Futsal Memorandum 20052006

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Futsal Memorandum 2005-2006
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1. AMENDMENTS TO THE FUTSAL LAWS OF THE GAME AND
DECISIONS
NOTE All changes to the FIFA Futsal Laws become
effective 1 September 1, 2005.
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LAW 1 THE PITCH
Present Text The use of natural turf or soil is
permitted for matches in domestic competitions,
but not for International fixtures.
New Text Text deleted.
Reason This decision was based on the Laws of
the Game (for football), whereas the Futsal Laws
of the Game do not specify any restriction as to
the type of playing surface to be used.
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LAW 3 THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS

• Infringements/Sanctions
• Current text
• If, while a substitution is being made, a
  substitute enters the pitch before the player
  being replaced has completely left
• Play is stopped
• The player being replaced is instructed to leave
  the pitch.
• The substitute is cautioned and shown the yellow
  card.

• New Text
• If, while a substitution is being made, a
  substitute enters the pitch before the player
  being replaced has completely left
• Play is stopped.
• The player being replaced is instructed to leave
  the pitch.
• The substitute is cautioned, shown the yellow
  card and is ordered to leave the pitch to
  complete the substitution procedure.

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LAW 3 THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS

• Current text
• If, while a substitution is being made, a
  substitute enters the pitch or a player being
  substituted leaves the pitch from a place other
  than his/her own teams substitution zone
• Play is stopped
• The offending player is cautioned and shown the
  yellow card.

• New Text
• If, while a substitution is being made, a
  substitute enters the pitch or a player being
  substituted leaves the pitch from a place other
  than his/her own teams substitution zone
• Play is stopped.
• The offending player is cautioned, shown the
  yellow card and is ordered to leave the pitch to
  complete the substitution procedure.

Reason This new sentence specifies the steps to
be taken if the correct procedure is not followed.
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LAW 3 THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Current text
New Text A team official may give tactical
instructions to players during a match. However,
team officials must not interfere with the
movements of the players and referees and they
must always behave in an appropriate manner.
Reason As in football, it is necessary to
stipulate that only one official may give
instructions so as to maintain order in the area
around the team benches.
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LAW 4 THE PLAYERS EQUIPMENT
Infringements/Sanctions Current text
New text Restart of play If the referees stop
play to caution the offending player Play is
restarted with an indirect free kick, to be taken
by a player of the opposing side from the place
where the ball was located when the referees
stopped play.
Reason It is an offense for a player to
disregard the provisions regarding equipment.
For this reason, play must be stopped and the
offending players team penalized by the award of
an indirect free kick.
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LAW 4 THE PLAYERS EQUIPMENT
New Decisions 1 and 2 Current text

• New decisions 1 and 2
• Players must not reveal undershirts that contain
  slogans or advertising. A player removing their
  jersey to reveal slogans or advertising will be
  sanctioned by the competition organizer.
• Jerseys must have sleeves.

Reason These decisions already apply to
football and are necessary to specify
instructions regarding equipment.
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LAW 5 THE REFEREE
Decisions of the referee Current text The
decisions of the referee regarding facts
connected with play are final.
New text The decisions of the referee regarding
facts connected with play are final. The referee
and the second referee may only change a decision
if they realise that they have made a mistake or
if they deem it necessary to do so, provided that
play has not restarted or the match terminated.
Reason The text needs to be clarified to allow
a referee to correct an obvious error, provided
that the match has not been terminated or play
restarted.
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LAW 9 THE START AND RESTART OF PLAY
Special circumstances Current text
New text Special circumstances A free kick
awarded to the defending team in its own penalty
area may be taken from any point within that
penalty area. An indirect free kick awarded to
the attacking team in the penalty area of the
opposing team must be taken from the penalty area
line at the point nearest to where the offense
was committed. A dropped ball to restart play in
the penalty area must take place on the penalty
area line at the point closest to where the ball
was when play was stopped.
Reason As a result of this text, a direct free
kick will be the same as an indirect free kick or
the defending team, so that the team against
which an offense was committed is not at a
disadvantage.
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LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT

• Direct Free Kick
• Current text
• A direct free kick is also awarded to the
  opposing team if a player commits any of the
  following four offences
• holds an opponent
• spits at an opponent
• slides in an attempt to play the ball when it is
  being played by an opponent (sliding tackle),
  except for the goalkeeper in his/her own penalty
  area and provided that he/she does not play in a
  careless, reckless way or uses excessive force.
• handles the ball deliberately, except for the
  goalkeeper in his/her own penalty area.

