INDOOR SOCCER RULES
1) GENERAL
a. For matters not specifically covered by these rules, FIFA Laws of the Game shall
be followed where reasonably applicable.
b. League coordinator has authority to resolve all disputes.
c. TOP OF THE ARC-refers to the spot one yard outside of the penalty area halfway
between opposite touchlines.
d. KICK IN-restart in place of what otherwise would be a throw in.
2) PLAYERS
a. Seven players (6 + goalkeeper).
b. Team can have unlimited number of players on roster.
c. All rosters must be finalized before first game.
d. Team must have minimum five players to start game.
e. Each team must have at least five players on the field for match to
start/continue, and neither team shall ever have more than seven.
f. A maximum of three authorized non-players (coach, manager, trainer) may be
allowed in the bench area during the match.
g. Non players are strictly prohibited from entering the field of play during the
course of a match unless specifically beckoned on by the referee. Violation of
this rule will result in a blue card two minute time penalty.
h. Non players are subject to the same disciplinary measures as players.
i. In cases where the referee has to stop the clock for an injured player and/or the
referee beckons teams trainer onto field to attend to injured player, that player
must be removed from the field and may not rejoin play until the next
substitution opportunity after referee has restarted play. This rule applies to
goalkeepers only after second occurrence.
j. Player shall not be allowed to continue to play with an open wound and/or if
blood is evident.
k. Player with open wound and/or blood evident can not return to play unless first
granted permission by referee. Violation of this rule is a two minute blue card
penalty to the offending player.
3) TIME
a. Forty minute running clock.
b. Referee may stop clock and/or add time in his discretion for serious injury or
time wasting.
c. In the last minute of a one goal game, the referee may add time as necessary for
any undue delay.
4) EQUIPMENT
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a. Shin guards required.
b. All items referee deems dangerous and/or illegal shall be removed prior to start
of game.
c. Referee may blue card player without shinguards and/or with illegal/dangerous
equipment. If assessed blue card, player can not return to match unless
correction to equipment has been made.
d. Teams are responsible for providing match ball.
FORFEITS
a. Teams will have up to ten minutes after the designated start time to field a legal
team. If unable to do so, a forfeit will be awarded. There will be no changes
made to the schedule to accommodate the forfeit. No refunds will be given for
forfeited games.
b. First offense: Loss and warning issued.
c. Second offense: Loss, league reserves right to remove team from league without
refund for unplayed games.
d. Third offense: Loss and removal from league without refund for unplayed games.
BEGINNING OF GAME
a. Kickoff for visiting team.
b. Ball is in play once it is kicked and moved.
START OF PLAY
a. After each goal game is restarted via kick off by team scored against.
b. Goal may be scored directly from kick off.
c. If play is stopped for any reason that is not a violation of a rule, the game is
restarted with a free kick from the spot where the ball was when play was
stopped for the team in clear possession (except if in opponents penalty area,
then restart is taken from top of the arc). If neither team had clear possession,
then play is restarted with a dropped ball.
d. Failure to put the ball in play within five seconds of referees signal shall result in
a possession turnover to opponent.
SUBSTITUTIONS
a. On the fly.
b. Substituted player must be entirely off the field before substitute steps on.
c. Violation is a two minute blue card penalty.
d. Referee has discretion to deem such violations trifling in nature and not issue a
blue card if in his/her opinion the offense does not affect play.
FREE KICKS
a. All free kicks are direct.
b. Taken from the spot of infraction.
c. Technical violations inside the penalty area and/or fouls that would otherwise
result in an indirect free kick (impeding, dangerous play) are taken from the top
of the arc.
d. Opposing team must allow ten feet distance for the restart.
e. Kick ins shall be taken from the spot where ball crossed the touch line and left
field of play.
f. Kick ins must be properly put into play. Failure to do so will result in loss of
possession.
