General Rules
Last updated on 12.11.2020
Season Starts: December 12, 2020.
No Games: December 26, 2020 & January 2, 2021
Season Ends: February 13, 2021
Playoffs: February 20, 2021
Makeup Games: Contact northeastfutsalleague@gmail.com to reschedule a game. Makeup games can be a double header on a Saturday or on a Sunday.
2014-2017: 3 players versus 3 players, No Goalkeeper.
2014-2017 Roster Size: 6 players max
2004-2013: 6 players versus 6 players, one of which will be a Goalkeeper
2004-2013 Roster Size: 12 players max
Offside Rule: There is no offsides in Futsal.
Ball: Senda Rio Futsal ball size 4 Provided by the league.
Game Length 2014-2017 : 4 - 8 Quarters with a half time rest period of 4 min.
Game Length 2004-2013 : 2 - 20 Min halves with a half time rest period of 2 min.
Timeouts: Teams may call one one-minute timeout per half (when in possession of ball, ball out of play).
Compensation Time: There is no overtime, injury time or stoppage time.
Point System:
3 points for a win.
0 points for a loss.
1 point for a tie.
If the game ends in a tie each team will get 1 point plus an opportunity to obtain an extra point via a 3 player shootout from each team.
Shootout:
Winner of the shootout will receive 1 point. Each team will send 3 players to the half line for a shootout. The 3 players and goalie must have been on the field at the end of regular time. Home team will start the shootout. Each team will take turns starting at the shootout spot dribbling towards the goal against the goalkeeper of the opposite team with the intent to score. Each player has 6 seconds to score a goal. If it is still a tie it will go into sudden death.
Substitutions:
All substitutions are on the fly, this includes goalkeeping substitutions. Referees will not stop play for goalkeeping substitutions. A substitute may not enter the pitch until the player leaving the pitch leaves through the substitution zone in front of his teams’ bench. Any substitute who enters the pitch before the player being replaced has completely left the field of play may be shown a yellow card. All substitutions must take place through the substitution zone in front of his teams’ bench -- not at the half-way line.
No Headers
No Slide Tackling
Restarts
Kickoffs:
A goal may be scored directly against the opponents from the kick-off. The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves. Tapped balls are not in play – the ball must move.
Kick-ins: are indirect. The ball must be placed on the line and the kick must be taken within 4 seconds. (A kick-in that goes directly in the opposing goal is a goal clearance for the opposing team. A Kick-in that goes directly in the defensive goal is a corner kick of the opposing team.) If the kick-in does not enter the pitch or if the kick is not taken within 4 seconds the kick-in is taken by the opposing team.
Goal Clearances: are taken when the ball wholly crosses the goal line and not under the crossbar and between the goalposts and after being touched last by the attacking team. The ball is thrown or released from any point within the penalty area by the goalkeeper of the defending team. The ball is in play when it is thrown or released and clearly moves. The ball must be put into play within four seconds of the team being ready to put the ball into play or the referee signalling that the team is ready to put it into play. Opponents must be outside the penalty area until the ball is in play.
Corner Kicks: are direct. The ball must be placed directly on the corner arc and the kick must be taken within 4 seconds. If the kick is not taken within 4 seconds the restart becomes a goal clearance for the opposing team.
Free Kicks: may be indirect or direct. The ball must be stationary before the kick may be taken.
Penalty Kicks: are taken from the penalty spot and must be taken by a clearly identified kicker. Defenders may not be nearer to the ball than 16 feet and even or behind the ball when the kick is taken.
Fouls and Misconduct
Indirect Free Kicks: When a player plays in a dangerous manner, impedes an opponent, prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball with her hands, goalkeeper takes more than 4 seconds to release the ball when in possession in his own half, plays the ball again within his own half after releasing the ball and the ball doesn’t touch an opponent or has gone out of play, or commits any offense for which play is stopped to caution or eject a player.
Direct Free Kicks: When a player kicks an opponent, tackles an opponent, trips an opponent, jumps at an opponent, charges an opponent, strikes an opponent, pushes an opponent, holds an opponent, spits at an opponent or handles the ball deliberately.
Yellow Card / Caution: The offending player is shown a yellow card. If a player is shown two yellow cards in a match, he is shown a red card.
Red Card / send-off: The offending team plays with one less player for two full game minutes or unless scored upon before the two-minute penalty expires. The offending player serves a minimum one-match suspension.
Accumulated Fouls: All fouls are recorded on the scoresheet. If one team accumulates 6 or more fouls in the game, the opposing team will be awarded a shootout. After the 6th foul the count will reset and the new limit will be 3.
Penalty Spot: Goal-line and the center of the goal and placed at the top of the penalty area line. All of the players must be behind the centerline.
Advantage: Advantage is applied in Futsal. Direct free kick foul will count as accumulated fouls if advantage is applied even if play is not stopped by the referees. If the referee gestures with both arms, the foul was a direct free kick foul and will be counted accordingly. If the gesture is with one arm, the free kick would have been indirect and will not count as an accumulated foul.
The Goalkeeper
Must wear a different color shirt.
He/She may wear long pants and/or other padding as deemed safe by the match referee.
May receive a kick-in directly.
May kick the ball directly over the half-way line.
May score directly with his/her feet during the run of play.
No punting.
May throw the ball directly across the half-way line.
May not score a goal by using the hands (cannot throw or hit the ball directly into the goal)
May be considered as a field player once the ball is in play.
