RVSC Futsal League

Welcome to Season #2, Week #7!

Schedules by Team Please use this on-line schedule
The home team is the TOP team in the schedule (wears white).

2011-2012 Local Rule Modifications - modified 20 January 2012

Reminder: the half time period is TWO minutes.
See new interpretation for Kick-in violations below. (Week 5 Points of Emphasis)

Summary of Futsal Laws of the Game

Please check back regularly for more information.

Points of Emphasis

These represent reminders of laws and rules, clarifications of interpretations, and discussions of strategy and tactics after each week's schedule.

Week 5

1. Beginning with games on January 22, the "one warning for a bad kick-in per team" rule will apply only to single-referee sites (Eastampton, Special Services, Friends Academy). At the two-referee sites for the older teams, referees will enforce the laws of the game without the warning.

Week 3

1. In Futsal, the Penalty Area also defines the equivalent of the Goal Area in soccer. In other words, any Indirect free Kick for the attackers MUST come out to the arc, perpendicular to the goal. All Free Kicks, indirect or otherwise, for the defenders, may be taken anywhere within the arc or on it (just like for fouls in the Goal Area). Since a Direct free Kick foul in the PA is a penalty kick, just remember that the attackers shall NEVER take a kick within the Penalty Area.

2. Futsal severely limits the Goalkeeper's involvement in play on the defensive half of the court. With offside, we describe "phases of play", whereas each touch by an attacker, control by a defender, or ball out of play resets the offside positions and starts a new phase of play. It is a similar concept for GK involvement. Once a GK has controlled the ball (a save, a legal pass to feet from teammate, a goal clearance, or a FK or kick-in taken by GK), the GK shall NOT touch the ball in the defensive half of the court (with ANY part of the body) within that phase of play. This resets and a new phase of play begins as soon as an attacker touches the ball or the ball goes out of play. We have added a third reset condition - when the ball crosses the half line. Note that the restriction on the GK is not just hands (the same as soccer), but it restricts ANY involvement by the GK touching the ball (feet, head, torso). The infraction results in an IFK for the attackers at spot of foul (unless inside the PA - then on the arc).

3. TACTIC: Note that for IFK on the arc, and for DFK other than penalty kick or second penalty spot infractions, defenders MAY make a wall, provided it is sixteen feet away (or on the goal line). Because of the height of the goal, it is an effective defense against FKs for defenders to make a wall on the goal line. Walls are not permitted for penalty kicks or second penalty spot kicks. For all kicks, if not on the goal line defenders must be sixteen feet away in all directions. For both penalty kicks, teammates must be sixteen feet away, and all players must be level with or behind the ball.

Week 2

1. The whistle for teams to take the court to end half time will be TWO MINUTES after the end of the first half (not five).

2. The RVFL allows ONE retake of an improper Kick-in per team per match for the following violations:

   • Ball not stationary
   • Ball not on the Touch Line
   • Plant foot completely on the court.

   After the first of any of these violations, ALL subsequent violations by the same team, regardless of type, will result in a turnover.

   In the RVFL, once a referee calls a four-second violation it shall be a turnover, without a retake for the first such violation. Per USFF, the four-second violation must be preceded by the referee visually signally the four seconds incrementally with the appropriate number of fingers. The RVFL recommends that referees verbally warn/remind players about the four-second restriction in the same way that they would verbally warn/remind soccer Goalkeepers of six-seconds.

   In the RVFL, when the ball is not placed where it went out, the Kick-in shall always be retaken. Players should be strongly reminded to use the proper location.

3. TACTIC: On kick-ins (as with all free kicks), defenders must retreat sixteen feet from the ball. Attackers can use this space to enable a teammate to run past the ball in a clear lane and receive the kick-in on the move and unimpeded. Referees will follow the same guidelines for encroachment in this situation that they would outdoors for free kicks.

