What is Futsal?
Futsal is an exciting, fast-paced small sided History of Futsal
soccer game that originates from South America in
the 1930s. It is widely played across the world, and
is the small sided football format that is officially
recognized by both the USA and FIFA.
The nature of the game places a large
emphasis on technical skill and ability in situations
of high pressure, and is subsequently an excellent
breeding ground for soccer competencies that can
be translated into the soccer format of the game.
Many of the top world class soccer players played
Futsal in their youth and credit it with supporting
their development. Players of the calibre of
Ronaldinho, Kaka, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo
to name a few all played and enjoyed Futsal in
their youth.
Futsal began in Uruguay and Brazil where
the large crowded cities and a shortage of playing
pitches forced a soccer mad populace to play small
sided games and in 1936 the first rules emerged.
Futsal was the name chosen by FIFA, which is
simply a combination of the Spanish words for
‘hall’ (Sala) and ‘football’ (Futbol): hence ‘Futsal’.
Naming of Futsal
Futsal is the only form of ‘indoor football’
or ‘five-a-side’ that is officially approved by FIFA
and New Zealand Football. The name “Futsal”
comes from the merging of the
Spanish/Portuguese words for football (Futbol or
Futebol) and the French or Spanish word for
“Indoor” (Salon or Sala).
Futsal comes from Spanish fútbol
sala or fútbol de salón and from
Portuguese futebol de salão. The term is
commonly translated as "indoor football", but a
more literal translation is "hall/lounge football".
During the sport's second world championships
held in Madrid in 1985, the Spanish name fútbol
sala was used. Since then, all other names have
been officially and internationally changed
to futsal. The naming was due to a dispute
between FIFUSA (the predecessor to the AMF)
and FIFA over the name of fútbol, FIFUSA has
registered the word fut-sal in 1985 (Madrid, Spain).
Since then FIFA has also started using the term
futsal. The name has been translated into Italian
as calcio a 5 (literally 5-a-side football) or football
sala and French as football de salle.
"Futsal" started in 1930 when Juan Carlos
Ceriani, a teacher in Montevideo, Uruguay, created
a version of indoor football for recreation in
YMCAs. This new sport was originally developed
for playing on basketball courts, and a rule book
was published in September 1933. Football was
already highly popular in the country and after
Uruguay won the 1930 World Cup and gold medals
in the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics, it
attracted even more practitioners. Ceriani's goal
was to create a team game that could be played
indoor or outdoor but that was similar to football.
Ceriani, writing the rule book, took as
examples the principles of football (the possibility
to touch the ball with every part of the body
except for the hands), and he took rules from other
sports too: from basketball the number of team
players (five) and the game duration (40 actual
minutes); from water polo the rules about the
goalkeeper; from team handball for the field and
goal sizes.
The YMCA spread the game immediately
throughout South America. It was easily played by
everyone, everywhere, and in any weather
condition, without any difficulty, helping players to
stay in shape all year round. These reasons
convinced João Lotufo, a Brazilian, to bring this
game to his country and adapt it to the needs of
physical education.
Initially, the rules were not uniform. In
1956, the rules were modified by Habib Maphuz
and Luiz Gonzaga de Oliveira Fernandes within the
YMCA of São Paulo, Brazil to allow seniors to
compete. Luiz de Oliveira wrote the Book of Rules
of Futsal in 1956, then adopted also at the
international level.
In 1965, the Confederación Sudamericana
de Fútbol de Salón [pt] (South American Futsal
Confederation) was formed, consisting of Uruguay,
Paraguay, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.
Shortly after, a unique tournament was
organized. It attracted some interest in South
American media, which regularly began to follow
futsal. In particular, it was the journalist José
Antônio Inglêz who passionately contributed to the
rapid spread of the game, as well as being credited
as the man who coined the name “futsal” to define
the sport.

