soccer rules

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, it is played in every country internationally and is easily more popular than any sport in America.  Many people dont understand soccer though, they find it stupid and confusing.  This is only because they dont understand the basic rules of the game.  Over the next four weeks I will list and discuss the 17 actual main rules of soccer so that it will make sense to those of you that have never played it.  The first rule: The feild of play.  This rule is simple, the soccer field must be atleast 100 yards long and can range from 50 to 100 yards wide.  The field must be green and can be played on actual grass or artificial turf.  At both ends of each feild is a goal box,  this must be 8 yards wide on both ends of the feild.  18 yards away from the goal box is the 18 line.  This is the space where the keeper can use his hands.  The last line to be marked is the center feild line.  This just shows where mid feild is to the players and to the fans watching.  Second rule:The soccer ball.  the soccer ball has to be spherical in shap and not be any larger than 27 to 28 inches in circumference.  Third rule:The number of players.  Matches consist of two teams with 11 players on each team.  11 is the max amount of players that you can have on one team.  If their isnt atleast 7 players on the team at the time the match begins then the game will be a forfeit.  These are the first three basic rules out of seventeen.  until next week!
Sources: www.syossetsoccer.org/home
www.upperdublinsoccerclub.org/rules 17