Volta Cup Cincinnati

TEAM REGISTRATION:  Teams must register and pay the registration fee to participate in the Tournament. Teams should register into a division based upon age, gender, and playing experience. Any team or player determined by the Tournament Director to have falsified their age could be dismissed from the tournament. Teams that span more than one age group must register in the division of the oldest player on the team. Teams are responsible for registering in the appropriate division. Failure to properly register may result in disqualification from the tournament and the registration fee will not be refunded.

TEAM ROSTER & CHECK-IN:  Each team must check-in prior to their first game and submit any outstanding registration fees at that time or they may be disqualified from the tournament. Roster changes can take place up until the team’s first scheduled game time. Teams cannot add or change players after the start of their first game. Tournament officials have the right to demand proof of age for any player included on the roster.

COACHES & PLAYERS – WELCOME!

You’ll find most of what you need to know about futsal in this overview.  It is recommended that you make copies of this handout or encourage you, players and parents, to go to the website and print it so that all will be familiar with the rules.

You will see that futsal is a fast-paced game that is fun to play and will help players to improve their skills.  USYF’s goal is to help the players develop, while they are having fun competing.

Below you will find a simple overview of the general rules that the Volta Cup will follow.  We have also provided a direct link to FIFA Futsal Rules, for a more detailed view.  Futsal Freeze will follow FIFA Futsal rules except as listed below in the General Rules.

Link to FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game

GENERAL RULES:

• 5v5, which includes a keeper
• No offside
• No heading (U12 age group and below)
• GK can only play the ball (by feet or hands) for 4 seconds in their own half. If they are in the opponent’s half, they have no playing restrictions.
• If the GK saves the ball, they may throw or punt the ball based on traditional Futsal rules
• Recommend 6-8 players, but there is no limit
• The tournament will provide futsal game balls
• The game shall consist of 2 x 20 minute halves with a 3 minute halftime. A coin toss will determine direction and possession before the start of the game. Games tied after regulation play shall end in a tie, except in the playoffs.
• Each team is permitted 1 time out per game. Time outs will be limited to 1 minute in duration.

SUBSTITUTIONS:  Free substitutions are made “on the fly”.  The player can only enter or leave the game in the substitution areas marked by their respective benches, and a player may only enter a game after the player they are replacing has left the field.  Failure to do so results in a caution and an indirect free kick is taken from where the ball was situated when the game was stopped to caution the player.

KICK OFF:  Opposing players must give 3 yards until the ball is in play. Goals may be scored directly from the kickoff.

KICK IN:  A ball kicked out over the touchline (sideline) by one team becomes the other team’s ball. The team kicking in has 4 seconds to get the ball back in play or it becomes the opponent’s kick in.  The defense must give 3 yards distance. The referee will give a visual count with his hand. Goals cannot be scored from kick-ins. If the ball hits the ceiling, a kick in is taken at the closest point on the nearest touchline, running parallel to the goal line.

GOAL CLEARANCE:  When the offensive team puts the ball over the end line, the other team gets the ball.  The goalie must throw the ball within 4 seconds of retrieving it and put it back into play by throwing it.

CORNER KICK:  To be taken inside the corner arc. If there is no arc, the kick is taken at the point where the goal line and touch line meet (at the corner).

FOULS AND MISCONDUCT:  Futsal is a minimum contact sport. However, some contact may occur, as long as it is done in a legal manner. It cannot be done by play that is careless, reckless, or with excessive force.

Slide tackling is allowed in futsal under certain conditions, if in the opinion of the referee:

• No opponents are nearby, a player may slide to intercept or direct the ball. No foul results.
• The slide is dangerous to an opponent, but no contact is made. Dangerous play foul results in an IFK.
• Contact is made with an opponent in a careless, reckless, or excessive force manner (or if referees believe that such contact could have resulted). An accumulated foul results in a direct free kick (DFK).

EXCEPTIONS:  The GK is allowed to slide in an attempt to clear the ball if, in referees’ judgment, the slide is an attempt only to make contact with the ball, not the opponent. If GK slide is at least careless (a foot in the air, a hook, rolling tackle) it is a foul and possibly a carded offense. A field player may slide in instances where there is not an opponent close by and no injury is likely to occur. This would most likely happen when a player is attempting to stop the ball from going out of bounds or an offensive player sliding to knock the ball into the goal where there is not another defensive player close to the play. Players and coaches should use this general rule, if you slide tackle near a player, assume a foul may be called.

