SportsMaze

What changes the result

The rules behind the moments commentators get excited about. They build on the beginner rules.

I · Intermediate · 14 rules · Step 2 of 4

How is a goal scored, and how is a match won?

  1. How does extra time work in football?Extra time is two equal periods of no more than 15 minutes each, played when a competition needs a winner after a draw.

Offside

  1. When is a player in an offside position penalised?A player in an offside position is penalised only if they become involved in active play: by playing or touching the ball, by interfering with an opponent or by gaining an advantage from a rebound, deflection or save.
  2. When can't a player be offside?There is no offside offence when a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, throw-in or corner kick.

What is a foul?

  1. Can you shield the ball in football?Yes.
  2. What is dangerous play in football?Playing in a dangerous manner is any action that, while trying to play the ball, threatens injury to someone, including the player themself, or stops a nearby opponent playing the ball for fear of injury.
  3. Why didn't the referee stop play for that foul?Because stopping play would have helped the team that broke the rule.

Yellow cards, red cards and misconduct

  1. Is a last-man foul always a red card?No.

Kick-offs, free kicks, penalties and other restarts

  1. When is a goal kick given?A goal kick is given when the attacking team last touched the ball before the whole of it crossed the goal line, without a goal.

How long is a match, and what stops it?

  1. How is stoppage time decided in football?The referee adds additional time at the end of each half for time lost to substitutions, injuries, time-wasting, cards, drinks and cooling breaks, VAR checks, goal celebrations and other delays.
  2. What is the punishment for time-wasting in football?Time lost is added back, and the 2026/27 Laws add direct penalties.

Who plays, and who can come on?

  1. How many substitutions are allowed in football?Up to five, in official competitions, with the exact number set by the competition.
  2. What are the special rules for goalkeepers?Every team must have a goalkeeper, the only player allowed to handle the ball, and only inside their own penalty area.

Who decides, and how does VAR work?

  1. Who are the match officials in football?One referee controls the match and has the final say on every decision.
  2. How does VAR work in football?The video assistant referee (VAR) watches the match on screens and can help the referee only for a clear and obvious error or a serious missed incident in four areas: goals, penalties, red cards and mistaken identity.
A · Advanced · 12 rulesNext: advanced rules