Laws of The Game Evolution

The Laws of the Game are the codified rules that help define association football. These rules were first played by members of the Cambridge University Football Club on Parker's Piece, Cambridge in 1848, and adopted by the Football Association in October 26, 1863. "They embrace the true principles of the game, with the greatest simplicity" (E. C. Morley, F.A. Hon. Sec. 1863) These laws are written and maintained by the International Football Association Board and published by the sport's governing body FIFA. The laws mention the number of players a team should have, the game length, the size of the field and ball, the type and nature of fouls that referees may penalize, the frequently misinterpreted offside law, and many other laws that define the sport.

By the late 1930s it was felt that the Laws of the Game, now totalling 17, required a makeover. The original Laws had been penned in the language of Victorian England and since then, there had been more than half a century of changes and amendments. Hence the task given to Stanley Rous, a member of the IFAB and the official who first employed the diagonal system of refereeing, to clean the cobwebs and draft the Laws in a rational order. The Englishman, who would become FIFA President in 1961, did such a good job that not until 1997 were the Laws revised for as second time.

Despite football's phenomenal popularity, there was a general agreement in the late 1980s that the Laws of the Game should be fine-tuned in the face of defensive tactics. If fan violence was a serious off-the-pitch problem during that period, then on it the increasingly high stakes meant a real risk of defensive tactics gaining the upper hand.

Hence a series of amendments, often referred to as for the 'Good of the Game', which were designed to help promote attacking football. They began with the offside law in 1990. The advantage was now given to the attacking team. If the attacker was in line with the penultimate defender, he was now onside. In the same year, the 'professional foul' - denying an opponent a clear goal-scoring opportunity - became a sending-off offence.

Law I: The Field of Play

Football goals were first described in England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In 1584 and 1602 respectively, John Norden and Richard Carew referred to "goals" in Cornish hurling. Carew described how goals were made: "they pitch two bushes in the ground, some eight or ten foote asunder; and directly against them, ten or twelve score off, other twayne in like distance, which they term their Goals". The first reference to scoring a goal is in John Day's play The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green (performed circa 1600; published 1659). Similarly in a poem in 1613, Michael Drayton refers to "when the Ball to throw, And drive it to the Goal, in squadrons forth they go". Solid crossbars were first introduced by the Sheffield Rules. Football nets were invented by Liverpool engineer John Brodie in 1891.

In 1994, For safety reasons, the goals, including those which are portable, must be anchored securely to the ground. 

In 2000, There shall be no advertising of any kind within the technical area or within one metre from the touch line and outside the field of play on the ground.
Further, no advertising shall be allowed in the area between the goal line and the goal nets. 

In 2004

- Matches may be played on natural or artificial surfaces, according to the rules of the competition.

- Where artificial surfaces are used in either competition matches between representative teams of associations affiliated to FIFA or international club competition matches, the surface must meet the requirements of the FIFA Quality Concept for Artificial Turf or the International Artificial Turf Standard, unless special dispensation is given by FIFA.

- Where a technical area exists, it must meet the requirements approved by the International FA Board, which are contained in this publication.

Law II : The Ball

In 1863, the first specification for footballs were laid down by the Football Association. Previous to this, footballs were made out of inflated leather, with later leather coverings to help footballs maintain their shapes. In 1872 the specifications were revised, and these rules have been left essentially unchanged as defined by the International Football Association Board. Differences in footballs created since this rule came into effect has been to do with the material used in their creation.

Footballs have gone through a dramatic change over time. During medieval times balls were normally made from an outer shell of leather filled with cork shavings. Another method of creating a ball was using animal bladders for the inside of the ball making it inflatable. However, these two styles of creating footballs made it easy for the ball to puncture and were inadequate for kicking. It was not until the 19th century that footballs developed into what a football looks like today.

