FOOTBALL EXPLAINED

Football 101 — Everything a Complete Beginner Needs to Know

TL;DR — The 30-second version

Football is played between two teams of 11 players on a rectangular pitch
The aim is to score by getting the ball into the other team's goal
Only the goalkeeper can use their hands — everyone else uses their feet
A match lasts 90 minutes, split into two 45-minute halves
The team with more goals at full time wins. Draws are common and allowed.
Players can be shown yellow cards (a warning) or red cards (sent off the pitch)

The Very Basics

Football is the most popular sport in the world — played by more than 250 million people across more than 200 countries. Two teams of 11 players compete to score more goals than the other team. That’s it. The team that scores more goals wins.

A match is played on a large rectangular grass pitch (or sometimes artificial turf). At each end of the pitch is a goal — a metal frame with a net. Score by getting the ball into the other team’s net.

Only one player per team is allowed to use their hands: the goalkeeper, who guards their team’s goal. Everyone else must use their feet, chest, head, or any other body part — but not their hands or arms.

How Long Does a Match Last?

A standard match is 90 minutes long, split into two halves of 45 minutes with a 15-minute break in the middle (called half time).

At the end of 90 minutes, the referee adds extra time — sometimes called stoppage time or injury time — to make up for time lost during the match due to injuries, substitutions, or delays. This is usually between 2 and 10 minutes. The fourth official (the person on the sideline with the electronic board) holds up a number showing the minimum amount of stoppage time to be played.

In knockout competitions (like the World Cup’s later rounds), if the match is level after 90 minutes, the teams play an additional 30 minutes of extra time — two periods of 15 minutes. If it’s still a draw after that, the match is decided by a penalty shootout.

What's a penalty shootout?

Each team takes five penalties alternately. A penalty is a one-on-one shot from a spot 12 yards from goal — just the shooter and the goalkeeper. If it's still level after five each, it goes to sudden death: one penalty each until someone misses. Penalty shootouts are one of the most stressful things in sport. England fans know this better than most.

The Pitch

The pitch is a large rectangle of grass — typically about 105 metres long and 68 metres wide, though exact dimensions can vary. Here are the key areas:

The centre circle — where kickoff happens at the start of each half and after a goal is scored

The penalty area — the large box in front of each goal. Inside here, the goalkeeper can handle the ball. If a foul is committed inside here by a defending player, the attacking team gets a penalty.

The six-yard box — the small box directly in front of the goal. Goal kicks are taken from here.

The halfway line — divides the pitch in two. Relevant for the offside rule.

The touchlines — the long sides of the pitch. When the ball goes over these, a throw-in is taken.

The goal lines — the short ends of the pitch. When the ball goes over here (without scoring), it’s either a corner kick or a goal kick, depending on who touched it last.

Starting and Restarting Play

Kickoff

The match starts with a kickoff from the centre circle. One team kicks the ball forward — it must move forward at least slightly — and the match begins. Kickoff also happens after every goal is scored (the team that conceded kicks off) and at the start of the second half.

Throw-in

When the ball goes over the touchline (the long sides of the pitch), play restarts with a throw-in. The team that didn’t touch it last throws it back in. The player must throw it with both hands from behind and over their head while keeping both feet on the ground. Yes, it’s one of those rules that sounds more complicated than it is.

Corner kick

When the ball goes over the goal line (the short end) and was last touched by a defending player, the attacking team gets a corner kick. The ball is placed in the corner arc and kicked back into the box. Corners are often used for set-piece routines — planned moves designed to create scoring chances.

Goal kick

When the ball goes over the goal line and was last touched by an attacking player, the defending team gets a goal kick. The goalkeeper (or any defender) kicks the ball from inside the six-yard box. The ball must leave the penalty area before any other player can touch it.

Free kick

When a foul is committed, the fouled team gets a free kick — they restart play by kicking the ball from where the foul happened. Other players must stand at least 9.15 metres away (the referee uses a spray to mark this). Some free kicks are direct (you can shoot straight at goal) and some are indirect (you must touch it to another player first).

Penalty

A special type of direct free kick awarded when a foul is committed inside the penalty area. Taken from the penalty spot, 12 yards from goal. Just the shooter versus the goalkeeper. Everything else must wait outside the penalty area.

Cards — Yellow and Red

The referee can show players cards as punishment for breaking the rules or for poor behaviour.

Yellow card (also called a booking) — a formal warning. The player’s name is noted. Two yellow cards in the same match = automatic red card.

Red card — the player is sent off immediately and cannot be replaced. Their team plays with ten players for the rest of the match. A serious offence (a violent tackle, deliberate handball to stop a goal, denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity) can result in a straight red without a prior yellow.

Yellow cards also accumulate over a competition. In the World Cup, five yellow cards across different matches leads to a one-match suspension.

VAR

Since 2018, many competitions use Video Assistant Referees (VAR) — technology that allows officials to review decisions using video footage. It is used for goals, penalties, red cards and cases of mistaken identity. VAR has made the game more accurate but also much more controversial. We have a full explainer here: VAR explained.

Substitutions

Each team can make up to five substitutions per match (swapping one player for another from their bench). There are usually three windows in which to make them, plus at half time. Once a player comes off, they cannot return. Substitutions are used to bring in fresh legs, change tactics, or replace injured players.

Winning, Drawing and Losing

The team with more goals at full time wins. If both teams have the same number of goals, it’s a draw. In league football (like the Premier League), draws are common and completely valid — teams receive one point for a draw versus three for a win. In knockout competitions, draws lead to extra time and then penalties.