Football Quiz For Kids - claymation artwork

Football Quiz For Kids

13 Questions 10 min
This quiz checks association football (soccer) match knowledge that shows up in real games, including restart choices (throw-in, corner, goal kick, free kick, penalty), offside basics, and common fouls. It also covers position responsibilities and major tournaments versus club football. Youth players, school captains, junior refs, and PE teachers benefit from fast, accurate rule recall under pressure.
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1In football, what must happen for a goal to count?
2A ball is out of play only when the whole ball crosses the whole touchline or goal line.

True / False

3How many players from each team are on the field in a normal 11-a-side match (including the goalkeeper)?
4The ball fully crosses the touchline during play. What restart should you expect?
5Where can a goalkeeper use their hands during open play?
6A player can be offside while standing in their own half.

True / False

7Which competition is played by national teams, not clubs?
8An attacker shoots and the ball goes fully over the defending team’s goal line with no goal scored. What restart is given?
9A defender blocks a cross and the ball goes fully over their own goal line with no goal scored. What restart is given?
10A defender trips an attacker inside the defender’s own penalty area. What restart is usually awarded?
11The ball goes fully over the goal line without a goal, and the last touch was a defender trying to clear. What restart should be given?
12A winger plays a through ball, and you want to judge offside. When do you “freeze” the picture to check positions?
13The ball has to fully cross the line to be out of play.

True / False

14The UEFA Champions League is played by club teams, not national teams.

True / False

15A player’s jersey number always tells you their position, for example number 9 is always the striker.

True / False

16An attacker is standing closer to the goal than the defenders, but the teammate passes the ball backward toward midfield to them. Can the attacker be offside from that pass?
17A striker is through on goal with only the goalkeeper to beat. A defender trips them just outside the penalty area. What is the most likely restart and card?
18The goalkeeper is far upfield, and only one defender is back near the goal. An attacker is closer to the goal line than that last defender when a teammate plays a forward pass to them. What is the best decision?
19A defender inside their own penalty area deliberately uses a hand to stop the ball from going into the goal. What should the referee usually give?

Kids’ Soccer Quiz Mistakes That Happen in Real Matches (and How to Fix Them)

Most missed questions come from mixing up two separate decisions: what restart happens and what discipline (if any) the referee gives. Use the fixes below to slow down your thinking for one second, then answer fast.

1) “Foul in the box = red card”

A foul inside the penalty area can mean a penalty kick, but the card depends on what the foul was and what it stopped. Ask: was it careless, reckless, or serious foul play. Then ask: did it stop an obvious goal-scoring chance.

2) Restart mix-ups on the goal line

Corner versus goal kick depends on who last touched the ball before it fully crossed the goal line (and no goal was scored). Defender last touch means corner. Attacker last touch means goal kick.

3) Offside judged at the wrong time

Offside is judged when the ball is played by a teammate, not when the receiver controls it. Train your eyes to freeze the moment of the pass.

4) Forgetting offside restart exceptions

No offside offense directly from a goal kick, throw-in, or corner kick. If the question mentions one of these restarts, check that rule first.

5) Handball guesses based on “it hit the arm”

Many questions focus on intent and arm position. Look for clues like arm making the body bigger, distance, and whether the arm is in a natural position for running or sliding.

6) Position confusion from jersey numbers

“Number 9” and “number 10” change by team. Answer by job: center backs protect central space, fullbacks defend wide areas, midfielders connect play, and forwards attack the goal.

Printable Soccer Rules Quick Sheet for Kids: Restarts, Offside, Fouls, and Positions

Print or save as PDF and keep this next to your practice notebook for quick rule checks before training or a quiz session.

Ball in and out of play

  • Goal: the whole ball crosses the whole goal line between the posts and under the crossbar.
  • Out of play: the whole ball crosses the whole touchline or goal line (on the ground or in the air).

Fast restart decision tree

  • Touchline out: throw-in for the team that did not touch it last.
  • Goal line out, defender touched last, no goal: corner kick.
  • Goal line out, attacker touched last, no goal: goal kick.
  • Foul or misconduct: free kick (direct or indirect) or a penalty kick if the foul is by defenders inside their own penalty area.

