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Rules of the Game of Futsal

Law 1 – The Court:

DIMENSIONS: The field of play must be rectangular, and its length must be greater than its width. Local Games - Length Minimum 28 m / Length Maximum 40 m
                       Width Minimum 15 m / Width Maximum 20 m

International Games - Length Minimum 36 m / Length Maximum 40 m 
                               Width Minimum 18 m / Width Maximum 20 m

SEE DIAGRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL GAMES in the Official USAFF Laws of the Game.

Law 2 – The Ball:

- It must be made of leather or other suitable material.

- It must have a minimum circumference of 60 centimeters and a maximum circumference of 62 centimeters.

- It must have the pressure of 9 pounds. When dropping the ball at from a height of 2 meters, the first bounce must not exceed 50 centimeters and the second bounce must not exceed 20 centimeters.

- For 16 years and older males and females it must weigh between 430 and 450 grams with a circumference of 60 to 62 centimeters.

- For 15 years and under males and female categories it must weigh between 320 and 350 grams with a circumference of 58 to 60 centimeters.

Law 3 – Team Composition:

- Each team consists of 5 players on the court including a goalkeeper; one of them will be the team captain.

- Each team may list a maximum of 12 (twelve) players in the team sheet, 5 may start the match and the rest must remain seated on the substitutes' bench with the technical staff.

- A match must not start without a minimum of 4 players, neither may it continue if one team has less than 3 players. The referee must end the match if this occurs.

Law 4 – Uniforms and Equipment:

- Shin pads must be used at all times. They must be completely covered by the socks and must be made out of an appropriate material (plastic or similar) and must provide a reasonable degree of protection. If skins or tights, strapping tape or bands to hold socks up are used, they must have the -predominant color of the uniform.

- Shoes made of soft leather or synthetic material with even soles covered with rubber which must be non-marking.

- Shirts / Tops and Shorts / Bottoms, and Socks are to be left to the discretion of the local league, state association, or regional guidance taking into consideration all players so as not to interfere with the play and operation of the game.

Referee Uniform:

- Referee uniforms must be similar at every game and consist of: shirts with short or long sleeves of a color coordinated prior to the game, long white pants, white belt, white colored shoes. The National Federation may adopt special designs to be used in national and international competitions, as authorized by the USAFF and AMF.

- The referee is authorized to remove any person from the technical area who is not dressed in accordance with this rule and the referee is authorized to stop the game until his/her orders are followed.

Coaching Staff:

- Only four (4) team officials are permitted in the technical area, being the Coach, Assistant Coach, Physical Trainer and Team Doctor or Physio. The Physio or Doctor must carry official documentation of their credentials to be eligible to be in the technical area and to treat players.

- Team officials or anyone who is in the technical area that is not a player, must wear a shirt and tie with or without a jacket, it is also permitted to wear a Polo shirt with trousers/pants, however this must be the team uniform and all in the technical area must be in the same uniform.

Law 5 – Substitution of Players:

- Substitution may only take place when the ball is out of play. The substitute must enter the playing area through the substitution area, except for players who are substituted due to injury who may exit the court at any point.

- Any player may be substituted by any substitute. There is no limit to the number of substitutions. The substitutions may only take place when the ball is out of play and through the substitution zone.

Law 6 – Duration of the Game:

- The duration of a game is 40 (forty) minutes stopping the clock whenever the ball is out of play, it will be divided into 2 (two) equal periods of 20 (twenty) minutes each and a maximum 10 (ten) minute break between each period. These game times and breaks will be in effect for the categories of: youth, adults, seniors and ladies (over the age of 15).

- Each team may keep up to 15 seconds of possession of the ball in their defensive half. The ball must cross the halfway line of the court before 15 seconds, if the ball was not previously touched by a member of the opposing team.

- If during the game an accident occurs or a player is hurt, the referees must continue the game until the ball is out of play. If the game is stopped to get medical assistance due to serious injuries the game must commence with a drop-ball where the ball was when the game was stopped by the referee (Except inside the penalty area).

Law 7 – The Start and Restart of the Game:

- The game starts by a signal from the referee, by a player of the team determined by the coin toss, who will put the ball in play by moving it towards the opposite side of the field.

- At the beginning of the game each team occupies half of the playing court; the players who are in the opposite team from the one that kicked off must be no less than 3 meters from the ball until the ball is in play and has travelled a distance equal to its circumference.

- The player who makes the initial kick may not be ahead of the ball nor repeat his/her contact with the ball until the ball has been touched by another player. Breaking A breach of this rule results in repeating the initial kick and a disciplinary sanction for the player.

- After half time the teams must change ends, and the kick-off is taken by the team that did not start the game.

- The ball is out of play if:
• It passes completely over the side-line or the goal line, be it in the air or on the floor.
• The game stops by an instruction of the referee.
• It hits the ceiling.

Law 8 – Scoring:

- It is considered a goal when the whole of the ball has entirely crossed the goal line, between the goalposts and below the crossbar as long as it has not been carried, projected or hit intentionally by the hand or arm of any player of the attacking team, and as long as the team that scored has not breached any of these rules just prior to scoring.

- A goal is not awarded if from the kick-off the ball is kicked directly into the opposition's goal, a goal clearance will be awarded if this occurs.

- A goal is not awarded if the ball goes directly in the goal from a side-line throw-in or Corner throw-in (attacking or defensive), even if it is touched by the defending goalkeeper before entering the goal. If this occurs a goal clearance or corner throw will be awarded depending on which team touched the ball last.

