US Soccer Futsal CELL Webinars

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The Red team was attacking using a flying goalkeeper (No22 in a yellow jersey). Upon losing possession at 17:09, the White/Blue (WB) team initiated a quick counter-attack. At approximately 17:04, WB No6, with a clear view toward the Red team’s goal, shot the ball to the goal. At the moment of the shot, only Red No13 was positioned between the attacker and the goal. Notably, the Red team’s flying goalkeeper (No22) was outside his own penalty area and therefore not in a position to defend the goal. Red No13 blocked the shoot with his body. The trajectory of the ball indicates that the shot was heading directly into the goal.  The ball touched the body of Red No13 and his left arm.

Decision:

The ball is first blocked and deviated by the left thigh of Red No13, and then hit his left arm to finally going away from the goal. The key component concerning the decision is after reckonizing that the ball touched the arm after being deviated by the thigh, do you consider that his left arm was or wasn't "deliberate" (i.e. 2nd movement after the shoot, unatural position, not justifiable, movement of the arm after being touched by the ball: firm or loose). 

LOTG Law 12, p82: "Where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies the opponent an obvious goalscoring opportunity and the referees award a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball; in all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball, etc.), the offending player must be sent off.  Summary table on LOTG p85.
No attempt to play the ball with his arm:The restart is a Pk for the WB team (not accumulated foul because pk awarded) and a YC for Red No13 (DOGSO-YC).
Attempt to play the ball with his arm:The restart is a Pk for the WB team (not accumulated foul because pk awarded) and a red for Red No13 (DOGSO-Red).

Mentoring points for Referees:

• - Sequence matters: Recognize thigh → arm contact. The first legal block does not cancel a later offence.
  - Deflection ≠ no offence: After the deflection, assess the arm action independently.
  - Deliberate criteria: Look for secondary movement, unnatural position, and making the body bigger.
  - Moment of contact: Judge the arm at the time it touches the ball, not its initial position.
  - DOGSO application: Shot on target and goal prevented → apply FIFA Futsal LOTG Law 12 correctly.
  - Disciplinary outcome: Genuine attempt to block → Penalty kick + Yellow card.
  - Teamwork: In these video, both referees have a clear view of the ball contact with Red No13.

After releasing the ball to a teammate, Blue No3 attempted to move past Black No15. As Blue No3 advanced on his right side, Black No15 raised his right arm and initiated contact with his elbow, making contact with the face of Blue No3.

Decision:

Black No15 used excessive force and brutality against Blue No3, with no attempt to challenge for the ball.  He raised his arm to lead the contact with his elbow.The action constitutes Violent Conduct. The correct decision is to send off Black No15. Play is restarted with a Direct Free Kick to the Blue team (counted as an accumulated foul against the Black team) from the location of the offense.

Mentoring points for Referees:

• Recognition of Off-the-Ball Incidents: Maintain active scanning after the pass is released. Incidents of violent conduct often occur when the ball is no longer the immediate focus.
• Focus on Point of Contact: Contact to the face with the elbow is a critical indicator of excessive force; prioritize player safety in your evaluation.
• Distinguish Nature of the Action: Clearly identify when a player is not challenging for the ball: this is a key element in classifying the offense as violent conduct rather than a foul challenge.
• Positioning and Angle of View: Anticipate forward movement after a pass and adjust positioning to keep both players within your optimal line of sight.
• Use of Teamwork: If the referee’s view is partially screened, rely on the second referee or third official for support and confirmation.
• Strong Disciplinary Presence: A clear, confident send-off with appropriate body language helps manage player reactions and reinforces match control.

At 1:10, Yellow No5 gains possession by taking the ball from Red No4 and immediately advances toward the Red teams' goal. At this moment, the Red team is using a flying GK, meaning the goal is effectively unguarded, as confirmed in the replay sequence.