   • If the attackers choose to take the kick-in while a defender is within sixteen feet and the defender does not interfere with the kick-in, play continues.
   • If the defender receives the ball through deflection or because it was kicked to the defender (no overt attempt to interfere by defender), play continues.
   • If the defender interferes with the kick-in, the kick-in shall be retaken as a ceremonial restart. A caution is not mandatory unless the infringement is persistent or tactical in nature.

   Whenever possible, the referee should identify the encroachment before the kick is taken and establish the proper distance. The four-second count does not begin until the defenders have retreated once the referee advises them or the attacker asks for the distance to be enforced.

Week 1

1. Goalkeepers are restricted to four seconds of possession regardless of how they received the ball and whether in hand or at feet. A GK that makes a save and puts the ball to his or her feet may only possess it for four seconds. A GK may not put the ball to his or her feet on a goal clearance, which must be thrown. After possessing ball in hand or at feet, a GK may not touch it again until it has touched an opponent, crossed the half line, or gone out of play. A GK may not handle a kick-in from a teammate.

2. Referees have been advised to call Impeding when a defender lunges at an attacker with the ball, and does not make contact with the ball or attacker, but the attacker must jump out of the way or over the leg to avoid contact. While in soccer we would likely see that as trifling and not make the call, we will call it so that players stop doing it before we end up with a trip, charge, or hold.

3. Referees have been advised to call the Futsal-specific "Charges the GK" in two situations. 1) When an Attacker runs at the GK without contact. 2) When a GK goes to the floor and an Attacker attempts to play the ball or the referee believes is about to play the ball while it is in the immediate proximity of the GK's head or upper body. Think of it as a form of Playing In A Dangerous Manner, only in reverse. Safety first.

4. US Futsal says that the ball is in play when it is "touched or played", so, unlike soccer, a tap on top of the ball DOES put the ball in play. It no longer needs to roll its circumference, and the "kicked and moved" position of USSF is not adopted.

5. If you call a time out, referees will add one minute of playing time to the half. If you fail to return in a timely manner, the four-second count will begin and you will lose possession.

6. Do not substitute when you have a restart (except after a goal) if it will delay the restart. Tell players not to place the ball for a kick-in and then call someone else over to take it. They will likely cause a four-second violation.

Pre-Season

1. Soccer is a contact sport - Futsal is a NON-CONTACT sport.

2. Goal Keepers may not be "rushed".

3. Free Kicks and Kick-ins require that defenders give 16 feet.

4. Kick-offs require that defenders give 10 feet.

5. On the sixth foul in a half, the fouled team is awarded a penalty kick from the second penalty spot (unless they choose to take the kick from the spot of the foul).

6. All restarts must occur within four seconds as determined by the referee, or else the ball is turned over to the opponent.

7. Substitutes must not enter the playing court until the substituted player has come to the bench area.

8. Teams switch benches at halftime because substitutions must occur on the defensive half of the court.

9. Goal clearances are like goal kicks outdoors. Opponents must be outside of the penalty area, opponents must not interfere with the release, and no player may play the ball until it exits the penalty area.

10. The goal area is identical to the penalty area (defined by the arc). Any kick inside the area awarded to the defenders may be taken anywhere on or inside the arc. An Indirect Free Kick awarded to the attackers within the area must be moved to the closest spot on the arc. A Direct Free Kick foul against the attackers results in a penalty kick.

Dates for the 2011-2012 season:

• December 11 and 18
• January 8, 15, 22, and 29
• February 5 and 12

Games will be played at the following locations:

• Eastampton Community School, 1 Student Drive, Eastampton
• Westampton Middle School, 700 Rancocas Road, Westampton
• Special Services Jr/Sr High School, 20 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton
• Friends Academy Westampton, 315 Bridge Street, Westampton
• Walk Off Batting, 5C Mary Way, Hainesport

Referee fees: $10/team for a single referee, or $20/team for two referees. Two referees will work the games for the older players in Westampton Middle School and Walk Off Batting locations.

For more information contact: RVFutsal@gmail.com