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LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT

• New text
• A direct free kick is also awarded to the
  opposing team if a player commits any of the
  following five offences
• holds an opponent
• spits at an opponent
• slides in an attempt to play the ball when it is
  being played by an opponent (sliding tackle),
  except for the goalkeeper in his/her own penalty
  area and provided that he/she does not play in a
  careless, reckless way or uses excessive force.
• touches the opponent before the ball when
  attempting to win possession,
• handles the ball deliberately, except for the
  goalkeeper in his/her own penalty area.

Reason It is important to include a foul in
which a player arrives too late to win the ball.
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LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
Disciplinary sanctions Current text
New text Yellow and red cards may only be shown
to players and substitutes. The referees have
the authority to pronounce disciplinary sanctions
on players from the moment they enter the pitch
until they leave the pitch after the final
whistle.
Reason It is important to specify the period in
which the referees have the authority to show
yellow and red cards. If an incident occurs
immediately after the final whistle, the referees
may still show a card. This will be more
efficient than the current practice of merely
reporting the incident to the respective
authorities.
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LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
Decision 1 Current text Decision 1 A player who
has been sent off may not re-enter the game is
progress, nor may he sit on the substitutes
bench.
New text A player who has been sent off may not
re-enter the game is progress, nor may he sit on
the substitutes bench as he must leave the
vicinity of the field of play.
Reason It is important to specify that players
who have been sent off must leave the vicinity of
the pitch.
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LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
New decision 2 Current text
New text Subject to the terms of Law 12, a player
may pass the ball to his/her own goalkeeper using
their head, chest or knee, etc. provided that the
ball has already crossed the halfway line or has
been touched or played by an opponent. If,
however, in the opinion of the referees, a player
uses a deliberate trick while the ball is in play
in order to circumvent the Law, the player is
guilty of unsporting behavior. They are
cautioned, shown the yellow card and an indirect
free kick is awarded to the opposing team from
the place where the infringement occurred. In
such circumstances, it is irrelevant whether the
goalkeeper subsequently touches the ball with
their hands or not. The offense is committed by
the player in attempting to circumvent both the
letter and the spirit of Law 12.
Reason The must laws stipulate punishments for
players who try to circumvent the Laws by passing
the ball back to their own goalkeeper with a part
of the body other than the foot.
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LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
New Decision 3 Current text
New text A tackle that endangers the safety of an
opponent must be sanctioned as serious foul play.
Reason A tackle from behind, from the side, or
from the front that injures or could have injured
an opponent is to be sanctioned as serious foul
play.
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LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
New Decision 4 Current text
New text Any act of simulation on the field that
is intended to deceive the referees must be
sanctioned as unsporting behavior.
Reason It is necessary to specify the procedure
to be followed when a player is involved in
simulation.
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LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
New Decision 5 Current text
New text A player who removes his/her jersey when
celebrating a goal must be cautioned for
unsporting behavior.
Reason Excessive gestures and celebrations that
could incite spectators must be avoided.
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LAW 13 FREE KICKS
Position of free kick Current text All opponents
must be 15 feet (5m) from the ball until it is in
play. When a defending team is taking a direct
free kick from within its own penalty area, all
opponents must be outside this penalty area. The
ball is in play after it has been kicked or
touched. When a defending team is taking a
direct free kick from within its own penalty
area, the ball is in play immediately after it
leaves the penalty area.
New text All opponents must be 15 feet (5m) from
the ball until it is in play. When a defending
team is taking a free kick from within its own
penalty area, all opponents must be outside this
penalty area. The ball is in play after it has
been kicked or touched and has left the penalty
area.
Reason The procedures for taking direct and
indirect free kicks from within a teams own
penalty area have been made the same.
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LAW 14 ACCUMULATED FOULS

• Accumulated Fouls
• Current text
• Are those punished by a direct free kick
  mentioned in Law 12.
• The first five accumulated fouls committed by
  each team during each half are recorded in the
  summary of the match.

