Football Rules Explained: A Beginner's Guide
Football is the most popular sport on earth, yet a few of its rules can confuse newcomers. This guide breaks down the essentials in plain language, so the next time you open a match on Alkora you understand exactly what is happening on the pitch.
The basics of the game
A football match is played between two teams of eleven players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper. The aim is simple: score more goals than the opponent by getting the ball into their net. A goal counts whether it is scored with the foot, the head or any part of the body other than the hand or arm.
A standard match lasts ninety minutes, divided into two halves of forty-five minutes with a break in between. The referee adds a few minutes of "stoppage time" at the end of each half to make up for pauses in play.
How a team wins
In most league matches, if the score is level when time runs out, the game ends as a draw and each team takes a single point. In a knockout competition a draw cannot stand, so the match goes to thirty minutes of extra time and, if still level, a penalty shootout decides the winner.
The offside rule
Offside is the rule beginners ask about most. In short, an attacking player cannot be nearer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender at the moment a team-mate plays the ball to them.
The rule exists to stop attackers from simply waiting next to the goalkeeper for an easy tap-in. A player is only penalised if they are involved in active play, which is why you will sometimes see a player in an offside position who is not flagged.
Fouls, free kicks and penalties
When a player breaks the rules — for example by tripping, pushing or handling the ball deliberately — the referee awards a free kick to the other team. If the foul happens inside the defending team's own penalty area, the attacking team is given a penalty kick: a single shot from twelve yards with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Yellow and red cards
Referees use coloured cards to discipline players. A yellow card is a formal warning for a serious foul or unsporting behaviour. A red card means the player is sent off and must leave the pitch, forcing their team to continue with ten players.
Two yellow cards in the same match add up to a red card. On Alkora's match timeline you will see each card marked at the exact minute it was shown, so it is easy to follow the discipline as the game unfolds.