Law III : The Number of Players

The origin of football substitutes goes back to at least the early 1860s as part of English public school football games. The original use of the term "substitute" in football was to describe the replacement of players who failed to turn up for matches. For example, in 1863, a match reports states: "The Charterhouse eleven played a match in cloisters against some old Carthusians but in consequence of the non-appearance of some of those who were expected it was necessary to provide three substitutes. The substitution of absent players happened as early as the 1850s, for example from Eton College where the term "emergencies" is used Numerous references to players acting as a "substitute" occur in soccer matches in the mid-1860s where it is not indicated whether these were replacements of absent players or of players injured during the match.

The first use of a substitute in international football was on 15 April 1889, in the match between Wales and Scotland at Wrexham. Wales's original goalkeeper, Jim Trainer, failed to arrive; local amateur player, Alf Pugh, started the match and played for some twenty minutes, until the arrival of Sam Gillam, who took over from him.

As early as the qualifying phase for the 1954 World Cup, substitutions were permitted during games, the first ever replacement being Horst Eckel of Germany during their match with the Saarland on 11 October 1953.

Substitutions during matches in the English Football League were first permitted in the 1965-66 season. During the first two seasons after the law was introduced, each side was permitted only one substitution during a game. Moreover the substitute could only replace an injured player. From the 1967-68 season, this rule was relaxed to allow substitutions for tactical reasons.

On 21 August 1965, Keith Peacock of Charlton Athletic became the first substitute used in the Football League when he replaced injured goalkeeper Mike Rose eleven minutes into their away match against Bolton Wanderers. On the same day, Bobby Knox became the first ever substitute to score a goal when he scored for Barrow against Wrexham.

Archie Gemmill of St. Mirren was the first substitute to come on in a Scottish first-class match, on 13 August 1966 in a League Cup tie against Clyde when he replaced Jim Clunieafter 23 minutes.

In later years, the number of substitutes permitted in Football League matches has gradually increased; at present each team is permitted to name either five or seven substitutes depending on the country and competition, of which a maximum of three may be used. 

In 1981, A player who has been replaced shall not take any further part in the game. A substitute shall be subject to the authority and jurisdiction of the referee whether called upon to play or not. 

Punishment: If a substitute enters the field of play without the authority of the referee, play shall be stopped. The substitute shall be cautioned and removed from the field or sent off according to the circumstances. The game shall be restarted by the referee dropping the ball at the place where it was when play was stopped. 


In 1986, The substitution is completed when the substitute enters the field of play, from which moment he becomes a player and the player whom he replaces ceases to be a player. 

In 1988, Substitutes may be used under the rules of any official competition under the jurisdiction of FIFA, Confederations or National Associations, a team shall not be permitted to use more than two substitutes from more than five players.

In 1994, a team may also use a third substitute provided that he is designated as a substitute goalkeeper, who may be used to replace only the goalkeeper. If, however, the goalkeeper is ordered off, the designated substitute goalkeeper may subsequently replace another player of the same team and play as goalkeeper. 

In 1995, Up to a maximum of three substitutes may be used in any match played in an official competition.

In 1996, The rules of the competition shall state how many substitutes may be nominated, from three up to a maximum of seven. 

In England, the Premier League increased the number of players on the bench to 5 in 1996, and it was announced that the number available on the bench would be 7 for the 2008-09 season.

In 2000, In other matches, substitutes may be used provided that 
• the teams concerned reach an agreement on a maximum number
• the referee is informed before the match

If the referee is not informed, or if no agreement is reached before the start of the match, no more than three substitutes are allowed.

Law IV: The Players' Equipment

The first written evidence of a clothing item specifically dedicated to football comes in 1526 from the Great Wardrobe of King Henry VIII of England, which included a reference to a pair of football boots.[34]

The earliest evidence of coloured shirts used to identify football teams comes from early English public school football games, for example an image of Winchester College football from before 1840 is entitled "The commoners have red and the college boys blue jerseys"

The first standard strips began to emerge in the 1870s, with many clubs opting for colours associated with the schools or other sporting organisations from which the clubs had emerged. In 1890 the Football League, which had been formed two years earlier, ruled that no two member teams could register similar colours, so as to avoid clashes. This rule was later abandoned in favour of one stipulating that all teams must have a second set of shirts in a different colour available. Initially the home team was required to change colours in the event of a clash, but in 1921 the rule was amended to require the away team to change.