As Yellow No5 continues his forward run toward goal, Red No4 attempts to recover defensively. At 1:08, in an attempt to evade a sliding challenge from Red No4, Yellow No5 pushes the ball forward and tries to jump over the opponent. However, Red No4 fails to play the ball and instead his left leg raises, making contact with Yellow No5 and tripping him, thereby stopping the attacking movement.

When evaluating whether this incident constitutes Denial of an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO), the referee must consider the following elements:

- Distance to Goal: Yellow No5 is moving directly toward the Red goal and is within a realistic scoring distance.

- Direction of Play: The attacker is progressing straight toward goal, with clear attacking momentum.

- Control or Likelihood of Control of the Ball: Yellow No5 has played the ball forward and remains in position to continue his run, indicating a high likelihood of regaining control if not fouled.

- Number and Position of Defenders: a) The goal is unguarded due to the use of the flying GK, b) Red No2 is positioned too far to the left side of the play and cannot realistically challenge Yellow No5 before a potential shot on goal. Consequently, Red No2 cannot be considered an active deefender capable of preventing the goal-scoring opportunity

Decision:

Tripping foul by Red No4 on Yellow No5, sanctioned by a Red Card to Red No4 for DOGSO-Foul.  The restart would be a DFK to the Yellow team and the Red team would have an accumulated foul

Mentoring points for Referees:

In futsal, situations involving a flying GK frequently create unguarded goal scenarios, which significantly increases the likelihood of DOGSO when an attacker is fouled while moving toward goal. Referees must carefully evaluate the position of remaining defenders and determine whether any defender has a realistic possibility of intervening before the attacker can shoot.

The white team is employing the flying GK tactic, with the GK wearing a blue jersey. White #7 attempts a pass to his flying GK, who is positioned inside his own half of the court.

At this moment, the referee must:

• Be aware of whether the ball has been touched by an opponent after the GK’s previous release.
• Monitor potential infringements related to the four-second rule and the GK’s participation in play.
• Remain attentive to any act that may unfairly deceive opponents.

Just before the pass is initiated, the flying GK, located inside his own half, loudly shouts “No, no, no,” clearly indicating awareness that the ball may not legally be played again by him.

As the pass reaches him:

• The flying GK deliberately steps over the ball.
• He does not touch it.
• The ball continues its trajectory and crosses the end line.
• The referee stops play with a whistle.

Technical Analysis
The GK does not touch the ball. Therefore: There is no technical infringement related to a second touch, and the ball simply goes out of play over the goal line.Since the ball crosses the goal line without touching the GK, there is no offence committed and the play stops solely because the ball has left the field of play.

Restart

If play was stopped only because the ball went out of play, the correct restart must be determined in accordance with the LOTG. However, the referee stopped play for another reason (e.g., uncertainty regarding possession or an external factor), then the dropped ball procedure applies: If play is stopped and no infringement has occurred, the restart is a dropped ball for one player of the team that had or would have gained possession, if this can be determined. Otherwise, it is dropped for one player of the team that last touched the ball.

Mentoring Referee Learning Points

- Anticipate GK participation when a team uses the flying goalkeeper.

- Be fully aware of the “second touch” restriction in the GK’s own half.

- Distinguish between verbal team communication and unsporting verbal distraction.

- Ensure the correct restart based strictly on the reason play was stopped.

- Apply dropped ball procedures accurately when no offence has been committed.

At 15:41, POR No7 delivered a pass to her pivot, POR No14, who controlled the ball with her right foot on the side opposite the defender in order to execute a turning movement. As POR No14 completed her turn toward the opponents’ goal, Fixo TAN No11 committed a holding offence by grabbing her left arm and jersey. At the moment of the foul, the TAN GK was positioned in and guarding the goal, while POR No7 became an active attacking position with no defending player between her and the goal.

Decision / Restart

The foul committed by TAN No11 is clearly flagrant and requires the referee to immediately evaluate whether the offence constitutes a Stopping a Promising Attack (SPA) or Denying an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO), applying the considerations outlined in Law 12 (LOTG Futsal, p.82). As highlighted in the Laws, “the goal being guarded does not mean that a DOGSO offence cannot be committed, and the goal being unguarded does not mean that every offence is DOGSO” (p.83).

