Q&A for How to Play Soccer

The game clock never stops in soccer, but the play sometimes does—such as when the ball goes out of bounds. The referee keeps track of the time when play was stopped and adds that time (called "stoppage time") to the end of each half. So, for example, at the end of the 45-minute regulation time for the first half, the referee might state that there are 3 minutes of stoppage time. The players would continue playing until the referee blows their whistle. If the referee also added 3 minutes of stoppage time to the second half, the total match time would be 96 minutes.

Megging someone means kicking the ball between their legs—usually a defender when you're passing the ball to another teammate. Because the defender is supposed to be keeping you from moving the ball, it's considered a particularly humiliating thing to kick it straight between their legs. It's also not easy to do (you risk the person intercepting the ball), but you might have an opportunity if someone's off guard and not paying close attention.

Time doesn't stop during a soccer match, so even if you score a goal the ball is considered to be in play. Infield players are not allowed to pick up the ball with their hands while it's in play—that's why you got a red card.

Nope! The yellow and red card system are used for all regulation soccer matches, including those at club and youth levels. Rec leagues with referees typically use the same system as well. It's a basic part of soccer so you can figure if the game has a referee, there will be yellow and red cards.

If you're shown a red card, you have to leave the game immediately. The ref issues a red card for severe rule violations, such as violent conduct, or if you've already accumulated 2 yellow cards for minor offenses.

Defenders defend corner kicks with a combination of zonal or man-on-man defense. You can't go directly up to the kicker and block them from kicking the ball, though—they have the right to kick the ball into the field of play.

Your hands and wrists will grow stronger with practice and repetition. The key thing is to exert force against the ball, not simply let the ball hit your hands. Taping your wrists and fingers will also give you extra support.

When you're first learning, it might hurt a bit—but once you get the technique down, the pain (if any) is minimal. Think about the pressure you feel on your foot when you connect with a ball to kick it. You're going to feel about the same thing on your head. If you hit the ball with the wrong part of your head, it'll hurt more and could cause a concussion or brain injury. That's why plenty of practice to get the correct technique down is so important.

Remember that everyone starts from zero. Those kids who are only 10 years old might've been playing for 6 or 7 years already—that's a long time! If you've only been playing for a year or two, it would be silly to expect yourself to already be as good as someone who's been playing 3 or 4 times as long as you. Focus on your own game and look at how far you've come since you first started.

It's totally normal to get nervous or anxious when you're playing a team sport like soccer. Learn some breathing exercises that you can practice when you feel yourself starting to get nervous. Even something as simple as shaking your hands around or making a silly face can help loosen you up mentally. You might also try listening to your favorite music to get in the zone mentally before the match starts—this is a technique even the pros use.

If the defenders have the ball, they're no longer the defenders. Once a team takes control of the ball, they become the attacking or offensive team. There are many quick changes of possession throughout the game. To get the ball back under your team's control, close off space around the player with the ball to limit their options, then look for an opportunity to kick the ball away from them.

If you don't have any experience, keep in mind that when you try out, you're going to be competing for a spot on the team with a lot of people who do have experience. The best thing you can do is show enthusiasm, give it your all, and listen. Pay attention to the coach's instructions at all times, ask questions if you don't understand something, and show the coach that you're open to criticism, willing to learn, and dedicated to the sport.

Keep in mind that dribbling past multiple defenders is not always going to be your best strategy. Soccer is a team sport! If you have multiple defenders in your path, look for a teammate who's more open and pass the ball to them. Then you can more easily move away from the defenders to set yourself up to receive a pass and move forward.

Wingers will naturally use both feet when dribbling the ball. When passing, the foot you use is going to depend on the direction you want to send the ball and the direction you're facing. That being said, right wingers tend to use their right feet more often, while left wingers tend to use their left feet more often.

There are plenty of ball-handling drills you can practice even if a ball is your only equipment. Kick the ball against a wall, for example, and you can practice receiving passes. You can also juggle the ball, which will help you gain control and handling skills. You can also play with a friend, passing back and forth or taking turns defending—you don't necessarily need a goal, just try to kick the ball past them to an imaginary teammate.

You would never have two red cards. When the referee shows you a red card, you must immediately leave the pitch and can't return for the rest of the match—so there'd never be an opportunity to get more than one red card. If you get two yellow cards, on the other hand, that equates to a single red card. You would have to leave the pitch immediately, just as if you got a red card.

While alone, practice dribbling with both sides of your feet while keeping the ball as close as possible, and of course practice shooting. When you're with the team, practice passing and receiving and make sure you're all paying attention to each other.

Practice often, this cannot be over-emphasized. Learn new skills and ask your coach, any player or your friend to show you amazing skills. Watch soccer videos on YouTube as well. See further How to Be Good at Soccer for more advice.

Of course you can. Don't let anybody judge you if you play soccer. As long as you enjoy the activity play it as long as you want. You can even pursuit it as a hobby.

You have to look at the ball first -- if you look at the players constantly, the defender will take advantage of it, but if you want to pass the ball, you can look at the players to whom you want to pass.

Control the ball in the air with by stopping it with your instep. Make sure you have your eyes on the ball and cushion the impact of the ball.

Run alongside your opponent. When you see your chance, drop to the ground and push the ball out with the leg nearest your opponent. Bend your other leg as you do this, or you could break a bone. Be aware that this can be extremely painful if the opponent steps on you. Never slide tackle from behind, which is an automatic red card.

You can never master soccer, even if you started when you were two years old. Everyone will make mistakes, even if they are pro. Just try to do your best, and learn from your past mistakes.

There are many different techniques for this, but here's one. When the defender is in front of you, try dragging back the ball with your foot, then pivot on your other foot and start dribbling in the other direction.

Nothing really, if the ball is still in the net, they can pick it up and give it to their team for the restart at the half line. Otherwise, they just get back into position.

A friendly match is played for the sole purpose of fun.

Have the players pair off and take turns practicing the shoulder charge on each other, while the defending player's weight is on the outside leg. Advance to drills where the defending player is dribbling, then set the ball down and have both players contest it. Early on, the focus should be on keeping your balance and avoiding illegal contact, not on force.

The best way is to go in front of them, get the ball from them, and then pass it to a teammate.

Train. Start with one mile, then one and a half miles and keep running faster and faster. It's a matter of practicing running with regularity.

These beginner tricks are a good place to start. You can find a large freestyle community online to share tips and more advanced techniques.