Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct

Direct and indirect free kicks and penalty kicks can only be awarded for offences committed when the ball is in play.

1. Direct free kick

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referees to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:

• Charges
• Jumps at
• Kicks or attempts to kick
• Pushes
• Strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)
• Tackles or challenges
• Trips or attempts to trip

If an offence involves contact, it is penalised with a direct free kick or penalty kick:

• “Careless” is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed.
• “Reckless” is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned.
• “Using excessive force” is when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off.

A direct free kick is also awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:

• A handball offence that is deliberate and/or involves the hand/arm making the player’s body unnaturally bigger (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)
• Holding an opponent
• Impeding an opponent with contact
• Biting or spitting at someone on the team lists or a match official
• Throwing/kicking an object at the ball, an opponent or a match official, making contact with the ball with a held object, or deliberately moving the goal such that the goal makes contact with the ball

All of the offences listed in this section count as accumulated fouls; however, no accumulated foul is recorded when a penalty kick is awarded.

Handling the ball

For the purposes of determining handball offences, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit.

No handball

Handball

Not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence.

It is a direct-free-kick offence if a player:

• deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball.
• touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised.

The goalkeeper has the same restrictions on handling the ball as any other player outside the penalty area. If the goalkeeper handles the ball inside their penalty area when not permitted to do so, an indirect free kick is awarded but there is no disciplinary sanction. However, if the offence is playing the ball a second time (with or without the hand/arm) after a restart before it touches another player, the goalkeeper must be sanctioned if the offence stops a promising attack or denies an opponent or the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

2. Indirect free kick

An indirect free kick is awarded if a player:

• plays in a dangerous manner (as defined below);
• impedes the progress of an opponent without any contact being made;
• is guilty of dissent, using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s) or other verbal offences;
• prevents the goalkeeper from releasing or throwing the ball from the hands or kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing or throwing it;
• initiates a deliberate trick for the ball to be passed (including from a free kick) to the goalkeeper with the head, chest, knee, etc. to circumvent the Law, whether or not the goalkeeper touches the ball with the hands; the goalkeeper is penalised if responsible for initiating the deliberate trick;
• scores in the opponents’ goal:
  • directly from their hand/arm (including by the goalkeeper), provided that it is accidental and the hand/arm did not make their body unnaturally bigger;
  • after accidentally touching the ball with their hand/arm, without any other player having deliberately played it thereafter, provided that the hand/arm did not make their body unnaturally bigger.

If a player does not score immediately after accidentally touching the ball with their hand/arm, play should be continued, provided that the hand/arm did not make the player’s body unnaturally bigger.

• commits any other offence not mentioned in the Futsal Laws for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player.

An indirect free kick is also awarded if a goalkeeper:

• controls the ball with the hands, arms or feet in their own half of the pitch for more than four seconds;
• after having played the ball in controlled possession, wherever on the pitch, touches it again in their own half of the pitch after it has been deliberately played to the goalkeeper by a team-mate without an opponent playing or touching it; there is no disciplinary sanction;
• touches the ball with the hands or arms inside their own penalty area after it has been deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team-mate (including from a kick-in);
• where this is outlawed by domestic rules for youth, veterans’, disability and/or grassroots futsal, throws the ball directly over the halfway line (the free kick is to be taken from the place where the ball crossed the halfway line).

With respect to the four-second count, a goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball when:

• the ball is between the hands or feet or between the hand or foot and any surface (e.g. the pitch, own body) or when touching it with any part of the hands, arms or feet;
• holding the ball in an outstretched open hand;
• bouncing it on the pitch or throwing it in the air;
• dribbling the ball either by hand or by foot.

A goalkeeper cannot be challenged by an opponent when in control of the ball with the hand(s)/arm(s).

Playing in a dangerous manner

Playing in a dangerous manner is any action that, while trying to play the ball, threatens injury to someone (including the players themselves), and includes preventing a nearby opponent from playing the ball for fear of injury.

A scissors or bicycle kick is permissible provided that it is not dangerous to an opponent.

Impeding the progress of an opponent without contact

Impeding the progress of an opponent means moving into the opponent’s path to obstruct, block, slow down or force a change of direction when the ball is not within playing distance of either player.

All players have a right to their position on the pitch; being in the way of an opponent is not the same as moving into the way of an opponent.

