Soccer rules for kids
Soccer has 17 Laws of the Game, and a young player needs only a handful of them to enjoy a match. This guide explains each rule kids meet first in two plain sentences, with a diagram of where everyone stands.
Each page gives the short answer, what the referee looks for, the mix-ups we hear most from kids and parents, and how the rule changes in 7v7, 9v9, 11v11 and futsal.
Soccer is called football in most of the world. This guide is part of Futbol Island’s free football lessons for kids aged 7 to 12.
Play it on the islandThe game in five lines
- Two teams try to put the ball in the other team’s goal. The whole ball has to cross the whole line.
- Only the goalkeeper may use hands or arms, and only inside their own penalty area.
- When the ball goes out over the side, it comes back with a throw-in. Over the end line, it is a goal kick or a corner kick.
- A foul gives the other team a free kick. A foul by a defender in their own penalty area can be a penalty kick.
- The referee’s decision is final. Players shake hands at the end, whatever the score.
Restarts
How the game starts again when the ball goes out or play stops.
- Kick-offIn soccer, a kick-off starts each half and restarts the game after every goal, from the center mark.
- Throw-inIn soccer, a throw-in restarts the game when the whole ball crosses the touchline, and it goes to the team that did not touch…
- Goal kickIn soccer, a goal kick is given when the attacking team touches the ball last before the whole ball crosses the goal line and no…
- Corner kickIn soccer, a corner kick is given when the defending team touches the ball last before the whole ball crosses its own goal line…
- Drop ballIn soccer, a drop ball restarts the game when the referee has stopped play for something that is not a foul, such as an injury…
Fouls and the referee
What is not allowed, and what the referee does about it.
- Fouls and free kicksIn soccer, a foul gives the other team a free kick from the place where it happened.
- HandballIn soccer, handball is an offence when a player touches the ball with a hand or arm on purpose, or with an arm that makes the…
- Penalty kickIn soccer, a penalty kick is given when a defender commits a direct free kick foul, such as a trip, a push or a handball, inside…
- Yellow and red cardsIn soccer, a yellow card is a warning and a red card sends a player off for the rest of the game.
- AdvantageIn soccer, the referee plays advantage when a team is fouled but would be better off if the game kept going, for example because…
Offside and the goalkeeper
The two rules that change how teams attack and build from the back.
Youth soccer and futsal
Rules made for young players in the United States, and the rules of futsal.
- Build-out lineThe build-out line is a line across a 7v7 soccer field, halfway between the penalty area and the halfway line, used for under-9…
- Heading rules for kidsIn US youth soccer, players aged 10 and under do not head the ball, in games or in practice.
- Substitutions and game lengthA full soccer game is two halves of 45 minutes, and in top competitions a team may use up to five substitutes who cannot come…
- Futsal rulesFutsal is five-a-side soccer on a hard court, and it has its own Laws from FIFA.
Every rule page has a diagram like this
Onside
Offside
Gold dots are the team attacking up the picture and dark green dots are the other team. Read the offside rule.
Lessons that teach the rules
- Goal Kick & Build-Out Line (7v7 lesson)On our goal kick, the other team waits behind the build-out line. Once the ball is kicked and moves, they can come and press.
- Which Line Matters? (7v7 lesson)In many 7v7 leagues (like AYSO), you can't be called offside until you pass the far build-out line. Past it, offside counts, so time your run.
- Run When the Pass Is On (11v11 lesson)Run when the pass is on, and leave as it is played so you stay onside (Law 11). If the pass is blocked, check toward the ball first.
- Your Keeper Can Help (7v7 lesson)Pass back to your keeper when the way is clear. The keeper must play it with their feet, not hands. If it's covered, pick another teammate.
- Wide Free Kick: Release the Wall at the Right Time (11v11 lesson)At a free kick the wall waits ten yards away (Law 13). Once a short kick moves, one wall player presses while everyone else keeps their job.
- Kick-In: Have a Backup (Futsal lesson)Prepare two options before the restart, then use the one the defender leaves.
Questions about soccer rules
How many rules does soccer have?
The Laws of the Game have 17 Laws, kept by The IFAB. Youth leagues change some details, such as field size, game length and heading, to fit young players.
What is the hardest soccer rule to understand?
Most people say offside. The short version: when a teammate passes forward, do not be past the second-last opponent in their half. Our offside page shows it with two diagrams.
Are the rules the same for kids and adults?
The main rules are. Youth soccer uses smaller fields and balls, shorter games, return substitutions and, in the United States, a build-out line at 7v7 and no heading at age 10 and under.
What is the difference between soccer rules and futsal rules?
Futsal has five players a side, no offside, a kick-in instead of a throw-in, four seconds for restarts and a count of team fouls.
Where can my child practise the rules?
Every rule page links to a free Futbol Island lesson that shows the rule on a pitch with moving players, then asks a few quiz questions.
Keep reading
- Soccer ball size by ageWhich ball to buy: size 3, 4 or 5 for every age group, in one chart
- Soccer field size by ageField, goal and game length for 4v4, 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11, in one chart
- Soccer age groups explained: U6 to U19U6 to U19 explained: birth dates for each group and which game it plays
- Soccer terms for kids: an A-Z glossary92 soccer words in plain English, from advantage to yellow card, 18 with a diagram
- Football rules lessons for kidsThe lessons that teach the rules on a moving pitch
- Museum: The first LawsHow the game got its rules in 1863
Futbol Island is a free football (soccer) learning game for kids aged 7 to 12. Every idea on this page is taught on a pitch with moving players, then checked with a quick quiz.