10) PENALTY KICKS
a. Must be taken from the top of the arc, as designated by the referee.
b. All players (except for defending teams goalkeeper) must be behind the ball.
c. Ball is in play once it is kicked and moves.
11) GOAL KICKS
a. May be taken anywhere within the designated goal/penalty area.
b. Ball is not in play until it entirely leaves the designated goal/penalty area.
c. Team has five seconds to take goal kick. Violation results in free kick for
opponent at the top of the arc.
12) CORNER KICKS
a. Must be taken from the intersection of the goal line and touch line (unless
corner arc is present).
b. Ball is in play when it is kicked and moves.
13) CARDS
a. Blue Card-Two minute time penalty except for denying an obvious goal scoring
opportunity (five minutes). Three blue cards in the same match to the same
player results in a red card send off-five minute penalty.
b. Red Card-Five minute time penalty (must be served by teammate).
14) HOUSE RULES
a. NO SLIDE TACKLING
i. Violation results in two minute time penalty.
ii. Slide tackle is defined as one which in the opinion of the referee
endangers and/or potentially endangers the safety of an opponent.
iii. Only exception is for goalkeeper making a play on the ball in his/her own
penalty area.
b. Balls that hit the superstructure above the playing field will result in a direct free
kick to the opponent of the team that last played the ball from the spot directly
below where such contact was made. If that spot falls within the opponents
penalty area, then a direct free kick is awarded from top of the arc.
c. KICK INS replace throw ins.
15) REFEREES
a. All decisions of referee are final.
b. Referee has the authority at his/her discretion to abandon/terminate any match
for excessive misconduct.
c. Verbal and/or physical abuse of referees is STRICTLY PROHIBITED and will be
sanctioned via league disciplinary measures.
16) GAME
a. Regular season games are recorded as either wins, losses or draws.
b. League reserves the right to institute playoffs if necessary.
c. Playoff games ending in ties will be determined by kicks from the mark (penalty
kicks). Format is best of five. If tied after round of five teams will proceed to
sudden death single rounds until winner is determined. No player can shoot
again before all players present on his team have taken a kick from the mark. In
the event there is an uneven number of players amongst the teams for kicks
from the mark, the team with more players will reduce to equate.
d. Tiebreaker procedure in case of ties is following:
i. Goal differential
ii. Head to head record
iii. Head to head goal differential
iv. Coin toss
17) FOULS/MISCONDUCT-a free kick shall be awarded to the opposing team if a player
commits any one of the following offenses considered by the referee to be careless,
reckless, or with excessive force:
a. Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent (time penalty assessed).
b. Strikes/elbows an opponent or attempts to strike/elbow an opponent (time
penalty assessed).
c. Trips or attempts to trip an opponent.
d. Jumps at an opponent.
e. Unfairly charges an opponent.
f. Pushes an opponent.
g. Spits at an opponent (mandatory send off-5 minute penalty).
h. When tackling an opponent makes contact with the opponent before the ball.
i. Holds an opponent.
j. Handles the ball deliberately, unless he/she is a goalkeeper within his/her own
penalty area. If goalkeepers first contact with the ball is outside the penalty
area, a time penalty must be assessed. If such contact is initiated within the
penalty area but momentum carries goalkeeper outside the penalty area while
still handling the ball, no time penalty is assessed.
k. Plays in a dangerous manner against an opponent.
l. Impedes the progress of an opponent.
m. Charges a goal keeper within his/her own penalty area.
n. Prevents the goalkeeper from releasing ball into play.
18) TIME PENALTY
a. Penal time penalty-2 minute blue card.
b. Team time penalty-2 minute blue card.
c. Unsporting behavior-2 minute blue card.
d. Denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity-5 minute (soft red) blue card.
e. Send off-5 minute (hard) red card.
