Bayou United

General Futsal Rules

FIFA Laws of the Game (Winter 25)

General Rules

• Teams are comprised of four outfield players and one goalkeeper.
• There are no throw-ins in futsal. A kick-in will be used to restart play.
• There is no offsides in futsal.
• Teams are entitled to a one minute timeout in each half. Timeouts are allowed when the team is in possession and ball is out of play.
• There are no goal kicks in futsal. Goalkeepers restart play by distributing ball with their hands.
• Substitutions may occur any time during the run of play. Substitutions must be made through the technical area in front of the team’s bench, not at half court.

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.

Restarts

Kick-offs: A goal may be scored directly against the opponent from the kick-off. The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves.

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 ball is turned over to the opponent.

Goal Clearances: are awarded when the ball exits the court beyond the end-line. The ball is thrown or released from any point within the penalty area by the goalkeeper of the defending team. The ball must be released within 4 seconds (either at referee signal or as goalkeeper is ready). Opponents must be outside the penalty area until the ball is in play. Goalkeeper must throw the ball.  No kicking of any sort for goal clearances is allowed.

Corner Kicks: are direct. The ball must be placed in the corner arc area 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. Penalty kicks within the penalty box shall be taken from the free throw line.

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, an indirect free kick is awarded.

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, a direct free kick is awarded.

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. Referee must immediately notify board member of a Red Card issue.

Penalty Spot: 5 meters (~16 feet) from goal-line and the center of the goal and placed at the top of the penalty area line. For rec league play, the free throw line shall serve as the penalty spot.

Second Penalty Spot: 10 meters (~32 feet) from goal-line and the center of the goal.

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.
• May receive a kick-in directly.
• May kick the ball NOT directly over the half-way line.
• Must return a goal clearance to play from within the penalty area
• May score directly with his/her feet during the run of play.
• May not possess the ball for more than four seconds in his/her own half.
• May NOT 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)
• Cannot touch the ball again in any way within his own half after releasing the ball into play unless an opponent has touched it or it has gone out of play.

Court Size

All games are planned to play 5v5; however, this may be adjusted under the following situations:

1. If a team does not have enough players to play 5v5, the court size shall be adjusted downward to allow play. The goalkeeper position shall ONLY be removed if 3v3.
2. If both teams have 8 or more players, then with consent of both coaches, the game may be played with up to 7v7

Game Time

All games shall have 20 minute halves with a 5 minute half time.  The time (clock) shall be paused during timeouts. Each team is allowed one timeout per half.

Ties Games

Any games tied at the end of regulation shall have a 5 person shoot out using the 5 players on court at the end of regulation.  The PK spot shall be free throw line and the goalkeeper shall be within the dark color (~2’) wood directly in front of the goal and not moving and the time of kick.

Rules To Watch for

• Head ball is not allowed and is a turn-over
• Slide Tackles are not allowed – warning (1^st), yellow card (2^nd), red card (3^rd)
• Goalkeeper is allowed to bring the ball to the top of the penalty box for a goal clearance.
• Kick-ins are indirect.
• Kick-offs are direct.
• Fouls against another are direct free kicks.
• Fouls in the penalty box are direct kicks.
• An exiting player must leave the court before the substitute can enter the court.
• Punches, elbows or Physical Violence of any sort not consistent with a soccer move shall result in an automatic RED Card.