The sport began to spread across South
America, and its popularity ensured the formation
of a governing body in São Paulo in 1971, under
the name of Federación Internacional de Fútbol de
Salón (FIFUSA). FIFUSA initially comprised
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal,
and Uruguay, along with the World
Championships. The new institution counted 32
participating countries and its first President was
João Havelange joined by the secretary Luiz
Gonzaga de Oliveira. In 1975, the Federation's
chief passed to FIFA, and in 1980, Januário
D'Alessio Neto was elected to work to make this
sport recognized worldwide by supranational
bodies.
The first FIFUSA World Championships
were held in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1982 with the
hosting Brazilian team crowned champions against
Paraguay in front of an audience of 12,000 people,
with Uruguay placing third. The Federation then
began to work to bring the big event to Europe. In
1985, the second futsal World Cup was organized
in Madrid, Spain, where the Brazilian team won
again. The event was a success, with a
considerable media interest and a huge response
from the audience, thanks to the Spanish TV
station that filmed the event.
In 1985, Joseph Blatter, at that time
secretary of football's governing body, FIFA,
thought it was the right time to enlarge its
influence and therefore also deal with indoor
football. Knowing that
the Federation President João Havelange was the
head of FIFUSA from 1971 to 1974, the Swiss
decided to summon in Brazil the world governing
body of futsal: Surprisingly, the Congress voted
against the unification. Due to a dispute between
FIFA and FIFUSA over the name of fútbol, FIFUSA
has registered the word fut-sal in 1985 (Madrid,
Spain).
FIFA wanted to promote and spread its
own version of indoor football, different from the
original one played in the South American
countries, but they could not manage to come to
an agreement with FIFUSA in the Rio de Janeiro
Congress in 1989.
On 2 May 1990, the Brazilian federation
finally broke away from FIFUSA, and on 25
September, an event in Bogotá, Colombia
contributed to the founding of the Confederación
Panamericana de Futbol de Salon (PANAFUTSAL)
together with Paraguay, Colombia, Mexico,
Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Puerto
Rico, Bolivia, Ecuador, the Netherlands Antilles,
Aruba, and Canada.
The conference held in Guatemala in 2000
between members of PANAFUTSAL and FIFA
focused on the resolution of the dispute between
the two institutions and on the achievement of
futsal in the pure version that excited many in
South America. The signing of the Protocol,
however, was not followed by concrete actions.
FIFA kept on promoting its version of futsal. So the
PANAFUTSAL decided to create a new worldwide
body for the preservation of futsal. In December
2002, the Asociación Mundial de Futsal (AMF) was
founded. It is currently composed of 40 national
federations and three continental bodies, one of
which was FIFS.
In 2002, members of PANAFUTSAL formed
AMF, an international futsal governing body
independent of FIFA, in reaction to the alleged
stagnancy of futsal under FIFUSA. Both FIFA and
AMF continue to administer the game.
Governing Bodies
Futsal currently has two governing bodies:
Asociación Mundial de Fútsal (AMF) and
Fédération Internationale de Football Association
(FIFA). AMF is the successor organization to the
original governing body.
How to Play Futsal
Futsal is a game that was developed to
meet the needs of players who didn’t have the
space to play soccer. The rules of futsal are similar
to soccer, but the game is played indoors, uses a
smaller ball, and has 5 players on each side.
Part 1. Learning Basic Rules
1. Play with a size 4 soccer ball.
A regulation soccer ball is a size 5, which is
about 27–28 inches (69–71 cm) in circumference.
Futsall is played wiht a size 4 ball, which has a 25–
26 inches (64–66 cm) circumference. 
 The smaller ball is a little heavier and has
less bounce, making it a better option for
playing indoors.
2. Choose 5 players per team. 
One of the biggest differences between
soccer and futsal is that futsal has 5 players per
side, while soccer has 11.
 Pick one player on each team to act as the
goalkeeper.
 Choose a dedicated attacker for each team.
This player, called the pivot, will lead the
charge during offensive play.
 Select a dedicated defender, known as the
last man, who stays back in case the other
team gets the ball.
