All matches will consist of two (2) periods of 20 minutes. Half time will be no more than five (5) minutes. No timeouts are allowed. There is no overtime, injury or stoppage time.
ROSTERS
Maximum of 12 players allowed on each team. All players must be listed on the team roster. Teams found in violation will forfeit all matches played with ineligible players and could risk dismissal from the league.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Each team will have five (5) players on the court, one of whom shall be the goalkeeper.
Minimum of four (4) players required to start and continue a match.
For Coed play, one (1) female player (not including the goalkeeper) must be on the court at all times.
PLAYER EQUIPMENT
Teams must have players in similar colored uniform for matches, with numbered jerseys.
In the event of a color conflict, the home team (listed first on the schedule) must wear alternate jerseys.
The goalkeeper must wear a jersey color that will distinguish the player from the rest of the players on the court and the referees.
Shin guards are mandatory and must be fully covered by socks.
Indoor or futsal shoes with non-skid soles are allowed. Cleats and turf shoes are not permitted. Shoes with black soles are not allowed.
Jewelry, watches, earrings, eyeglasses, and other dangerous items are not permitted.
BALLS
An official match ball will be provided for each match. Only the official match ball will be used for match play.
#3 Ball: U9-U12
#4 Ball: U13-U18
REFEREES
One referee will officiate each match.
Abuse of referee in any form, whether verbal or physical, will not be tolerated. Players or spectators violating this rule will be asked to leave the facility.
Referee fee is $10 per team per game.
KICK-OFF
A kick-off is the way of starting or restarting play at the start of the match, after a goal has been scored, and at the start of the second half of the match. The ball must move forward on a kick-off. The kicker may not touch the ball a second time until another player has touched it. A goal may be scored directly from the kick-off.
KICK-IN
A kick-in is an indirect kick. A kick-in is awarded when the whole ball passes over the touchline, either on the ground or in the air, or hits the ceiling. A kick-in must be taken from the place where it crossed the touchline to the opponents of the player who last touched the ball. The ball must be stationary on the touchline and is kicked back into play in any direction.
The player taking the kick-in may not be in-bounds when taking a kick-in. A player may have one foot on the touchline when taking the kick but their body must be outside the field of play when taking the kick. The players on the defending team must be at least nine (9) feet from the place where the kick-in is taken.
If a kick-in is not taken within four (4) seconds from the time the player places the ball on the line, a kick-in is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from where the infraction occurred.
CORNER KICK
A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick. A corner kick is awarded when the whole ball, having last touched by a player of the defending team, crosses over the goal line either on the ground or in the air. If a corner kick is not taken within four (4) seconds from the time the player places the ball on the line, a goal clearance is awarded to the opposing team, and the ball handed to the opposing team goalkeeper.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Each team has unlimited “on the fly” substitutions during play or when play has ceased. Play is ceased when a goal is scored, a penalty is awarded, or an injury timeout is called. A player may substitute for the goalkeeper “on the fly” as long as the referee is informed beforehand. If a substituting player enters the field of play and becomes “involved” in the play before the substituted player has left the field, an indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposing team.
Substitutions must occur at midcourt and players are required to slap hands to ensure that no more than five (5) players from each team are on the court at all times.
PENALTY KICKS FROM THE FIRST PENALTY AREA
The defending goalkeeper remains on the goal line, facing the kicker, between the goal posts, until the ball has been kicked. Players other than the kicker are located inside the playing area, outside the penalty area, behind or to the side of the penalty mark, and at least 15 feet from the penalty mark.
PENALTY KICKS FROM THE SECOND PENALTY AREA
The defending goalkeeper remains nine (9) feet from second penalty spot in front of his goal, facing the kicker, until the ball has been kicked. Players other than the kicker are located inside the playing area, outside the penalty area, behind or to the side of the penalty mark, and at least nine (9) feet from the penalty mark.
SCORING
A goal is scored when the whole ball has crossed over the goal line, between the posts and under the crossbar. A goal may not be counted if it is thrown, carried, or intentionally propelled by the hand or arm by a player of the attacking side including the goalkeepers.
