Futsal Laws of the Game

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Analysis: One key element in futsal refereeing, particularly at the developmental or lower levels, is accurately recognizing the moment when the GK releases the ball into play from a goal clearance within their own half, and whether the ball subsequently makes any contact with an opponent. In the clip at 14:30, the Green team's GK executes a goal clearance. Approximately 10 seconds later, Green #13 has a poor first touch, allowing Blue #4 to make slight contact with the ball, though without gaining clear control. The ball is then recovered by Green #2, who plays it back to his goalkeeper.

FIFA Panel Decision: No infringement by the Green team's GK. Keep playing.

Analysis of Clip 2025-09:

As White17 attempts to pass the ball to teammate White #15, Blue #7 executes a slide tackle to intercept it. During this action, the ball contacts Blue #7's right arm while he is inside his penalty area. According to Law 12 (p.72), the ball clearly makes contact with Blue #7’s arm in a position that could constitute an offense, but was it a natural position to support his body during the slide tackle?

FIFA Panel Decision:

According to Law XII (p.72), the ball clearly makes contact with Blue #7’s arm in a position that could constitute an offense. However, this clip does not provide a definitive decision: It could be considered either a handball offense or not.  

The decision ultimately depends on the referee’s judgment - whether the arm was in a natural position supporting the body during the slide tackle or not.  

The Expert Panel believes Blue7 unintentionally made contact with the ball while attempting to block it. His arm was not positioned at a full 90-degree angle to support his body, it was extended laterally. By doing so, the defender took a risk that the ball could strike his hand/arm and his arm wasn't in a natural position.

Restart: DFK (accumulated foul) for the White team, which is a Penalty Kick restart. No misconduct.

After a quick counterattack following a turnover, Red #8 breaks through the Blue team's defensive line, advancing toward the top of the penalty area. The Blue GK remains positioned inside his penalty area, directly in front of goal. In a last-ditch effort, Blue #7 grabs Red #8’s jersey and pulls him back. We have a holding offense by Blue #7. At this moment, the referee must take a "mental snapshot" of the situation: two Red attackers and only the Blue goalkeeper positioned as the last line of defense.

The referee must now decide whether the offense constitutes DOGSO or SPA. According to Law XII, p.79 of the LOTG, "if a defending player commits an offense without attempting to play the ball or making a challenge (e.g., holding, pulling, pushing, with no possibility of playing the ball), and the number of active attacking players exceeds the number of active defending players (excluding the offending player), this must be considered a DOGSO situation, even if the goalkeeper is in position to guard the goal."

FIFA Panel Decision: 

- Offense: Holding (pulling the jersey) by Blue #7  

- Outcome: Red card for DOGSO (no attempt to play the ball, numerical advantage for the attacking team)  

- Restart: DFK) for the Red team (accumulated foul) at the location of the offense.

Starting from his defensive third, Blue #19 initiated a counterattack along the touchline on the bench side. As he approached Green #5, he passed the ball to his teammate Blue #5, setting up a potential one-two combination. While making his run past Green5, the latter obstructed his movement. The referee now needs to assess the nature of Green5’s action. As Blue #19 attempted to continue his run, Green #5 extended both arms and pushed him off balance. Blue #19 was in the early phase of his sprint and had not yet reached full speed, which is a key consideration for disciplinary action.

FIFA Panel Decision: The correct decision is an impeding with contact offense, classified as a careless foul. The restart is a DFK (accumulated foul) for the Blue-team, and since the action lacked reckless force, no caution is required. (LOTG 12, p71).

Note: The 3rd referee (in red), positioned near the challenge, should have focused on the 'potential' challenge as it unfolded, rather than mirroring the referee’s perspective. By doing so, he could have either avoided Blue #19’s or caught it. 

In the initial frame of the clip, it is evident that the Red team is utilizing a "flying GK", identifiable by the white shirt. At 5:26, positioned inside the opponent’s half, the Red team’s flying GK receives the ball in a controlled possession from a teammate and subsequently distributes it to another teammate. This teammate then deliberately returns the ball to him at 5:22. Although this constitutes his second touch, it remains inconsequential as he is still positioned in the attacking half. However, while dribbling, he transitions back into his own half and continues to make contact with the ball.

LOTG XII, p73: An IFK is also awarded if a goalkeeper:

• after having played the ball in controlled possession, wherever on the pitch, touches it again in their own half of the pitch after it has been deliberately played to the GK by a team-mate without an opponent playing or touching it; there is no disciplinary sanction.

FIFA Panel Decision: IDFK for the Yellow team at the spot where the GK touched the ball in his own half.

Comment: After making contact with the ball in his own half, the flying GK immediately played a pass to a teammate (Red #10). As Red #10 struggled to control the ball under pressure from Yellow #7, the referee, demonstrating good awareness, delayed the whistle, recognizing the potential for a potential advantage in the event Yellow #7 intercepted the pass. The indirect free kick advantage mechanic would have been signaling with one arm in this instance.

As Black #14 receives the ball from a teammate and takes a small touch, Red #1 immediately moves into contest possession. A clear challenge for the ball occurs, and the key consideration for the referee positioned near the action is to accurately assess the nature of the challenge. Did the defender make contact with the ball? What was the defender’s speed and control upon initiating the challenge? How was the challenge executed, and where was the point of contact—both in terms of location on the opponent and the part of the body used in the challenge?

FIFA Panel Decision

The decision for this challenge falls under LOTG, Law XII, p.80. Red #1 failed to make any contact with the ball, as his challenge was initiated too late. A key indicator for the referee is that Red #1 launched himself into the challenge — any player who does so loses control of their body. The speed of the challenge was high, and contact was made on the rear of Black #14’s right foot, which was also his standing leg. Considering all factors, this challenge constitutes a tackle with excessive force, endangering the safety of the opponent.

Restart: DFK (Accumulated Foul) for the Red team, with a send-off for Red #1 for SFP.

As White #11 intercepts the ball from Red #11, he drives directly toward the Red team's goal. In an attempt to slow him down, Red #11 challenges him from behind, causing White #11 to lose his balance while facing the Red team's goalkeeper.

FIFA Panel Decision

The key question is: who created what? It’s important to recognize that even slight contact on a player moving at full speed can disrupt their movement, interfering with their progress and resulting in a foul (committed by Red #11 on White #11 here). The referee must then decide whether the foul warrants misconduct: Stopping a Promising Attack (SPA) or Denying an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO).

White11 is going straight to the goal which is "guarded" by the Red Team GK, therefore the DOGSO offense is reduced to only a SPA.

The restart is a direct free kick (accumulated foul) for the White team, and Red11 is cautioned for unsporting behavior - Stopping a Promising Attack.  

In this scenario:  

- At 6:11, the goalkeeper (GK) dribbles the ball from his defensive half into the opponent's half, under four second limit,

- By 6:09, he re-enters his own half while retaining ball possession,  

- At 6:03, the GK crosses back into the opponent's half, maintaining ball control, still under the four second limit,

- Finally, at 5:55, the GK ends up in his own half, where he releases the ball, before the four second limit, by passing it to a teammate.

Per the latest LOTG version (circulated via email earlier) - Interpretation and Recommendations for Law 12, p157:

"If the goalkeeper is in possession of the ball and enters the opponents’ half, the referees stop the four-second count. If the goalkeeper then returns to their own half without having lost control of the ball, the referees restart the count from zero"

FIFA Panel Decision
No infringement