Editing Association football (section)

== Gameplay ==
{{See also|Parker's Piece}}
[[File:2. SNL - 27. krog - Nafta 1903 0-0 (0-0) Roltek Dob - 1. polčas.webm|thumb|One half of a professional football match (45 minutes) between Slovenian clubs [[NK Nafta 1903]] and [[NK Dob]]. The score after the half is 0–0.]]
Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the [[Laws of the Game (association football)|Laws of the Game]]. The game is played using a spherical ball of {{convert|68|–|70|cm|in|abbr=on}} circumference,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Circumference |url=http://quality.fifa.com/en/Footballs/Become-a-licensee/Tests/Circumference/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119053959/http://quality.fifa.com/en/Footballs/Become-a-licensee/Tests/Circumference/ |archive-date=19 November 2016 |website=FIFA Quality Programme}}</ref> known as the ''[[Ball (association football)|football]]'' (or ''soccer ball''). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. There are situations where a goal can be disallowed, such as an [[Offside (association football)|offside]] call or a [[Fouls and misconduct (association football)|foul]] in the build-up to the goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a [[Captain (association football)|captain]] who has only one official responsibility as mandated by the Laws of the Game: to represent their team in the coin toss before kick-off or [[Penalty kick (association football)|penalty kicks]].<ref name="laws51-52" />

The primary law is that players other than [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeepers]] may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during a [[throw-in]] restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "[[Header (association football)|heading]]" with the forehead)<ref>{{cite web |title=How to head a football |url=http://expertfootball.com/wp/heading/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20110403141804/http://expertfootball.com/training/heading.php |archive-date=3 April 2011 |access-date=3 January 2011}}</ref> other than their hands or arms.<ref name="fouls">{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/flash/lotg/football/en/Laws12_02.htm |publisher=FIFA |title=Laws of the game (Law 12) |access-date=24 September 2007|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011115718/http://fifa.com/flash/lotg/football/en/Laws12_02.htm|archive-date=11 October 2007}}</ref> Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not pass to teammates who are in an offside position.<ref name="offsidelaw">{{cite book |title=Laws of the Game 2010/2011 |chapter=Law 11&nbsp;– Offside |chapter-url=https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/81/42/36/lawsofthegame_2010_11_e.pdf |publisher=FIFA |access-date=4 March 2011 |page=31 |archive-date=4 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704211500/https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/81/42/36/lawsofthegame_2010_11_e.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref>

During gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by [[dribbling]], passing the ball to a teammate, and by taking shots at the goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through [[Tackle (football move)#Association football|tackling]] the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the [[Referee (association football)|referee]] for an infringement of the rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart.<ref name="restart">{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/flash/lotg/football/en/Laws8_01.htm |publisher=FIFA |title=Laws of the game (Law 8) |access-date=24 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070913142456/http://fifa.com/flash/lotg/football/en/Laws8_01.htm |archive-date=13 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Slidetackle.JPG|alt=|thumb|A player executing a slide [[Tackle (football move)|tackle]] to dispossess an opponent]]
At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the [[2022–23 Premier League|2022–23 season]] of the English [[Premier League]] produced an average of 2.85 goals per match.<ref>{{cite news |title=Seven graphs that explain the Premier League's goal glut |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/12/05/premier-league-more-goals-ever-five-reasons-data-tactics/ |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=5 December 2023 |access-date=21 January 2024 |last1=Ducker |first1=James |archive-date=16 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216022320/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/12/05/premier-league-more-goals-ever-five-reasons-data-tactics/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper,<ref name=LAW301>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/flash/lotg/football/en/Laws3_01.htm |publisher=FIFA |title=Laws of the game (Law 3–Number of Players) |access-date=24 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070913142527/http://fifa.com/flash/lotg/football/en/Laws3_01.htm |archive-date=13 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> but a number of [[association football positions|specialised roles]] have evolved.<ref>{{cite web |title=Soccer positions explained: names, numbers and what they do |publisher=Bundesliga |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/soccer-positions-explained-names-numbers-what-they-do-2579-786 |access-date=3 February 2021 |archive-date=28 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228222507/https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/soccer-positions-explained-names-numbers-what-they-do-2579-786 |url-status=live}}</ref> Broadly, these include three main categories: [[Striker (association football)|strikers]], or forwards, whose main task is to score goals; [[Defender (association football)|defenders]], who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and [[midfielder]]s, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Winter |first1=Henry |title=Schmeichel: I watch Federer to improve my game |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/federers-my-idol-i-watch-him-play-tennis-to-improve-as-a-goalkeeper-2ngtfltl9?region=global |website=The Times |access-date=7 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250411213300/https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/federers-my-idol-i-watch-him-play-tennis-to-improve-as-a-goalkeeper-2ngtfltl9 |archive-date=11 April 2025 |date=2 April 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which the player spends the most time. For example, there are central defenders and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of the game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/rules_and_equipment/4196830.stm |title=Positions guide, Who is in a team? |work=BBC Sport |access-date=24 September 2007 |date=1 September 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061105213730/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/rules_and_equipment/4196830.stm|archive-date=5 November 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> The layout of a team's players is known as a ''[[Formation (association football)|formation]]''. Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's [[Manager (association football)|manager]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/rules_and_equipment/4197420.stm |title=Formations |work=BBC Sport |access-date=24 September 2007 |date=1 September 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825133301/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/rules_and_equipment/4197420.stm|archive-date=25 August 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>