Football is one of the most popular sports in the world. The game is played by teams of 11-18 players, who are trying to move the ball toward the opponent’s goal.
A standard adult football match consists of two periods of 45 minutes each. These periods are separated by a 15 minute halftime.
A goal is scored when a team catches or throws the ball into the opponent’s “end zone”. This is the area on the goal line, where the end zone is defined as ten yards deep and 53 and a third yards wide.
A kick-off is the beginning of a period of play. In the first 45 minutes, a team can have four downs (or opportunities) to gain 10 yards. If a team fails to reach the first down line, they receive a turnover.
On a down, a team can also receive a penalty. Typically, a player is given a yellow card for a foul or a red card for an illegal act. An offside referee is responsible for ruling whether a player is offside.
After the second period of play, injury time is added to the game. The goal is to score more goals than the opposing team during the ninety-minute time frame.
There are 17 laws outlined in the Football Association’s Laws of the Game. They are designed to cover all levels of football. However, there are some variations. For example, some schools may use different rules.