be no nearer the opponents' goal line than that of the second-last defender. It is not necessary to "see daylight" between them for one to be considered nearer than the other. Here are two examples:

Active involvement can come into play at any moment during the sequence of play. Here is a series of pictures showing how a player (A1) could be penalized for being offside, depending upon how the action unfolds.

In the first diagram, A moves toward his opponents' goal while player A1 looks on. When A shoots and the ball rebounds from the goalkeeper to A1 (second diagram), the goal must be disallowed because A1, who was in an offside position when the ball was last played by A, was in active play and gained an advantage by being in that position. The offside position was noted when A shot the ball, but the offside infringement did not occur until the ball rebounded from the goalkeeper and was clearly moving toward A1. (The indirect free kick would be awarded where A1 was when his teammate shot at goal, just outside the goal area.) However, if A shoots for goal and scores (third diagram), the goal must be allowed. Although A1 is in an offside position, he is not involved in active play.

The referee should only decide that a player is interfering with play or with an opponent if that player-in the opinion of the referee, not in the opinion of the opponents-truly interferes with play or with an opponent in the area of active play. If so, then he should be called offside. Mere presence anywhere on the field should not be considered a distraction for the opponents.

The assistant referee should not signal simply because a player is in an offside position, but should look for active involvement. Furthermore, if an assistant referee is in any doubt as to whether a player is actively involved or not, he should decide in favor of the attacker; in other words, he should refrain from signaling offside. The referee, too, should be certain that there is active involvement before deciding for offside.

If a player on the attacking side moves a little way beyond the boundary of the field of play to clearly show the referee that he is not interfering with play, he does not infringe the Laws. However, if the referee considers that such a movement has a tactical aim or is in any way a feint, and the player takes part in the game immediately after, the referee may deem his conduct to be unsporting behavior and caution him (yellow card). Play should be restarted in accordance with the Laws of the Game.

If an attacking player passes beyond the boundary line for a moment in order to avoid an offside, but then re-enters the field of play and joins in the game and plays the ball that has been passed to him by a teammate, he should be penalized for offside. His momentary departure from the field of play is not considered as leaving the field without the referee's permission and does not warrant a caution.

If a defending player moves beyond his own goal line or across a touch line to place an opponent in an offside position, the referee should not stop play immediately to caution the defending player, but should allow play to continue. The attacker should not be punished for the position in which he has been unfairly placed; however, the referee should caution the defending player for unsporting behavior at the next stoppage of play.

If a forward in an offside position enters the goal (see illustration below) and one of his teammates kicks the ball into the goal, the goal is valid and the forward should not be punished if he remains stationary and does not interfere with the opponents as the ball enters the goal. If the forward moves or shouts as the ball enters the goal, and the referee believes this contributed to the scoring of the goal, the goal would not be valid and the forward should be cautioned for unsporting behavior. In this case, the forward would be punished for misconduct, not for offside, and the restart would be a dropped ball in accordance with the special circumstances of Law 8, as the forward was off the field of play.

As noted above, offside is punished where the infringement occurred. In other words, the indirect free kick should be taken from the place where the offside player was when his teammate played the ball. The kick should not be taken from the place where the second-to-last defender was. If the player being penalized for offside was legally off the field when his teammate last played the ball, the restart will be taken from the point on the touch line where the player re-entered the field.

Keeping in mind the requirement for active involvement in play, here are some guidelines for judging offside position at the halfway line:

A player who is in an offside position at the moment the ball is played by a teammate can become "on-side" in only four ways: (1) The player is not in front of the ball when it is next played by one of his team; (2) the positions of the opponents change so the player is no longer in an offside position when the ball is next played by one of his team; (3) an opponent intentionally plays or gains possession of the ball; and (4) the ball goes out of play. The key point for all of these, other than the obvious case (4), is that someone other than the player in the offside position has to play the ball; he cannot put himself "on-side."

These pictures illustrate three situations where there can be no offside. In the first, realizing he is an offside position and not wanting to interfere with the opponents or with play, the player stands still. His action is correct and should not be penalized. The second and third pictures illustrate that a player cannot be declared offside if he receives the ball directly from a corner kick or a throw-in. Note that this exemption applies only to the first player to receive the ball; any subsequent play of the ball to a teammate could result in an offside decision by the referee.

To be a foul, the action must be committed by a player while the ball is in play, against an opponent, and on the field of play. The only exception is deliberate handling of the ball, which is not committed against a particular opponent, but against the opposing team. If any of these three requirements is not met, the action is not a foul; however, the action can still be misconduct.