 The remaining two players should play in
the midfield and are known as the wingers.
3. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
Futsal is made up of 2 halves, each of
which is 20 minutes long, as opposed the the 45
minute halves in soccer. Another difference is that
in soccer the clock continues to run, while in futsal
the clock is stopped if the ball is not in play.
Part 2. Trying Offensive Strategies
 If there is a tie at the end of the game, more
time can be added to the clock. The first
team to score in overtime wins.
 For casual games, you can omit the timer
and end the match when the first team
scores.
4. Do not touch the ball with your hands or arms.
Just like in soccer, futsal players can not
use their hands at all. However, you can use any
other part of your body to pass or shoot the ball.
5. Allow each team 1 time-out per half.  more than 3 minutes at a time.
No time-outs are allowed in soccer, but in
futsal each time gets 1 for each half.
 If a team does not use their time-out during
the first half, it cannot be carried over into
the second half.
6. Kick the ball into play if it goes out of bounds.
In soccer, you throw the ball back into play,
but in futsal the ball is kicked in.
 A ball that touches the ceiling is considered
out of bounds.
 You cannot kick a ball from out of bounds
directly into the goal and score. However,
once you pass the ball to another player, it is
in play as usual.
7. Make use of unlimited substitutes.
In soccer, you are only allowed 3
substitutions. In futsal, however, you can have as
many substitutions as you like, as long as they’re
made in the substitution zone.
 The substitution zone is the area directly in
front of each team's bench.
 Since futsal is such a fast-paced, aggressive
game, use your substitutes strategically to
relieve tired players.
8. Send in a substitution for a sent off player after 2
minutes. 
In soccer, there is no substitution for a
player who has been sent off. However, in futsal,
you can substitute for that player after 2 minutes
or after the other team has scored.
1. Play as wide as possible to leave the field open for
passes. 
Since futsal is played on a smaller pitch,
the wingers should try to play out towards the
sidelines to allow more space to play in.
2. Move into the space left open by a teammate.
It can be hard to find a place to move to,
but when one of your teammates moves, you can
move where they were just standing.
 You should never stay in one place for
3. Move towards defenders if you have the ball and
away if you do not.
If you have the ball, moving towards the
defender will help you push past them. If you don’t
have the ball, moving away from the defenders will
help open the field more.
4. Pass the ball generously. 
Futsal is a fast-paced, high-energy game.
The more you pass the ball, the more chances
you’ll have of scoring a goal.
5. Expect to pass the ball at least 5 times before
taking a shot. 
The smaller field means the defense can
easily organize to block your shots. The offensive
 team usually needs to pass the ball about 5 times
to break down the defense’s organization.
Part 3. Practicing Defensive Plays
1. Fight to steal the ball.  the ball and place it on the line. If the ball rolls
Futsal is often played more aggressively
than soccer. If you’re playing defense, keep your
eye on the ball and always be looking for an
opportunity to steal it away from the other team if
the attacker loses control.
 You may not hit, kick, push, trip, hold, or
charge at an opponent, or the other team
will be awarded a direct free kick. Sliding
tackles are also not allowed.
2. Keep your knees bent and stay on your toes.
In futsal, you can never rest. By staying
crouched forward and resting your weight on your
toes instead of your heels, you will be in a better
position to move quickly and defend the ball.
3. Stay on top of the player with the ball.
Your goal should be to put enough
pressure on the attacker that they lose focus and
have a hard time thinking of their next move.
4. Defend the ball from behind.  Direct Free Kicks
All of the defending players should be
behind the ball. This will create a wall that the
offense will have trouble penetrating through.
Rules
Kickoff
The ball must go forward. If ball does not
go forward or if a person is encroaching, there will
be a re-kick.
The Match
15 minute halves - The ball shall be
deemed out of play when, 1) it COMPLETELY
crosses the touch line, whether along the ground
or through the air, 2) play has been stopped by the
referee, 3) it hits the ceiling or overhead
obstruction.
