Soccer & Futsal

These rules of futsal apply at a venue operated by Local Sports. The general rules are FIFA rules unless there is a specific rule of Local Sports in which case the specific Local Sports rule applies. It is the responsibility of each player to be familiar with these rules.

1. Duration of a Game

 1. A game will consist of two eighteen minute halves. Teams will change ends at half time with a maximum two minute break at half time.

 2. A season will consist of 15 weeks, plus 2 weeks of finals.

2. Fee Payment

 1. Local Sports will determine fees to play in its competitions before the start of a season.

 2. A team must pay its fees at least ten minutes before its scheduled game.

 3. In addition to paying the game fees received by Local Sports teams are responsible for paying the referee.  The Local Sports game fee and the referee’s charge constitute a team’s match fee.

 4. Fees are non-refundable.

 5. Two points will be deducted from a team’s total points if full payment is not made on the night of the game. Points will continue to be deducted until full payment is received.

3. Registration and Last Game Bond

 1. There will be a registration fee for teams entering a Local Sports competition. The fee will be due and payable on the first night of competition.

 2. Failure to pay the registration fee by the third game will result in a 2 points deduction from a team’s total points each week until full payment is received.

 3. To ensure player eligibility for finals teams must mark their participating players on the team registration card before each game.

 4. A last game bond fee being equivalent to a team’s match fee is due and payable on the first night of competition. The last game bond will be used to pay match fees if a team forfeits during a season.

 5. If a team has no forfeits, the bond will be used to pay the team’s fees in the last round of a season before the season’s finals.

 6. Any team with outstanding fees is not eligible for finals.

4. Game Times

 1. Fixtures will be provided by Local Sports to give teams their game times.

 2. Local Sports may change these times and will notify teams if this occurs.

 3. Games will start at the fixtured time to ensure that all teams play their full game.

 4. Failure to be on court at the fixtured time will result in one goal being awarded to the opposition for every further three minutes that a team is not on the court.

 5. Teams must have a minimum of three players to take the court in a scheduled 5-a-side game and four for a 6-a-side game.

 6. The referee will determine the match to be forfeited by a team if it is not on the court within nine minutes of the fixtured time for its match.

5. Points

 1. A team will be awarded 4 points for a win, 2 points for a tie and 2 points for a bye.

 2. A team will lose 4 points for a loss on forfeit and 8 points for playing a red card player.

 3. A team having a win on forfeit will receive 4 points points for a win if it plays an organised scratch match whether it wins, loses or draws the scratch match. If Local Sports cannot organise a scratch match, the non-forfeiting team will receive four points as a win on forfeit.

6. Forfeit

 1. Any team which forfeits loses its last game bond and must pay an additional fee equal to a team’s match fees if a scratch match cannot be organised for its fixtured opposition. A team that does not give 24 hours notice of its intention to forfeit will be automatically subject to this penalty whether or not a scratch match is organised.

 2. A forfeiting team must reinstate its last game bond at its next game.

 3. Any fees arising as penalties as a result of a forfeit must be paid prior to the start of the next fixture game otherwise 2 points may be deducted each week until any arrears are paid.

7. Finals

 1. All final times will be posted on the website. Times for these games will not change.

 2. A player who has played in more than one team in the same division can only qualify for one team in the finals.

 3. In a 15 game draw, a player must play 5 games to qualify for finals. In a 10 game draw, a player must play 4 games to qualify. In a 6 game draw, a player must play 3 games to qualify for finals.

 4. Byes and games that are won by a team as wins on forfeit after a player has first played in a season will count as games played subject to no more than two non-played games counting as games played in a season.

 5. If two or more teams are on the same points at the end of the season, the position on the ladder will be determined by the team’s number of wins at the end of the season, including wins on forfeit. If teams have the same number of wins, the ladder position will be determined by the goal difference being the amount of total goals scored minus goals scored against.

 6. In finals, if there is a draw, teams will play extra time of 3 minutes at each end. If in the time on period a goal is scored the scoring team will be declared the winner and the extra time will cease. If no goal is scored in extra time a penalty shoot out will occur.

 7. Premiers and runners-up are allotted 7 trophies per team for a 5-a-side competition and 8 trophies for a 6-a-side competition.