Under the terms of Law 12, the word "deliberate" in the sense of deliberately committing a foul does not mean that the player intentionally set out to kick, push, trip, hold or otherwise foul his opponent. If that were so, the referee would have to be capable of reading a player's mind. Under Law 12, "deliberate" means that the referee makes a judgment based upon what he sees the player do. The referee makes the decision based upon the player's action, not upon what he thinks is in the player's mind.

Ten offenses are described in Law 12 for which, if play is stopped as a result, the restart is a direct free kick (or a penalty kick if committed by a team within its own penalty area). These offenses are referred to as penal fouls. They are divided into two groups:

Referees should not punish actions that are accidental or inadvertent. In the case of the first group, the action becomes an offense only if the referee decides that it was committed carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force. In the case of the second group, the action alone is an offense, no matter how it was committed.

If the foul was careless, simply a miscalculation of strength or a stretch of judgment by the player who committed it, then it is a normal foul, requiring only a direct free kick (and possibly a stern talking-to). If the foul was reckless, clearly outside the norm for fair play, then the referee must award the direct free kick and also caution the player for unsporting behavior, showing the yellow card. If the foul involved the use of excessive force, totally beyond the bounds of normal play, then the referee must send off the player for serious foul play, show the red card, and award the direct free kick to the opposing team

Tripping or attempting to trip an opponent includes situations in which the player moves under the opponent and uses his body to upset or upend the opponent. This is also known as "bridging." Referees must carefully distinguish an act of tripping from the fact of being tripped. Tripping or attempting to trip is an offense if it is clearly directed at an opponent and causes the opponent to falter or fall. Players, however, may trip over or fall over an opponent as a result of natural play and no infringement of the Law has been committed.

The act of charging an opponent can be performed without it being called as a foul. Although the fair charge is commonly defined as "shoulder to shoulder," this is not a requirement and, at certain age levels where heights may vary greatly, may not even be possible. Furthermore, under many circumstances, a charge may often result in the player against whom it is placed falling to the ground (a consequence, as before, of players differing in weight or strength). The Law does require that the charge be directed toward the area of the shoulder and not toward the center of the opponent's back (the spinal area): in such a case, the referee should recognize that such a charge is at minimum reckless and potentially even violent. It is a violation of Law 12 to perform an otherwise fair charge against an opponent who is already being fairly charged by another player. Such an action is at minimum a careless challenge. It is also holding and is commonly referred to as a "sandwich."

Striking can include the use of any object (including the ball) as well as hands, arms, head, or knees (if feet are used, the offense would be called as kicking). In the special case of a player using an object (shoe, stone, etc.) to strike an opponent, the restart is located where the offense originated. Thus, a goalkeeper has committed a penal foul within his own penalty area and play is restarted with a penalty kick if he throws a ball with excessive force at an opponent standing outside the penalty area. If the striking was initiated from a throw-in, the restart is taken from the place on the touch line where the throw-in was taken (the point from which the ball was thrown). On the other hand, if the goalkeeper or any other player, standing within his own penalty area, strikes an opponent who is outside the penalty area, the restart must be a direct free kick from the spot where the contact took place (outside the penalty area).

Holding an opponent includes the act of stretching the arms out to prevent an opponent from moving past or around.

Making contact with the opponent after touching the ball while performing a tackle does not necessarily mean that a foul has not been committed. The declaration by a player that he has in fact played the ball is irrelevant if, while tackling the ball, the player carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force commits any of the prohibited actions.

The offense known as "handling the ball" involves deliberate contact with the ball by a player's hand or arm (including fingertips, upper arm, or outer shoulder). "Deliberate contact" means that the player could have avoided the touch but chose not to, that the player's arms were not in a normal playing position at the time, or that the player deliberately continued an initially accidental contact for the purpose of gaining an unfair advantage. Moving hands or arms instinctively to protect the body when suddenly faced with a fast approaching ball does not constitute deliberate contact unless there is subsequent action to direct the ball once contact is made. Likewise, placing hands or arms to protect the body at a free kick or similar restart is not likely to produce an infringement unless there is subsequent action to direct or control the ball. The fact that a player may benefit from the ball contacting the hand does not transform the otherwise accidental event into an infringement. A player infringes the Law regarding handling the ball even if direct contact is avoided by holding something in the hand (clothing, shinguard, etc.).

The rule of thumb for referees is that it is handling if the player plays the ball, but not handling if the ball plays the player. The referee should punish only deliberate handling of the ball, meaning only those actions when the player (and not the goalkeeper within his own penalty area) strikes or propels the ball with his hand or arm (shoulder to tip of fingers).