Scoring
You cannot score directly on a kickoff
(without it having been touched by another
player). Should this happen, possession will be
given to the other team, at the centre mark.
Kick-Ins
All balls played out of bounds from the
sidelines are kick-ins. THE BALL MUST BE SETTLED
AND ON THE LINE. The absolute best way to
ensure this happens is for the players to pick up
slightly due to the unevenness of the floor, the
referee will not whistle this as a foul. The restart
for a violation is an indirect kick for the other team.
You cannot have one or more feet completely in
the field of play when taking a kick-in, or
possession will be given to the other team.
Opposing players must be at least 4 meters away
from the kicking player.
Corner Kicks
Opposing players must be at least 4 meters
away from the kicking player.
Slide Tackles
ARE NOT PERMITTED. However, if
someone slides to keep the ball in play, block a ball
going into the goal, to score, etc., in a manner
deemed not to be dangerous by the ref, such will
be permitted. Otherwise, these are considered
fouls and are direct kicks.
All opponents shall be situated at least five
meters from the ball until it is in play; the ball shall
be deemed in play after it has been touched or
played.
Indirect Free Kicks
A goal shall only be awarded if the ball
touches another player before it enters the goal.
Penalty Kick
A penalty kick is awarded against a team
that commits any of the infringements for which a
direct free kick is awarded inside its own penalty
area and while the ball is in play.
2 Touch Rule
If, once the ball is in play, the goalkeeper
touches the ball a second time before it has been
touched by an opponent or crossed the halfway
line: An indirect free kick shall be awarded to the
opposing team from the place where the
infringement occurred.
 Overhead Obstructions
If balls hit any overhead obstruction, the
ball is moved to the nearest side and played in as a
kick-in by the other team.
Sin bin/yellow cards/red cards
Players who are yellow carded will be sin
binned for a period of time deemed appropriate by
the referee (up to 3 minutes)or until a goal is
scored. No other player is allowed to sub on for the
sent off/sin binned player until the alloted time is
up or goal is scored.
Summary of rules:
Length of the field-minimum 28x15m, maximum
40x20m.
Free kick-6m from the center of the goal for
penalties caused by fouls inside the 6m goal
keeper's area, or 10m for cumulative fouls.
Ball-Size 4, circumference 62–64 cm, weight
between 400-440g at the start of the game.
Dropped from an height of 2m, the first rebound
must not be lower than 50 cm or more than 65 cm.
Time-There are two periods of 20 actual minutes
or of 30 non actual minutes each. Between the two
periods there is a break of 15 minutes.
Number of players-There are five players for each
team in the field, one of them as goalkeeper, and a
maximum number of 12 players that can be used
each match. Changes are flying and unlimited.
Play resumption-Every time the ball goes out of
the field, a foul or a goal is perpetrated and the
referee whistles to stop the game and to resume it.
Every throw-in must be done in 5 seconds that are
counted by the referee with his hand up.
Personal fouls-The referee will give a light-blue
card to the player that commits 5 fouls in one
match. Afterwards he is sent off but can be
replaced by a team mate – as it happens for the
expulsion for double yellow card, for a direct red
card for complaint or for a last man foul. A player
that gains a red card for violent conduct, instead,
can’t be changed. All the kicks gained from the
fouls are direct: so, at every free kick, the referee
must always count 3 meters from the ball and the
wall and whistle to resume the game.
Cumulative fouls-A team can make five cumulative
fouls every period of the match, from the sixth foul
on the opponent team gains a free kick. The
reporter tells the referee when a team reaches five
fouls by pulling out a red flag in the side of the
table where the bench of the team that committed
five fouls is.
Goalkeeper-In the penalty area the goalkeeper can
touch the ball with his hands, while off he can
freely play the ball like every other player, with the
limit of exclusive play in his team's half field. If he
overcomes the midfield and take part of the play,
he is sanctioned with both a personal and a
cumulative foul. When he’s in possession of the
ball, he has 5 seconds to make a goal kick or, after
saving an opponent’s shot, to get rid of the ball; if
he commits an offence, the referee will stop the
play and give a throw-in to the opponent team.
