Muslim Youth Soccer League

     Indoor Soccer Rules  

1.  TEAM COMPOSITION—Each team will be comprised of a maximum of eight (10) players.  The game shall be played by two teams each consisting of only six (6) players, one of whom shall be the goalkeeper.  Each team is allowed up to four (4) substitutes.  Players ejected from a game may be replaced by a substitute.  Substitutions will be unlimited.

2.  PLAYERS EQUIPMENT—The equipment shall consist of a shirt which will be numbered.  The goalkeeper may wear additional knee or elbow protectors.

3.  REFEREE—A referee shall be appointed to officiate each game.  This person shall enforce the rules and decide any disputed point.  Their decision on points of fact connected with the play shall stand so far as the result of the game is concerned. 

4.  DURATION OF THE GAME—The duration of the game shall be two (2) equal periods of twenty five minutes with a five (5) minute intermission.  Teams switch ends at half time.  The referee may at their discretion made allowance for time lost through accident or otherwise.  Time may be extended to permit a penalty kick being taken at or after the expiration of the normal period in either half.

5.  THE START OF PLAY—The referee having given the signal, the game shall be started by a player taking a kick at the ball (while it is stationary on the floor in the center of the playing area) onto his/her own half of the playing area.  Every player of the team opposing the kicker shall remain not less than ten (10) feet from the ball until it is kicked-off.  The ball shall not be deemed in play until it has traveled at least the distance of its own circumference.  The kicker shall not play the ball a second time until it has been played by another player.  After a goal is scored, the game shall be restarted in like manner by a player of the team losing the goal.  After the half time intermission, the teams shall switch ends and the kick-off shall be taken by a player of the opposite team to that of the player who started the game.  A goal shall not be scored direct from the kick-off.

6.  BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY—The ball is out of play:

·         when it contacts the ceiling

·         when it leaves the playing area AND when the game has been stopped by the referee

             The ball is in play at all other times from the start of the match to the finish

7.  SCORING:

  • A goal is scored when the whole of the ball has passed over the goal line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar, provided it has not been thrown, carried, or propelled by hand or arm by a player of the attacking side, except in the case of a goalkeeper who is within his own area.
  • On the event of a goal-kick, if the ball is not touched by either the defending or attacking team before going directly into the goal, the goal does NOT count, and it is a goal kick for the defending team.


8.  OFFSIDE—There are NO offside.

9.  FOULS AND MISCONDUCT:

a)    Direct Free Kick:  A player who intentionally commits any of the following offenses:

·         Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent;

·         Trips or attempts to trip an opponent (i.e. throwing or attempting to throw him by use of his legs or by stopping in front or behind him/her);

·         Jumps at an opponent;

·         Charges an opponent in a violent or dangerous manner;

·         Charges an opponent from behind, unless the latter by obstructing;

·         Strikes an opponent or attempts to strike him/her;

·         Holds an opponent with his/her hand or any part of his/her arm;

·         Handles the ball, (i.e. carries, or propels the ball with his/her arm). This does not apply to the goalkeeper within his/her own area;

·         Enters the opposing goal crease to seek unfair advantage; shall be penalized by the award of a direct free kick. In interpreting the last infraction above, the ball is considered the goalkeeper's ball when the whole of the ball is over the goal crease line inside of the crease.

 

b)    Indirect Free Kick:  A player committing any of the following offense

      • Playing in a manner considered to be dangerous by the referee, i.e. attempting to kick the ball while it is being held by the goalkeeper;
      • Charging, i.e. with the shoulder, when the ball is not within the playing distance of the players concerned and they are definitely not to play the ball;
      • When not playing the ball, intentionally obstructing an opponent, i.e. between the opponent and the ball, or interposing the body so as to form an obstacle to an opponent;
      • When playing as a goalkeeper, indulging in tactics which are designed merely, to hold up the game and thus waste time and so give an unfair advantage to his/her own team;
      • Making a slide tackle;
      • Obstructing the goalkeeper at the goal crease line from rolling out the ball;
      • Spits at an opponent.

 

c)    For any of the following offenses:

      • Persistently infringing the rules of the game;
      • Showing, by word or action, dissent from any decision given by the referee; and
      • Being guilty of ungentlemanly conduct;

  The referee, as sole judge of intention, may stop the game, caution the player and award an indirect free kick to the opposing side.

10.  SUSPENSION—If a player, who the referee has already cautioned, commits another offense, the referee shall caution the player again, show him/her the yellow card and red card and eject him/her from the game.

Ø  Also, being a Muslim soccer league, there will be no tolerence of any sort for the following:

·        foul language during the game

·        swearing at other players, organizers, volunteers, or referees  

·        threatening other players, organizers, volunteers, or referees  

·        disrespecting other players, organizers, volunteers, or referees  

The consequence of any of the preceding offenses is a yellow card.

 

Ø  In the case of a fight of any sort, the players involved will be given a red card, hence a game suspension.

If a player accumulates three yellow cards or a red card throughout the season, they will be penalized with a game suspension on the receipt of the third yellow card or red card.

 

11.  THE PENALTY KICK—A penalty kick shall be taken from the penalty mark twenty-five (25) feet from the goal line.  All players except the kicker and the goalkeeper must be ten (10) feet away from the penalty spot behind the ball. The goalkeeper must have his/her feet on the goal line until the ball is kicked.

     If encroachment occurs by the defending team, the following shall happen:

        a.  If a legal goal is scored, it shall stand

            b.  If it is a missed goal, the kick shall be retaken

    If encroachment occurs by the attacking team, the following shall happen:

        a.  If a goal is scored, the kick shall be retaken

            b.  If it is missed, play shall continue

12.  RESTART—After the ball has left the playing area along the sideline:

 

Ø This rule applies only for a competition venue where one or more points along the side walls have been determined out of bounds for reasons of safety.  An Indirect Free Kick shall be taken from the point where the ball was kicked out by a player of the team which did not kick the ball out.

 

13.  TIE BREAKING PROCEDURE:

           

Ø  IF at the end of a Season Game, the score is a tie, there will no extra time added, or penalty shots. The game is over and it ends as a tie.

Ø   IF at the end of a Play-off Game, the score is a tie, there will be a 5-minute Golden Goal. If the score is still tied after the Golden-Goal, the game will go into penalty shoot-outs.