Any use of the shoulder in playing the ball is considered as using the hand. This can mean that, even though the player leaves his hand/arm close to his body, he may have moved the body so as to strike or propel the ball with the arm or hand, and the referee must watch for actions of that sort. Propelling the ball forward using the front part of the shoulder is considered handling, even when the main area of contact between ball and body is the chest.

A second group of offenses is described in Law 12 for which the correct restart is an indirect free kick. These are referred to as "technical" fouls.

Playing "in a dangerous manner" can be called only if the act, in the opinion of the referee, meets three criteria: the action must be dangerous to someone (including the player himself), it was committed with an opponent close by, and the dangerous nature of the action caused this opponent to cease his active play for the ball or to be otherwise disadvantaged by his attempt not to participate in the dangerous play. Merely committing a dangerous act is not, by itself, an offense (e.g., kicking high enough that the cleats show or attempting while on the ground to play the ball). Committing a dangerous act while an opponent is near by is not, by itself, an offense. The act becomes an offense only when an opponent is adversely and unfairly affected, usually by the opponent ceasing to challenge for the ball in order to avoid receiving or causing injury as a direct result of the player's act. Playing in a manner considered to be dangerous when only a teammate is nearby is not a foul. Remember that fouls may be committed only against opponents.

A usable guideline for the concept of "playing distance" is the distance a player can cover in about two strides at the speed he or she is moving at the time. However, "playing distance" remains a matter of referee judgement.

The goalkeeper is considered to be in possession of the ball while bouncing it on the ground or while throwing it into the air. Possession is given up if, while throwing the ball into the air, it is allowed to strike the ground.

An opponent may not prevent the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands. While players have a right to maintain a position achieved during the normal course of play, they may not try to block the goalkeeper's movement while he is holding the ball or do anything which hinders, interferes with, or blocks the goalkeeper who is throwing or punting the ball back into play. An opponent does not violate the Law, however, if he takes advantage of a ball released by the goalkeeper directly to him, in his direction, or even deflecting off him nonviolently.

The International Board has often emphasized the need to enforce strictly the requirement in Law 12 that a goalkeeper may not take more than four steps while controlling the ball with his hands and before releasing it into play. However, this restriction is not intended to include steps taken by the goalkeeper while gaining control of the ball, while moving as a natural result of momentum, or while moving around nearby opponents. Furthermore, an overly precise count of the goalkeeper's steps may often involve a trifling infringement if these steps are not, in the opinion of the referee, to the keeper's advantage or taken as a means of wasting time.

A goalkeeper who has taken hand control of the ball and then released it back into play may not handle the ball again until it has been played by an opponent anywhere on the field or by a teammate who is outside of the penalty area. Referees should note carefully Decision 3, which defines "control" and distinguishes this from an accidental rebound or a save.

A goalkeeper infringes Law 12 if he touches the ball with his hands directly after it has been deliberately kicked by a teammate. The requirement that the ball be kicked means only that it has been played with the foot. The requirement that the ball be "kicked to" the goalkeeper means only that the play is to or toward a place where the keeper can legally handle the ball. The requirement that the ball be "deliberately kicked" means that the play on the ball is deliberate and does not include situations in which the ball has been, in the opinion of the referee, accidentally deflected or misdirected. The goalkeeper has infringed the Law if he handles the ball after initially playing the ball in some other way (e.g., with his feet).

A goalkeeper infringes Law 12 if he touches the ball with his hands after he receives it directly from a throw-in taken by a teammate. Referees should take care not to consider as trickery any sequence of play that offers a fair chance for opponents to challenge for the ball before it is handled by the goalkeeper from a throw-in.

A player who charges an opponent in an otherwise legal manner (i.e., not carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force) but with the ball not within playing distance has infringed the Law. Such an "off the ball" charge is considered a form of impeding the progress of an opponent and is thus penalized with an indirect free kick restart for the opposing team.

A goalkeeper wastes time, within the meaning of Law 12, if he maintains hand control of the ball for longer than 5-6 seconds. This restriction is to be evaluated in much the same way as the limitation on the steps a goalkeeper may take. Referees must not measure this time with any obvious visual or verbal counting. Goalkeepers who hold the ball for longer than 5-6 seconds will normally be warned by the referee before any more serious action is taken.

Referees must carefully observe any charge against the goalkeeper and call as an infringement of Law 12 only those charges which are performed carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force (direct free kick), are performed in a dangerous manner (indirect free kick), or prevent the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands (indirect free kick).

Law 12 identifies seven categories of action for which a player may be cautioned and shown the yellow card. Another seven categories of action are identified for which a player may be sent off the field (expelled or dismissed) and shown the red card. A player sent from the field under Law 12 may not be replaced (i.e., the team must continue the match with one fewer player). A substitute sent from the field under Law 12 also may not be replaced, but this does not alter the number of players his team may field.