Goalkeeper return-The goalkeeper is not allowed
to overcome the midfield when he tosses off the
ball with his hands, unless the ball touches the
ground before or a player receives it in the team's
half field. Otherwise, the goalkeeper is sanctioned
with a throw-in in the closest point to the midfield
given to the opponent team, but neither with a
cumulative or a personal foul.
Kick-in-There is no throw-in when the ball is out of
play. The only available procedure is kick-in. The
player must place the ball on the touchline or
outside but not more than 25 cm from the place
the ball when out of play. The ball must be in
stationary position before a kick-in is taken within
4 seconds from the time being ready. During kick-
in the opponent player must stand not less than 5
m from the ball; if a time offence or a wrong play
resumption is committed, the referee will whistle a
resumption change, but no sanction in terms of
personal or cumulative fouls. It is not allowed to
score directly from a kick-in: the goal is valid only if
any player, goalkeeper excluded, touches the ball
before it enters in goal.
Corner-The ball must be placed inside the arch
nearest to the point where the ball crossed the
goal line and the opponent must stand on field at
least 5 m from the corner arch until the ball is in
play. The corner kick must be taken within 4
seconds of being ready if not a goal kick will be
awarded. The ball is in play when it is kicked and
moves.
Play in the team's own half field-Once the
goalkeeper gives away the ball, his team has 15
 seconds to overcame the midfield. Otherwise, a
throw-in from the closest point to where the foul
happened is given to the defending team.
Equipments Need For Futsal
The Ball
The pitch shall be marked with lines. These lines
belong to the areas of which they are boundaries. The two
longer boundary lines are called touch lines. The two
shorter lines are called goal lines.
All lines shall be 8 cm wide. The pitch shall
be divided into two halves by the halfway line.  The
centre mark shall be indicated at the midpoint of
the halfway line.  A circle with a radius of 3m (9.8
feet) shall be marked around it.
The Penalty Area shall be marked out at
each end of the pitch as follows:

Size: #4 Quarter circles, with a 6m (18 feet) radius,

shall be drawn centred on the outside of each goal
Circumference: 62-64 cm post. The quarter circles shall be drawn from the
goal line to meet two imaginary lines 6m (19.6
Weight: 390-430 grams
feet) in length drawn at right angles to the goal line
Bounce: 55-65 cm on first bounce from the outside of the goalpost. The upper part of
each quarter circle shall be joined by a 3.16-m
Material: Leather or other suitable material (i.e., (10.3 feet) line running parallel to the goal line
not dangerous) between the goalposts.  The curved line marking
Shorts  the outer limit of the penalty area is known as the
penalty area line.
If thermal under shorts are worn, they are of the
same main color as the shorts The Penalty Mark. A mark shall be drawn
6m (19.6 feet) from the midpoint between the
Footwear  goalposts and equidistant from them.
the only types of footwear permitted are canvas or The Second Penalty Mark. A second mark
soft-leather training or gymnastic shoes with soles shall be drawn on the pitch 10m (32.8 feet) from
of rubber or a similar material. The use of footwear the midpoint between the goalposts and
is compulsory equidistant from them.
Shin-guards The Substitution Zones are the areas on
the touch line in front of the team benches that
 are covered entirely by the socks
the players shall use to enter and leave the pitch.
 are made of a suitable material  (rubber, plastic
or similar substances) The substitution zones are situated in front
 provide a reasonable degree of protectioN of the team benches and are 5m (16.4 feet) in
length. They shall be marked at each end with a
Goalkeepers line 8 cm wide and 80 cm in length, 40 cm of which
 the goalkeeper is permitted to wear long is drawn onthe pitch and 40 cm off the pitch the
trousers area in front of the timekeeper’s table 5m (16.4
 each goalkeeper wears colors which easily feet) to either side of the halfway line shall be kept
distinguish him from the other players and the clear.
referees The Goals shall be placed in the middle of
each goal line. They shall consist of two upright
Futsal Court posts equidistant from each corner and joined at
the top by a horizontal crossbar.
