US YOUTH SOCCER

Revised April 12, 2005

US Youth Soccer Official Under 12 Playing Recommendations

US Youth Soccer recommended modifications to the FIFA Laws of the Game.

FIFA Laws of the Game can be found at www.ussoccer.com/referees.

Please note the U12 addendum and appendix.

Law 1 – The Field of Play

Dimensions: The field of play must be rectangular. The length of the touchline must be

greater than the length of the goal line.

Length: minimum 70 yards maximum 80 yards

Width: minimum 45 yards maximum 55 yards

Field Markings: Distinctive lines not more than (5) inches wide. The field of play is

divided into two halves by a halfway line. The center mark is indicated at the midpoint

of the halfway line. A circle with a radius of eight (8) yards is marked around it.

The Goal area: Conform to FIFA.

The Penalty Area: A penalty area is defined at each end of the field as follows: Two lines

are drawn at right angles to the goal line, fourteen (14) yards from the inside of each

goalpost. These lines extend into the field of play for a distance of fourteen (14) yards

and are joined by a line drawn parallel with the goal line. The area bounded by these

lines and the goal line is the penalty area. Within each penalty area a penalty mark is

made ten (10) yards from the midpoint between the goalposts and equidistant to them.

An arc of a circle with a radius of eight (8) yards from each penalty mark is drawn

outside the penalty area.

Flagposts: Conform to FIFA.

The Corner Arc: Conform to FIFA.

Goals: Conform to FIFA with exception that the maximum distance between the posts is

eighteen (18) feet and the maximum distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the

ground is six (6) feet.

Law 2 – The Ball: Size four (4).

Law 3 – The Number of Players: A match is played by two teams, each consisting of not

more than eight players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. A match may not start if either

team consists of fewer than six (6) players.

Substitutions: At any stoppage and unlimited.

Law 4 – The Players Equipment: Conform to FIFA. Non-uniform clothing is allowed

based on weather conditions, but uniforms must still distinguish teams.