INDOOR FOOTBALL (Futsal)

1 – GENERAL FEATURES

Indoor football is a team sport. There are two teams of five players each (including one goalkeeper perteam). To win, a team must score more goals than the other team.

• Accordingly, it is a finely balanced game: teams must combine attacking and defending strategies inorder to win.

• This requires each player to act in co-ordination with his or her teammates; players must ´work as ateam´.

2 – TACTICS

Here we explain the tactics that teams can deploy in order to achieve victory. They can be sorted into two broad categories:

• ´attacking´ actions, when a team is in possession of the ball• ´defending´ actions, when a team is not in possession of the ball

As indicated above, no successful player can work individually; teamwork is essential to all football tactics.

ATTACKING DEFENDING

Scoring goals Preventing the other team from scoring

Maintaining possession Recovering possession of the ball

Getting closer to the opposite goal Keeping the other team as far as possible from your own goal

A basic defending skill is marking. This refers to the actions a defending player can take to obstruct a player from the attacking team, whether this individual attacker has the ball or not.

The counter to this is to slip one´s marker, whereby an attacker evades the defender who is trying to mark him. Slipping one´s marker while in possession of the ball is called dribbling.

Player functionsDifferent players have different ´functions´ which come with different responsibilities. These are:

• the ´goalkeeper´, or ´goalie´, who is responsible for protecting his/her team´s goal, and has the unique ability to touch the ball using his/her hands or anywhere else on their body

• a ´defender´ must prevent the other team´s players from getting too close to the goal• a ´midfielder´ has to assist the defenders or the attackers on his/her team, depending on whether

his/her team is defending or attacking• a ´striker´ has to do everything possible to get the ball close to the enemy goal, enabling him/her or

a teammate to score

The placement of the players:

The team members are placed, according to their function, on three broad ´lines´. • The goalkeeper (´goalie´) occupies his/her own space in the vicinity of his/her team´s own goal.• Defenders occupy the line closest to his/her own goal; this is the ´defending´ line. • Midfielders occupy the middle line• Strikers occupy the line closest to the enemy goal; this is the ´attacking´ line

Different formations are possible within this schema. For example, a 1-1-2-1 (1 goalie, 1 defender, 2 midfielders, and 1 striker), or a 1-2-2 (1 goalie, 2 defenders and 2 strikers)

3 – TECHNIQUE

Technique is defined as the set of sport-specific skills or actions used to achieve the objectives of a game.

Football techniques include:

• Shooting – kicking the ball towards the (enemy!) goal• Heading – bouncing the ball off of your head, toward the goal• Passing – kicking the ball towards a teammate• Receiving – receiving and controlling a ball passed towards yourself• Driving – to roll the ball over the ground, using your feet, in a controlled way• Dribbling – evading an enemy player who is trying to mark you, while you are in possession of the

ball• Feint – tricking an enemy player into thinking that you are about to perform one action before

performing a different one

4 – THE FIELD

The playing field (´the pitch´) is rectangular: its length (40 metres) is double its width (20 metres).

In exceptional cases, variations to these sizes may be permitted; but no variation can ever be greater than 2 metres longer or shorter than the original size.

The longer perimeter lines, of 40 metres, are called side lines. The shorter perimeter lines, of 20 metres, and called end lines. The rectangle is divided into two halves, of 20x20 each, by a line called the centre line.

Radiating around the central point of the centre line is the centre circle.

The goal area is bounded by three lines: a straight line (3 metres long) parallel to the end line, situated at a distance of 6 metres from it. The other two lines are perfect curves originating from the ends of the straight line. These lines curve 90 degrees until they reach the end line, both ending 6 metres away from the centreof the goal line.

There are two 10cm-radius penalty spots, one on either side of the pitch. These are marked at a distance of 6 metres from the centre point of each goal.

There are two lines, of 30cm in length, called double penalty lines, one on either side of the pitch. These are marked at a distance of 10 metres from the centre point of each goal.

The goals are placed in the centre of each end line. They have a length of 3 metres. The goal´s outline is marked by three metal posts: two vertical ones connected by a horizontal crossbar. The crossbar is 2 metres above the ground.

5 – RULES

A) Number of players1. Each team can have a maximum of 12 players2. There can only be four players and one goalkeeper on the pitch per team per match3. If a team is reduced (through injury or expulsion) to less than 3 players during a match, the match

will be suspended and this team will lose the game4. An unlimited number of substitutions are permitted

B) Duration of a match1. The duration of a match´s playing time is 40 minutes2. Each match has two halves of 20 minutes each, with a 10 minute break between the halves3. The referee may add extra time if he considers any time to have been lost by any incident4. The duration of either half may be extended to allow a penalty to be taken

C) Kick-off1. Kick-off takes place at the beginning of each half of the match, and after any goals have been scored2. The team that chose the venue for the match must allow the other team to kick-off (i.e. take the first

kick of) the first half of the match. The second half´s kick-off is taken by the team that chose the venue.