- Extra time consists of two equal periods of five (5) minutes. If the score is tied after the full two periods of extra time, the match is decided by kicks taken from the 6m penalty mark.

Law 9 – Fouls:

- A player and his/her team are punished by direct free kicks for violating a rule.

- All personal fouls are cumulative and will be penalized as follows:

- The opposing team will be awarded a direct free kick if a player commits a foul in such a manner that the referee judges it irresponsible, dangerous or made with excessive force.

- A penalty kick from the 6m mark is awarded if a player of the defending team commits a violation inside the penalty area, regardless of the position of the player whilst the ball was in play.

- In the event of any violation having been committed but the ball remains in the opposing team’s possession in any place within the field, the Referees may allow the game to continue without any further consequence, this is applying the rule of advantage.

Law 10 – Accumulated Fouls:

- During a free kick all players of the opposing team must be at least 3 meters from the ball until the ball is in play, and they must not obstruct nor interrupt the player who takes the free kick.

- Each team is permitted to have 5 accumulative fouls, in each half of the match, without losing their right to form a wall in front of their goal, when the opposing team is being awarded a freekick.

- From the sixth accumulative foul on, personal fouls are sanctioned with a 9m penalty kick. The defending team is not permitted to form a wall, nor is it allowed to have any of its players between the goal and the ball, except the defending goalkeeper. The 9m penalty kick is taken from the second penalty mark in an attempt to score directly from the kick.

Law 11 – The Penalty Kick:

- A penalty kick is awarded against the team that commits an offense for which a free kick is awarded inside the defensive penalty area and while the ball is in play.

- The defending goalkeeper must remain on his/her own goal line, facing the kicker and between the goal posts until the ball is in play.

Law 12 – Goal Clearance:

- Goal clearance is a way to restart the game once the ball has gone past the goal line either in the air or on the ground, after last being touched by an attacker and no goal was scored in accordance with Law 8.

- The goal clearance must be performed only by the goalkeeper who must throw the ball using his/her hands and must be retaken if the ball does not leave the penalty area.

- If the ball is thrown directly over the halfway line on the full into the opposing team's half, a sideline throw-in is awarded to the opposing team from the sideline where the halfway line meets the sideline.

- A goal may not be scored directly with a goal clearance unless the ball touches one of the players (with the exception of the defending goalkeeper.)

- All the players of the opposing team taking the goal clearance must remain out of the penalty area until the ball is in play.

Law 13 – Throw Ins:

- The sideline and corner throw-in are a way to restart the game when the ball goes out of play from any of the sidelines or Goal lines.

- The player who throws the ball in must take the throw from outside the court where the ball left the court, with both feet, joined or apart, perpendicular to the line pointing their toes towards the court, without either foot losing contact with the floor.

- No goals may be scored directly from a sideline throw-in, even if the ball touches the goalkeeper and enters the goal.

- A corner throw is taken when the ball crosses the goal line last being touched by a defending player or goalkeeper and no goal was scored. It is taken by the attacking team on the same side of the court where the ball left the court.

- No goals may be scored directly from a corner throw, even if the ball touches the goalkeeper before entering the goal.

- The goalkeeper may not throw the ball over the halfway line on the court.

- Every player who throws the ball in from the sideline or corner must throw the ball within five seconds, starting from the moment the ball is ready to be thrown or the referee gives the signal to do so.

Law 14 – The Referee:

- Each game is controlled by two referees where possible, who have the same authority to enforce these rules of the game from the moment they enter the area where the game is to take place until they leave it.

- Takes appropriate disciplinary measures where warranted including expulsions and sanctions.

- When a second referee is used, he/she officiates from the opposite side of the court to that of the referee and he/she must be equipped with a whistle, they have the same authority as the 1st referee to enforce the rules of the game from the moment they enter the area where the game is to take place until they leave it.

- The USAFF may decide on the appointment or non-appointment of two referees in the lower categories. If a second referee is not appointed, one person may take the main referee role. 

- In international games the use of an electronic score board is mandatory.

LAW XVII – Goal Clearance

  • To be taken in place of a goal kick.

  • From inside the penalty area, the goalkeeper throws the ball into play. For ages Under 14, the ball may not cross the halfway line unless it first touches the ground or a player on the goalkeeper’s half of the court.

  • The ball is not in play until it has passed outside of the penalty area. If the goal clearance is received inside of the penalty area, the goal clearance shall be re-taken.

LAW XVIII – Corner Kick

  • Ball placed on the corner of the pitch. If ball is misplaced or is moving during the kick, a goal clearance to the opposing team.

  • Must be taken within 4 seconds; failure to do so entails a goal clearance to the opposing team.

  • The kicker cannot play the ball a second time until it has been played by another player; infringement of this rule entail an
    indirect free kick to the opposing from the point of infringement.

  • Players on opposing team must be at least 5 m away from point of the corner kick.

  • A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick.

Annex 1 – Penalty Kick Shoot-out

  • Main referee decides goal to be used.

  • Coin tossed to decide order.

  • Three kicks to be taken by 3 different players selected from the 14 suited players. Captain of each team announces these 3 players to
    the main referee before the kicks are taken.

  • If two teams are still tied after 3 kicks, the additional kicks will be taken on a sudden-death basis by the rest of the players
    who have not kicked yet.

  • Players sent off during the match are not eligible to take these kicks.

  • Any eligible player may change places with his goalkeeper.

  • While the penalty shoot-out is in progress, players will remain on the opposite half of the pitch. The second referee shall control this area.

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