A player may shield the ball by taking a position between an opponent and the ball if the ball is within playing distance and the opponent is not held off with the arms or body. If the ball is within playing distance, the player may be fairly charged by an opponent.

Blocking an opponent

Blocking an opponent can be considered a legitimate tactic in futsal, as long as the player blocking the opponent is stationary at the time of any contact and does not deliberately cause contact by moving or extending the body into the opponent’s path, and the opponent has the opportunity to evade the block. A block can be performed against an opponent who may or may not have the ball.

3. Disciplinary action

The referees have the authority to take disciplinary action from entering the pitch for the pre-match inspection until leaving the pitch after the match ends, including penalties (penalty shoot-out).

If, before entering the pitch at the start of the match, a player or team official commits a sending-off offence, the referees have the authority to prevent the player or team official from taking part in the match; the referees will report any other misconduct.

If the referees need to caution a named player, substitute or team official before the match starts, they should do so verbally rather than by showing a yellow card, and report it to the appropriate authorities after the match.

If the same person commits another cautionable offence during the match, the referees caution them by showing a yellow card. However, this does not count as a sending-off offence, as it is the first yellow card shown to the offending person during the match.

A player or team official who commits a cautionable or sending-off offence, either on or off the pitch, against any other person or the Futsal Laws of the Game, is disciplined according to the offence.

The yellow card communicates a caution and the red card communicates a sending-off.

Only a player, substitute or team official may be shown the red or yellow card.

Players and substitutes

Delaying the restart of play to show a card

Once the referees have decided to caution or send off a player, play must not be restarted until the sanction has been administered, unless the non-offending team takes a quick free kick, has a clear goalscoring opportunity and the referees have not started the disciplinary sanction procedure. The sanction is administered at the next stoppage; if the offence was denying the opposing team an obvious goalscoring opportunity, the player is cautioned; if the offence interfered with or stopped a promising attack, the player is not cautioned.

Advantage

If the referees apply the advantage for an offence for which a caution/sending-off would have been issued had play been stopped, this caution/sending-off must be issued when the ball is next out of play. However, if the offence was denying the opposing team an obvious goalscoring opportunity, the player is cautioned for unsporting behaviour; if the offence was interfering with or stopping a promising attack, the player is not cautioned.

The advantage should not be applied in situations involving serious foul play, violent conduct, a second cautionable offence or a sixth (or subsequent) accumulated foul, unless there is a clear opportunity to score a goal. The referees must send off the player when the ball is next out of play, but if the player plays the ball or challenges/interferes with an opponent, the referees will stop play, send off the player and restart with an indirect free kick, unless the player committed a more serious offence.

If the advantage is applied and a second yellow card or red card is given after a goal is scored, the sanctioned team continues with the same number of players, with a substitute replacing the sent-off player. If a goal is not scored, the team continues with one fewer player.

If a defending-team player starts holding an attacking-team player outside the penalty area and continues to do so inside the penalty area, the referees must award a penalty kick.

Cautionable offences

A player is cautioned if guilty of:

• delaying the restart of play;
• dissent by word or action;
• entering or leaving the pitch without one of the referees’ permission or in contravention of the substitution procedure;
• failing to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a dropped ball, corner kick, free kick or kick-in;
• persistent offences (no specific number or pattern of offences constitutes “persistent”);
• unsporting behaviour.

A substitute is cautioned if guilty of:

• delaying the restart of play;
• dissent by word or action;
• entering the pitch in contravention of the substitution procedure;
• unsporting behaviour.

Where two separate cautionable offences are committed (even in close proximity), they should result in two cautions – for example, if a player does not enter the pitch via the substitution zone and commits a reckless tackle.

Cautions for unsporting behaviour

There are different circumstances when a player must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour, including if a player:

• attempts to deceive the referees, e.g. by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled (simulation);
• commits a direct-free-kick offence in a reckless manner;
• handles the ball to interfere with or stop a promising attack, except where the referees award a penalty kick for a non-deliberate handball offence;
• denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity and the referees award a penalty kick for a non-deliberate handball offence;
• commits any other offence which interferes with or stops a promising attack, except where the referees award a penalty kick for an offence which was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball;
• denies an opponent an obvious goalscoring opportunity by committing an offence which was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball and the referees award a penalty kick;
• handles the ball in an attempt to score a goal (whether or not the attempt is successful) or in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent a goal;
• makes unauthorised marks on the pitch;
• plays the ball when leaving the pitch after being ordered to leave;
• shows a lack of respect for the game;
• initiates a deliberate trick for the ball to be passed (including from a free kick) to the goalkeeper with the head, chest, knee, etc. to circumvent the Law, whether or not the goalkeeper touches the ball with the hands; the goalkeeper is cautioned if responsible for initiating the deliberate trick;
• verbally distracts an opponent during play;
• deliberately moves or overturns the goal (without denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity).

