Everything is the same as soccer except for the following:

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• Uniforms:

  • Home team should wear their light colored jersey.

  • Away team should wear their dark colored jersey.

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• Offside: There is NO OFFSIDE in futsal.

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• Substitutions: All Substitutions are free flowing and do not require a stoppage in play or the notification of the referee. All substitutions must take place in the substitution zones marked on the court and by the sideline banners. The player exiting the court must be fully off the court before the entering player comes on. If the player entering the court comes on before their teammate is fully off, it may result in a turnover in the form of an indirect free kick from where the player came on if the referee feels the team gained an advantage by having the extra player on the court. For older age groups, violating the substitution rule may result in a yellow card for the entering player. 

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• Fouls: Kicking, tripping, or pushing are fouls and will result in a direct free kick.

  • ​PLEASE NOTE: Shoulder to shoulder contact is legal in futsal and will not result in a foul. Arms may also be used to hold position but may not be used to push or knock players off balance. 

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• [League Rule] No sliding (this rule will not apply when two futsal academies play)

  • Slide tackling will result in a direct free kick. 

  • Slide to block a pass, shot, or stop a ball from exiting the court will result in a direct free kick if within 2 feet of another player (opponent or team mate) and will result in an indirect free kick if not close to another player.

  • Goalkeeper – is allowed to dive with slide at the feet of opponents inside their goal area.  If they choose to slide with feet first ie not a dive – they carry same penalties as above (direct or indirect free kick) 

 

• Foul Count: each team may not exceed 6 fouls per half. The 6th foul for one team and all fouls after will result in a 10m penalty for each foul called.

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• A yellow card will be given for fouls with excessive force, for repeated infringement of the laws of the game, or unsportsmanlike conduct.

 

• A red card will be given for two yellow cards or for fouls of excessive force deemed unnecessarily dangerous by the referee, for foul language, or for physical violence. 

  • When a red card is given, the team given the red card will play down one player until 2 minutes has expired or a goal is scored by the opponent.​

  • The red carded player will not be allowed to play the rest of the game and will have a one match ban to be served during the next game. 

 

• Players should be 5 meters away from all free kicks and kick-ins. Players may ask for 5 meters.

 

• Kick-ins replace throw-ins.

  • The ball must be placed on the line and stopped completely. It is recommended that players stop the ball with their hand to ensure it stops moving.

  • Opposition must be 5 meters away on kick-ins. (players must ask for distance if they feel this is not being met)

 

• Goal throws replace goal kicks.

  • The goalkeeper must start with the ball in their hands and throw or roll the ball to a teammate.

 

• When the keeper is throwing the ball:

  • [League Rule] [U12 & under] The ball may not be thrown from one goal area directly into the other without the ball touching the floor or another player first.

  • [League Rule] [U12 & under] If there is a violation of this rule it will result in a goal throw for the opponent.

 

• [League Rule] No punting (this rule will not apply when two futsal academies play)

 

• Players have 4 seconds for all restarts.

  • The 4-second rule also applies for any time the goalkeeper has the ball at their hands or feet within their own half.

  • If a player exceeds 4 seconds on a kick-in it will result in a kick-in for the other team from the same point on the court.

  • If a goalkeeper exceeds 4 seconds with the ball inside the goal area, it will result in an indirect kick from the edge of the goal area closest to the location of the ball when 4 seconds expired. 

  • If a goalkeeper exceeds 4 seconds with the ball at their feet outside of the goal area, it will result in an indirect kick from the spot the ball was at when 4 seconds expired. 

 

• Goalkeepers cannot pick up the ball after a field player has purposely played the ball back to them.

  • If there is a violation of this rule it will result in an indirect free-kick from the nearest point to where the infringement happened on the edge of the goalkeeper area.

 

• The Goalkeeper cannot touch the ball again in any way within his own half after releasing the ball into play unless an opponent has touched it, it has gone out of play, or the ball crosses half-court.

  • If there is a violation of this rule inside the goal area, it will result in an indirect free-kick from the edge of goal area nearest to the infringment.

  • If there is a violation of this rule outside the goal area, it will result in an indirect free-kick from the location of the infrindgment.

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More information can be found at:

http://www.ussoccer.com/referees/laws-of-the-game/futsal-laws-of-the-game