Futsal East

We present the following rules to help you prepare for the upcoming season...

Game time: Teams and referees work together to ensure games start promptly at 5 minutes past the hour. A whistle blows at 30 minutes past the hour to signal halftime for all games. Teams and referees ensure the second half starts at 35 minutes past the hour, and games end when the whistle blows on the hour. After the game, players informally congratulate each other and quickly move from the field. Teams arrive early each week to warm up, as teams have five minutes on the field before kick-off.

Field size: If you are familiar with the St. Croix Valley Rec. Center Dome, imagine it cut into four fields. Fields are 80 feet x 120 feet, with a U9/U10-sized goal. Don't worry about the small goal...plenty of goals are scored!

Players: U9 to U11 teams play with five field players and a keeper, and U12 and older teams play with four field players and a keeper. Players can be added to rosters at any time, as long as all players submit a liability form before they play. There is no limit to the number of players you can have on your team, and don't worry if a player is too old. We seek to group teams with similar abilities together, so age is one of several criteria we use.

Referees: All games are refereed, and someone is on-site at all times to answer questions and deal with issues.

Uniform: No uniforms are provided, so teams are encouraged to dress alike. Pinneys are available when two teams wear the same color. Players must wear shinguards. Cleats are the preferred shoe on the dome’s new Field Turf.

Ball: Games are played using an official futsal ball. The ball is slightly smaller and heavier than a typical soccer ball, so it bounces less and stays on the ground more. Most players do not see much difference in working with a futsal ball versus a soccer ball, though they may want to put more “oomph” on passes and shots.

Substitutions: Substitutions are made at any time during the game. There is no need to wait for a stoppage, and the referee does not need to be notified. The other team does not need to stop or wait for your team to make substitutions. A new player cannot enter the field until the exiting player completely leaves the field. It is the manager’s job to ensure players receive equal playing time. Because of the time required to change keepers (switch jerseys, put on gloves, etc.), we ask that keeper changes be made at halftime.

Goalkeeper play: The keeper wears a different-colored jersey from other field players. Keepers can play anywhere on the field, but can handle the ball only inside the penalty circle. If a teammate intentionally plays a ball to the keeper in the penalty circle, the keeper cannot pick it up, unless the teammate heads the ball to the keeper. A keeper who handles the ball must throw or roll it to another player within five seconds of receiving the ball (punting is not allowed). If the ball is thrown, it must bounce in the defensive half of the field. If it bounces in the offensive half, an indirect kick is awarded to the opposing team at mid-field. Keeper throws that bounce before midfield can continue into the offensive zone.

“Goal clearances,” “kick-ins,” kick-offs, corner kicks and free kicks: Futsal features “goal clearances” instead of goal kicks. When the attacking team passes the ball over the end line, the keeper picks up the ball and walks back into the penalty area, and then has five seconds to throw or roll the ball to a teammate. He or she can go anywhere inside the penalty area to distribute the ball. If a keeper takes longer than five seconds to put the ball back into play, a free kick is awarded to the opposing team outside of the penalty area. There are no throw-ins in futsal. All re-starts from the sidelines are “kick-ins,” where the ball is placed on the touchline where it went out and kicked back into play. Opposing players must stand five feet away from the ball during kick ins, and 10 feet away from corner kicks, kick-offs and free kicks. Players do not need to wait for a whistle when restarting play unless they ask the referee to move the defending players back the required minimum distance. In that case, play resumes on the whistle. Corner kicks take place as they do in soccer. With all kicks, when the ball is placed in the spot from which it is kicked into play, the player has five seconds to put the ball in play. Otherwise, the opposing team receives a free kick from that same spot. All free kicks resulting from fouls are indirect, meaning the ball must touch another player before it can enter the goal. Kicks are taken from the spot of the foul, except for fouls committed in the penalty circle, which are moved outside the circle. There are no penalty kicks.

Fouls: Futsal is a no-contact sport, which means there is no use of the body to establish an advantage over another player. Using the body to shield the ball is allowed, as long as the arms are not used to keep the opposing player from the ball. Contact fouls are called, as are delay-of-game fouls (taking more than five seconds to re-start play via a corner kick, goal clearance, kick-in or indirect kick). Unlike true futsal where players accumulate fouls and can be sent off the field if a certain number of fouls are committed, fouls are not tracked. That said, players who repeatedly and/or aggressively lead with their shoulders or elbows to challenge for the ball will be warned, and referees have discretion to ask players to leave the field. A player who is asked to leave the field will sit out the remainder of the half, and his or her team will play short-handed for that time. Other standard soccer fouls are called. Slide tackling is not allowed (trust us, for your players' sake, don’t let them do it).

5 + 1 (and 7 + 2) Rule: If one team gets ahead of the other team by five goals, the other team can add a field player. If one team gets ahead by seven goals, the other team can add another field player. If the team with extra players reduces the lead to six or four goals, the extra players will leave the field.

Coaching/strategy: A great soccer mind once said, “The game is the best teacher.” In other words, the best way to figure it out is to just play the game. We hope Futsal East fosters an environment where parents, coaches and players put the fun of the game first and foremost, and let the kids play and enjoy the game. Please limit your coaching comments to discussions with players when they are on the sideline or at half-time. Winning is not important; having fun and developing skills is.