Purpose

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to list the 17 Laws of the Game and explain who has authority to write and amend them.

Lesson Explanation

The Laws of the Game are written and maintained by The International Football Association Board (IFAB), founded in 1886 and today made up of representatives from FIFA and the four British football associations (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland). IFAB reviews and amends the Laws annually, with changes typically taking effect at the start of a new season (the current edition referenced throughout this course is the 2025/26 edition).

The 17 Laws, in order: Law 1 (The Field of Play), Law 2 (The Ball), Law 3 (The Players), Law 4 (The Players’ Equipment), Law 5 (The Referee), Law 6 (Other Match Officials), Law 7 (The Duration of the Match), Law 8 (The Start and Restart of Play), Law 9 (Ball In and Out of Play), Law 10 (Determining the Outcome of a Match), Law 11 (Offside), Law 12 (Fouls and Misconduct), Law 13 (Free Kicks), Law 14 (The Penalty Kick), Law 15 (The Throw-In), Law 16 (The Goal Kick), Law 17 (The Corner Kick).

This course follows a logical grouping rather than strict numerical order: Part 1 covers the foundational Laws 1-10 (the game’s basic framework), Part 2 covers Law 12 (fouls and misconduct) in depth, Part 3 covers the restart Laws 13-17, and Part 4 covers Law 11 (offside) together with the advantage principle. Parts 5-6 move beyond the Law text itself into the practical mechanics and game-management skills every referee needs on match day.

A genuinely important principle to internalize from the outset: the Laws are deliberately written with room for referee judgment — phrases like “careless,” “reckless,” and “excessive force” (covered fully in Part 2, Lesson 3) are not precisely defined to the centimeter or the second, because football is a fast, physical, judgment-based game, and the Laws trust trained officials to apply consistent principles rather than follow a rigid checklist.

Practice Questions