Goalkeeper who ends the game must be the same goalkeeper in the shootout.
Supplemental Rules
If a substitute enters the pitch before the player being replaced has left or if, during a substitution, a substitute enters the pitch from a place other than his/her own team’s substitution zone: • the referees may stop play (although not immediately if they can apply the advantage); • the referees may caution the substitute for entering the pitch in contravention of the substitution procedure and may order the substitute to leave the pitch. If the referees have stopped play, it is restarted with an indirect free kick to the opposing team. If this substitute or his/her team also commits another offence, play is restarted in accordance with the section dedicated to Law 3 within the Interpretation and Recommendations part of the Practical Guidelines for Futsal
Referees and Other Match Officials. If, during a substitution, the player being replaced leaves the pitch via a place other than his/her team’s substitution zone for reasons not provided for in the Futsal Laws of the Game, the referees stop play (although not immediately if they can apply the advantage) and caution the player for leaving the pitch in contravention of the substitution procedure. If the referees have stopped play, it is restarted with an indirect free kick to the opposing team. For any other offences: • the players concerned are cautioned; • The match is restarted with an indirect free kick to the opposing team. In special cases, play is restarted in accordance with the section dedicated to Law 3 within the Interpretation and Recommendations part of the Practical Guidelines for Futsal Referees and Other Match Officials.
Players and substitutes sent off A player who is sent off: • before submission of the team list cannot be named on the team list in any capacity; • after being named on the team list and before kick-off may be replaced by a named substitute, who cannot be replaced. A named substitute who is sent off, whether before or after kick-off, may not be replaced. A substitute may replace a player who is sent off after kick-off and enter the pitch after two minutes of playing time have elapsed following the sending-off (i.e. after his/her team has served a two-minute numerical reduction), provided that he/she has the authorisation of the timekeeper or the third referee, unless a goal is scored before the two minutes have elapsed, in which case the following conditions apply: • If there are five players against four or four against three and the team with the greater number of players scores a goal, the team with fewer players may be increased by one player. • If both teams are playing with three or four players and a goal is scored, neither team is increased until it has served its respective two-minute numerical reduction. • If there are five players playing against three and the team with five players scores a goal, the team with three players may be increased by one player only. • If the team with fewer players scores a goal, the game continues without changing the number of players until the two minutes have elapsed, unless the team with the greater number of players subsequently scores a goal in the interim.
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referees to be careless, reckless or using excessive force: • charges • jumps at • kicks or attempts to kick • pushes • strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt) • tackles or challenges • trips or attempts to trip If an offence involves contact, it is penalised with a direct free kick or penalty kick. • “Careless” is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed. • “Reckless” is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned. • “Using excessive force” is when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off. A direct free kick is also awarded if a player commits any of the following offences: • a handball offence (except for the goalkeeper within his/her penalty area) • holding an opponent • impeding an opponent with contact • biting or spitting at someone • throwing/kicking an object at the ball, an opponent or a match official, or making contact with the ball with a held object All of the offences listed in this section count as accumulated fouls.
LAW 12 – FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
Handling the ball Except for goalkeepers in their penalty area, it is an offence if a player: • deliberately touches the ball with his/her hand or arm, including moving his/her hand or arm towards the ball; • gains possession/control of the ball after it has touched his/her hand or arm and then: • scores in the opponents’ goal; • creates a goalscoring opportunity. Except for goalkeepers in their penalty area, it is usually an offence if a player: • touches the ball with his/her hand or arm when: • the hand or arm has made his/her body unnaturally bigger; • the hand or arm is above or beyond his/her shoulder level (unless the player deliberately plays the ball with another part of the body and it then touches his/her hand or arm). The above offences apply even if the ball touches a player’s hand or arm directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close. It is an offence if any player, including a goalkeeper, scores in the opponents’ goal directly from his/her hand or arm, even if accidental. Except for the above offences, it is not usually an offence if the ball touches a player’s hand or arm: • directly from the player’s own head or body (including the foot); • directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close; • if the hand or arm is close to the body and does not make the body unnaturally bigger; • when a player falls and the hand or arm is between the body and the ground to support the body, but not extended laterally or vertically away from the body. The goalkeeper has the same restrictions on handling the ball as any other player outside the penalty area. If the goalkeeper handles the ball inside his/her penalty area when not permitted to do so, an indirect free kick is awarded but there is no disciplinary sanction.
Indirect free kick
An indirect free kick is awarded if a player: • plays in a dangerous manner (as defined below); • impedes the progress of an opponent without any contact being made; • is guilty of dissent, using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures or other verbal offences; • prevents the goalkeeper from releasing or throwing the ball from the hands or kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing or throwing it; • commits any other offence not mentioned in the Futsal Laws for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player. An indirect free kick is also awarded if a goalkeeper commits any of the following offences: • controls the ball with the hands, arms or feet in his/her own half of the pitch for more than four seconds; • after playing the ball, wherever on the pitch, touches it again in his/ her own half of the pitch after it has been deliberately played to the goalkeeper by a team-mate without an opponent playing or touching it; • touches the ball with the hands or arms inside his/her own penalty area after it has been deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team-mate; • touches the ball with the hands or arms inside his/her own penalty area after receiving it directly from a kick-in by a team-mate; • where this is outlawed by domestic rules for youth, veterans’, disability and/or grassroots futsal, throws the ball directly over the halfway line (the free kick is to be taken from the place where the ball crossed the halfway line).