The field shall be rectangular. The length of
The distance (inside measurement)
the touch line shall be greater than the length of
between the posts shall be 3m (9.8 feet) and the
the goal line. 
distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to
U.S. Matches the ground shall be 2m (6.5 feet).
International Matches
Length:  Length:
Minimum 25m (82 feet) Minimum 38m (124.6 feet)
Maximum 42m (137.8 feet) Maximum 42m (137.8 feet)

Width:
Width:
Minimum 18m (59 feet)
Minimum 15m (49.2 feet)
Maximum 25m (82 feet)
Maximum 25m (82 feet)
 The goalposts and the crossbar shall have
the same width and depth, 8 cm. The goal lines
shall be the same width as the goalposts and the
crossbar. Nets, made of hemp, jute or nylon, shall
be attached to the back of the goalposts and
crossbar. The lower part of the nets shall be
attached to curved tubing or another suitable
means of support.
The depth of the goal, i.e. the distance
between the inside edge of the goalposts and the
back of the net, shall be at least 80 cm at the top
and 100 cm at ground level.
Futsal Laws
The Futsal Laws of the Game are
authorized by the International Football
Association Board (IFAB) and provided by the
Fédération Internationale de Football Associations
(FIFA).
The Futsal Laws of the Game are organized as follows:
 Law 1 – The Pitch
 Law 2 – The Ball
 Law 3 – The Number of Players
 Law 4 – The Players' Equipment
 Law 5 – The Referees
 Law 6 – The Assistant Referees
 Law 7 – The Duration of the Match
 Law 8 – The Start and Restart of Play
 Law 9 – The Ball In and Out of Play
 Law 10 – The Method of Scoring
 Law 11 – Offside
 Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct
 Law 13 – Free Kicks
 Law 14 – The Penalty Kick
 Law 15 – The Kick-in
 Law 16 – The Goal Clearance
 Law 17 – The Corner Kick
Law I - The Playing Court
1. Dimensions: 25-42 m long x 15-25 m wide
2. Marking: 8 cm wide touchlines at the sides,
goal lines at the ends, and a halfway-line
across; 3 m center circle; no walls or
dasherboards
3. Penalty Area: Arc measuring 6 m from each
post
4. Penalty Mark: 6 m from the mid-point of
goal line
5. Second Penalty Mark: 12 m from the mid-
point of the goal line
6. Substitution Zones: 6 m zone (3 m on each
side of halfway-line) on the bench side of the
pitch
7. The Goals: 2 m high x 3 m wide
8. Surface of the Pitch: Smooth, flat and non-
abrasive (e.g. wood, synthetic materials; avoid
concrete and tarmac; artificial turf not
acceptance for international matches)
Law II - The Ball
 Size: #4
 Circumference: 62-64 cm
 Weight: 390-430 grams
 Bounce: 55-65 cm on first bounce
 Material: Leather or other suitable material
(i.e., not dangerous)
Law III - Number of Players
 Minimum Number of Players to Start Match:
5, one of whom shall be a goalkeeper
 Minimum Number of Players to Finish Match:
2
 Maximum Number of Substitutes: 7
 Substitution Limit: None
 Substitution Method: "Flying substitution" (all
players but the goalkeeper enter and
 leave as they please; goalkeeper substitutions
can only be made when the ball is out of play
and with a referee's consent)
Law IV - Players' Equipment
Usual Equipment: Numbered shirts, shorts,
socks, protective shinguards and footwear with
rubber soles
Law V - Main Referee
 Duties: Enforce the laws, apply the advantage
rule, keep a record of all incidents before,
during and after game, stop game when
deemed necessary, caution or expel players
guilty of misconduct, violent conduct or other
 ungentlemanly behavior, allow no others to
enter the pitch, stop game to have injured
players removed, signal for game to be
restarted after every stoppage, decide that
the ball meets with the stipulated
requirements.
