Laws of the Game
Summarized Version (12/5/2021)
League Information
Boys and Girls U8 – High School
Facility Location
N. Charleston: 3337 Business Circle
North Charleston, SC 29418
Tel: 843-471-3373
Field of Play
1. Sports Court flooring.
2. There are no boards.
3. Out of bounds rules are enforced, however, kick-ins are utilized instead of throw-ins.
4. The Penalty Area is a semicircle and normal rules apply to this area.
Duration of Game
1. Season duration of games is 40 minutes (Two 20 minute halves).
2. Running time clock. (No stoppage clock)
3. Time-outs: 1 per team per half; none in extra time
4. Half-time: Maximum of 3 minutes
The Ball
1. A Futsal ball is a heavier low bounce soccer ball.
2. Size 3 ball <U13, size 4 > U14); check inflation drops from 6’, 24” bounce.
Half-time
1. 1-3 minutes half-time allowed
2. Teams will switch benches at half-time.
Number of Players
1. Each team on the court consists of 4 field players and a goalkeeper.
2. Minimum Number of Players to Start Match: 3, one of whom shall be a goalkeeper
3. Minimum Number of Players to Finish Match: 3
Team Rosters / Player Registration Forms
1. Team Rosters are a minimum of 6 players and a maximum of 10 players.
2. Team may register online, by mail, or in person at the ISOL facility.
3. All coaches and players must be registered with SC Youth Soccer Association (SCYSA).
4. SCYSA player cards, rosters, and fees MUST be completed prior to your team’s first match. This must be completed or your team will not be permitted to play and your first match will be tallied as a forfeit.
5. Players that are not on the team roster or day game roster of the scheduled team are not permitted to play without notifying and getting permission to play from the table referee and league administrator.
6. Once the schedule has been finalized and released, all games will be played as scheduled unless there is an administrative or scheduling error by the league. Any games that are canceled will be treated as a forfeit by the team that has canceled the game. If there is a reschedule option available, the team who canceled the game must pay the reschedule game referee fee of $25.00.
Substations
1. All substitutions must take place in front of your player bench.
2. Substitution Limit: None
3. Substitution Method: “Flying substitution” [All players may enter and leave as they please (There should never be more than 4 field players on the field at any time during the game); Player must NOT come in until the substitute player has come out.
4. Any of the substitutes may change places with the goalkeeper without informing the referees or waiting for a stoppage in the match. Any player may change places with the goalkeeper. The player changing places with the goalkeeper must do so during a stoppage in the match and must inform the referees before the change is made. A player or substitute replacing the goalkeeper must wear a goalkeeper’s jersey with his number on the back. If any Goalkeeper switch requires a uniform adjustment (eg jersey, gloves, etc.), it must be done during a stoppage.
Substations Infractions
If a substitute enters the pitch before the player being replaced has left or, during a substitution, a substitute enters the pitch from a place other than his own team’s substitution zone. The referees stop play (although not immediately if they can apply the advantage). The referees caution him for infringing the substitution procedure and order him to leave the pitch. If the referees have stopped play, it is restarted with an indirect free kick to the opposing team from the position of the ball at the time of the stoppage.
Players Equipment
1. A player’s footwear must conform to the following: Flat soled shoes or other footwear designed for gymnasium floor use. No black soled shoes will be permitted. No turf nor cleats are allowed.
2. Numbered shirts, shorts, and socks.
3. Protective shin-guards.
Referees
1. A one-man system will be utilized. (On Finals a two-man system is optional)
2. The referee will enforce the rules of the game as stated by FIFA with some rules modifications made by the league .
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.
3. The referee may stop the game clock at his discretion.
4. The game clock at midfield will be the official match time.
The Start of Play
Procedure: Home team will follow by kickoff; opposing team waits outside center circle; ball deemed in play when it is kicked in any direction; the kicker shall not touch ball before someone else touches it; ensuing kick-offs taken after goals scored and at start of second half.
Ball in and out of Play
1. 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: by a kick-in, awarded to the opposing team that last touched the ball. The kick-in is taken from a point on the nearest touch line to the intersection between either touch line and the imaginary line that runs parallel to the goal line and the place below where the ball hit the ceiling).
2. Lines: Touchlines and goal lines are considered inside the playing area.
Method of Scoring
When the whole ball has passed over the goal line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar (except by illegal means).
Kick Offs
1. A kick off is an Indirect Free Kick.
2. The ball can be played in any direction.
3. Home team will kick off to start the game.
4. Scoring from kickoff is only allowed in international sized fields (Size 130 feet or larger in length).
Kick-Ins/Restarts
1. Kick-Ins will take place when the ball crosses entirely over the touchlines.
2. A goal may NOT be scored directly from a kick-in. It is an Indirect Kick.
3. A kick-in must be taken within 4 seconds; if it is not, the kick-in will be given to the opposing team.
4. The opposing players must give 5 meters between them and the ball on all restarts.
Goal Clearance
1. To be taken in place of goal kick.
2. From inside the penalty area, the goalkeeper throws or rolls the ball into play. The goalkeeper may not punt the ball into play.
3. The ball is thrown or released from any point within the penalty area by the goalkeeper of the defending team. Opponents must be outside the penalty area until the ball is in play.
4. The goalkeeper may NOT throw the ball directly across half way line for all ages U15 and under.
5. A goal may not be scored directly from a goal clearance.
Corner Kick
1. Ball placed inside the corner arc at the nearest corner. If ball is misplaced, the corner kick is taken over.
2. Must be taken within 4 seconds; failure to do so results in an indirect free kick to the opposing team from the corner mark.