19) DELAYED PENALTIES
a. Referee is not required to stop play to administer a time penalty (card) if he/she
chooses to apply the advantage rule. In such cases, the penalty (card) shall be
applied when play stops or the offended team loses its advantage.
b. If the infraction merits a time penalty, the referee shall hold the appropriate card
overhead from the moment of the foul until play is stopped and the time penalty
assessed.
c. If before play is stopped a goal is scored by the offended team, the time penalty
will be recorded against the offender but the time will not be served.
d. If a goal is not scored the restart for the delayed penalty will be taken by the
offended team at the spot where the ball was when play was stopped.
e. In the event that possession was gained in the defensive penalty area, restart
will be taken from top of the arc.
20) TEAM TIME PENALTIES
a. A two minute time penalty will be served by a player designated by the coach for
the following offenses (player serving penalty shall not be individually charged
with the offense for purposes of card accumulation):
i. Illegal substitution.
ii. Too many players on the field.
iii. Playing without a player dressed as goalkeeper.
iv. Leaving bench to join confrontation.
v. Goalkeeper leaving penalty area to direct dissent at and/or confront
referee.
vi. Bench misconduct, where offender is not identifiable.
21) PENAL TIME PENALTIES
a. A penal two minute time penalty may be assessed at the referees discretion
(unless noted otherwise) for severe, tactical, or blatant fouls listed in rule 17.
b. Penal foul penalty may only be assessed if infraction occurred while ball was in
play.
22) UNSPORTING BEHAVIOR TIME PENALTIES
a. Dissent by word or action.
b. Encroachment.
c. Circumventing the passback rule via trickery. Restart taken where trickery
originated.
d. Dangerous/illegal equipment.
e. Time wasting.
f. Leaning on shoulders to better play ball.
g. Persistent infringement.
h. Taunting.
23) SEND OFFS-Player will be shown a red card (5 minute penalty)and sent off (must leave
premises) for the following offenses:
a. Serious Foul Play.
b. Violent Conduct.
c. Spitting at opponent or other person.
d. Physical contact with official as a form of follow up to dissent.
e. Leaving bench (penalty) area to engage in misconduct or confrontation.
f. Offensive, insulting and abusive language.
g. Third blue card offense in same game.
24) DENYING AN OBVIOUS GOAL SCORING OPPORTUNITY
a. Denying a goal or an obvious goal scoring opportunity is punishable by a free kick
and five minute (soft red) blue card.
b. Obvious goal scoring opportunity is one where an attacker is within reasonable
proximity of the ball and opponents goal, is moving in the direction of opponents
goal, and has only one defender left to beat.
c. Denying a goal is defined as deliberately handling the ball to prevent it from
going directly into goal and/or committing an act of misconduct which prevents
the ball from going directly into goal (eg hanging from crossbar while playing
ball, striking ball with foreign object, etc…)
25) GOALKEEPER RESTRICTIONS
a. Goalkeeper can not touch ball with his hands again after having released it from
his hands to be played by himself or teammate until it has been touched by an
opponent. Restart is free kick at the top of the arc for opponent.
b. Keeper may not handle a ball intentionally played to him from a teammates foot.
Restart is free kcik from top of the arc for opponent. An accidental or
unintentional deflection or miskick by teammate shall not be penalized.
c. Goalkeeper in possession of the ball with his hands within his penalty area has
five seconds to release it into play. Violation is a free kick at the top of the arc for
opponent.
d. Goalkeeper may gain possession of the ball outside of the penalty and then
dribble it inside penalty area, but shall not then touch it with his hands. Violation
is a free kick at the top of the arc.
e. Goalkeeper may not punt ball. Drop kicks are permissible. First offense is
warning. All subsequent offenses result in free kick for opponent from top of the
arc.
f. Must wear jersey that distinguishes him/her from teammates, opponents and
referee(s).
g. Can not score a goal by throwing the ball directly into opponents goal.
26) GOALKEEPER PRIVILEGES
a. Goalkeeper time penalties must be served by teammate (except for send off
offenses).
b. Goalkeeper can not be intentionally obstructed by an opponent to prevent
putting ball into play. Violation results in free kick from point of infraction.