If play is stopped solely to deal with misconduct committed by a player on the field, the proper restart is an indirect free kick taken from the location of the misconduct (subject to the conditions imposed by Law 8 and Law 13). If play is stopped solely to deal with misconduct committed by a substitute, for misconduct committed off the field of play, or for team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner, the restart is a dropped ball taken from where the ball was when play was stopped (subject to the special circumstances of Law 8). If play is stopped for any reason in addition to misconduct, the restart is determined by the other reason. The restart cannot be a direct free kick unless the reason for the stoppage included a penal foul. If misconduct occurs while play is stopped, the restart is determined by the original reason for the stoppage.

Law 5 empowers the referee to take "disciplinary action against players guilty of cautionable and sending-off offenses. He is not obligated to take this action immediately, but must do so when the ball next goes out of play." If the referee has applied advantage and delayed punishment for misconduct until the next stoppage, he must normally act quickly to prevent play from restarting when the next stoppage occurs so that the punishment will be recorded and the proper card displayed. In cases of serious misconduct where a sending-off will be ordered, the referee must be certain that he has the full opportunity to take the necessary actions despite any apparent loss of advantage due to a quick restart opportunity being denied. However, if the misconduct was less serious and the team that suffered the misconduct wishes to put the ball back into play quickly, the referee should weigh the value of the quick restart against the necessity to deal with the misconduct. If a quick restart is in the best interest of the game, then the referee should not interfere. In such a case, the referee must remember that by giving an immediate restart he no longer has the authority to caution the offender. He should take the next opportunity to warn the offending player about his conduct.

Although the decision to issue a caution and display the yellow card for an act of misconduct is in most cases a matter of discretion based on the opinion of the referee, there are various specific instances of misconduct for which the Laws of the Game mandate that a caution be given. These are identified below and elsewhere in bold print as a mandatory caution. Referees must carefully distinguish between those relatively few actions for which a caution is mandated by the Laws of the Game and the remaining actions for which a caution is discretionary. In most cases, the referee exercises discretion in deciding if the act he has observed comes under one of the seven categories of cautionable offenses found in Law 12.

Among the specific actions considered cautionable as unsporting behavior, the following are noted:

Dissent is committed by words, actions (including gestures), or a combination of the two. The referee should evaluate dissent in terms of content (what exactly is said or done), loudness (the extent to which the dissent can be seen or heard widely), and whether it is clearly directed at an official (including assistant referees and fourth officials). The objective in dealing with dissent is to support the spirit of the game, to maintain the authority of the officials, and to reduce the likelihood of such behavior becoming widespread. A goalkeeper who leaves the penalty area (not beckoned by the referee) to engage the referee or an assistant referee in debate regarding a decision has committed dissent.

Persistent infringement occurs either when a player repeatedly commits fouls or infringements or participates in a pattern of fouls directed against the same opponent. It is not necessary for the multiple fouls to be of the same type or all to be penal fouls, but infringements must be among those covered in Law 12 or involve failure to maintain the distance required under Laws 14 and 17. The referee must first warn the player that the pattern has been observed and, upon a subsequent violation, must then issue the caution. In cases where the referee sees a pattern of fouls directed against a single opponent, it is proper to warn the team that the pattern has been seen and then to caution the next player who continues the pattern, even if this specific player may not have previously committed a foul against this single opponent.

Other examples of persistent infringement include a player who:

The following are specific examples of this form of misconduct:

Players who leave the field with the referee's permission require the referee's permission to return to the field. Examples of this include a player who attempts to come onto the field:

This category of misconduct normally refers to a situation in which an opponent leaves the field in an attempt, in the opinion of the referee, to place an attacker in an apparent offside position.

A player who commits serious foul play, violent conduct, a deliberate handling of the ball which denies a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, or a foul which denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity must be sent from the field. These categories of misconduct are discussed in more detail in Parts C and D below. A player who commits any of the following actions will also be sent from the field:

A player who receives a second caution must be shown the yellow card for the second caution and must then be shown the red card for the sending-off offense. The second caution leading to dismissal from the field can occur at any time during the match (including the half time interval, additional periods of play, and kicks from the penalty mark).

The referee should judge offensive, insulting, or abusive language according to its content (the specific words or actions used), the extent to which the language can be heard by others beyond the immediate vicinity of the player, and whether the language is directed at officials, opponents, or teammates.

It is serious foul play when a player uses violence (excessive force; formerly defined as "disproportionate and unnecessary strength") when challenging for the ball on the field against an opponent. There can be no serious foul play against a teammate, the referee, an assistant referee, a spectator, etc. The use of violence or excessive force against an opponent under any other conditions must be punished as violent conduct.

