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There are some basic soccer rules that a player will want to know about, to help feel at ease with the game when starting out.

These fundamentals of the game are needed in order to maintain some kind of order wherever a match is to be played, and to ensure that everyone is playing by the same book.

Soccer is of course a global game, but the rules are the same wherever you are playing it.

So there are some ground rules, basic soccer rules which are worth taking a look at, especially for children who are starting out in the game.

The sooner good habits and knowledge is picked up, the better. One of the main starting points is of course, scoring a goal. That is the whole point of the game, and all of the ball must be over the line in order for the goal to stand.

This may on occasion come down to the discrepancy of the match referee and touch judges, as it is not always clear in certain situations, such as goal mouth scrambles. But the rule of the day is, that all of the ball must cross the goal line to be awarded.

Fouling is a unavoidable part of the game. Be it deliberate or accidental, there will be free kicks in the match, and depending on the severity of the foul, a cautionary yellow card, or a dismissal-indicating red card may be shown to the offending player.

There are two different types of free kicks which can be played:

 A direct free kick, which allows the benefactor to shoot directly on goal, and

 An indirect free kick, which cannot be scored from, unless touched by another player on the field on its route to goal.

Causing a foul in a penalty area will of course lead to a penalty kick. No other player except the penalty kick taker and the opposing goalkeeper are allowed in the penalty area until the ball is struck.

Throw ins, a method of restarting play during a match when the ball crosses the sidelines, must be taken by a player with two feet on the ground at the point of release, and the ball must come from behind the back of the head, or else a foul throw will be called.

The offside is one rule which may cause some confusion, but it is easy to break down. If you are closer to the opposing goalkeeper than the last defender on the opposing team when the ball is played to you, then you will be flagged for offside. Learn the basic rules of soccer and get ahead!