INDOOR SOCCER At Twin Lakes Recreation Center

League Guidelines:

Top Line:  Sliding to disposess an opponent is not permitted in any league.  A slide is considered illegal if any part of the defending player’s legs, other than the feet, touch the turf during the tackle.

Law 1 Field of Play
Corners (for corner kicks) marked on field with white dots, penalty spot and box marked with white (goal kicks taken from within box).

Team benches are behind respective team doors. Doors are the responsibility of each team and should remain closed unless a substitution is underway.

Infringement = Verbal warning, 2nd = Indirect kick, 3rd = Caution.

Law 2 The Ball
All leagues, beginning with 15U, will use a size 5 ball. The ball shall be changed during a match only at the discretion of the referee.

Law 3 Players
Teams are represented on the field by 5 field players and 1 goalkeeper. Games shall be forfeited if a team cannot field at least 4 players in all divisions.

Field players may substitute at the half, stoppage in play or on-the-fly.

Goalkeepers may only be substituted during a stoppage in play and at the discretion of the referee. Players may only enter the field of play from their respective team bench door as the player they are replacing gets within 4 yards of the door and has withdrawn him/herself from participation in the game (as he/she exits).

Infringement = Indirect kick

Law 4 Player’s Equipment
Compulsory equipment includes shirt, shorts/long-pant active wear, stockings, footwear (no metal studs). All youth players (19U and below) must wear shinguards. Goalkeepers must wear a color distinguishing him/her from field players/referees OR GK gloves.  All field players must wear a uniform color distinguishing them from the opponent.

Players may not exchange jerseys/bibs/pinnies on field while game is in progress.
Should any part of a player’s uniform become blood stained, that part of the uniform must be replaced before said player is permitted to enter the field.

Infringement = Verbal warning and/or Indirect kick

Law 5 The Referee
The referee enforces the laws of the game; works to protect players; may stop or suspend play for Law infringement and outside interference; stops play for injuries; ensures that any player bleeding from a wound leaves the field of play; allows play to continue if in his/her opinion the team against which an offense has been committed, benefits from such an advantage; punishes the more serious offense; may expel team officials not conducting themselves responsibly; provides Twin Lakes Rec Center staff with game report and information on disciplinary action taken during the match which is forwarded to Chris Doran.

Law 6 Assistant Referees
In some games, the two-man officiating system will be employed. During tournament play, two referees will be assigned in some leagues with one referee providing scoring and bench management assistance.

The second official – at the scorer’s bench – may provide assistance to field referee, as necessary.

Law 7 Match Duration
Matches consist of 20-minute halves. Half-time intervals will not exceed two minutes. Field clock may be stopped or reset by referee, at her/his discretion, but normally limited to injury, discipline or lost ball.  Additional time is allowed for a penalty kick when time expires. The ball is not considered “in play” once the field clock horn begins to sound.

Overtime is played only to determine winners in tournament games. Overtime is a “Golden Goal,” 3-v-3 game featuring 2 field players and a goalkeeper from each team. Substitutions are permitted as in regular time.

Law 8 Start and Restart of Play
FIFA rules apply at the kick-off, however the ball need not move forward. Dropped ball restarts may be used to restart play after an official has had to stop play for any reason. Opponents shall position themselves no less than 8 feet from the point of a restart.

Law 9 The Ball In and Out of Play
The ball is out of play when it touches stadium netting, any part of the facility structure or a person (excluding referees) not involved in the match. Kick-ins are awarded to the appropriate team within an arm’s distance of where ball went out of play, if the ball touches the netting between the tops of the penalty boxes. If the ball touches any part of the overhead structure between the tops of the penalty boxes, an indirect kick is awarded immediately beneath the point of contact.

However, when the attacking team knocks ball to netting or structure out of bounds on defending team’s side – beyond the plane of the top of the penalty box, a goal kick is awarded. When the defending team knocks ball out of bounds on their own side a corner kick is awarded.

Law 10 Method of Scoring
A  goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar, provided no infringement of the Laws has occurred by the scoring team.

Law 11 Offside
There is no offside rule in these leagues.

Law 12 Fouls and Misconduct
Indirect kicks are awarded for ALL fouls (as outlined by FIFA) and for slide tackles committed outside the penalty area. If a goalkeeper handles the ball when a teammate deliberately kicks it to him/her, and indirect kick is awarded but the ball is placed on the penalty box nearest to where the goalkeeper handled the ball.

When a player kicks or attempts to kick an opponent, trips or attempts to trip an opponent, jumps at an opponent, charges an opponent, strikes or attempts to strike an opponent, pushes an opponent, slide tackles an opponent and makes contact, holds an opponent, spits at an opponent or referee, or handles the ball deliberately (except the goalkeeper inside the penalty box) inside the penalty box, a penalty kick is awarded. Upon taking a penalty kick, the attacking player may not strike the ball a second time until it’s been touched by another player.

Yellow Card (Caution) and Red Card (Ejection) Parameters

A team will play a man down and a player shall serve a 2:00 penalty and receive a yellow card for unsporting behavior, dissent, persistent Laws infringement and delay of play. The player or a substitute, may re-enter game upon receiving permission from the referee. Penalty is imposed for a full 2:00 duration.

A team will play a man-down for 4:00 and a player shall receive a red card (and be expelled from the match and facility) for serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting at an opponent, denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, using offensive language or gestures or receiving a second caution in the same match. The offending player will also serve a one-game suspension for the team’s next match or tournament game. Penalty is imposed for a full 4:00 duration.

Situations not addressed by rules covered above shall be decided in accordance with FIFA rules and the referee’s discretion.