Laws One & Two: The field & the ball

In this series, we'll review the official laws of the game one or two at a time. Soccer has 17 official laws on the books (compare to American Football, which has over 300 rules and 10 rules about how to place a dead ball alone). The first two laws concern the rules for the field, and the rules for the ball.



The field

A field in soccer is usually referred to as the pitch. Like in baseball, a soccer pitch must fall within a certain length and width, can be customized from club to club. At the professional level, a soccer pitch must be at least 100 yards long, and at most 130 yards long. In terms of width, a pitch must be at least 50 yards wide and at most 100 yards. A club may change the dimensions of the pitch between seasons. Generally speaking, larger pitches allow more space in which to move, and promote attacking play; smaller pitches constrain movement and promote defensive play.

The pitch itself can be made of grass or artificial turf, but either way it must be colored green. As with other outdoor sports, teams can "rough up" the turf if they so desire; well maintained, smooth grass promotes shorter passing along the ground by allowing the ball to move around easily. Rougher, muddier grass promotes longer passes through the air.

The lines on the pitch are as follows:

Touchline: The touchline is the name for the lines that run up down the side of the pitch. This is where the coaches and subs setup and wait to participate. The two assistant referees also stand on the touchline, one on each side. When a coach yells instructions to players on the pitch, it's called a "touchline shout." If a team kicks the ball across the touchline, the opposing team gets to take a throw-in from the touchline.

Byline: The byline is the name for the lines that make up the width of the pitch. On attack, an aggressive player might be said to be "attacking the byline." If the defending team kicks the ball across the byline, the attacking team gets to take a corner kick. If the attacking team kicks the ball across the byline, the defending goalkeeper gets to take a goal kick.

Goal line: Occasionally, you'll hear line immediately behind the goal referred to as the goal line.

The penalty area:  The penalty box is a rectangular area outside of the goal that is important for two reasons. First, it marks the area in which a keeper may handle the ball; if the keeper leaves this area for any reason, he is not allowed to use his hands, and doing so will result in a penalty. Second, if a defending player commits a foul on an attacking player in the penalty box, a penalty is awarded.

Six yard box: The six yard box immediately surrounds the goal area.

The goal area: The goal itself is 8 yards wide, and 8 feet tall. In order to score, the ball has to make it past the goal line and into the goal itself.

And that is all you need to know about the pitch.

Law two: the ball

This one is relatively simple. A professional ball must be made of leather or a similar substance. The ball must have a circumference between 27 and 28 inches, and must weigh between 14 and 16 ounces. And, that is about it.

Next up we'll cover laws three and four: Players and subs, and safety.equipment.