Specialised football boots began to emerge in the professional era, taking the place of everyday shoes or work boots. Players initially simply nailed strips of leather to their boots to enhance their grip, leading the Football Association to rule in 1863 that no nails could project from boots. By the 1880s these crude attachments had become studs. Boots of this era were made of heavy leather, had hard toecaps, and came high above a player's ankles.

In 1904 the Football Association dropped its rule that players' knickerbockers must cover their knees and teams began wearing them much shorter. In 1909, in a bid to assist referees in identifying the goalkeeper amongst a ruck of players, the Laws of the Game were amended to state that the goalkeeper must wear a shirt of a different colour to his team-mates.

The 1930s also saw great advancements in boot manufacture, with new synthetic materials and softer leathers becoming available. By 1936 players in Europe were wearing boots which weighed only a third of the weight of the rigid boots of a decade earlier

In the period immediately after the war, many teams in Europe were forced to wear unusual kits due to clothing restrictions. In the 1950s kits worn by players in southern Europe and South America became much more lightweight, with V-necks replacing collars on shirts and synthetic fabrics replacing heavy natural fibres.

1989 : Footwear must be worn by players and conform to the following standards: ...and pertinent decisions. 

1990 : The basic compulsory equipment of a player shall consist of a jersey or shirt, shorts, stockings, shinguards and footwear (plus pertinent precisions regarding the shinguards. 

1997 : Now includes the statement: "If thermal shorts are worn they must be of the same main colour as the shorts." 

2006 : The basic compulsory equipment of a player comprises the following separate items: 

- a jersey or shirt   - stockings    - shinguards     - footwear

- shorts - if thermal under-shorts are worn, they are of the same main colour as the shorts; 

Law V : The Referee

Referees in football are first described by Richard Mulcaster in 1581. In this description of "foteball" he advocates the use of a "judge over the parties". In the modern era, referees are first advocated in English public school football games, notably Eton football in 1845. A match report from Rochdale in 1842 shows their use in a football game between the Bodyguards Club and the Fearnought Club.

In the early years of the codified sport it was assumed that disputes could be adequately settled by discussion between gentlemen players who would never deliberately commit a foul, however as play became more competitive the need for officials grew. Initially there existed two umpires, one per team, who could be appealed to with the referee (the game's timekeeper) being "referred" to if the umpires couldn't agree.

The promotion of referees to the dominant position they occupy today, and the reformation of umpires into the linesmen role, occurred as part of a major restructuring of the laws in 1891. It was not taken from a spot but anywhere along a 12-yard line before 1902.

1992 : Competence of referee from when he enters the field of play to sanction any player guilty of misconduct or ungentlemanly behavior, send off the field of play and show a red card to any player, who, in his opinion, is guilty of violent conduct, the use of foul or abusive language or who persists in misconduct after having received a caution. 

1993 : Decision 13: (Technical area) The coach may convey tactical instructions to players during the match.
The coach and other officials, however, must remain within the confines of the technical area where such an area is provided and they must conduct themselves, at all times, in a responsible manner.
Decision 14: (fourth official) In tournaments or competitions where a fourth official is appointed, his roles and duties shall be in accordance with the guidelines approved by the IFAB. 

1996 : Decision 7: (advantage clause) If the referee applies the advantage clause and the advantage which was anticipated does not develop at that time, the referee shall penalise the original offence. 

1997 : "Any player bleeding from a wound must leave the field for treatment." 
1999 : Amendment to point 3 under "Powers and Duties": ensures that any ball used meets the requirements of Law 2 

2002 : Stops the match if, in his opinion, a player is seriously injured and ensures that he is removed from the field of play. An injured player may only return to the field of play after the match has restarted.

2004 : In tournaments or competitions where a fourth official is appointed, his role and duties must be in accordance with the guidelines approved by the International FA Board, which are contained in this publication.