FOULS RESULTING IN A DIRECT FREE KICK (DFK): 

• Kicking or attempting to kick an opponent
• Tripping or attempting to trip an opponent
• Jumping at an opponent
• Charges an opponent
• Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
• Pushes an opponent
• Tackling
• Holding an opponent
• Spits at an opponent
• Handling the ball (except the GK in their own penalty area)

SENDING OFF FOULS:  
Handling the ball deliberately, except for GK in their area.

Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by handling the ball (except the GK in their own penalty area).
Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by fouling an opponent moving toward the goal. The player sent off cannot re-enter the game.  Substitution is allowed after 2 minutes.

INDIRECT FREE KICK (IFK):  3 yards of distance from kicker to set up wall and ball is in play after it has been touched.  If the kicking team takes more time than 4 seconds to take the kick, it becomes the opposition’s indirect kick.

OFFENCES COMMITTED BY GOALKEEPERS: Possession of the ball means that the goalkeeper has control of the ball. The goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with any part of the body, except if the ball rebounds off the goalkeeper.

A goalkeeper is not permitted to be in possession of the ball inside his/her own half of the pitch for more than four seconds, whether:

• with his/her hands or arms (inside his/her penalty area)
• with his/her feet (anywhere in his/her own half of the pitch). In such cases, the referee nearest to the goalkeeper must clearly and visibly make the four-second count.

In addition, after playing the ball anywhere on the pitch, the goalkeeper is not permitted to touch it again in his/her own half of the pitch after it has been deliberately played to him/her by a team-mate without an opponent playing or touching it.

Moreover, the goalkeeper may not under any circumstances touch the ball with his/her hands or arms inside his/her own penalty area after it has been kicked to him/her by a team-mate, including directly from a kick-in.

FORFEITS:  Teams are given five minutes from scheduled game time, or from delayed start time due to unforeseen circumstances before the Ref issues a forfeit. Any team forfeiting one game during the playoffs may be removed from the tournament. A forfeit will count as a score of 6-0.

FINAL OVERTIME:  Qualifying games shall end in a tie. Only Final Games shall go to a Shootout. There will be no Golden Goal Overtime Period. Shootout: If teams are tied at the end of regulation time in the championship game, the winner shall be decided in a shootout with a coin toss to decide team-kicking order. The three players from each team remaining on the field at the end of the overtime period will be the only players to kick for their team. The remaining three field players after overtime regulation will rotate, alternating teams with each kick. The first round of shootouts will consist of each player kicking once (round of 3 players shooting per team). The team with the most goals after the first round will be considered the winner. If the score remains tied after the first round of penalty kicks, the same 3 players will alternate in the same order in a sudden death penalty kick format until one team scores unanswered. If one team has received a red card during the game and finishes with 2 players on the field, a remaining roster player (other than the red-carded player) must be chosen to kick in the rotation of penalty kicks. If the red-carded player is the last remaining roster player, one of the two field players must kick twice.

SPORTSMANSHIP:  Coaches will be held responsible for the good sportsmanship of themselves, their players, players’ parents, and spectators

COACH/PARENT EJECTION:  Refs have the right to eject a coach or parent from any game for continual disobedience or as a result of an incident that warrants ejection. Coaches or parents who are ejected by the referee or tournament official must leave the field and area around the field before play will continue. If a coach or parent refuses to leave, the game will be forfeited in favor of the opposing team.

WEATHER RELATED ISSUES: The tournament director reserves the right to modify, reschedule, or cancel the tournament due to inclement weather. The tournament director has the right to move or reschedule games, as well as the right to shorten game lengths. Team entry fees are non-refundable.

VII. ESTABLISHING THE DIVISIONS AND RULES FOR ADVANCEMENT

A. Placement of Teams within Divisions:
Teams will be placed in divisions at the discretion of the tournament committee.

B. Game Points:

• 3 points for a win
• 1 point for a tie
• 0 points for a loss

C. Tie Breakers:

1. Head to Head
2. Goal Differential (max 6 goals per game)
3. Goals Against
4. Goals For
5. Most Shut-outs
6. Penalty Shoot-Out at first field available. PK’s will be taken at the top of the penalty arc.

If three or more teams are tied, the criteria are followed from 1 through 5 until one team is eliminated and then the criteria starts over again at Rule #2.  Rules are repeated until one team remains. The decision of the tournament director shall be final on all questions regarding advancement.

AWARDS:  Top two teams advance into the finals. Awards will be awarded to the Champion and Finalist in each age group. **Subject to change**

**  Volta Cup Tournament Director will have the final say on all disputes and interpretations of Tournament Rules. **