The most basic of soccer rules is the one that most people already know: Players aren’t supposed to use their hands unless they are the goalie. However, there’s a touch more to this rule than meets the eye. In soccer, the hand rule applies to any piece of the body from the shoulder to the fingertips. It might be more exactingly outlined as a no arms rule vs a no hands rule, but it’s what it is.

If a ball is kicked and happens to hit a player’s hand, then this is O.K. This would be considered unintended handling. However, if the player were to proceed to deal with the ball in a purposeful demeanour, this would be considered an illegal move. A referee would have to use his best judgment to determine if hand contact with a ball was accidental or purposeful.

Even though the hand rule is one of the most basic soccer rules, it can seem a little confusing at times. For instance, it is understood that the goalie is the only player who is legally permitted to handle the ball with his hands. However, there are certain eventualities in which it is not legal for even the goal tender to touch the ball with his hands.

This is frequently called the back-pass rule. Under this rule, the goalie cannot handle a pass that came directly from one of his team member. In this situation, he would have to use his feet to handle the ball.

This is in no way an exhaustive look at all the basic soccer rules. However, this should give you a good start for understanding the game of soccer. There are numerous more detailed rules that explain other facets of soccer beyond the boundaries of this article.

Good resources can be found on the FIFA’s website (this stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association – soccer is sometimes known as soccer in each country of the Earth except America). You can also consult a soccer coach or enthusiast for a better understanding of basic soccer rules.