2005 : The referee may only change a decision on realising that it is incorrect or, at his discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee, provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match.

Law VI: The Assistant Referees

The fourth official is a recent addition to the officiating crew. English referee and administrator Ken Aston introduced the practice of having a named replacement referee in 1966, but the International Football Association Board (IFAB) did not officially create the position until 1991, and listed only areas of responsibility. The fourth official is simply instructed to assist the referee at all times, and his duties are largely at the discretion of the referee. His usual duties can be broadly divided into assisting functions and a replacement function

In 1982, The linesmen are to indicate: 

- when the ball is out of play, 
- which side is entitled to a corner-kick, goal-kick or throw-in 
- when a substitution is desired 


In 2000, Duties: Two assistant referees are appointed whose duties, subject to the decision of the referee, are to indicate: 

- when the whole of the ball has passed out of the field of play
- which side is entitled to a corner kick, goal kick or throw-in
- when a player may be penalised for being in an offside position
- when a substitution is requested
- when misconduct or any other incident has occurred out of the view of the referee
- when offences have been committed whenever the assistants are closer to the action than the referee (this includes, in particular circumstances, offences committed in the penalty area)
- whether, at penalty kicks, the goalkeeper has moved forward before the ball has been kicked and if the ball has crossed the line

Assistance: The assistant referees also assist the referee to control the match in accordance with the Laws of the Game. In particular, they may enter the field of play to help control the 9.15m distance.

Law VII: The Duration of the Match

Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa. Trailing 1–0 and with just two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty. Villa's goalkeeper kicked the ball out of the ground, and by the time the ball had been recovered, the 90 minutes had elapsed and the game was over. The same law also stands that the duration of either half is extended until the penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed, thus no game shall end with a penalty to be taken.

1987 : Allowance shall be made in either period for all the time lost through substitution, the transport from the field of injured players, time-wasting and other cause ...the amount of which shall be a matter for the discretion of the referee. 

1995 : The half-time interval shall not exceed 15 minutes. 

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the IFAB experimented with ways of creating a winner without requiring a penalty shootout, which was often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden goal), or if one team held a lead at the end of the first period of extra time (silver goal).

Law VIII: The Start and Restart of Play

1984 : Drop-ball in the goal-area: on that part of the goal area line which runs parallel to the goal-line, at the point nearest to where the ball was in play when play was stopped. 
In 1997, "The team which wins the toss shall decide which goal it will attack in the first half of the match. The other team shall take the kick-off."
"A goal may be scored directly from the kick-off."
"The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves forward." 

Law IX: Ball in and out of play

Law X: The Method of Scoring

2004 Competition Rules
When competition rules require there to be a winning team after a match has been drawn, only the following procedures, which have been approved by the International FA Board, are permitted.
• Away goals rule     • Extra time       • Kicks from the penalty mark

2005 a winning team after a match or home-and-away tie has been drawn, only the following procedures, which have been approved by the International FA Board, are permitted:
• Away goals rule      • Extra time       • Kicks from the penalty mark

2006 When competition rules require there to be a winning team after a match or home-and-away tie has been drawn, only the following procedures, which have been approved by the International FA Board, are permitted:
• Away goals rule      • Extra time       • Kicks from the penalty mark

Law XI: Offside

Offside rules date back to codes of football developed at English public schools in the early nineteenth century. These offside rules were often much stricter than the modern game. In some of them, a player was "off his side" if he was standing in front of the ball. This was similar to the current offside law in rugby, which penalises any player between the ball and the opponent's goal. By contrast, the original Sheffield Rules had no offside rule, and players known as "kick-throughs" were positioned permanently near the opponents' goal.

In 1848, HC Malden held a meeting at his Trinity College, Cambridge rooms,that addressed the problem. Representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury schools attended, each bringing their own set of rules. They sat down a little after 4 pm and, by five to midnight, had drafted what is thought to be the first set of "Cambridge Rules". Malden is quoted as saying how "very satisfactorily they worked".