It is violent conduct when a player (or substitute) is guilty of aggression towards an opponent (when they are not contesting for the ball) or towards any other person (one of his teammates, the referee, an assistant referee, a spectator, etc.). The ball can be in or out of play. The aggression can occur either on or off the field of play.

The restart for serious foul play is either a direct free kick or a penalty kick. Restarts are more complicated for violent conduct. This chart illustrates the restarts appropriate to incidents of violent conduct:

There are two sending-off offenses that deal with denying an opponent a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity. These occur in cases where a player: (a) "denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)" or (b) "denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player's goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick." This would apply to any player other than the goalkeeper in his own penalty area who handles a ball to prevent it from entering the goal, whether the ball was last played by the opposing team or not.

The denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity is punished by sending off (red card) the guilty player, even though there may have been no contact between the players involved.

The referee must consider five criteria when deciding whether or not the conditions during an infringement of Law 12 constituted an obvious goalscoring opportunity:

Even if all these criteria are met, it is still the judgment and opinion of the referee that determines if the event was an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Even if the referee makes use of the advantage clause during an obvious goalscoring opportunity, he can still punish the offender after the fact. If a goal is directly scored despite the attempted intervention by a defender handling the ball, fouling an opponent, or committing misconduct, the offender cannot be sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, but he can still be cautioned for unsporting behavior or sent off for serious foul play if the foul involved excessive force. However, if in these circumstances the goal was scored following a second or immediately subsequent play of the ball, the offender must nevertheless be sent off because his action prevented a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity during the first play when the infringement occurred.

Here are some illustrations to aid you in understanding the difference between situations that are obvious goalscoring opportunities and those that are not.

• In Figure 1, attacking player No. 9 is moving towards his opponents' goal. He has beaten defender No. 6 and has only the goalkeeper between himself and the goal. He has therefore an obvious goalscoring opportunity. No. 6 trips him from behind, denying him an obvious goalscoring opportunity. The referee should send off No. 6 (red card) and award a penalty kick to No. 9's team. It would be a direct free kick if it had been committed outside the penalty area.

• Figure 2 shows the same situation as described in Figure 1, but with other defenders in addition to the goalkeeper between No. 9 and the opponents' goal. In this case there would be no sending-off, but a penalty kick would be awarded to No. 9's team. The referee retains the option to caution No. 6 for unsporting behavior.

The same punishments would have been given for any other penal foul by the defending team in either of these situations. Impeding an opponent can also mean denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, and this is covered in Figures 3 and 4, which illustrate holding and impeding, respectively.

• In Figure 3, attacking player No. 9 is moving towards his opponents' goal. The last defender (in addition to the goalkeeper) deliberately moves in front of No. 9 and makes contact to stop him from reaching the ball, therefore taking away from him an obvious opportunity to score a goal. The referee should send off the last defender and restart with a direct free kick for No. 9's team. If the offense had occurred in the penalty area, the proper restart would be a penalty kick. If there had been more defenders behind the defender, the referee would simply award a direct free kick to No. 9's team.

• Figure 4 is similar to the previous one, except that in this case the last defender (other than the goalkeeper) moves in front of No. 9 and impedes him without making physical contact, so that he is prevented from reaching the ball, thus denying him the goalscoring opportunity. The referee should send off the last defender and restart with an indirect free kick. If there had been other defenders behind this defender, he would not be sent off.

The Diagrams published in the 1996-1997 Laws of the Game (then labeled "Serious Foul Play," but now called "denies a goal," etc.) continue to be valid guidance for judging obvious goalscoring opportunities and referees should continue to consult them. Diagrams 1-10 illustrate issues involved in deciding if a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity has been denied.

In Diagram 1, the attacker is making his way towards goal with an obvious goalscoring opportunity when he is tripped by a defender. The defender must be sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

In Diagram 2, an attacker is making his way towards goal when he is tripped by an opponent. He does not, however, have an obvious goalscoring opportunity, because there are too many defenders between him and the goal.

In Diagram 3, an attacker making his way to goal with an obvious goalscoring opportunity attempts to move past the goalkeeper, who holds him. A penalty kick is awarded and the goalkeeper must be sent off. (The referee must distinguish between this case and one in which the goalkeeper obviously attempts to play the ball, misses the ball, and thus trips the attacker who is not heading directly for goal. That offense would still result in a penalty kick, but the goalkeeper would not be sent off.)