Throw-in technique checklist

  • Both hands on the ball.
  • Ball comes from behind and over the head.
  • Feet on or behind the touchline at release (do not step fully onto the field early).
  • Throw from the point where the ball left the field.

Offside: one clean checklist

  • Check at the moment a teammate plays the ball.
  • Player is in the opponents’ half.
  • Player is nearer the goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender.
  • No offside offense directly from a goal kick, throw-in, or corner kick.

Cards and fouls (high-level)

  • Yellow: reckless foul, repeated fouls, delaying a restart, dissent.
  • Red: serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting, denying an obvious goal-scoring chance, offensive or abusive language.
  • Penalty kick: about location and who committed the foul, not automatically about the card.

Position jobs kids get asked about

  • Goalkeeper: protect the goal, organize defense, start play with throws and kicks.
  • Center backs: mark central attackers, win headers, block shots, clear danger.
  • Fullbacks: defend wide areas, stop crosses, support wide attacks.
  • Midfielders: win the ball back, connect passes, switch play.
  • Forwards: create chances, make runs behind, finish shots.

Worked Match Scenarios: Picking the Correct Restart and Explaining the Rule

Use these step-by-step scenarios to practice the same reasoning the quiz expects. Read the clue, decide the restart, then justify it with one rule.

Scenario 1: Corner or goal kick

  1. Situation: A winger shoots. The ball hits the defender’s leg and rolls over the goal line beside the post. No goal.
  2. Step 1: The ball crossed the goal line, so the restart is either a corner or a goal kick.
  3. Step 2: Identify the last touch before it went out. The defender touched it last.
  4. Answer: Corner kick, because a defender touched it last before it crossed the goal line and no goal was scored.

Scenario 2: Offside, but check the timing

  1. Situation: A striker is standing beyond the defenders. A midfielder takes two touches, then passes forward. The striker runs back onside after the pass is already played and scores.
  2. Step 1: Offside is judged when the pass is played, not when the ball is received.
  3. Step 2: At the moment of the pass, the striker was beyond the second-last defender and nearer the goal line than the ball.
  4. Answer: Offside offense. Running back onside after the pass does not cancel the offside position at the key moment.

Scenario 3: Penalty kick does not equal red card

  1. Situation: A defender trips an attacker inside the penalty area while both are running side-by-side toward the corner flag. The attacker was not through on goal.
  2. Step 1: Location matters for restart. The foul happened inside the defender’s own penalty area.
  3. Step 2: Decide discipline separately. This is a trip, and it is often careless or reckless, but it did not stop an obvious goal-scoring chance.
  4. Answer: Penalty kick. Card depends on severity, and it is often no card or a yellow in this type of challenge.

Football Quiz for Kids FAQ: Rules, Tricky Wording, and What to Study First

Is this quiz about American football or association football (soccer)?

It focuses on association football (soccer). Expect questions about restarts (throw-ins, corners, goal kicks, free kicks, penalties), offside basics, common fouls, positions, and major tournaments.

What is the fastest way to avoid corner kick vs goal kick mistakes?

Force a two-step check. First, confirm the ball fully crossed the goal line and no goal was scored. Second, identify the last touch: defender last touch means corner, attacker last touch means goal kick.

What offside exception gets kids most often in trivia questions?

The restart exceptions. There is no offside offense directly from a goal kick, a throw-in, or a corner kick. If the question mentions one of those restarts, check the exception before doing any defender counting.

Do “handball” questions have one simple rule?

Most quiz questions are really checking your judgment clues. Look for words that point to an arm making the body bigger, an unnatural arm position, or a player taking a risk by leaving an arm out. “It hit the arm” alone is usually not enough detail to be the whole answer.

How can I study club vs country questions without mixing them up?

Circle the clue word in your head before answering: “club,” “national team,” “league,” or “tournament.” A player can score for a club on Saturday and for their country in a midweek qualifier, so the question’s label matters.

Where can I practice more football trivia that focuses on facts, teams, and competitions?

Use Football Trivia Questions to Test Skills for extra practice on players, clubs, and tournaments. This page stays more centered on match rules and on-field decisions.

Want more quizzes like this? Explore the full professional training quizzes on QuizWiz.