Futsal Terms

A

Abandon

To end/terminate a match before the scheduled finish

Accumulated foul

A foul committed by a player that is penalised by a direct free kick; each team’s tally is added up, starting from zero, in the first and second periods of the match. If extra time is needed, accumulated fouls from the second period of the match are added to those committed during extra time

Action area

Area of the pitch where the ball is and the play is taking place

Active attacking and/or defending players

Players engaged in the play or with a high possibility of becoming involved in it

Advantage

The referees allow play to continue when an offence has occurred if this benefits the non-offending team

Assessment of injured player

Quick examination of an injury, usually by a medical person, to see if the player requires treatment

Away-goals rule

Method of deciding a match/tie when both teams have scored the same number of goals; goals scored away from home count double

B

Blocking

Action whereby a player takes up or moves into a position to distract an opponent or prevent an opponent from reaching the ball or a particular area of the pitch, but without deliberately causing contact

Brutality

An act which is savage, ruthless or deliberately violent

C

Careless

Any action (usually a tackle or challenge) by a player which shows a lack of attention, consideration or precaution

Caution

Disciplinary sanction which results in a report to a disciplinary authority, indicated by showing a yellow card; two cautions in a match result in a player, substitute or team official being dismissed (sent off)

Challenge

An action when a player competes/contends with an opponent for the ball

Charge (an opponent)

Physical challenge against an opponent, usually using the shoulder and upper arm (which is kept close to the body)

D

Deceive

Act to mislead/trick the referees into giving an incorrect decision/disciplinary sanction which benefits the deceiver and/or their team

Deliberate

An action which the player intended/meant to make; it is not a “reflex” or unintended reaction

Direct free kick

A free kick from which a goal can be scored by kicking the ball directly into the opponents’ goal without it having to touch another player

Discretion

Judgement used by referees or other match officials when making a decision

Dissent

Public protest or disagreement (verbal and/or physical) with a match official’s decision; punishable with a caution (yellow card)

Distract

To disturb, confuse or draw attention (usually unfairly)

Dropped ball

The restart when play has been stopped by the referees without an offence having been committed, e.g. due to injury, a defective ball, etc. (see Law 8)

E

Electronic performance and tracking system (EPTS)

System which records and analyses data about the physical and physiological performance of a player

Endanger the safety of an opponent

Put an opponent in danger or at risk (of injury)

Excessive force

Using more force/energy than is necessary

Extra time

A method of trying to decide the outcome of a match, involving two equal additional periods of play not exceeding five minutes each

F

Feinting

An action which attempts to confuse an opponent. The Futsal Laws define permitted and “illegal” feinting

Flying goalkeeper

A goalkeeper who (temporarily) plays as an outfield player, often stationed in the opponents’ half and leaving the goal unguarded. This role may be performed by the team’s regular goalkeeper or another player brought on to replace the usual goalkeeper specifically for this purpose

G

Guarded

When the goalkeeper is in their own penalty area and situated within an imaginary triangle formed by the goalposts and the ball; this is one of the considerations involved in determining whether an offence qualifies as denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity

H

Holding offence

A holding offence occurs only when a player’s contact with an opponent’s body or equipment impedes the opponent’s movement

I

Impede

To delay, block or prevent an opponent’s action or movement

Indirect free kick

A free kick from which a goal can only be scored if another player (of any team) touches the ball after it has been kicked

Influence area

Area of the pitch where the ball is not being played, but a dispute between players may occur

Intercept

To prevent a ball reaching its intended destination

K

Kick

The ball is kicked when a player makes contact with it using the foot and/or the ankle and it clearly moves

N

Negligible

Insignificant, minimal

O

Offence

An action which breaks/violates the Futsal Laws of the Game

Offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s)

Behaviour (verbal and/or non-verbal) which is rude, hurtful or disrespectful: punishable with a sending-off (red card)

Outside agent

Any person who is not a match official or on the team list (players, substitutes and team officials) or any animal, object, structure, etc.

P

Penalise

To punish, usually by stopping play and awarding a free kick or penalty kick to the opposing team

Penalties (penalty shoot-out)

Method of deciding the result of a match by each team alternately taking kicks until one team has scored one more goal and both teams have taken the same number of kicks (unless during the first five kicks for each team, one team could not equal the other team’s score even if they scored from all their remaining kicks)

Pitch

The playing area confined by the touchlines and end lines, as well as the goal nets

Play

Action by a player which makes contact with the ball

Playing distance

Distance to the ball which allows a player to touch the ball by extending the foot/leg or jumping or, for goalkeepers, jumping with arms extended. The distance depends on the physical size of the player

Playing time

The time during which the ball is in play, as timed using the chronometer; the timekeeper stops the chronometer when the ball goes out of play or play is stopped for any other reason

Q

Quick free kick

A free kick taken (with either referee’s permission) very quickly after play was stopped

R

Reckless

Any action (usually a tackle or challenge) by a player which disregards (ignores) the danger to, or consequences for, the opponent

Restart

Any method of resuming play after it has been stopped

Restart position

A player’s position at a restart is determined by the position of their feet or any part of their body which is touching the pitch

S

Sanction

Disciplinary action taken by the referees

Sending-off

Disciplinary action when a player is required to leave the pitch for the remainder of the match having committed a sending-off offence (indicated by a red card). A team official may also be sent off

Serious foul play

A tackle or challenge for the ball that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality: punishable with a sending-off (red card)

Serious injury

An injury that is judged to be bad enough that play must be stopped, but for which medical staff should swiftly remove the player from the pitch for treatment or assessment, if necessary, so that play may resume

Severe injury

An injury that is judged to be so serious that play must be stopped and it is necessary for medical staff to perform treatment or an assessment on the pitch before removing the injured player, such as in potential cases of concussion, broken bones or spine injuries

Shinguard

A piece of equipment worn to help protect a player’s shin from injury. Players are responsible for wearing shinguards made of a suitable material and of an appropriate size to provide reasonable protection, and they must be covered by the socks

Shirt

A garment worn over a player’s upper body as part of a team’s uniform. Apart from the length of the sleeves, the shirts of all players in a team are the same, except for the goalkeeper, whose shirt distinguishes them from the other players and the match officials

Signal

Physical indication from the referees or any match official; usually involves movement of the hand or arm, or use of the whistle

Simulation

An action which creates a wrong/false impression that something has occurred when it has not (see also “deceive”), committed by a player to gain an unfair advantage

Spirit of the game

The main/essential principles/ethos of futsal as a sport but also within a particular match

Suspend

To stop a match for a period of time with the intention of eventually restarting play, e.g. due to leaks on the pitch or severe injury

T

Tackle

A challenge for the ball with the foot (on the floor or in the air)

Tactical offence

When a player deliberately fouls an opponent as a strategy either to help their own team attack (such as by stopping an opponent from intervening defensively) or to prevent a possible attack or counter-attack against their team, such as when the opponent has time and space to attack the goal

Team list

Official team document usually listing the players, substitutes and team officials

Team official

Any non-player listed on the official team list, e.g. coach, physiotherapist, doctor

Technical area

Defined area for the team officials and substitutes which includes seating

Timeout

A one-minute break requested by a team in each of the two periods

Two-minute numerical reduction

A situation when a team has its number of players reduced for two minutes of playing time after having a player sent off; the number of players may, in certain circumstances, be increased before the two minutes have elapsed if the opposing team scores a goal

U

Undue interference

Action/influence which is unnecessary

Unsporting behaviour

Unfair action/behaviour: punishable with a caution

V

Violent conduct

An action, which is not a challenge for the ball, which uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent or when a player deliberately strikes someone on the head or face unless the force used is negligible