No jargon. No judgment. Just soccer explained simply, starting from the very beginning. If you signed your child up for soccer and realized you have absolutely no idea what offside means, what a midfielder does, or why everyone on the sideline just groaned — you are in exactly the right place. This guide covers everyth
Soccer is played between two teams of 11 players each. The goal is simple — get the ball into the other team's net more times than they get it into yours.
A standard game has two 45-minute halves with a 15-minute break in between. For youth soccer the halves are shorter depending on age — usually 20 to 30 minutes each.
Here are the five rules that matter most:
1. You cannot use your hands or arms to touch the ball — except the goalkeeper, who can use their hands inside their own penalty box.
2. Offside — a player cannot be closer to the opponent's goal than both the ball and the second-to-last defender when the ball is passed to them. You cannot stand next to the goalkeeper waiting for the ball.
3. A foul is called when a player illegally pushes, trips, holds, or handles the ball. The other team gets a free kick.
4. A yellow card is a warning. A red card means the player is sent off and cannot be replaced.
5. If the score is tied at the end of regular time in a knockout game, the match goes to extra time and then penalty kicks.
That is genuinely all you need to follow a game. Everything else you will pick up naturally by watching.
Soccer has four basic position groups. Here is what each one does in plain English:
The only player allowed to use their hands. Their job is to stop the ball from going into the net. There is one goalkeeper per team.
Also called backs. They stay near their own goal and try to stop the other team from scoring. Usually 3 or 4 defenders on a team.
The engine of the team. They run the most, connect the defense to the attack, and do a bit of everything. Usually 3 or 4 midfielders.
Also called strikers or attackers. Their main job is to score goals. They stay closest to the opponent's goal.
When your kid's coach tells you they are playing center back or left midfielder — now you know exactly what that means.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.