Unfortunately no copy of these 1848 rules exists today, but they are thought to have included laws governing throw-ins, goal-kicks, halfway line markings, restarts, holding and pushing (which were outlawed) and offside. They even allowed for a string to be used as a cross bar.

A set of rules dated 1856 was discovered, over a hundred years later, in the library of Shrewsbury School. It is probably closely modelled on the Cambridge Rules and is thought to be the oldest set still in existence. Rule No. 9 required more than three defensive players to be ahead of an attacker who plays the ball. The rule states:

If the ball has passed a player and has come from the direction of his own goal, he may not touch it till the other side have kicked it, unless there are more than three of the other side before him. No player is allowed to loiter between the ball and the adversaries' goal.

As football developed in the 1860s and 1870s, the offside law proved the biggest argument between the clubs. Sheffield got rid of the "kick-throughs" by amending their laws so that one member of the defending side was required between a forward player and the opponents' goal. The Football Association also compromised slightly and eased the Cambridge idea of "more than three" (i.e. four opponents) to at "least three" (i.e. three opponents). Finally, Sheffield came into line with the F.A., and "three opponents" became the rule until 1925.

The change to the "two opponents" rule led to an immediate increase in goal-scoring. 4,700 goals were scored in 1,848 Football League games in 1924–25. This number rose to 6,373 goals (from the same number of games) in 1925–26.

During the 1973–74 and 1974–75 seasons, an experimental version of the offside rule was operated in the Scottish League Cup and Drybrough Cup competitions.The concept was that offside should only apply in the last 18 yards of play (i.e. inside or beside the penalty area). To signify this, the horizontal line of the penalty area was extended to the touchlines. FIFA President Sir Stanley Rous attended the 1973 Scottish League Cup Final, which was played using these rules. The manager of one of the teams involved, Celtic manager Jock Stein, complained that it was unfair to expect teams to play under one set of rules in one game and then a different set a few days before or later. The experiment was quietly dropped after the 1974–75 season, as no proposal for a further experiment or rule change was submitted for theScottish Football Association board to consider.

Throughout the 1987–88 season, the Football Conference was used to test an experimental rule change, whereby no attacker could be offside directly from a free-kick. This change was not deemed a success, as the attacking team could pack the penalty area for any free-kick (or even have several players stand in front of the opposition goalkeeper) and the rule change was not introduced at a higher level.

In 1990 the law was amended to adjudge an attacker as onside if level with the second-to-last opponent. This change was part of a general movement by the game's authorities to make the rules more conducive to attacking football and help the game to flow more freely.

Law XII: Fouls and Misconduct

The idea of using language-neutral coloured cards to communicate a referee's intentions originated with British football referee Ken Aston. Aston had been appointed to the FIFA Referees' Committee and was responsible for all referees at the 1966 FIFA World Cup. In the quarter finals, England met Argentina at Wembley Stadium. After the match, newspaper reports stated that referee Rudolf Kreitlein had cautioned both Bobby and Jack Charlton, as well as sending off Argentinian Antonio Rattin. The referee had not made his decision clear during the game, and England manager Alf Ramsey approached FIFA for post-match clarification. This incident started Aston thinking about ways to make a referee's decisions clearer to both players and spectators. Aston realised that a colour-coding scheme based on the same principle as used on traffic lights (yellow - caution, red - stop) would traverse language barriers and clarify whether a player had been cautioned or expelled. As a result, yellow cards to indicate a caution and red cards to indicate an expulsion were used for the first time in the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. The use of penalty cards has since been adopted and expanded by several sporting codes, with each sport adapting the idea to its specific set of rules or laws.

1980 : New offense: spitting at an opponent 
Decision: the offence of spitting at officials and other persons shall be considered as violent conduct. 

1982 : Introduction of the four-step rule: 

From the moment the ball comes under his (the goalkeeper's) control, he takes more than four steps without releasing the ball into play and - having released it - he touches the ball again before it has been touched or played by another player.