 Position: The side opposite to the player
benches
 Power Unique to Main Referee: Can overrule
Assistant Referee's calls.
Law VI: Assistant Referee
 Duties: Same as Main Referee, with the
addition of keeping a check on the 2-minute
punishment period after a player has been
sent off, ensuring that substitutions are
carried out properly, and keeping a check on
the 1-minute time-out.
 Position: The same side as the player benches
Law VII - Timekeeper
 Duties: Start game clock after kick-off, stop it
when the ball is out of play, and restart it after
all restarts; keep a check on 2-minute
punishment for sending off; indicate end of
first half and match with some sort of sound;
record time-outs and fouls (and indicate when
a team has exceeded the 5-foul limit); record
game stoppages, scorers, players cautioned
and sent off, and other information relevant
to the game.
 Position: Outside halfway line on the same
side as the substitution zone (i.e., the players'
bench side)
Law VIII - Duration of the Game
 Duration: Two equal periods of 20 minutes;
clock stopped whenever ball is out of play.
Time can be prolonged only to take a penalty
kick.
 Time-outs: 1 per team per half; none in extra
time
 Half-time: Maximum of 10 minutes
Law IX - The Start of Play
Procedure: Coin toss followed by kickoff;
opposing team waits outside center circle; ball
deemed in play once it has traveled the distance of
its own circumference; kicker shall not touch ball
before someone else touches it; ensuing kick-offs
taken after goals scored and at start of second half.
Law X - Ball in and out of Play
 Ball out of play: When it has wholly crossed
the goal line or touchline; when the game has
been stopped by a referee; when the ball hits
the ceiling (restart: dropped ball beneath that
point).
 Lines: Touchlines and goal lines are considered
inside the playing area.
Law XI - Method of Scoring
When the whole of the ball has passed over
the goal line, between the goal posts and under
the crossbar (except by illegal means).
Law XII - Fouls and Misconduct
Direct free kick awarded when a player
intentionally commits any of the following 11
offenses (penalty kick awarded when infringement
takes place in penalty area):
 kicking or attempting to kick an opponent
 tripping an opponent
 jumping at an opponent
 charging an opponent in a violent or
dangerous manner
 charging an opponent from behind
 striking, attempting to strike, or spitting at an
opponent
 holding an opponent
 pushing an opponent
 charging an opponent with shoulder (i.e.,
shoulder charge)
 sliding at an opponent (i.e., sliding tackle)
 handling the ball (except goalkeeper)
Indirect free kick awarded when any of the
following 8 offenses is committed (kick taken from
the 6- meter line when infringement takes place in
penalty area):
 dangerous play (e.g. attempting to kick ball
held by goalkeeper)
 obstruction
 charging the goalkeeper in the penalty area
(i.e., goalkeeper charge)
  goalkeeper throws ball directly over the
halfway-line (without it first touching his own
side of the pitch or any player)
 goalkeeper picks up or touches with his hands
a backpass
 goalkeeper picks up or touches with his hands
a kick-in from a teammate
 goalkeeper controls the ball with any part of
his body for more than 4 seconds
 goalkeeper touches with any part of his body a
backpass that has been played back to him
before the ball has (1) crossed the halfway-
line or (2) been touched by an opponent
Players shall be cautioned (i.e., shown yellow card)
when:
 a substituting player enters the pitch from an
incorrect position or before the player he is
substituting has entirely left the pitch
 he persistently infringes the Laws of the Game
 he shows dissent with any decision of the
referee
 he is guilty of ungentlemanly conduct
These 4 yellow-card offenses are punishable by an
indirect free kick taken from the point of infringement
(or from the 6-meter line when the infringement takes
place in penalty area).
