FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game

Types of free kick

Free kicks are either direct or indirect.    

The direct free kick

Signal

One of the referees signals the direct free kick by keeping one arm horizontal and pointing in the direction the kick has to be taken. The referee points to the ground with his other hand to make it plain to the third referee and the timekeeper that it is an accumulated foul.

Ball enters the goal

• if a direct free kick is kicked directly into the opponents' goal, a goal is awarded
• if a direct free kick is kicked directly into the team's own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team    

Accumulated fouls

• are those penalised with a direct free kick or penalty kick mentioned in Law 12
• the accumulated fouls committed by each team in each period are recorded in the match report
• the referees may allow play to continue by applying the advantage if the team has not previously committed five accumulated fouls and the opposing team is not denied a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity
• if they apply the advantage, the referees use the mandatory signals to indicate an accumulated foul to the timekeeper and third referee as soon as the ball is out of play
• if extra time is played, accumulated fouls from the second period continue to accumulate during extra time

The indirect free kick

Signal

The referees indicate an indirect free kick by raising their arms above their heads. They maintain their arms in that position until the kick has been taken and the ball has touched another player or goes out of play.    

Ball enters the goal

A goal can be scored only if the ball subsequently touches another player before it enters the goal:

• if an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the opponents' goal, a goal clearance is awarded
• if an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the team's own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team    

Procedure

For both direct and indirect free kicks, the ball must be stationary when the kick is taken.    

Direct free kick beginning with the sixth accumulated foul by each team

• The player taking the free kick kicks the ball with the intention of scoring a goal and may not pass the ball to a team-mate
• Once the free kick has been taken, no player may touch the ball until it has been touched by the defending goalkeeper, rebounded off one of the goalposts or the crossbar, or left the pitch
• If a player commits his team's sixth accumulated foul in the opposing team's half or in his own half in the area bordered by the halfway line and an imaginary line parallel to the halfway line passing through the second penalty mark, the free kick is taken from the second penalty mark. The location of the second penalty mark is indicated in Law 1. The free kick is taken in accordance with the section of this publication entitled "Position of free kick" 
• If a player commits his team's sixth accumulated foul in his own half of the pitch between the imaginary 10 m line and the goal line but outside the penalty area, the attacking team decides whether to take it from the second penalty mark or the place where the infringement occurred
• Beginning with the sixth accumulated foul, additional time is allowed to take a direct free kick at the end of each half or at the end of each period of extra time    

Position of freekick

Free kick outside the penalty area

•  All opponents must be at least 5 m from the ball until it is in play
• The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves
• The free kick is taken from the place where the infringement occurred or from the position of the ball when the infringement occurred (according to the infringement) or from the second penalty mark    

Direct or indirect free kick inside the penalty area to the defending team

• All opponents must be at least 5 m from the ball until it is in play
• All opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play
• The ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area
• A free kick awarded in the penalty area may be taken from any point inside that area

Direct free kick beginning with the sixth accumulated foul in each period

• The defending team's players may not form a wall to defend free kicks
• The player taking the kick is properly identified
• The goalkeeper remains in his penalty area at a distance of at least 5 m from the ball
• The players remain on the pitch, except the kicker if he wishes
• The players, except the kicker and the defending goalkeeper, remain behind an imaginary line that is level with the ball and parallel to the goal line and outside the penalty area, at a distance of 5 m from the ball. They may not obstruct the player taking the free kick. No player, except the kicker, may cross this imaginary line until the ball is in play    

Indirect free kick for the attacking team

• All opponents must be at least 5 m from the ball until it is in play
• The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves
• An indirect free kick conceded in the penalty area is taken from the penalty area line at the point nearest to where the offence was committed

Infringements and sanctions

If, when a free kick is taken, an opponent is closer to the ball than the required distance:

• the kick is retaken and the offending player is cautioned, unless the advantage can be applied or another infringement is committed that is punishable by a penalty kick. If the infringement is punishable by a free kick, the referees decide whether to punish the original infringement or the one committed subsequently. If the second infringement is punishable by a penalty kick or direct free kick, an accumulated foul is recorded against the offending team    