3. Before kick-off, each team must remain within their own side of the pitch4. Kick-off must be performed by one of the midfielders of the starting team5. Kick-off may only happen on the referee´s signal

6. Goals may NOT be directly scored from the kick-off; if the first kick of the ball results in it landing in the net, without touching any other player, this is not considered to be a valid ´goal´ and no point is scored

D) Goalie kick or throw1. If an attacking player´s contact with the ball, deliberately or otherwise, causes the ball to go beyond

the end boundary of the pitch, the goalie for the defending team may perform a throw (from within the boundaries of the penalty area) or a kick to bring the ball back into play

2. Before the goalie makes his/her kick or throw, no opponent may enter the penalty area. 3. Before the goalie makes his/her kick or throw, a teammate of the goalie may enter the penalty area,

but is not permitted to make contact with the ball.4. Goals may NOT be directly scored from goalie kicks or throws

E) Corner Kick1. If a defending player´s contact with the ball, deliberately or otherwise, causes the ball to go beyond

the end boundary of the pitch, a player from the attacking team may perform a corner kick to bring the ball back into play

2. The corner kick must be performed from the corner closest to the point where the ball crosses the end boundary

3. Defending players must remain a distance of at least five metres away from the player performing the corner kick, until it has been performed.

4. The ball is in play again from the moment it has been kicked5. The player performing the corner kick may not make contact with the ball again until another player

has touched it6. Goals may be directly scored from corner kicks

F) Throw-in1. If a player´s contact with the ball, deliberately or otherwise, causes the ball to go beyond the sideline

of the pitch, a player from the opposing team may perform a throw-in to bring the ball back into play2. The throw-in should be performed from the approximate point where the ball crosses the sideline3. The player performing the throw-in should stand still until he has thrown the ball4. The player performing the throw-in must do so within 4 seconds of picking up the ball5. Other players must remain a distance of at least five metres away from the player performing the

throw-in, until it has been performed.6. The ball is in play again from the moment it has landed on the pitch7. The player performing the throw-in may not make contact with the ball again until another player has

touched it8. Goals may NOT be directly scored from throw-ins

6 – PUNISHMENTS FOR RULE INFRACTIONS

All punishments for rule infractions are given at the referee´s disgression. His or her decision is final.

A) Free Kick (Direct)If a player commits any of these infractions (´fouls´), they must cede a free kick to the opposing team:

1. Kicking, or attempting to kick, an opponent2. Jumping on an opponent3. Violently or dangerously obstructing another player´s movement4. Spitting on or hitting an opponent5. Pushing an opponent with hands or arms6. Touching the ball with the arm or hand (unless you are the goalkeeper)7. Slide-tackling another player while they are in possession of the ball

If any of these actions are considered by the referee to have been voluntary or dangerous, he or she is obliged to give the player responsible a yellow card. If any of these actions take place within the goal area, the referee is obliged to reward a penalty to the other team.

Conditions of the direct free kick:• All opponents must remain at least 5 metres from the ball until it is in play.• The player performing the free kick must do so within 4 seconds of the referee´s signal

• Goals may be scored from direct free kicks

B) Free Kick (Indirect)If a player commits any of these infractions, they must cede an indirect free kick to the opposing team:

1. Generally dangerous play: for example, trying to kick the ball from the goalie´s hands, or lifting your foot to head height

2. Intentionally obstructing an opponent

If a goalkeeper commits any of these infractions, they must cede an indirect free kick to the opposing team:1. Touching the ball with his/her hands after a teammate deliberately passes it to him/her2. Touching the ball with his hands in his half of the field for more than 4 seconds.

If any of these actions are considered by the referee to have been voluntary or dangerous, he or she is obliged to give the player responsible a yellow card. If any of these actions take place within the goal area, the referee is obliged to reward a penalty to the other team.

Conditions of the indirect free kick:• All opponents must remain at least 5 metres from the ball until it is in play.• The player performing the free kick must do so within 4 seconds of the referee´s signal• Goals may NOT be scored from direct free kicks

C) PenaltiesIf a player commits any of the infractions listed in 6.A) + 6.B) within a goal area, the referee must award a penalty kick to the opposing team.

Conditions of the penalty kick:1. The ball must be placed and kicked at a distance of 6 metres from the goal.2. Goals may be scored from penalty kicks.

D) Yellow and Red CardsUpon witnessing any of the rule infractions listed above, the referee must penalise the offending player/team.

The referee may show a player the yellow (´warning´) card for the following offences:1. Unsportsmanlike conduct2. Voicing or implying disapproval of a referee´s decision with words or actions3. Deliberately delaying the resumption of play4. Persistently breaking the rules5. Ignoring the minimum distance prescribed for corners, free kicks, throw-ins or

penalties6. Entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee´s permission7. Intentionally leaving the pitch without the referee´s permission

Upon receiving a yellow card, players should consider themselves formally warned, andmust modify their behaviour accordingly.

Yellow cards are cumulative. If the same player is shown a yellow card twice in one game, he or she automatically receives a red card and is sent off the pitch for the rest of the game.

The referee may show a player the red (´expulsion´) card for the following offences:1. Serious rough play2. Violent conduct3. Spitting at an opponent or any other person4. Preventing or obstructing a goal with his or her hand5. Using offensive, vulgar, obscene, sexist, homophobic, or racist words, expressions or gestures6. Receiving two yellow cards within one game

Upon receiving a red card, players must leave the pitch immediately. Their team is forbidden from sending on a substitute player to replace them.

7 – SUBSTITUTIONS

Conditions of substitutions:1. Teams can make as many substitutions as they want. 2. However, referees must authorise and oversee all substitutions. It is the referee who decides exactly

when a substitution can happen.3. The substituting player can only enter the field after the substituted player has left it. 4. As stated above, in section 6.D), players who have been given a red card and sent off CANNOT be

replaced by substitutions.5. Goalkeepers may swap their position with another player, provided that the referee authorises and

oversees this action.

ESCOLA PIA BALMES (2016)