Futsal Rules

Teams:

Must have 3 players to start (includes the goalie)
All players must have shin guards and socks as proper uniform attire
Goalkeepers may wear sliding pants and must have a different color to be identified
No casts or splints allowed (unless approved by the referee).
Sole sneakers are required at all times.
The home team must change uniform color in the event of team color conflicts

Balls/Heading:

Size 4 ball (heading)

Rule Summary:

Time Outs – Option of one time-out per half (1 minute in length). Can be called on offensive possession or stoppage (i.e. Goal clearances, kick-offs, kick-ins and corner kicks – for only the team who has offensive possession and requesting time outs)
No overtime during regular season/pool play
Playoff matches go straight to best-of-five penalty kicks at end of regulation
Kick-offs are direct. Goals can be scored directly. Also, the ball can go in any direction (including backward).
Sliding/Slide Tackling is allowed as long as it is not considered dangerous under referee discretion.
Intentional Heading is banned at U12 and under Any violation results in Indirect Free Kick from the spot or if inside the penalty area, it will be spotted nearest point at the goal clearance line.
Goalies may punt, kick, roll, and throw the ball toward any part of the court when in possession inside their goal area and in the flow of play. (i.e. no “half-court” restriction)
Goalies may roll or throw the ball ONLY and toward any part of the court (including a “drop” inside their own goal area for a teammate) when re-starting play on a goal clearance. (i.e. no “half-court” restriction)
Goalies can NOT throw the ball directly into the opponent’s net to score a goal. If it is not touched after the goalie’s release, then a goal clearance is awarded to the opponent.
Goalies can only have possession of the ball – whether in the flow of play or on a goal clearance – for a maximum of four seconds while physically standing in their own half. Any violation results in Indirect Free Kick from the sport or if inside the penalty area, it will be spotted nearest point at the goal clearance line.
Goalies have unlimited touches and time with possession of the ball with their feet if they are physically standing in their opponent’s half.
Pass back to the goalie is allowed without restriction or stipulation when the goalie is physically standing in their opponent’s half. The goalie is treated as a regular “field player” in this situation.
Pass back to the goalie is allowed when the goalie is physically standing in their own half AND if the opponent has touched the ball previous to the goalie’s last touch. A goalkeeper can not possess the ball twice without the opponent touching the ball. Any violation results in Indirect Free Kick from the sport or if inside the penalty area, it will be spotted nearest point at the goal clearance line. (Note: Pass back to the goalie is legal on kick-offs and kick-ins as the theory is that the opponent must have touched the ball to create those situations. For example, a kick-off occurs as a result of a goal by the opponent. A kick-in occurs as a result of a touch out-of-bounds by the opponent.)
Red cards the team who committed the offense must play down one player for 2 minutes or if the opponent scores (whichever comes first). The ejected player must leave the facility.

Zero Tolerance:

Any decisions made by the referee crew must be respected at all times regardless of the calls/outcomes.
Any inappropriate behavior & gestures directed at the referee crew as a player, coach, fans shall not be tolerated. It may warrant possible suspension and fines.
Any player who verbally or physically threatens another player, referee, or league representative may be suspended or permanently removed from the league.
Any player who pushes or hits another player, referee, or league representative may be suspended or permanently removed from the league.
It is the team’s responsibility to control their players and fans at all times.

QUICK RULES

General

Futsal is played with an optimised ball that does not bounce as much as a traditional football.The aim is to score in the opposition’s goal, which measures three metres across and two metres high. If one referee officiates the game, then he/she is situated on a touchline. When two referees officiate the game, they are situated on each touchline and work to remain at a diagonal angle as much as possible. As there are no side hoardings, the ball can go out of play. If this happens, play resumes via a kick-in, rather than a throw-in or by rolling the ball. There is no offside in futsal.

Balls

All divisions younger and including UNDER-12 will play with Junior Match Balls (Size 3). All Older divisions and including UNDER-13 will play with Senior Match Balls (Size 4). Do not let the size number of the balls fool you! Size 3 and size 4 futsal balls are smaller than size 3 and size 4 soccer balls and are made of different material. Futsal balls are dense and designed to have a low-bounce.

Offside

There is no offside in futsal.

Match Length

All age groups play a 44-Minute Match (broken into two 22-minute halves.) There is a 3 minute break period for half time. These Matches will operate on a running clock except for extreme injuries/extreme situations when the clock will stop. Additionally, every team has the right to ask for one timeout per HALF. The timeout will last 1 minute. This is one of the few exceptions NORTHFUTSAL has made to FIFA Rules. While FIFA stops the clock every time the ball goes out of bounds, NORTHFUTSAL matches will consist of two 22-minute halves, with the clock only stopping for extreme injuries and time-outs. In real time, games are designed to be a little under one hour in length so that a league or tournament can function properly (i.e. “on-time”). If tied at the end of regulation (and the match does not affect a knock-out stage of a tournament or league playoffs), all matches will NOT have overtime and will end in a tie.

Time-outs

Teams are entitled to a one-minute time-out in each half. A team that does not request a time-out in the first half of the match is only entitled to one time-out during the second half. There are no time-outs in extra time.

