IFAB - laws of the beautiful game explained

Football today has a very standardised ruleset, but one which is always shifting. The most recent ambiguity was the introduction of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) in 2018 when IFAB included it in the Laws of the Game.

The meeting that resolved the VAR issue was the 132nd Annual General Meeting of IFAB in Zurich, Switzerland. After more than one hundred meetings, debates, and discussions, the IFAB is still deciding what rules are followed globally for the beautiful game.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) was founded in 1886 as an association of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and FIFA. Since 1886, the Laws of the Game have been in place. With football becoming undeniably the biggest sport in the world, the need for fixed rules is even greater. It is very common for sports and athletic disciplines to suffer due to ambiguous rules and many versions of the game.

Let’s briefly go through the Laws of the Game - what they are, what they do, and what they say.

The Laws of the Game

The Laws of the Game apply to referees and govern what referees can do on the field, while a game is active or stopped. It includes what referees can penalise players for and when they can stop a game. It also includes when they can offer advantages to a team as compensation, and when they can stop a game.

When referees are conducting a match, they are following The Laws of the Game. Here's what they cover, in brief.

1. The field on which the game will occur is the first rule covered. The IFAB took this as its first subject to resolve. The length of the field has to be 100 meters and a maximum of 110 meters. The width of the field has to be 64 meters and a maximum of 75 meters. At present, FIFA governs the laws regarding field size. Referees usually do not have to worry about the field size, since the stadium authorities already take care of it. The same size is followed across all footballing destinations in the world.

After specifying the field requirements, the IFAB specified the ball requirements.

2. The Ball - The referee has to inspect the ball before a game begins. The IFAB mandates the following requirement for game balls:

Spherical made of suitable material of a circumference of between 68 cm (27 ins) and 70 cm (28 ins) between 410 g (14 oz) and 450 g (16 oz) in weight. At the start of the match, pressure should equal to 0.6 – 1.1 atmosphere (600 – 1,100g/cm2) at sea level (8.5 lbs/sq in – 15.6 lbs/sq in).

As you can see, the rules are very specific!

3. Number of players - It is widely accepted that a football team has 11 players and 5 substitutes. However, it is interesting to note that a match can indeed begin with less than 11 players. If a team has less than 7 players, the match cannot begin. Anything more than that is fine. There are detailed laws of when teams can change players and how many players they need to start a match. Depending on competition rules, substitute players do or do not enter the field before the match begins. There are strict laws about goalkeeper changes, substitution procedure, sending players off, number of players on the field, and a lot more. REFSIX can help you keep track of substitutes during a game.

4. Players' Equipment - Apart from separate jerseys for teams and goalkeepers, there are multiple rules on what players can wear. There are rules about football shoes, shin guards, goalkeeper gloves, and so on. In general, nothing that can physically hurt other players is allowed on the field.

5. The IFAB also specifies rules about referees and linesmen. In both domestic and international football, there are two referees and two linesmen. With the addition of VAR, there is a new angle to the number of referees due to the need for a fourth official.

6. The duration of the game is also specified in the Laws of the Game. In international football and domestic football, games are of 90 minutes with each half being of 45 minutes. Beyond the full duration, if there is a tie and the match is a knockout, there are two halves of 15 minutes each. The duration of the halftime is also fixed at 15 minutes. All registered tournaments follow the same rules. REFSIX has advanced timing functionality, helping you keep track of the game.

7. Kick-off at the start of the game and one bounce in case of disputes are the only two ways of starting or restarting the game. There are more detailed laws about restarting a game after a foul or unintentional interruption. It is very important for referees to be aware of these laws.

8. The ball going beyond the sidelines indicates a pause in the game. The Laws of the Game specify when a ball is considered to be out of play and how the referee can restart the game. During the course of the match, players can throw in the ball, take a corner kick, or take a goal kick. In certain cases, the referee can manually restart the match with a single drop.

9. There are detailed laws about fouls and offences in The Laws of the Game. It specifies everything that referees can do to stop the game and penalize players. It also includes what actions are prohibited and when a player should be sent off. There are detailed rules about handball, penalty kicks, free kicks, corner kicks, and more. Need to give out a red card? REFSIX can help you give cards out accurately.

10. Off-side is not an intuitive rule to follow and deserves special attention. The Laws of the Game detail when a player is considered to be off-side. This is what the FA says about off-sides:

A player is in an offside position if:

  • any part of the head, body, or feet is in the opponents’ half (excluding the halfway line) and

  • any part of the head, body, or feet is nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent

  • The hands and arms of all players, including the goalkeepers, are not considered. For the purposes of determining offside, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit.

  • A player is not in an offside position if level with the:

  • second-last opponent or

  • last two opponents

Conclusion

If you’re just starting out as a referee, hopefully, our quick guide has given you some insight into the Laws of the Game.

Check out our latest matchday vlog and see how REFSIX can help you referee.


Jonathon Wilks