In Diagram 4, an attacker is held by the goalkeeper inside the penalty area and a penalty kick is awarded. The attacker is moving away from goal and so does not have an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

In Diagram 5, the attacker is tripped inside the penalty area and a penalty kick is awarded. There is, however, no obvious goalscoring opportunity since the player is moving away from goal.

In Diagram 6, the attacker, No. 11, is tripped but there is no obvious goalscoring opportunity since he is not moving towards goal. Direct free kick.

In Diagram 7, an attacker shoots for goal, but an outfield player punches the ball over the bar, thus preventing a goal being scored. This player must be sent off for denying a goal by deliberately handling the ball. If the defender had punched or handled the ball and the ball had entered the goal, he would not have been sent off according to Law 12, but he should be cautioned for unsporting behavior.

In Diagram 8, an attacker plays the ball and it is deliberately handled by a defender inside the penalty area. A penalty kick is awarded. The defender would not be sent off, as there were too many defenders between the offense and the goal. If the ball had struck the defender on the hand accidentally, no offense would have been committed and play would have been allowed to continue.

In Diagram 9, the attacker is running on to a forward pass and has an obvious goalscoring opportunity. A defender jumps up and deliberately handles the ball, thus preventing an obvious goalscoring opportunity. The defender must be sent off and the game restarted with a direct free kick for the attacking team.

In Diagram 10, an attacker is running on to a forward pass with an obvious goalscoring opportunity when the goalkeeper rushes from his goal and deliberately handles the ball outside the penalty area. The goalkeeper must be sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity by handling the ball outside the penalty area. The game is restarted with a direct free kick for the attacker's team.

All opponents must be at least ten yards away in all directions from the location of the free kick. Exceptions to the required distance are noted below (free kick for defenders inside their own penalty area, indirect free kick for the attacking team within ten yards of the opponents' goal, or a quick free kick by the attacking team). Referees should use discretion in cautioning for an infringement.

The referee should move quickly out of the way after indicating the approximate area of the restart and should do nothing to interfere with the kicking team's right to an immediate free kick. At competitive levels of play, referees should not automatically "manage the wall," but should allow the ball to be put back into play as quickly as possible, unless the kicking team requests help in dealing with opponents infringing on the minimum distance.

Special rules in Law 8 govern free kick restarts within the goal area or by defenders within their own penalty area.

If the referee decides to delay the restart and to enforce the required minimum distance, he must tell the players not to start until he gives a clear signal to do so. An attacker who restarts play without a signal should be verbally warned and, upon repetition, be cautioned for unsporting behavior. An opponent who moves closer to the spot of the kick (from any direction) before it is taken must be cautioned and shown the yellow card if the referee has delayed the restart to ensure that the opponents are at the minimum distance.

If one or more opponents fail to respect the required distance before the ball is properly put into play, the referee should stop the restart to deal with this infringement. The free kick must be retaken even if the momentum of play causes the ball to be kicked before the referee signals. The infringement plus the referee's decision to deal with it cancel any apparent restart regardless of a delay in announcing the decision.

The referee is expected to deal with opponents who fail to respect the required distance, even in situations in which they were induced to do so by attackers appearing to put the ball into play, but where the ball was not kicked (touched with the foot and moved).

An attacking team which chooses to take a free kick with an opponent closer than the minimum distance may not thereafter claim infringement of the distance requirement, even if the ball is kicked directly to the infringing opponent, who thereby gains control of the ball.

When the free kick is awarded to the defending team inside its own penalty area, the minimum distance requirement applies in all directions around the location of the restart and all opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball has gone into play.

A free kick taken by the defending team from within its own penalty area must be kicked out of the penalty area and into the field of play. The ball has not been properly put into play if, under these circumstances, it leaves the field of play before leaving the penalty area. Such a kick must be retaken as no infringement has occurred.

Defenders (including the goalkeeper) may be closer than ten yards from an indirect free kick restart only if they are standing on the goal line and are between the goal posts. Referees must exercise special care not to restrict the kicking team's right to a quick indirect free kick simply in order to enforce this exception to the minimum distance requirement.

When play is stopped solely to deal with misconduct committed by a player on the field, the indirect free kick is taken from the place where the misconduct occurred. If the referee applies advantage to the misconduct and subsequently stops play when the advantage no longer exists, the restart is still taken from the place where the original misconduct occurred.

The failure of the referee either to give the correct signal for an indirect free kick or to hold it for the required period of time does not change the nature of the restart, nor does it alter the requirement for a subsequent touch of the ball for a goal to be scored.

