The Soccer Drop Ball Rule

Referee Howard Webb about to drop the ball (photo © Patrick Telford, flickr.com)

A referee must sometimes stop play even when neither team has done anything wrong (such as a foul or misconduct). When this happens, the referee can restart the game with a dropped ball -- a way of restarting the game with no advantage to either team.

Soccer Ball Sizes

The first step to buying a soccer ball is choosing the correct size. Soccer ball sizes are tailored to the needs of specific age groups, matching the correct size and weight of ball to players at different levels of physical development.

The following table lists official soccer ball sizes as determined by the US Youth Soccer Association (in its "Policy on Players and Playing Rules"), the largest member of the United States Soccer Federation.

How Long is a Game of Soccer?

Soccer scoreboard showing 90 minutes (photo by DavyJAllan)

Here’s a bizarre fact for you: the official rules of soccer that existed in 1863 didn’t say how long a game of soccer should be -- the two captains had to agree on a time before the kick off.

As soccer became more organized, it soon became obvious that the game needed an official length. The Football Association decided that each game should last 90 minutes...