1. The game shall be played between two teams of seven players. Each team must have five players present to start or continue the game, or it will be forfeited. There should always be a gender difference of one (1) that can be either male or female.

2. At the beginning of the game one player is designated as goalie and only he/she may use his/her hands or arms to play the ball, provided he/she remains in his/her penalty area. The goalie shall wear colors, which distinguish him/her from other players (a pinnie). The goalkeeper, when in possession of the ball, may not carry the ball more than four steps while holding, bouncing, or throwing the ball in the air and catching it again, without releasing it so that is played by another player.

3. Any player except the goalie can NOT play the ball with his/her hands or arms, except when making a throw-in.

4. Substitutions may be made during a throw-in, goal kick, corner kick, after a goal, and between periods.  Substitutions may also be made during time-outs. (Example to replace an injured player)  All substitutions are at the official's discretion.

5. The game shall consist of two (2) periods of 20 minutes each, with 5 minutes between periods. The clock will be stopped only when a goal is scored and when the referee calls a time-out.

6. At the time of the kick off, the defending team must remain at least ten (10) yards from the ball until it has been kicked.  The referee will toss a coin to decide which team kicks off first & in which direction they face when they kick off. In the second half, the teams switch sides of the field & the team that received the first kick off gets to kick off to start the second half. Each time a goal is scored, the team that didn't score gets to kick off. At each kick off, the ball is placed in the center of the "Center Mark" (on the half-way line) & both teams must be on their own half of the field & the receiving team must stay outside the Center Circle until the ball is "kicked". Moving the ball any constitutes a "kick off", even if it only goes an inch. However, the ball must move forward on the "kick off". The "kicker" may not touch the ball again until someone else (on either team) has touched it. However, the "kicker" may put his foot on top of the ball & barely move it forward so a teammate standing nearby can dribble it or pass it backward or forward.

7. Games tied at the end of regulation play will be decided by a five-minute sudden death overtime period. If no goal is scored by the end of the five minute overtime period, one player from each team is designated to attempt a penalty kick until one scores and the other team does NOT.

8. A throw-in is taken to put the ball back into play after it has passed completely over a sideline, either on the ground or in the air. The ball is put back into play from the point where it crossed the line, being thrown in any direction by a player of the team opposite to that of the player who last touched the ball.

9. A corner kick is taken by a member of the attacking team when the ball passes completely over the goal line (unless a goal is scored) either in the air or on the ground, having last been played by a member of the defending team.

10. A goal kick is taken by a member of the defending team when the ball passes completely over the goal line (unless a goal is scored) either in the air or on the ground, having last been played by a member of the attacking team.

11. Direct Free Kick A direct free kick is one from which a goal can be scored directly from the kick against the offending team.

12. Indirect Free Kick An indirect free kick is one from which a goal cannot be scored unless the ball has been played or touched by a player other than the kicker before passing through the goal.

13. A penalty kick is awarded for any infringement of the rules by the defending team within the penalty area, which is penalized by a direct free kick. The foul must be deliberate.

1. The ball is not considered to have crossed a line until the whole ball crosses over the line.

2. A ball that strikes a crossbar or goal post is in play when it rebounds onto the playing field.

3. Handling the ball by anyone other than the goalie is illegal. A player cannot use their arm or hand to play the ball. Such a play will result in a direct kick at the point of infraction or a penalty kick if in the penalty area.

4. A ball crossing the sideline is put into play by a throw-in. During throw-ins and kicks, no player from  either team may touch the ball until after the kick or throw-in is in play. If it is touched, the kick or throw-in is retaken.

5. On all throw-ins and kicks, the thrower/kicker must not play the ball until after the ball is in play (after another player has touched it). If this is violated, an indirect kick is awarded to the opponents.

6. On all kicks, opponents of the kicker must remain at least ten (10) yards from the spot of the kick until the ball is in play, unless they are on their own goal line between the goal posts. The referee shall delay the kick until this rule is complied with.

7. On goal kicks and free kicks taken from inside the kicking team s penalty area, opponents of the kicker must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play. The referee shall delay the kick until this rule is complied with.

8. There are 2 colors of "cards" which the referee will hold up to indicate serious fouls or behavior which won't be tolerated. He carries these cards in his shirt pocket, so if he reaches for his pocket it's a bad sign for the player who committed the foul. These cards are about the size of a playing card and one is yellow and the other is red. When a card is to be given (it isn't actually given to the offending player, it is actually just shown to him and to everyone else) the referee will stop the game, call the player over, hold up the card and write the player's name in his notebook. This is called "booking" the player and when it happens the player has been "booked", (e.g., "she was booked"). Any time a Yellow or Red Card is shown, a "direct" or "indirect kick" will also be awarded.

A player who receives 2 Yellow Cards is given a Red Card & ejected. FIFA rules do not require a player to leave the field for the first yellow card. However, some leagues' rules do. You must go by your league's rules.  Thomas' rules do not require players to leave the field following their first yellow card.

Red Card - A player must be shown a Red Card and "sent off" (i.e., made to leave the field) for the 7 offenses listed below. A player shown a "Red Card" & sent off may not be replaced during that game (i.e., his team must play a player "short" for the rest of the game; however, in some leagues, including this event, a player may be replaced if he is ejected for receiving a second Yellow Card).

Taken from http://www.soccerhelp.com/Soccer_Tips_Dictionary_Terms_C.shtml#cards