The penalty kick is a ceremonial restart which is awarded when the defending team commits a penal foul within its own penalty area. There is no requirement as to the severity or seriousness of the foul, the score of the game, the amount of time remaining in the period of play, the direction play was moving, the likelihood of a goal being scored, or any factor other than the commission of the foul itself inside the defender's penalty area. Referees are reminded that it is the location of the foul, not the position of the ball, which determines whether a penalty kick is the correct restart.

The ball must be placed correctly at the penalty mark, regardless of the state of the pitch at this location. Moving the ball elsewhere, even with the apparent agreement of the players, is not permitted.

The referee will not signal for the penalty kick to be taken until and unless the goalkeeper is on the goal line between the goal posts and facing the field, the attacking player taking the penalty kick is clearly identified to the referee and the goalkeeper, and all players other than the kicker and goalkeeper are outside the penalty area, outside the penalty arc, and not nearer the goal line than the penalty mark. If the penalty kick is taken before the referee signals, the kicker should be warned and, upon repetition, cautioned for unsporting behavior. The kick must be retaken.

Once the referee signals for the penalty kick, the goalkeeper may move from side to side on the goal line, but may not move off the goal line (into the field or backward) until the ball has been kicked. The requirement to be "on the goal line" is met even if one or both of the goalkeeper's feet are not physically touching the ground, so long as the goalkeeper has not moved forward or backward from the plane of the goal line.

If a penalty kick is ordered retaken, it is not necessary for the same player to perform the restart.

The identified kicker may play the ball forward for a teammate, who was properly positioned at the time the kick occurred, to run forward and play the ball.

Penalty kicks, once awarded, are taken regardless of the amount of time remaining in the half. If time expires or will expire before the restart can occur, the referee should announce this fact and indicate clearly that the penalty kick is now being taken "in extended time." No player other than the goalkeeper can participate in play after the penalty kick is taken. In case of an "extended time" penalty kick, the goalkeeper may be replaced, if necessary, by a substitute if the maximum number of substitutions has not been exceeded, or he may be replaced by an eligible player on the field. All players must remain on the field until the penalty kick has been completed. The referee has no authority to make the players leave the field or the vicinity of the penalty area for the taking of a penalty kick in extended time.

Infringements of Law 14 may occur either before the ball is in play or after the penalty kick has been taken.

Infringements before the ball is in play may be committed by the kicker, the goalkeeper, or by their teammates. In all such cases, the referee should let the kick proceed and deal with the infringement in accordance with the chart below, which outlines the proper restarts for clear infringements of Law 14.

Infringements after the penalty kick has been taken may be committed by the kicker or by an outside agent.

This chart illustrates the proper restarts for clear infringements of Law 14:

If any requirement of Law 14 is infringed after the referee signals for the kick, the referee should warn the player committing the violation and, upon a repetition (then or subsequently), caution him for persistent infringement of the Laws of the Game. Such infringements include moving into the penalty area or the penalty arc, moving nearer the goal line than the penalty mark, having the kick taken by someone other than the identified player, the identified kicker engaging in unfair deception while taking the kick, and the goalkeeper moving off the goal line before the ball is in play. At all times, however, the referee is expected to distinguish between clear infringements of Law 14 and those which are merely doubtful or trifling.

If in fact a player does repeat an infringement of Law 14 on the same or a subsequent penalty kick, the referee must follow the same procedure as for first infringements, except that if play is stopped at any time during the process, the caution must be given before the restart. If play does not stop "naturally" for a goal, corner kick, goal kick, etc., the referee must stop the game, issue the caution, and then restart with an indirect free kick for the opposing team from the spot where the misconduct occurred (subject to the special circumstances described in Law 8).

If a teammate of the kicker infringes any requirement of Law 14 and a goal is not scored, but the goalkeeper saves the shot by deflecting the ball over the crossbar or outside the goal posts, the correct restart is a corner kick. This issue is currently under discussion by the IFAB and the indicated correct restart may change as a result.

Although the throw-in is to be taken "from the point where [the ball] crossed the touch line," this requirement is satisfied if the restart occurs within approximately one yard (one meter) of this location, farther upfield or downfield or back from the touch line. A throw-in taken beyond this limit is an infringement of Law 15.

The ball is considered to have entered the field and is therefore in play if it touches, while still in the air, the outer edge of the vertical plane of the touch line.

A throw-in must be performed while the thrower is facing the field, but the ball may be thrown into the field in any direction. Law 15 states that the thrower "delivers the ball from behind and over his head." This phrase does not mean that the ball must leave the hands from an overhead position. A natural throwing movement starting from behind and over the head will usually result in the ball leaving the hands when they are in front of the vertical plane of the body. The throwing movement must be continued to the point of release. A throw-in directed straight downward (often referred to as a "spike") is therefore not correctly performed and may result in the restart being awarded to the opposing team. There is no requirement in Law 15 prohibiting spin or rotational movement. Referees must judge the correctness of the throw-in solely on the basis of Law 15.