In this situation, the presence of POR No7 in a clear active attacking position without defensive opposition upgrades the attacking phase from a promising attack to an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity. According to the DOGSO decision table (p.85), the criteria are met: 

• no attempt to play the ball, and
• offence committed outside the penalty area.

Therefore the final decision is:

DFK to POR team (recorded as an accumulated foul against TAN),

Red Card to TAN No11 for DOGSO – foul offence.

At 2:01, Black #3 intercepts a pass attempt from Yellow #8 and immediately advances toward the Yellow team’s goal. At that moment, the Yellow team GK is acting as a flying GK and is positioned outside the penalty area, leaving the goal unguarded. In an attempt to stop the attack, Yellow #8 commits a reckless sliding tackle against Black #3.

Analysis

Although the tackle by Yellow #8 is reckless, the referee must assess the big picture situation by applying the principle of a “mental snapshot” at the exact moment the foul is committed. At that moment:

• The goalkeeper is outside the penalty area, leaving the goal unprotected.
• There are no other active defenders between Black #3 and the goal.
• Black #3 has clear control of the ball and is moving directly toward goal.
• The distance to goal is favorable.
• The direction of play is clearly toward the opponent’s goal.
• The likelihood of Black #3 retaining possession and scoring is high.

All six considerations required to determine a Denial of an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO) in futsal are therefore met.

Decision / Restart

Direct Free Kick (Accumulated foul for the Yellow team) awarded to the Black team and Yellow No8 is sent off for DOGSO-foul.

Following a direct free kick, Blue-Red #7 headed the ball towards the White team’s goal. White #5, attempting to defend his goal, initially played the ball with his chest, which caused the ball to rebound back towards Blue-Red #7. Immediately after this rebound, the ball made contact with the defender’s right arm.

Analysis: At the moment of first contact with the ball, the position of White #5’s right arm was natural, and the ball clearly rebounded from his chest onto his arm. This initial contact alone would not constitute an offence. However, as the ball rolled along his arm, White #5 made a subsequent movement with his hand, actively directing the ball away from a potential playing action by Blue-Red #7. This deliberate arm movement altered the path of the ball and prevented an opponent from challenging for possession in a promising attacking situation.This constitutes a deliberate handball offence under the LOTG.

Restart

• Penalty kick to the Blue-Red team
• The offence is not counted as an accumulated foul, in accordance with the LOTG 2025-26 Amendments.
• The handball annihilated a goalscoring opportunity, but not obvious: Yellow Card to White #5 for UB - SPA by handball

This clip highlights the high level of concentration required of futsal officials, as two potential offences occur almost simultaneously. Correct decision-making depends on identifying the first offence, which ultimately determines the restart. When multiple incidents occur in rapid succession, officials must remain patient, maintain optimal viewing angles, and apply correct offence sequencing to ensure the appropriate restart and disciplinary outcome.

At 14:02, Red #2 successfully evades a challenge from White #10 and proceeds toward the White team’s goal, where he takes a shot. The White GK parries the ball, which then rebounds into a space between Red #2 and White #9, where it is playable by both players. As Red #2 attempts to play the rebound, White No10 trips him inside the penalty area. Following the trip, Red #2 makes contact with the ball, which subsequently strikes the left arm of White #9.

Decision & Restart:

The first and decisive offence is a tripping foul committed by White No10 inside his penalty area. Consequently, the correct restart is a penalty kick for the Red team, which DOES NOT count as an accumulated foul against the White team under the 2025-2026 Amendments.

The potential handball offence by White #9 must be disregarded, as it occurs subsequent to the initial foul.

Regarding disciplinary action, the referee must assess whether White #10 made a genuine attempt to play the ball. If so, no disciplinary sanction is required. If not, a caution should be issued, in accordance with Law 12 (Fouls and Misconduct) of the Futsal Laws of the Game (page 85).