1983 : Modification of the four-step rule: 
From the moment the ball comes under his (the goalkeeper's) control, he takes more than four steps in any direction whilst holding, bouncing or throwing the ball in the air and catching it again, without releasing the ball into play or having released it into play before, during or after the four steps - he touches it again with his hands before it has been touched or played by another player.

1984 : Modification of the four-step rule: 
From the moment the ball comes under his (the goalkeeper's) control, he takes more than four steps in any direction whilst holding, bouncing or throwing the ball in the air and catching it again, without releasing the ball into play or having released it into play before, during or after the four steps - he touches it again with his hands before it has been touched or played by another player of the same team outside of the penalty-area, or by a player of the opposing team either inside or outside of the penalty-area. 

1990 : Mandatory Instruction of the IFAB ("professional foul") 

If, in the opinion of the referee, a player who is moving towards his opponents' goal with an obvious opportunity to score a goal is intentionally and physically impeded by unlawful means, i.e. an offence punishable by a free-kick (or a penalty-kick), thus denying the attacking player's team the aforesaid goal-scoring opportunity, the offending player shall be sent off the field of play for serious foul play in accordance with Law XII (n).

1992 : On any occasion when a player deliberately kicks the ball to his own goalkeeper, the goalkeeper is not permitted to touch it with his hands. If, however, the goalkeeper does touch the ball with his hands, he shall be penalised by the award of an indirect free-kick to be taken by the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred,...

1993 : Further precision of the four-step rule
- further precision of time-wasting tactics

Precision that a player is to be cautioned and shown the yellow card as per the specific provisions. Precision that a player is to be sent off the field and shown the red card, if in the opinion of the referee, he:

- is guilty of violent conduct
- is guilty of serious foul play
- uses foul or abusive language
- is guilty of a second cautionable offence after having received a caution
1996 : provisions regarding offences that are punishable by a direct free-kick and if committed in the penalty-area by a penalty-kick;
dangerous play to be punished by an indirect free-kick.
1997 : An indirect free-kick will be awarded if the goalkeeper handles the ball after receiving it from a throw-in from his own team.
- Unsporting behaviour» replaces «ungentlemanly conduct» as a cautionable offence.
- Failing to respect the required distance at a restart of play» becomes a cautionable offence.
- Delaying the restart of play» becomes a cautionable offence.

IFAB decisions 13 and 14, which relate to the prevention of obvious goal scoring opportunities now become Law.

Using offensive, insulting or abusive language» replaces «foul or abusive language.

1998 : A tackle from behind which endangers the safety of an opponent must be sanctioned as serious foul play.

Acts of serious foul play are punishable by a red card.

1999 : New Decision 6: Any simulating action anywhere on the field, which is intended to deceive the referee, must be sanctioned as unsporting behaviour.

2000 : An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following five offences:

• takes more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his hands before releasing it from his possession 

Sending-off offences

• uses offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures

Kicks from the Penalty Mark
New bullet points:
• When a team finishes the match with a greater number of players than their opponents, they shall reduce their numbers to equate with that of their opponents and inform the referee of the name and number of each player excluded. The team captain has this responsibility.

• Before the start of kicks from the penalty mark the referee shall ensure that only an equal number of players from each team remain within the centre circle and they shall take the kicks

2001 :

- Only a player or substitute or substituted player may be shown the red or yellow card.

- A player who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the field of play and the 

technical area.

- Procedures to determine the winner of a match 

- The Golden Goal and taking kicks from the penalty mark are methods of determining the winning team where competition rules require there to be a winning team after a match has been drawn.

- The Golden Goal 

- Procedure 

- During the period of extra time played at the end of normal playing time, the team 

which scores the first goal is declared the winner.

If no goals are scored the match is decided by kicks from the penalty mark

2002 : Indirect Free-Kick : An indirect free-kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following four offences:

2004 : A player who removes his jersey when celebrating a goal must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour.

Procedures to determine the winner of a game 

- Away goals, extra time and taking kicks from the penalty mark are methods of determining the winning team where competition rules require there to be a winning team after a match has been drawn.