The acrobatic or "flip" throw-in is not by itself an infringement so long as it is performed in a manner which meets the requirements of Law 15.

Here are some illustrations of foot positioning that is allowed or not allowed. The shaded areas indicate where the thrower's foot touches the ground.

Referees must distinguish between a throw-in which infringes on the requirements of Law 15 and one which is performed improperly such that the restart is said not to have been taken. In the first case (infringement), possession of the restart is given to the opponents and taken from the same location; under no circumstances may advantage be applied to a throw-in performed illegally. In the case of a throw-in which is not properly completed, the restart must be taken again by the same team from the same location.

A throw-in may not be performed from a kneeling position under any circumstances.

If the ball touches the ground outside the field before entering the field or if it does not enter the field at all, the throw-in has not properly been taken and must be performed again.

Referees are reminded that the primary function of the throw-in is to put the ball back into play as quickly as possible. At competitive levels of play, therefore, apparent technical infringements of Law 15 should often be deemed trifling or doubtful so long as an advantage is not obtained by the team performing the throw-in and the restart occurs with little or no delay.

Neither team may score a goal directly from a throw-in. If the ball is thrown directly into a team's own goal (with no intervening touch or play), the correct restart is a corner kick. If the ball is thrown directly into the opposing team's goal, play is restarted with a goal kick.

Opponents are prohibited from unfairly distracting or impeding the thrower (violations are punished by a mandatory caution for unsporting behavior). This means that an opponent may not jump about or wave his arms in a distracting manner, move to block the freedom of movement of the thrower, stand directly in front of the thrower so as to harass him, or move to block a throw in a particular direction.

A throw-in taken in such a way that the ball strikes an opponent is not by itself a violation of the Law. The act must be evaluated separately as a form of striking and dealt with appropriately if judged to be unsporting behavior (caution) or violent conduct (send off from the field). In either event, if deemed a violation, the restart is located at the place on the touch line where the throw-in was taken.

The ball is placed so that it touches the ground within the goal area, including the lines which enclose it. The outer edge of the ball could extend beyond or outside the goal area itself and still meet this requirement.

Here are some examples of ball positions for goal kicks:

The ball is in play when it is kicked beyond the penalty area into the field of play. A goal kick which results in the ball leaving the field before exiting the penalty area has not been properly taken and must be retaken. No infringement of any Law occurring before the ball leaves the penalty area can result in any restart other than a retaking of the goal kick.

Only the team taking a goal kick can score a goal directly from this restart. There can be no "own goal" on a goal kick. If a properly taken goal kick goes directly (with no touch or play by any player) into the goal of the kicking team, the proper restart is a corner kick for the opposing team. Because a team cannot score directly against itself from a goal kick, no infringement of the Law by a member of the kicking team can be considered to have prevented a goal or a goalscoring opportunity within the meaning of Law 12 without some intervening play of the ball.

An opponent who infringes on the requirement to remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play should be warned and, upon a repetition, cautioned for persistent infringement. In any event, the goal kick is retaken.

Upon being awarded a goal kick, the defending team wastes time if the ball is clearly placed within the goal area in preparation for the restart and then is moved unnecessarily to another location. The referee may caution and show the yellow card for either persistent infringement or delaying the restart of play in situations where the offense is committed a second time by the same team after a warning is given.

The corner kick restart is taken from the corner on the side of the field nearest to where the ball crossed the goal line. In cases where the selection of the correct corner may be doubtful, the referee will decide and announce the correct corner clearly and firmly.

The requirement that the ball be placed within the corner arc is satisfied if the ball rests on the ground at any point inside the corner arc or on any part of the lines which enclose the corner arc. In practice, this means that a ball properly placed for a corner kick could extend beyond the area of the corner arc, including beyond the field itself.

Here are some examples of ball positioning for corner kicks:

Law 17 does not limit where the player taking the corner kick must initiate this restart. The kicker may be off the field, either beyond the touch line or beyond the goal line.

The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves. The act of kicking the ball includes any play of the ball with the foot, and only minimal movement is needed to meet the requirement.

If the ball is properly placed and, as a result of the kick, immediately leaves the field across the goal line, the correct restart is a goal kick. If the ball immediately goes across the touch line, the correct restart is a throw-in for the opposing team. Any movement of the ball is sufficient to put it into play.

If the ball enters the attacking team's own goal directly from a corner kick, the correct restart is a corner kick for the opposing team. The kicking team cannot score against itself directly from a corner kick.