MERCY RULE
The Mercy Rule has been implemented in order to promote sportsmanship. Below are the guidelines of the Mercy Rule:
(1) If goal differential reaches 10 or more goals in the first half, the match will terminate at half-time.
(2) If at any time during the second half the goal differential reaches 10 goals, the match will terminate.
Both teams must clear the court immediately once a match has been terminated.
STANDINGS
Standings will be kept based on a three-point system:
(1) Three points for a win.
(2) One point for a tie.
(3) Zero point for a loss.
The team with the most points at the end of the season will be declared the winner.
In case of a tie, tie-breaker will be:
(1) head-to-head competition;
(2) goal differential;
(3) least goals allowed; and
(4) most goals scored.
There is no playoff system. First-place teams will receive trophies.
GOALKEEPERS AND GOAL CLEARANCE
A goal clearance is a method of restarting play. A goal may not be scored directly from a goal clearance.
The goal clearance is awarded when the whole ball, having last been touched by a player of the attacking team, passes over the goal line, either on the ground or in the air, and a goal is not scored.
The ball is thrown from any point within the penalty area by the goalkeeper of the defending team. All balls thrown in from the goalkeeper must hit the ground or a player before going over the midcourt line. If the ball goes over the midcourt line and does not hit the ground or a player, a direct kick is awarded to the opposing team at the center dot at half field.
After making a goal clearance, the goalkeeper cannot play the ball a second time until it has touched another player. The goalkeeper may set the ball down and dribble it out of the penalty area but cannot pick it back up again in the penalty area until the ball is touched by an opponent or played back by a teammate some way other than a direct pass off of the foot i.e. header. An indirect kick on the penalty arc closest to the violation will be awarded to the other team. The ball is in play when it is thrown directly beyond the penalty area. If the ball is not thrown directly beyond the penalty area, the goal clearance is retaken.
Unlimited pass back to the goalkeeper is allowed.
If the goal clearance is not taken within four (4) seconds from the time that the goalkeeper takes possession of the ball, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the penalty area line at the place nearest to where the infringement occurred.
No punting or drop kicks allowed.
FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following five (5) offenses in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:
* Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
* Trips or attempts to trip an opponent
* Jumps at an opponent
* Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
* Pushes an opponent
A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following offenses:
* Holds an opponent.
* Spits at an opponent
* No slide tackles allowed. Goalkeepers may slide in their goal area to save the ball providing it is not a slide tackle (a goalkeeper may not slide feet first at an opponent in order to make a save).
* Handles the ball deliberately, except for the goalkeeper, in his own penalty area.
* No shoulder charges allowed.
A direct free kick is taken from the place where the infringement occurred.
A penalty kick is awarded if a player commits any of the aforementioned offenses inside his/her own penalty area, regardless of the position of the ball but provided that it is in play.
Yellow Card / Caution: A player is cautioned, shown the yellow card, and sent off for two (2) minutes if the player commits any of the following offenses:
* Is guilty of unsportsmanlike behavior
* Shows dissent by word or action
* Persistently infringes the Laws of the Game
* Delays the restart of play
* Fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, kick-in, free kick, or goal clearance.
Red Card / Ejection: A player is shown the red card and sent off if the player commits any of the following offenses:
* Is guilty of serious foul play.
* Is guilty of violent conduct.
* Spits at an opponent or any other person.
* Denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area).
* Denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick.
* Uses offensive, insulting, or abusive language.
* Receives a second yellow card in the same match.
A player who has been red carded and sent off may not re-enter the game nor may he/she sit on the players’ bench. A replacement player may re-enter the game two (2) minutes after a teammate has been sent off, unless a goal has been scored before the two (2) minutes have elapsed. If a player receives a red card or is sent off, he/she will sit out the following match to serve his/her one match automatic suspension. If it is a playoff or final match of a season, he/she will sit out the first match of the following season.
A player who has been red-carded will have to pay a $25 fine before he/she is allowed to resume play (after serving the one match suspension).
Players who are sent off for fighting will be permanently banned from the league.
CASTS OR SPLINTS
Casts or splints are not allowed.