Away Goals : Competition rules may provide that where teams play each other home and away, if the scores are equal after the second match, any goals scored at the ground of the opposing team will count double.

Extra Time : Competition rules may provide for two further equal periods, not exceeding 15 minutes each, to be played. The conditions of Law 8 will apply.

2005 : 

Disciplinary sanctions

- Only a player or substitute or substituted player may be shown the red or yellow card.

- The referee has the authority to take disciplinary sanctions, as from the moment he enters the field of play until he leaves the field of play after the final whistle.

- A tackle, which endangers the safety of an opponent, must be sanctioned as serious foul play.

2005 Cautionable Offences 

- A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following seven offences: 

1. is guilty of unsporting behaviour 

2. shows dissent by word or action 

3. persistently infringes the Laws of the Game 

4. delays the restart of play 

5. fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner-kick, free-kick or throw-in 

6. enters or re-enters the field of play without the referee's permission 

7. deliberately leaves the field of play without the referee's permission .

A substitute or substituted player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following three offences: 

1. is guilty of unsporting behaviour 

2. shows dissent by word or action 

3. delays the restart of play

Sending-Off Offences 

- A player, substitute or substituted player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following seven offences: 

1. is guilty of serious foul play 

2. is guilty of violent conduct 

3. spits at an opponent or any other person 

4. denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by 

deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area) 

5. denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player's goal by an offence punishable by a free-kick or a penalty-kick 

6. uses offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures 

7. receives a second caution in the same match.

A player, substitute or substituted player who has been sent off and shown the red card must leave the vicinity of the field of play and the technical area

Law XIII : Free Kicks (direct and indirect)

1978 : A free-kick awarded to the defending team, within its own goal-area, may be taken from any point within that half of the goal-area in which the free-kick has been awarded. 

1980 : Taking a free-kick inside one's own penalty-area - the opposing team's players shall be at least ten yards (9.15m) from the ball and shall remain outside the penalty area until the ball has been kicked out of the area. 

1984 : An indirect free-kick awarded to the attacking team within its opponent's goal area shall be taken from the part of the goal-area line which runs parallel to the goal-line, at the point nearest where the offence was committed. 

Law XIV: The Penalty Kick

The early origin of the penalty kick probably lies in rugby football, as shown in early match reports, for example in 1888: "Dewsbury was awarded a penalty kick in front of the goal" The concept of a penalty goal for fouls within 2 yards (1.8 m) of the goal was suggested at a Sheffield FA meeting in 1879. The invention of the penalty kick is also credited to the goalkeeper and businessman William McCrum in 1890 in Milford, County Armagh, Ireland.

The Irish Football Association presented the idea to the International Football Association Board and finally after much debate, the board approved the idea on 2 June 1891.

Influencing factors were for the Scottish Football Association on 20 December 1890 in the Scottish Cup quarter-final between East Stirlingshire 1 and Heart of Midlothian 3 when Jimmy Adams fisted the ball out from under the bar and for the FA on 14 February 1891 a blatant goal-line handball by a Notts County player in the FA Cup quarter-final against Stoke City, which came into effect in the 1891–92 season. The world's first penalty kick was awarded to Airdrieonians in 1891 at Broomfield Park. The first penalty kick in the Football League was awarded to Wolverhampton Wanderers in their game against Accrington at Molineux Stadium on 14 September 1891. The penalty was taken and scored by "Billy" Heath as Wolves went on to win the game 5–0.

Law XV: The Throw-In

The modern throw-in comes from the nineteenth century English public school football games. In these codes of football a variety of methods of returning the ball into play from touch were used. The modern throw-in draws upon various aspects of a number early English school games. For example, returning the ball by throwing it out was part of the Rugby and Cheltenham football rules. Like the modern throw-in the direction was not specified. The Sheffield rules instigated the throw in of the ball at right angles by the opposite side to the one that played it into touch. The two handed throw in—called line-out—is part of rugby union football. That the first side reaching the ball must throw it out (at right angles, in this case) was part of the Football Association rules and the Rossall rules.

