U-12, U-14, U-16 GUIDELINES AND FIFA RULES

Length of games and ball specifications:


The FIFA laws of the game:

Within the spirit of fair play, there are 17 laws, some or all of which may be modified for younger, older or female players.

Law I – the field of play: Specifies the field and marking (all lines are part of the area they define). Important dimensions are:

Law II – the ball: Specifies the shape, size, weight and pressure of the ball.

Law III – the number of players: There are 11 on field players per team.  Sub’s must be ready to enter before the ball goes out of play. The sub must ask for (and get) permission from the referee before entering the field of play. The exiting player must completely exit the field before the sub can enter. If you change goalkeepers, you must first get permission from the referee and this must occur at a stoppage in play.

Law IV – players equipment: All players must wear a shirt, shoes, and shin-guards with socks completely covering them. Players may not wear anything that the referee considers dangerous.

Law V – the referee: Authorizes the referee to control the match by:

The referee is also instructed to not stop the game for slight injuries and to not call fouls of trifling or dubious nature. The referee is also allowed to apply advantage to any call. This means that if the referee determines that stopping play would take away an advantage from the offended team, he can choose to not stop play. If the advantage does not develop, the referee is allowed to stop play and award the free kick for the infraction, so long  as the ball has not yet gone out of play.

Law VI – the assistant referee: Authorizes two additional referees to assist in controlling the match. These used to be called linesmen.

Law VII – the duration of the game: Specifies that each half is to be 45 minutes long. This is usually modified for younger players.

Law VIII – the start of play: Specifies that the referee shall conduct a coin flip with a representative from each team. The team winning the toss chooses which end of the field to defend: the loser kicks off. At half time, the teams swap ends, and the winner of the toss kicks off. Each half of the match (as well as any overtime periods) is started with a kick-off from the center spot, which must travel forward. All players must be in their own half. A goal can be scored directly from a kick-off.

If the referee must restart the match for any reason not specifically mentioned in the Laws, he must drop the ball into play from waist height. The Laws do not require the referee to allow a player from each team to participate in the dropped ball, nor to announce in advance that he is dropping the ball. The ball is in play once it touches the ground.

Law IX – ball in or out of play: The ball is out of play when the whole ball passes over the whole of a goal or touch line. The ball is in play at all other times, including: when part of the ball passes over a boundary line, when the ball rebounds from the goal post, a corner flag, the referee, or assistant referee and stays on the field; and most emphatically, when the players assume an infraction is going to be penalized but the referee has not yet blown the whistle.

Law X – method of scoring: A goal is awarded when the ball passes over the goal line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar and no infringement has occurred. The keeper catching the ball and falling across the goal line is a goal. No other method of scoring is allowed.

Law XI – offside: A player is in an offside position if he is ahead of the ball with only one defender between him and the goal and is in the attacking half of the field. That one defender will more than likely be the goal keeper. It is not an infraction simply to be in an offside position.
If the player who is in an offside position becomes involved in active play, then the referee shall punish that player for being offside. A player may be in an offside position and never interfere with play so there would be no offside penalty. A player may return to an onside position just as the ball is being played and there would be no offsides penalty. There would be an offside penalty if the player returned to an onside position after the ball was played to him. A player passing to his self is never offside.

Law XII – fouls and misconduct: Law 12 is rightfully considered the heart of the Law. It defines both the letter of the Law and the spirit of the game. Law 12 is also exhaustive: if it is not listed here, it is not an infringement. For example, it is legal for players to play the ball with their head (or chest or knee, etc.) because Law 12 only forbids playing the ball with hand or arm. Law 12 describes two different kinds of infringements: fouls (punishable by some sort of free kick) and misconduct (punishable by some color of card). Fouls are further subdivided into technical fouls.

Penal fouls are punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick and technical fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick. Penal fouls are fouls of a physical nature – there are 10 of them. A direct free kick is awarded if, in the opinion of the referee, a player commits any of  the following offenses in a careless, reckless, or excessively forceful manner:

*kicking or attempting to kick an opponent
*tripping or attempting to trip an opponent
*striking or attempting to strike an opponent
*unfairly charging an opponent
*jumping  at an opponent
*pushing an opponent
*unfair tackles on an opponent (making contact with the player before playing the ball)
*holds an opponent
*spits at an opponent
*deliberately handles the ball

The following technical fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick:

*a second touch by the same player at a restricted restart
*offside
*dangerous play
*impeding an opponent
*interfering with the goalkeeper putting the ball into play
*goalkeeper infractions –

 taking more than 4 steps after gathering the ball with the hands
 taking more than 5-6 seconds after gathering the ball with the hands
 handles the ball twice without releasing it into play
 handles the ball after a teammate kicks it to him
 handles the ball directly from a teammates’ throw-in wastes time
Notes on dangerous play and impeding an opponent – a player who is trying to head a waist-high ball that an opponent is kicking is guilty of dangerous play. Hanging on to the ball when an opponent is trying to kick it is another common form of dangerous play. Impeding an opponent is interpreted as playing the man and not the ball, as in screening a player in a basketball game.

There are 7 yellow card cautionable offenses:
*unsporting behavior (violations of the spirit of the game)
*persistent infringement of the Laws
*dissent (showing disagreement with any decision of the referee)
*delaying the restart of play
*failing to respect the required distance at a restart of play
*entering the field without permission
*leaving the field without permission

There are 7 red card (send off) offenses:
*violent conduct
*serious foul play
*receiving a second caution in the same match
*offensive, insulting or abusive language
*spitting at another person
*denying an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing an offense punishable by a free kick
*denying an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball

Law XIII – free kicks: There are two kinds of free kicks:
*direct kicks (a goal may be scored directly from a this type of free kick)
*indirect kicks (a goal may only be scored after the ball has been touched by a second player on the same team)
All opponents must retire at least 10 yards from the spot of a free kick

Law XIV – penalty kicks: This is a direct free kick awarded to a team inside their attacking penalty area and it is taken from the penalty spot. All players except the goalkeeper and the person taking the kick must be outside the penalty area, outside the penalty arc and be behind the ball. The goalkeeper may only move laterally

Law XV – throw-ins: A throw-in is taken when the ball goes out of play over either touchline and is taken from the spot where the ball went out of play. The ball is thrown from behind and over the head using both hands and with at least part of each foot touching the ground on or behind the line.

Law XVI – goal kicks: When the ball goes out of play over the goal line, not between the posts and under the bar, and is last touched by an attacker, the defending team is awarded a goal kick that is taken from any point inside the goal area. The ball is in play when it leaves the penalty area. Opponents may not be in the penalty area when the kick is taken.

Law XVII – corner kicks: When the ball goes out of play over the goal line, not between the goal posts and under the bar, and is last touched by a defender, the attacking team is awarded a corner kick that is taken from the nearest corner arc. The ball is in play when it moves and opponents must be 10 yards away when the kick is made.