If, when a free kick is taken by the defending team from inside its own penalty area, the ball is not kicked directly out of the penalty area:

• the kick is retaken    

If the team taking the free kick takes more than four seconds:

• the referees award an indirect free kick to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where play was to be restarted (see Law 13 - Position of free kick)    

Beginning with the sixth accumulated foul, if the player taking the kick does not do so with the intention of scoring a goal:

• the referees award an indirect free kick to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where play was to be restarted    

Beginning with the sixth accumulated foul, if a free kick is taken by a team- mate of the player who had been identified previously:

• the referees stop play, caution him for unsporting behaviour and restart the match with an indirect free kick to the defending team to be taken from where he kicked the ball

Free kick taken by a player other than the goalkeeper

If, after the ball is in play, the kicker touches the ball again (except with his hands) before it has touched another player:

• an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 - Position of free kick)    

If, after the ball is in play, the kicker deliberately handles the ball before it has touched another player:

• a direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 - Position of free kick), and his team is sanctioned with an accumulated foul
• a penalty kick is awarded if the infringement was committed inside the kicker's penalty area and his team is sanctioned with an accumulated foul    

Free kick taken by the goalkeeper

If, after the ball is in play, the goalkeeper touches the ball again (except with his hands), before it has touched another player:

• an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 - Position of free kick)    

If, after the ball is in play, the goalkeeper deliberately handles the ball before it has touched another player:

• a direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the infringement occurred outside the goalkeeper's penalty area, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 - Position of free kick) and his team is sanctioned with an accumulated foul
• an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the infringement occurred inside the goalkeeper's penalty area, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 - Position of free kick)

If the referees give the signal to take the direct free kick, beginning with the sixth accumulated foul, and before the ball is in play:

A player of the team taking the kick infringes the Futsal Laws of the Game, except if the kicker takes longer than four seconds:

• the referees allow the kick to be taken
• if the ball enters the goal, the kick is retaken
• if the ball does not enter the goal, the referees stop play and order the match to be restarted with an indirect free kick to the defending team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 - Position of free kick)    

A player of the defending team infringes the Futsal Laws of the Game:

• the referees allow the kick to be taken
• if the ball enters the goal, a goal is awarded
• if the ball does not enter the goal, the kick is retaken    

One or more players of the defending team and one or more players of the attacking team infringe the Futsal Laws of the Game:

• the kick is retaken    

Beginning with the sixth accumulated foul, if, after the direct free kick has been taken:

the kicker does not kick the ball forward with the intention of scoring a goal:

• the referees stop play and order the match to be restarted with an indirect free kick to the defending team, to be taken from the place where the offence occurred (see Law 13 - Position of free kick)    

the kicker touches the ball again (except with his hands) before it has touched another player:

• an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 - Position of free kick) 

a different player from the kicker touches the ball (except with his hands) before it has touched the defending goalkeeper, rebounded off one of the goalposts or the crossbar or left the pitch:

• an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 - Position of free kick)    

a player deliberately handles the ball:

• a direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 - Position of free kick) and his team is sanctioned with an accumulated foul
• a penalty kick is awarded if the infringement was committed by a player from the defending team inside his own penalty area, except for the defending goalkeeper (see Law 13 - Position of free kick) and his team is sanctioned with an accumulated foul    

the ball is touched by an outside agent as it moves forward:

• the kick is retaken    

the ball rebounds on to the pitch from the goalkeeper, the crossbar or the goalposts, and is then touched by an outside agent:

• the referees stop play
• play is restarted with a dropped ball at the place where it touched the outside agent, unless it touched the outside agent inside the penalty area, in which case one of the referees drops the ball on the penalty area line at the point nearest to where the ball was located when play was stopped    

the ball bursts or becomes defective while in play and has not previously touched the goalposts, the crossbar or another player:

• the kick is retaken