Soccer also known as football, is a game played between two opposing teams and is considered to be the most popular game on earth. The game consists of two teams of 11 players each played on a rectangular field or pitch. Games involving kicking a ball have been around the world for many centuries. From China to Japan to medieval Europe, there have been many variations of the game of soccer. However, the rules of football as they are codified today, are based on mid-19th century efforts to standardise game, which was and still is played at public schools across England. The object of soccer is to score the ball in the opposing teams goal. The team with the most goals in the game is declared the winner of the match.

Laws of the Game

The game currently has seventeen laws including:

• Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players one of whom is a goalkeeper. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms.
• The basic equipment players are required to wear include a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is different from the other team mates on the field and the officials.
• A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is three, though the number permitted may be varied in other leagues or in friendly matches. After substitued in the game a player who has just come off the field is not permitted to return to the game.
• A game is officiated by a referee, who enforces the laws of the game. A referee is assisted by two assistant referees and in many high level games there is also another 4th referee.

The two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play. The ball is in play at all times. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play

• Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play.
• Throw-in: when the ball has wholly crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that which last touched the ball.
• Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by an attacker; awarded to defending team.
• Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a defender; awarded to attacking team.
• Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution/send-off an opponent without a specific foul having occurred.
• Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls.
• Penalty kick: awarded to the fouled team following a "penal" foul occurring in their opponent's penalty area.
• Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason (e.g., a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective). This restart is uncommon in adult games.

Fouls and misconducts

A foul occurs when a player commits a specific offence listed in the Laws of the Game when the ball is in play. Various examples of penal fouls include handling the ball, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent. These fouls are punishable punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick.

The referee may punish a player or substitute's misconduct by a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card). A second yellow card at the same game leads to a red card, and therefore to a sending-off. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad.