Responsibilities
The only official responsibility of a captain specified by the Laws of the Game is to participate in the coin toss prior to kick-off (for choice of ends) and prior to a penalty shootout. Contrary to what is sometimes claimed, captains have no special authority under the Laws to challenge a decision by the referee. However, referees will sometimes talk to the captain of a side about the side's general behaviour.
At an award-giving ceremony after a fixture like a cup competition final, the captain usually leads the team up to collect their medals. Any trophy won by a team will be received by the captain who will also be the first one to hoist it, similar to a captain in the National Hockey League when they raise the Stanley Cup.
The captain generally provides a rallying point for the team: if morale is low, it is the captain who will be looked upon to boost their team's spirits.
Captains may join the manager in deciding the first team for a certain game. In youth or recreational football, the captain often takes on duties, that would, at a higher level, be delegated to the manager.
Read more about this topic: Captain (association Football)