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LAW 14 ACCUMULATED FOULS

• New text
• Are those punished by a direct free kick
  mentioned in Law 12.
• The first five accumulated fouls committed by
  each team during each half are recorded in the
  summary of the match.
• The referees may allow play to continue by
  applying the advantage rule if the team has not
  yet committed five accumulated fouls and the
  opposing team is not denied an obvious goal
  scoring opportunity.
• If they apply the advantage rule, the referees
  must indicate an accumulated foul to the
  timekeeper and the third referee as soon as the
  ball is out of play.
• If extra time is played, accumulated fouls from
  the second period remain valid. Any accumulated
  fouls during extra time are added to the teams
  total from the second period.

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LAW 14 ACCUMULATED FOULS
Reason It is important to ensure that the team
against which an offence was committed is not
penalized by stopping play, with obvious
opportunities to score a goal to be taken into
account. If the referees allow play to continue,
they must ensure that the accumulated foul is
recorded against the offending team. All
accumulated fouls committed in the second half
continue to apply in extra time, thereby
rewarding the fair play of the team that has
committed fewer fouls.
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LAW 14 ACCUMULATED FOULS

• Infringements/Sanctions
• If a player of the same team as the player taking
  the kick infringes this Law
• Current text
• The kick is not retaken if a goal is not scored.

• New text
• If a goal is not scored, the referees stop play
  and restart the game with an indirect free kick
  to the defending team, to be taken from the place
  where the ball was located when the infringement
  was committed.

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LAW 14 ACCUMULATED FOULS
New clarification of direct free kicks as of
sixth accumulated foul Current text

• New text
• If a player of the defending team and a player of
  the attacking team infringe this Law
• the free kick is retaken.
• If a ball strikes an object after it has been
  played forward
• the free kick is retaken.
• If the ball rebounds into play off a goalkeeper,
  the crossbar or the posts and then strikes an
  object
• The referees stop play,
• and restart it with a dropped ball at the place
  where the ball
• struck the object.

Reason The current text is unclear and leaves
room for different interpretations.
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LAW 15 THE PENALTY KICK
The above-mentioned Infringements/Sanctions for
direct free kicks as of the sixth accumulated
foul also apply to kicks from the penalty mark.
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2. ADDITIONAL GENERAL INFORMATION
The Futsal Laws of the Game now make reference to
referees instead of referee, thereby making
it clear that both referees may make decisions,
as stipulated in Law 6 The second referee helps
the referee to control the match in accordance
with the Laws of the Game. In addition, the
second referee has discretionary powers to stop
the game for any infringement of the Laws. If
only one of the referees is permitted to make a
decision, this is expressly stated in the Laws of
the Game. The asterisk in Law 9 and in The Start
and Restart of Play/Special Circumstances
explains how the match is to be restarted.
Furthermore, the procedure for a team taking a
direct free kick from its own penalty area has
been made the same as that for a team taking an
indirect free kick from its own penalty area.
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2. ADDITIONAL GENERAL INFORMATION
For the first time, the Futsal Laws of the Game
also include Additional instructions for
referees, second referees, third referees and
timekeepers to give officials clear instructions
for situations not provided for in the Laws of
the Game. Another new feature is in the
inclusion of the Futsal Laws of the Game
Questions and Answers in the same booklet as the
Laws of the Game, and as a result, match
officials will have a compact reference guide to
help them apply the Laws correctly all around the
world. The new FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game will
come into force on 1 September 2005.