Football 101
The Pitch
Length
100-110m
About the length of an American football field
Width
64-75m
About as wide as an NFL field is long
Goal Size
7.32m × 2.44m
24 feet wide, 8 feet tall
Penalty Spot
11m (12 yards)
From the goal line
Center Circle
9.15m radius
Opponents stay outside at kick-off
Match Structure
90 Minutes
Two halves of 45 minutes each, plus stoppage time added by the referee.
5 Substitutions
Each team can make 5 substitutions in 3 windows (plus half-time). Once a player is substituted, they cannot return.
Kick-Off
The team that wins the coin toss chooses which goal to attack. The other team kicks off. They switch at half-time.
Extra Time
In knockout matches, if it's a draw after 90 mins, two 15-minute halves of extra time are played. Then penalties.
Bookings
Yellow card = warning. Two yellows = red card = sent off. Straight red for serious fouls. Team plays with 10 players.
How to Score
Regular Goal
Ball fully crosses the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar.
Any Body Part
You can score with feet, head, chest, knees — anything except hands/arms.
No Handball
A goal scored by hand is never allowed, even if accidental.
The Whole Ball
The ENTIRE ball must cross the ENTIRE line. Even 1mm on the line = no goal.