The Laws of the Game (LOTG for short, also known as the Laws of Football) are the rules governing the play of Association football (soccer). They were first drawn up at a meeting of The Football Association (FA) on 8 December 1863. The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. ... The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England (and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man). ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Today the Laws of the Game are determined by the International Football Association Board. The board was established on 6 December 1882 when representatives from the Scottish Football Association (SFA), the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and the Irish Football Association (IFA) (now the governing body in Northern Ireland and not to be confused with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) the governing body in the Republic of Ireland) were invited to attend a meeting in Manchester by the FA. When the international football body FIFA was founded in Paris in 1904 it immediately declared that it would adhere to the rules laid down by the IFAB. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. Today the board is made up of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the British associations. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football (soccer). ... December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1882 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Scottish Football Association (SFA) was formed in 1873 making it the second oldest national football association in the world (after The English Football Association). ... The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of football in Wales, being a member of both FIFA and UEFA. Established in 1876, it is the third-oldest association in the world, and is one of the five associations (with the English Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the... The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the organising body for the sport of football (soccer) in Northern Ireland. ... The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is the organising body for the sport of Association football (soccer) in the Republic of Ireland. ... Location within the British Isles. ... FIFA logo (usage restricted): For the Good of the Game Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is the international governing body of the sport of association football (called simply football or soccer). ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The current Laws of the Game consists of 17 individual laws:

• Law 1: The Field of Play
• Law 2: The Ball
• Law 3: The Number of Players
• Law 4: The Players' Equipment
• Law 5: The Referee
• Law 6: The Assistant Referees
• Law 7: The Duration of the Match
• Law 8: The Start and Restart of Play
• Law 9: The Ball In and Out of Play
• Law 10: The Method of Scoring
• Law 11: Offside
• Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct
• Law 13: Free Kicks
• Law 14: The Penalty Kick
• Law 15: The Throw-In
• Law 16: The Goal Kick
• Law 17: The Corner Kick

The original Laws of the Game were established by the FA in December of 1863 and are shown below: A football, when used in the singular, is a ball used to play one of the sports known as football. ... A referee presides over a game of association football (soccer). ... In Association Football (Soccer), two Assistant Referees (previously known as linesmen) assist the Referee in controlling the match in accordance with the Laws of the Game. ... In association football (soccer), offside is covered by Law 11 of the Laws of the Game. ... In Association Football (soccer), a penalty kick is a free kick from twelve yards (eleven metres) out with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal. ...

1. The maximum length of the ground shall be 200 yds. and the maximum breadth shall be 100 yards. The length and breadth shall be marked off with flags. The goals shall be defined by two upright posts 8 yds. apart, without any tape or bar across them.

2. The winner of the toss shall have choice of goals. The game shall be commenced by a place-kick from the centre of the ground by the side losing the toss. The other side shall not approach within 10 yds. of the ball until it is kicked off.

3. After a goal is won, the losing side shall kick off, and the goals shall be changed.

4. A goal shall be won when the ball passes between the goal-posts or over the space between the goal-posts (at whatever height), not being thrown, knocked on, or carried.

5. When the ball is in touch, the first player who touches it shall throw it from the point on the boundary line where it left the ground in a direction at right angles with the boundary line, and it shall not be in play until it has touched the ground.

6. When a player has kicked the ball any one of the same side who is nearer to the opponent's goal line is out of play and may not touch the ball himself, nor in any way whatever prevent any other player from doing so until the ball has been played, but no player is out of play when the ball is kicked from behind the goal line.

7. In case the ball goes behind the goal line, if a player on the side to whom the goal belongs first touches the ball, one of his side shall be entitled to a free kick from the goal line at the point opposite the place where the ball shall be touched. If a player of the opposite side first touches the ball, one of his side shall be entitled to a free kick (but at the goal only) from a point 15 yds. from the goal line opposite the place where the ball is touched; the opposing side shall stand behind their goal line until he has had his kick.

8. If a player makes a fair catch, he shall be entitled to a free kick, provided he claims it by making a mark with his heel at once; and in order to take such a kick he may go back as far as he pleases, and no player on the opposite side shall advance beyond his mark until he has kicked.

9. No player shall carry the ball.

10. Neither tripping nor hacking shall be allowed and no player shall use his hands to hold or push an adversary.

11. A player shall not throw the ball or pass it to another.

12. No player shall be allowed to take the ball from the ground with his hands while it is in play under any pretence whatever.

13. A player shall be allowed to throw the ball or pass it to another if he made a fair catch or catches the ball on the first bounce.

14. No player shall be allowed to wear projecting nails, iron plates, or gutta-percha¹ on the soles or heels of his boots.

¹ gutta-percha is an inelastic natural latex, produced from the resin of the Isonandra Gutta tree of Malaya. It was used for many purposes (e.g. the core of golf balls; the insulation of telegraph cables) before the discovery of superior synthetic materials. Species About 100-120 species, including: Palaquium amboinense Palaquium barnesii Palaquium bataanense Palaquium beccarianum Palaquium borneense Palaquium burckii Palaquium clarkeanum Palaquium cochleariifolium Palaquium dasyphyllum Palaquium ellipticum Palaquium formosanum Palaquium galactoxylum Palaquium gutta Palaquium herveyi Palaquium hexandrum Palaquium hispidum Palaquium hornei Palaquium impressinervium Palaquium kinabaluense Palaquium lanceolatum Palaquium leiocarpum Palaquium lobbianum... The extraction of Latex from a tree; Latex is used in Rubber production. ... The Federation of Malaya, or in Malay Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, was formed in 1948 from the British settlements of Penang and Malacca and the nine Malay states and replaced the Malayan Union. ... Golfer teeing off at the start of a hole Golf is an outdoor game where individual players or teams play a small ball into a hole using various clubs. ... Telegraphy (from the Greek words tele = far away and grapho = write) is the long distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters, originally over wire. ...

References

The History of the Football Association (1953)

External Links

• The current Laws of the Game (FIFA Site) (http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/menu.htm)
• Association of Football Statisticians History of Football (http://www.11v11.co.uk/index.php?pageID=265)