Unlimited Substitutions

A match is played by two teams, each consisting of not more than five players (a goalkeeper and four outfield players) and ten substitutes. There is no restriction on the number of substitutions that may be made during a match. Substitutions may be made at any time, whether the ball is in play or not, but only in the specially demarcated substitution zones. Substitutions take place on the fly, just like hockey.

Sanctions

If a player commits a foul the referee can decide to award either a direct or indirect free-kick, or a penalty if the foul took place inside the penalty area. Just like in football played on a grass pitch, yellow and red cards can be issued in futsal.

Replacement of sent-off players

If a player is shown a red card he can be replaced on the pitch by a substitute after a mandatory two-minute time penalty that always follows a red card. If the team concedes a goal during this time, a substitute may enter the pitch before the two-minute penalty has been completed.

Team fouls

All fouls committed by a team that result in a direct free-kick or a penalty in one half of the game are counted together; these are so-called accumulated fouls. Once a sixth accumulated foul has been committed, teams are awarded a free-kick without a wall on the second penalty mark, which is ten metres from goal and four metres behind the first penalty spot. If the foul was made between the byline and the second penalty mark, the free-kick may be taken closer to the goal. If a match goes to extra time the accumulated fouls from the second half remain valid and any further fouls are added to the tally.

Accumulated Fouls & The Second Penalty Mark

A count is kept of fouls penalized with a direct free-kick or penalty kick in each time period, regardless of whether advantage has been played or not. These offenses are called “accumulated fouls”.

If a team commits a sixth accumulated foul in the same period, the opposing side may take the subsequent free-kick awarded to them without a wall, either from the second penalty mark, which is positioned four yards behind the first, or from a position even closer to the penalty area if the foul was committed between the goal line and the second penalty mark.

Basically, a team can commit five fouls per half without any further special situation. On the sixth foul and every foul after that you concede, it is a penalty kick from 10 yards. This cuts out “tactical fouls” or at least makes them punishable.

The Goalkeepers

– GOAL CLEARANCES –

When the ball has been last touched by the attacking team and gone over the opponent’s end line, the resulting restart is a goal clearance. Goalkeepers must release the ball from their hands (no kicks of any kind). Goalkeepers have four seconds to release the ball or an indirect free kick on the edge of the goal clearance area will be awarded to the opposing team. Within the goal clearance rules, attackers do not need to be outside the area. So, the goalkeeper can lay the ball down inside the area for a teammate to receive. Goalkeepers can throw the ball from their area to anywhere on the pitch. Goalkeepers can not, however, score directly in the opponent’s goal on a throw. That would result in a goal clearance for the opposing team.

– IN FLOW OF PLAY (IN THEIR OWN HALF) –

Goalkeepers are free to move anywhere on the pitch but can only use their hands on the ball inside their own penalty area. When the ball is in the goalkeeper’s possession, either in their hands or at their feet, they have four seconds in which to play it to a teammate. Otherwise, it is an indirect free kick at the spot at which time has expired.

Goalkeepers may not touch the ball again if it has been deliberately played to them by a teammate without an opponent touching the ball. Otherwise, an indirect free kick will result for the infraction.

If a goalkeeper has made a save (or picked up the ball with their hands legally in the flow of play), then the goalkeeper can punt or drop-kick the ball from their area – and even score directly in the opposing goal on the punt or drop-kick.

– IN FLOW OF PLAY (IN OPPONENT’S HALF) –

The only rule that applies to goalkeepers when standing in their opponent’s half is that they can not use their hands. Otherwise, the goalkeeper can maintain possession for as many seconds as they want, as well as receive multiple passes from their teammates. The goalkeeper is considered a field player.

Kick-offs

Kick-offs are considered direct free kicks. The ball can go in any direction to be put into play. Goals can be scored directly. This is a new FIFA rule in 2020.

Corner Kicks

Kick-offs are considered direct free kicks. The ball can go in any direction to be put into play. Goals can be scored directly.

Kick-Ins

The kick in is a method of restarting play after the ball has left the sideline. A kick-in is awarded to the opposing team if a player touches the ball last, when the ball has completely crossed the touch line or hits the ceiling. A Kick-In is considered an indirect free kick and a goal may not be scored directly from a kick-in.

The players of the defending team must be at least five yards from the place where the kick-in is taken (repeated disobedience can result in a yellow card discipline by the referee). The moment the ball is kicked, the kicker must have part of one foot on the touch line, the ball must be completely stopped, and the ball must be on the touch line or outside the playing surface at a distance not exceeding one yard from that point.

The kicker must also take the kick-in within four seconds of receiving the ball. The result of any of these infractions is a kick-in for the opposing team.

Penalty Kick Shootout

If a knockout round match results in a tie, then the match proceeds immediately to a best-of-five penalty kick shootout. Any player on the roster can be chosen as a shooter. If at the best-of-five, the shootout is still tied, then the remaining players who have not shot yet must shoot. The cyclical rotation of shooters remains the same order until a winner is determined.