 8. Local Sports will provide, at cost, extra trophies if notified by a team that it will require more.

8. Teams

 1. No more than five players will be allowed on the court at any time in a 5-a-side game and no more than 6 in a 6-a-side game. A team may have up to five substitutes.

 2. Mixed teams must not have more than 3 males on the court.

9. Injuries

 1. Except in finals, there will be no extra time for injuries. An injured player must be helped from the court as soon as possible. In finals, injury time is 3 minutes only.

 2. If a player is bleeding he or she must vacate the court immediately.

10. Uniforms

 1. All teams must wear the same shirts and shorts except for the goal keeper. All tops must be numbered. Shorts must have no outside pockets. Goalkeepers must wear a different colour top to define their position. Teams will be given 3 weeks to organise their uniforms before uniform penalties apply.

 2. For each incorrect uniform item, including unnumbered tops, teams will lose 1 goal to the maximum of 3 goals for a game.

 3. Goalkeepers who become general field players by substitution are to change to the team’s uniform.

 4. Shin guards are compulsory at outdoor venues. Players without shin guards will not be permitted to take the court.

 5. Except for the goalkeeper, track suit pants are not allowed except by prior written arrangement with Local Sports management. “Skins” may be worn under the uniform.

 6. Uniform penalties will apply to substitute players who are not in team uniform. This does not apply to a player provided by Local Sports as a substitute.

 7. All players must wear non-marking sport-shoes.

 8. At venues where competitions are played outdoors on artificial turf footwear with rubber moulds or artificial turf footwear may be worn.  Footwear with screw-in stops is not permitted.

11. Adornment

 1. To minimise the risk of injury to other players all adornment must be either removed or taped over if it cannot be removed. Adornment includes but is not limited to rings, watches, necklaces, body piercings and baseball-caps. Players will not be permitted on court while wearing adornment.

12. Unacceptable Language and Behaviour

 1. Swearing, bad language and racist comments are unacceptable and will be treated as red card offences.

 2. A player who uses unacceptable language or behaviour towards the referee or other players, will not be warned but will be asked immediately to leave the court and will have no further participation for the duration of the game.

 3. The position of an offending player cannot be filled. If the offending player is the goalkeeper only an on-court player may change to goalkeeper.

 4. The referee will ask spectators, including players not on the court, who use unacceptable language or otherwise behave unacceptably to leave the premises.

 5. If persons who have been asked to leave by the referee fail to do the the game will be abandoned and the offending team will be deemed to have lost on forfeit.

13. Red Card

 1. A player who receives two yellow cards in one match will be classed as having received a red card.

 2. If a player receives a red card, he or she must vacate the court immediately and will be suspended from playing for one week. The player can only be replaced after 2 minutes or when a goal is scored by the opposition, whichever comes first.

 3. Should a red card player abuse a referee after being sent off the player will be suspended for two weeks?

 4. If a captain allows a suspended player to play the following week the team will lose 8 premiership points and the captain will be suspended for 2 games.

 5. Any player who receives 3 red cards in a season will be suspended from the competition for the rest of the season. Any player who receives a red card will be automatically ineligible to win any player of the final award.

14. Referees

 1. There shall be one referee per match. The referee’s decision is final.

 2. Any queries that players may have about rules and their interpretations are only to be asked of the referee at half or full time.

15. Kick Off

 1. At the kick off the ball must go forward.

 2. A goal cannot be scored directly from kick off.

16. Court Rules

 1. If a player becomes too aggressive on the court, at the referee’s discretion and in lieu of a red or yellow card, he or she may be sent from the court for a cooling off period of 5 minutes.

 2. Should a fight occur between teams during a game the referee will automatically stop play and offending players shown a red card. There will be no appeal and both teams may be asked to leave the competition.

 3. No sliding is permitted unless by a goalkeeper in defence of the goal and provided that the goalkeeper’s slide is begun inside the D. If a goalkeeper’s slide continues outside the D the goalkeeper must not make contact with an opponent. No other sliding is permitted and will result in a red card against the offending player and a penalty shot awarded to the opposition.

 4. An on court player may substitute at any time, provided the substitution occurs at the teams designated position i.e. in front of team bench. The substituting player may not enter the court until the on-court player is off the court.