1987 : Decision: A throw-in taken from any position other than the point where the ball passed over the touchline shall be considered to have been improperly thrown in. 

Law XVI : The Goal Kick

1980 Opponents of the team taking the goal-kick shall remain outside the penalty-area until the ball has been kicked out of the penalty-area.

1997"A goal may be scored directly from a goal kick."

Law XVII : Corner Kick

It is possible to score direct from a corner kick (as a corner kick is a direct free kick) if sufficient swerve is given to the kick, and/or there is a strong enough wind blowing in the goalward direction. However, it was illegal until the International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting of 15 June 1924 authorised it for the following season. This type of goal is called an Olympic goal or Olympic kick, or olimpico in Latin America. The name dates from 2 October 1924, when Argentina's Cesáreo Onzari scored against Uruguay, who had just won the 1924 Olympic title.

In 2006, Opponents remain at least 9 .15 m (10 yds) from the corner arc until the ball is in play.

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The International Football Association Board (IFAB)

IFAB is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.

Though the rules of football had largely been standardised by the early 1880s, the UK's four football associations still each had slightly different rules. This posed a problem with international matches and when matches were played the rules of whoever was the home team were used. While this solution was workable, it was hardly ideal. To remedy this, the FA, SFA, FAW and the IFA met on 6 December 1882 in Manchester, in order to set forth a common set of rules that could be applied to matches between the UK football associations' national teams. The conference created the first international competition, the British Home Championship, and proposed the establishment of a permanent board to regulate the laws of the game.

Therefore, the first meeting of IFAB took place at the FA's offices at Holborn Viaduct in London on Wednesday 2 June 1886. The FA, SFA, FAW and IFA each had equal voting rights.

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the international organising body for the sport, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that, regarding the Laws of the Game itself, they would adhere to the rules laid down by IFAB.

The growing popularity of the game internationally led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to IFAB in 1913. Initially, they only had two votes (the same number as each of the UK associations) and decisions required a four-fifths majority to pass, meaning that the UK associations could still change the laws against FIFA's wishes if they all voted together. In 1958, the Board agreed on its current voting system, with each UK association having one vote, FIFA four, and six votes being required to carry any motion.

IFAB is made up of representatives from each of the United Kingdom's pioneering football associations—England's Football Association (The FA), the Scottish Football Association (SFA), the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and Northern Ireland's Irish Football Association (IFA)—and Fédération Internationale de Football Association(FIFA), the international governing body for football. Each UK association has one vote and FIFA has four. IFAB deliberations must be approved by three-quarters of the vote, which translates to at least six votes. Thus, FIFA's approval is necessary for any IFAB decision, but FIFA alone cannot change the Laws of the Game—they need to be agreed by at least two of the UK members. There is also a quorum requirement that at least four of the five member associations, one of which must be FIFA, have to be present for a meeting to proceed.

The Board meets twice a year, once to decide on possible changes to the rules governing the game of Football and once to deliberate on its internal affairs. The first meeting is called the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the second is the Annual Business Meeting (ABM). Four weeks before the AGM, the member associations must send their written proposals to the secretary of the host association. FIFA then prints a list of suggestions that are distributed to all other associations for examination. The AGM is held either in February or March and the ABM is held between September and October. In case on necessity, the Board can meet in a Special Meeting in addition to the two ordinary annual meetings. As of December 2012, the last Special Meeting was hosted by FIFA in Zurich on 5 July 2012.

The decisions of each year's Annual General Meeting of the Board regarding changes to the Laws of the Game enter into force as from 1 July (and are binding on FIFA and on the other members of the Board, and, given that FIFA's Statutes establish that FIFA and its member associations and affiliates adhere to the Laws of the Game laid down by IFAB, those changes bind also FIFA's other member associations, FIFA's continental confederations of member associations, and the subnational entities of the national associations) but confederations, member associations and other bodies whose current season has not ended by 1 July may delay the introduction of the adopted alterations to the Laws of the Game in their competitions until the beginning of their next season.[