Players shall be sent off (i.e., shown the red card) for:
(a) serious foul play
(b) violent conduct
(c) foul or abusive language
(d) second instance of cautionable offense (i.e.,
second yellow card)
(e) intentionally impeding a clear goal
opportunity (e.g. through a "professional foul")
(f) intentionally impeding a clear goal
opportunity in the penalty area by handling the
ball
Direct free kicks (or penalty kicks) accompany the
expulsion for (a), (b), (e) and (f); indirect free kicks, for
(c) and (d) (from the 6-meter line when the
infringement takes place in the penalty area).
Rules of Expulsion:
 The player sent off is out for the rest of the
game and is not even permitted to sit on the
reserves' bench.
 The team of the player sent off can substitute
for that player after 2 minutes of playing time
or after the opposing team scores -- which
ever comes first.
 The 2-minute punishment shall be checked by
the timekeeper (or by the assistant referee, if
there is no timekeeper).
 The substitute cannot come on until the ball is
out of play and he has a referee's consent.
Law XIII - Free Kick
 Types: Direct free kicks and indirect free kicks
 Wall: At least 5 meters away until the ball is in
play
 Ball in Play: After it has traveled the distance
of its own circumference
 Time Limit: Kick must be taken within 4
seconds
 Restriction: Kicker cannot touch the ball again
until it has been touched by another player
Law XIV - Accumulated Fouls
Accumulated fouls refer only to all the fouls mentioned
in Law XII(a through k(1 to 11).
Once a team has accumulated 5 fouls during a half
(those accumulated in the second half continue to
accumulate into extra time), from the 6th foul:
 that team shall not be allowed a defensive
wall
 all free kicks shall be direct (no indirect free
kicks)
 infringements committed within 12 meters of
the goal line shall be punished with a direct
free kick from the point of infringement;
infringements committed from 12 meters or
further from the goal line shall be punished
with a direct free kick from the Second Penalty
Spot
Procedure:
 Until the ball is kicked into play, all players
other than the goalkeeper and kicker shall
remain behind an imaginary line that is in line
with the ball and parallel to the goal line.
 The goalkeeper shall remain in his penalty
area at least 5 m away from the ball.
  The kicker must aim at the goal, with the
intention of scoring.
 No other player may touch the ball until it has
been touched by the pitch, rebounded from
the goal post or crossbar, or has left the pitch.
 If the infringement took place in penalty area
(and does not merit a penalty kick), the free
kick is to be taken from the 6-m-line on the
spot nearest to where the infringement
occurred.
Law XV - Penalty Kick
 To be taken from the penalty mark on the
mid-point of the 6-m-line.
 The kicker is to aim at goal, with the intention
of scoring.
 All players must be out of the penalty area,
and the players of the opposing team must
also be at least 5 m from the penalty spot.
 The kicker shall not play the ball a second time
until it has been touched by another player.
Law XVI - Kick-in
 To be taken in place of the throw-in.
 The ball is placed on the touch line before
kicking.
 The kicker's foot not kicking the ball must be
outside or at least on the touchline; if it
crosses the touchline all of the way, into the
pitch, the kick-in is given to the opposing
team.
 The kick-in must be taken within 4 seconds; if
it is not, the kick-in is given 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 kick-in.
 Cannot score directly from a kick-in.
Law XVII - Goal Clearance
 To be taken in place of goal kick.
 From inside the penalty area, the goalkeeper
throws the ball into play.
 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 taken over.
Law XVIII - Corner Kick
 Ball placed on the corner (no corner-kick arc).
If ball is misplaced, the corner kick is taken
over.
 Must be taken within 4 seconds; failure to do
so entails indirect free kick to the opposing
team from the corner mark.
 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.
 Can score goal directly from a corner kick.
Annex 1 - Penalty Kick Shoot-out
 Main referee decides goal to be used.
 Coin tossed to decide order.
 Five kicks to be taken by 5 different players
selected from the 12 suited players. Captain of
each team announces these 5 to the main
referee before the kicks are taken.
 If two teams are still tied after 5 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 assistant referee shall control this
area.