Celebration of a goal

Players can celebrate when a goal is scored, but the celebration must not be excessive; choreographed celebrations are not encouraged and must not cause excessive time-wasting.

Leaving the pitch to celebrate a goal is not a cautionable offence but players should return as soon as possible.

A player must be cautioned, even if the goal is disallowed, for:

• approaching the spectators in a manner which causes safety and/or security issues;
• acting in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way;
• covering the head or face with a mask or other similar item;
• removing the shirt or covering the head with the shirt.

Sending-off offences

A player or substitute who commits any of the following offences is sent off:

• Denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by committing a deliberate handball offence or by deliberately moving or overturning the goal (such as when this prevents the ball from passing over the goal line)
• Denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by committing a non-deliberate handball offence outside their own penalty area
• Denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender’s goal by committing an offence which was not an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball and is punishable by a free kick or penalty kick
• Denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender’s goal by committing an offence which was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball and is punishable by a free kick
• Serious foul play
• Biting or spitting at someone
• Violent conduct
• Using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s)
• Receiving a second caution in the same match

A player or substitute who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the pitch and the technical area.

Denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO)

Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by committing a deliberate handball offence, the player is sent off wherever the offence occurs.

Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by committing a non-deliberate handball offence and the referees award a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned.

Where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies the opponent an obvious goalscoring opportunity and the referees award a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball; in all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball, etc.), the offending player must be sent off.

A player, sent-off player, substitute or team official who enters the pitch without the required permission from one of the referees or in violation of the substitution procedure and interferes with play, committing an offence by denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity, is guilty of a sending-off offence.

The following must be considered when determining whether it is a DOGSO situation:

• The distance between the offence and the goal
• The general direction of the play
• The likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball
• The location and number of active defending players, including the goalkeeper
  • Whether or not the goal is “guarded”
• The location and number of active attacking players

The goal is considered to be guarded when the goalkeeper is in their own penalty area and situated within an imaginary triangle formed by the goalposts and the ball.

A situation is likelier to be deemed DOGSO:

• when the goal is unguarded;
• when the number of active attacking players is greater than the number of active defending players (including the goalkeeper, but excluding the offending player).

However, the goal being guarded does not mean that a DOGSO offence cannot be committed, and the goal being unguarded does not mean that every offence is DOGSO.

Goal guarded

Goal unguarded

If a substitute, sent-off player or team official denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by committing an offence punishable with a free kick, the number of players is reduced in accordance with Law 3.

Summary table

Type of offence	Nature of the offence	Stopping or interfering with a promising attack		Denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity
		Inside the penalty area (penalty kick)	Outside the penalty area (free kick)	Inside the penalty area (penalty kick)	Outside the penalty area (free kick)
Handball	Non-deliberate	No sanction	Yellow card	Yellow card	Red card
	Deliberate	Yellow card	Yellow card	Red card	Red card
Physical offence	Attempt to play the ball or challenge for the ball	No sanction	Yellow card	Yellow card	Red card
	No attempt to play the ball or challenge for the ball	Yellow card	Yellow card	Red card	Red card

Serious foul play

A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.

Any player who lunges at an opponent with excessive force when challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind, whether using one or both legs, or who endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.

Violent conduct

Violent conduct is when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against any other person, regardless of whether contact is made.

Violent conduct may occur either on the pitch or outside its boundaries, whether the ball is in play or not.

The advantage should not be applied in situations involving violent conduct unless there is a clear subsequent opportunity to score a goal. In such a case, the referees must send off the player guilty of violent conduct when the ball is next out of play.

The referees are reminded that violent conduct often leads to mass confrontation between players; therefore, they must try to avert this with strict intervention.

A player or substitute who is guilty of violent conduct must be sent off.

Team officials

Where an offence is committed by someone from the technical area (substitute, sent-off player or team official) and the offender cannot be identified, the senior team coach present in the technical area will receive the sanction.