 5. When the ball goes out of play, a player may kick the ball back into play from anywhere behind the white line.

 6. A defending player must stand back 3 metres from the ball when it is brought into play from a kick-in, a kick-off, a corner kick or a free kick. Infringing players will receive 1 warning and then a yellow card. If a quick free kick is taken and the defender is not 3 metres from the ball no offence has occurred

 7. No goal can be scored with a direct kick from the outside line.

 8. A player has 5 seconds to kick the ball back into the court. Failure to do so will result in a turnover as opposed to a free kick to the opposition

 9. .If the ball hits the roof or a light on an indoor court the game will be restarted by a kick in from the sideline by the non-offending team or by an indirect free kick if the impact occurred as a result of an indiscriminate kick.

 10. A penalty shot awarded on the siren marking half time or full time must be played.

 11. In a mixed game where the goalkeeper is female only a female may take a penalty shot.

17. Goalkeeper

 1. In order for the goalkeeper to handle the ball, the ball and the goalkeeper must be inside the goalkeeper’s D.  Outside the D the goalkeeper will be treated as an on court player. If the goal keeper steps outside the D while handling the ball it will be deemed to be a deliberate handball and the opposition will be awarded a penalty kick.

 2. The goalkeeper may roll or throw the ball out of the D or place the ball on the ground before kicking it. A goalkeeper must not kick the ball from his or her hands or drop-kick the ball.

 3. If a goalkeeper kicks the ball in contravention of 17.2 an indirect free kick outside the D will be awarded to the opposition.

 4. The goalkeeper may throw or kick the ball in over half way.

 5. The goalkeeper has 4 seconds to clear the ball from the D. Failure to do so will result in a free kick outside the D.

18. Fouls

 1. Red cards will be given and a penalty awarded to the non-offending team for:

 • Second yellow card offence

 • Serious foul play

 • Swearing, foul or racist language

 • Slide tackling of any nature

 • Kicking or charging the goalie

 • Deliberate handball

 • Striking

 • Abusive behaviour towards a referee

 • Equipment abuse

 • Other major offences specified in the rules from time to time

 

 1. Yellow cards will be awarded for:

 • Shirt pulling

 • Pushing, including pushing from behind

 • Time wasting

 • Other breaches specified in the rules from time to time that are not red card offences

19. Five Fouls

 1. Teams may only accumulate five fouls per half. After and including a sixth foul within a half, a direct free kick shall be awarded at the second designated penalty spot with no wall allowed.

20. Time Wasting

 1. Time wasting will be determined by the referee and will result in a yellow card and a free kick.

 2. Kicking the ball away from the designated play position after the whistle has gone is time wasting and will result in a yellow card and a free kick to the opposition.

21. Equipment

 1. A player hanging from a goal crossbar shall be warned and then sent off for the duration of the game if the behaviour persists.

 2. If equipment is damaged through vandalism or a player’s irresponsibility, the offending player or person shall be responsible for the cost of repair or replacement. An offending player will be given a red card.

22. Miscellaneous

 1. No pets are allowed in buildings. No bicycles or roller blades are allowed on a timber court.

 2. Venues are strictly no smoking. No alcohol is allowed.

 3. Teams are to provide a minimum of three team contacts with home, work and mobile telephone numbers and e-mail address.

 4. Only size 4 futsal balls may be used on the court.

 5. When playing at an outdoor venue games will proceed in the rain and shall only be abandoned if the referee judges the court unplayable or conditions to be otherwise unsafe.

 6. Players play at their own risk. Local Sports accepts no liability for any injury that a player might receive in the course of a game.

 7. Persons who have been asked to leave a venue and who do not do so immediately will be treated as trespassers.

 8. A game will not be stopped for a player to do up his or her shoelaces.

 9. The opposite gender may not play in a competition which has the gender of the competition already deemed i.e. a woman cannot play in a men’s competition and vice-versa.

 

Weather Policies

At Local Sports safety is our first priority.  Futsal Outdoor 6s games will go ahead as scheduled unless:

• Futsal courts are deemed unsafe due to excess water pooling on the court

• An electrical storm is in the near vicinity

• The temperature is 35C or above