About
Football is a sport in which players attempt to score goals by passing and dribbling the ball down the field past opposing defenders and kicking or heading the ball into the goal net, outwitting the defending goalkeepers. The duration of the game is divided into two equal periods of 45 minutes each unless otherwise mutually agreed upon, subject to the following. The ball is out of play, when it has wholly crossed the goal line or touch line, whether on the ground or in the air and when the game has been stopped by the referee.
The ball is in play at all other times from the start of the match to the finish including if it rebounds from a goal post, cross bar or corner flag post into the field of play; off either the referee or linesman when they are in the field or in the event of a supposed infringement of the laws until a decision is given.
At the beginning of the game, choice of ends and the kick off is decided by the toss of a coin. The team winning the toss will have the option of choice of ends or the kick off. The referee having given a signal the game is started by a player taking a place-kick (i.e. a kick at the ball while it is stationary on the ground in the centre of the field of play) into his opponents half of the field of play.
Every player is in his own half of the field and every player of the opposing team of the kicker remains not less than 10 yards from the ball until it is kicked off. The kicker will not play the ball a second time until it has been touched or played by another player.
A penalty kick is taken from the penalty mark and when it is being taken, all players with the exception of the player taking the kick, properly identified, and the opposing goal keeper, is within the field of play but outside the penalty area, and at least 10 yards from the penalty mark. The opposing goal keeper must stand (without moving his feet) on his own goal line, between the goal posts, until the ball is kicked.