Warning

The following offences should usually result in a warning; repeated or blatant offences should result in a caution or sending-off:

• Entering the pitch in a respectful/non-confrontational manner
• Failing to cooperate with a match official, e.g. ignoring an instruction/request from an assistant referee
• Minor/low-level disagreement (by word or action) with a decision
• Occasionally leaving the confines of the technical area without committing another offence

Caution

Cautionable offences by team officials include (but are not limited to):

• Clearly/persistently not respecting the confines of their team’s technical area
• Delaying the restart of play by their team
• Deliberately entering the technical area of the opposing team (non-confrontationally)
• Dissent by word or action, including:
  • throwing/kicking drinks bottles or other objects
  • action(s) which show(s) a clear lack of respect for the match official(s), e.g. sarcastic clapping
• Excessively/persistently gesturing for a red or yellow card
• Acting in a provocative or inflammatory manner
• Persistent unacceptable behaviour (including repeated warning offences)
• Showing a lack of respect for the game

Sending-off

Sending-off offences include (but are not limited to):

• Delaying the restart of play by the opposing team, e.g. holding onto the ball, kicking the ball away, obstructing the movement of a player
• Deliberately leaving the technical area to:
  • show dissent towards, or remonstrate with, a match official
  • act in a provocative or inflammatory manner
• Entering the opposing technical area in an aggressive or confrontational manner
• Deliberately throwing/kicking an object onto the pitch
• Entering the pitch to:
  • confront a match official (including at half-time and full-time)
  • interfere with play, an opposing player or a match official
• Physical or aggressive behaviour (including spitting or biting) towards any other person
• Receiving a second caution in the same match
• Using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s)
• Using unauthorised electronic or communication equipment and/or behaving in an inappropriate manner as a result of using electronic or communication equipment
• Violent conduct

Offences where an object is thrown/kicked (including the ball)

In all cases, the referees take the appropriate disciplinary action:

• Reckless – caution the offender for unsporting behaviour
• Using excessive force – send off the offender for violent conduct

4. Restart of play after fouls and misconduct

If the ball is out of play, play is restarted according to the previous decision.

The following restarts apply if the ball is in play and a player commits a physical offence on the pitch:

• against an opponent – an indirect or direct free kick or penalty kick;
• against a team-mate, substitute, sent-off player, team official or match official – a direct free kick or penalty kick.

All verbal offences are penalised with an indirect free kick.

If, when the ball is in play:

• a player commits an offence against a match official or an opposing player, substitute, sent-off player or team official off the pitch; or
• a substitute, sent-off player or team official commits an offence against, or interferes with, an opposing player or a match official off the pitch,

play is restarted with a free kick on the nearest boundary-line point to where the offence/interference occurred; a penalty kick is awarded if this is a direct-free-kick offence and the nearest boundary-line point lies on the part of the end line that belongs to the offender’s penalty area.

• a substitute, sent-off player or team official commits an offence against a substitute, sent-off player or team official of either team, play is restarted with a dropped ball (see Law 8).

If a substitute, a sent-off player or a team official commits a direct-free-kick offence, this counts as an accumulated foul against their team.

If an offence is committed off the pitch by a player against a player, substitute or team official of their own team, play is restarted with an indirect free kick on the boundary line closest to where the offence occurred.

If a player makes contact with the ball with an object (a boot, shinguard, etc.) held in the hand, play is restarted with a direct free kick (or penalty kick).

If a player who is on or off the pitch throws or kicks an object (other than the match ball) at an opposing player, or throws or kicks an object (including a ball) at an opposing substitute, sent-off player, team official or a match official or the match ball, play is restarted with a direct free kick from the position where the object struck or would have struck the person or the ball, or with a penalty kick if this is within the offender’s penalty area. If this position is off the pitch, the free kick is taken on the nearest point on the boundary line; a penalty kick is awarded if the closest boundary-line point lies on the part of the end line that belongs to the offender’s penalty area.

If a substitute, sent-off player, player temporarily off the pitch or team official throws or kicks an object onto the pitch and it interferes with play, an opponent or a match official, play is restarted with a direct free kick where the object interfered with play or struck or would have struck the opponent, match official or ball (or with a penalty kick if this is within the offender’s penalty area).

If the referees stop play for an offence committed by a player, on or off the pitch, against an outside agent, play is restarted with a dropped ball, unless an indirect free kick is awarded for leaving the pitch without the referees’ permission; the indirect free kick is taken from the point on the boundary line where the player left the pitch.