Football is played in accordance with a set of rules, known as the Laws of the Game. The game is played using a single the football and two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal, thereby scoring a 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. There are exceptions to this rule, however see Duration and tie-breaking methods below.

The primary rule is that the players other than the goalkeepers may not intentionally touch the ball with their hands or arms during play though they do use 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 bodies other than their hands or arms.

In typical game play, players attempt to propel the ball toward their opponents' goal through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling, passing the ball to a team-mate, 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 tackling the opponent who controls the ball however physical contact between opponents is limited. Football is generally a free-flowing game with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play, or when the referee stops play. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart.

 
 
The Laws of the Game do not specify any player position other than goalkeeper, but a number of player specializations have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers, or forwards, whose main task is to score goals defenders, who specialize in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball in order to pass it to the forwards players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, in order to discern them from the single goalkeeper. These positions are further differentiated by which side of the field the player spends most time in. For example, there are central defenders, and left and right midfielders.

The ten outfield players may be arranged in these positions in any combination (for example, there may be four defenders, four midfielders, and two forwards, or three defenders, three midfielders, and four forwards), and the number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders would create a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse would create a slower, more defensive style of play. While players may spend most of the game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of the players on the pitch is called the team's formation, and defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager.
  
 
 
 
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