3. The kicker cannot play the ball a second time until it has been played by another player; infringement of this rule results in an indirect free kick to the opposing team from the point of infringement.
4. Players on opposing team must be at least 5 meters from point of the corner kick.
5. You may score a goal directly from a corner kick.
Goalkeeping Restrictions
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the goalkeeper commits one of the following offenses:
– After releasing the ball from his/her possession, he/she receives it back from a teammate, without it having been played or touched by an opponent.
– Touches or controls the ball with his/her hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him/her by a teammate.
– Touches or controls the ball with his/her hands or feet, on any part of the playing court, for more than four seconds, except when he/she controls the ball on the opponent’s half of the playing court.
– Position and movement of goalkeeper for a kick from 2nd Penalty spot is the same as from the regular penalty spot (Goalkeeper must be on goal line until ball is kicked).
Stoppage of Play
Failure by a team to put the ball into play within four seconds, as signaled by the referee, shall result in a possession turnover to the opponent.
Penalty Kick
1. A penalty kick shall be awarded when a player commits a flagrant foul within his/her own penalty area.
2. The penalty kick will be taken at the top of the restraining arc.
3. The goalkeeper must remain on his/her goal line but may move from side to side.
4. Players other than the kicker must be at least 5 meters away from the ball and all players must be outside the penalty arc.
5. The kicker shall not play the ball a second time until it has been touched by another player.
Issuance of Red / Yellow Cards
Red Card:
If a player receives a red card he/she will have to sit out his/her teams following match and the team will receive a 2 Minute penalty. The team being assessed the 2 minute penalty will play a man short until the 2 minutes expire or a goal is scored by the opposing team. The player can stay on their team’s bench for the duration of the game. Player will sit out the next game.
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 top of the restraining arc when the infringement takes place in the penalty area).
Yellow Cards:
Players shall be cautioned (i.e., shown yellow card) when:
1. a substituting player enters the pitch from an incorrect position or before the player he/she is substituting has entirely left the pitch.
2. he/she persistently infringes the Laws of the Game.
3. he/she shows dissent with any decision of the referee.
4. he/she 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 top of the restraining arc when the infringement takes place in the penalty area).
Yellow Card Accumulation
If a player receives an accumulated three yellow cards during the first round of competition, he/she will NOT be permitted to play in their team’s next match. If a player receives the third accumulated yellow card during the final first round match, the player will NOT be permitted to play in their team’s first match in the single elimination round. All other yellow cards will NOT carry over into the next round. The accumulation of yellow cards will NOT continue during the single elimination rounds.
Fouls and Misconduct
1. Slide tackles will NOT be permitted. However, sliding the ball to prevent it from going out of bounds is permitted as long as it does not interfere with an opposing player. This will be judged at the referee’s discretion.
2. A Direct Free Kick shall be 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 within his/her own penalty area)
3. An Indirect Free Kick shall be awarded when any of the following 8 offenses is
committed (when an infringement takes place in the penalty area, the kick shall be
taken from penalty area line at the place nearest to where the infringement occurred):
– dangerous play (e.g. attempting to kick ball held by goalkeeper)
– obstruction
– charging the goalkeeper in the penalty area (i.e., goalkeeper charge)
– goalkeeper picks up or touches with his/her hands a back pass
– goalkeeper picks up or touches with his/her hands a kick-in from a teammate
– goalkeeper touches or controls the ball with his/her hands or feet, on any part of the playing court, for more than 4 seconds, except when he/she touches or controls the ball on the opponent’s half of the playing court.
– goalkeeper with any part of his/her body receives a back pass that has been previously played by him/her, during their teams possession, back to him/her before the ball has (1) crossed the halfway-line or (2) been touched by an opponent
4. The opposing players must give 5 feet between them and the ball on all restarts.
5. Advantage may be given on a foul, and it will count towards the team’s accumulated fouls.
Accumulated Fouls / 5 Foul Limit
1. Once a team has accumulated 5 Team Fouls (accumulated fouls refer to any direct free kick foul), a Direct Free Kick will be given from the sixth foul on.
– The team with the accumulated fouls will NOT be allowed a defensive wall.
– Infringements committed within 30 feet of the goal line shall be punished with a direct free kick from the point of the infringement or the offended player may place the ball at the first Penalty Spot.
– Infringements committed from 30 feet or further from the goal line shall be punished with a direct free kick from the Second Penalty Spot.
– All players must be behind the ball before the free shot is taken.
2. Free Kick 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 must remain in his/her penalty area and at least 5 meters 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.
3. If a game goes into overtime, the accumulated fouls carry over onto the overtime period. In overtime, you DO NOT begin at 0. All the fouls that occurred during the game continue to accumulate into overtime.
4. Player’s may be given advantage on a foul, and the foul will count towards the the team’s accumulated fouls.
Point System
1. Teams will receive 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and 0 points for a loss
2. Each division will be structured different due to the number of participating teams.
3. If teams are tied with points; order placement in the standings are as follows:
– Goal Difference, if remained tied:
– Least amount of goals against, if remained tied:
– Winner of the head to head.
Elimination Rounds – Championship Tournament Only
If the score is tied after regulation, a sudden death overtime of 5 minutes will occur (except for the championship game where a 10 minute sudden death overtime will occur). If the game remains tied after the 5 minute sudden death, a Penalty Kick Shoot-out (as described under Penalty kick Shoot-out) will decide the winner. Each team will select five players to take the kicks. The team with the most goals after all five kicks are taken will be the winner. If the score remains tied: each team will select 1 player (who has not previously taken a shoot-out, unless that team has used all of its players including the goalkeeper) to take a kick until a winner is declared.