Le Tournoi Football Rules
INTRODUCTION
The following Laws of the Game are The Football Association’s recommended Laws for use in Small-Sided Football. This includes 5, 6 and 7 a side games but not Mini Soccer or Futsal, which have theirown specific laws. (These are also available from The FA).
These Laws were revised in 2004 based on the following principles;
• A revision of The FA’s Laws so that they better reflect the game that it is being played in many venues
• Applying the general principle of the ‘normal Laws of Association Football with exceptions’ and as consequence simplifying the game for both players and referees.
• Improving the technical quality of play in the small-sided game
Over 4.4million people play Small-Sided Football each year with 1.2 million participants reporting that they play regular ‘league or cup’ football (FA ‘Football Trends’ Survey 2002/2003). As a consequence Small-Sided Football is now the largest form of the recreational game. The laws that people play the game tend to differ from venue to venue and reflect both traditions of play and the constraints of the facility in which the game is taking place. The set of laws contained in this booklet are those that The FA will use in its own Small-Sided football competitions and we would recommend their adoption by all organisers of Small-Sided Football.
However given the diversity of small-sided facilities and formats in this country use of these laws in all circumstances is not mandatory and these revised laws also allow The FA and the County Football Associations to sanction other formats of Small-Sided Football. The principles of any approval by The FA shall be based upon,
• The normal Laws of Association Football apply with exceptions
• The game should take into full account the health and safety of the players and officials
This booklet contains both a full set of laws, suitable for use by competition organisers and match officials and an abridged version that can be used to advise participants of the laws that will be of greatest interested to them.
Further advice on laws of the game and the affiliation of competitions can be obtained from your local County Football Association.
SECTION ONE - SMALL-SIDED FOOTBALL LAWS OF THE GAME
LAW 1 - General Principle
LAW 2 - The Number of Players
LAW 3 - The Players’ Equipment
LAW 4 - The Referee
LAW 5 - Match Official
LAW 6 - The duration of the match
LAW 7 - Start of Play
LAW 8 - The Ball In and Out of Play
LAW 9 - The Method of Scoring
LAW 10 - Offside
LAW 11 - Fouls and Misconduct
LAW 12 - Free Kicks
LAW 13 - The Penalty Kick
LAW 14 - The Goal Clearance
LAW 15 - The Corner Kick
LAW 1 - General Principle
The normal Laws of Association Football apply with exceptions.
The Pitch
Small-Sided Football may be played with or without barriers.
Dimensions:
The pitch must be rectangular. The length of the touchline must be greater than the length of the goal line.
Length: minimum 25 m maximum 50 m
Width: minimum 16.5 m maximum 35 m
For 7 a side football the following dimensions are recommended
Length: minimum 50m maximum 60m
Width; minimum 30m maximum 40m(rubber, plastic or similar substances)
• provide a reasonable degree of protection
Goalkeepers
• the goalkeeper is permitted to wear long trousers
• each goalkeeper wears colours which easily distinguish him from the other players and the referees
Infringements/Sanctions
For any Infringements of this Law:
• the player at fault is instructed by the referee to leave the pitch to correct his equipment or to obtain any missing item of equipment. The player may not return to the pitch without first reporting to the referee, who then checks that the player’s equipment is now correct.
The player is only allowed to re-enter the match when the ball is out of play.
• Players can return to play whilst the ball is in play if a second official has checked the equipment. If no second official is present the player must wait for a break in play in order for the referee to check the faulty equipment.
LAW 4 - The Referee
Each match is controlled by a referee who has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed, from the moment he enters the locality where the pitch is situated until he leaves.
The Referee:
• enforces the Laws of the Game
• allows play to continue when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalises the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time
• keeps a record of the match and provides the appropriate authorities with a match report which includes information on any disciplinary action taken against players, and/or team officials and any other incidents which occur before, during or after the match
• acts as timekeeper
• stops, suspends or terminates the match for any infringement of the Laws or due to any kind of outside interference
• takes disciplinary action against players guilty of cautionable and sending-off offences
• takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the playing area and its immediate surrounds
• ensures that no unauthorised persons enter the pitch
• stops the match if, in his opinion, a player is seriously injured and ensures that he is removed from the pitch
• ensures any player bleeding from a wound leaves the playing area
• allows play to continue until the ball is out of play if a player is, in his opinion, only slightly injured
• ensures that any ball used meets the requirements of Law 2
• Make use of timed suspensions to exclude temporarily players guilty of infringements of the laws.
• In the absence of a second official, the referee should make excluded players aware of the end of their period of suspension
Decisions of the Referee
The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play are final.
LAW 2 - The Number of Players
A match is played by two teams, each consisting of not more than seven players, one of whom is the goalkeeper.
Substitution Procedure
Substitutes may be used in any match played under the rules of an official competition at FIFA, confederation or national association level.
The maximum number of substitutes permitted is three.
The number of substitutions made during a match is unlimited. A player who has been replaced may return to the pitch as a substitute for another player.
Substitutions should take place when there is a break in play, or during play if the second official is involved in refereeing the game.
A substitution is one that is made when the ball is in or out of play for which the following conditions must be observed:
• The player entering the playing area may not do so until the player leaving the playing area has passed completely over the boundary line
• Where barricades are used the players must use the opening onto the playing area
• A substitution is complete when the substitute enters the playing area from which moment he becomes a player and the player he is replacing ceases to be a player
• A substitute is subject to the authority and jurisdiction of the referee whether called upon to play or not
Changing Places with the Goalkeeper
Any of the other players, or substitutes, may change places with the goalkeeper. The following conditions must be observed:
• referee must be informed before the change is made
• change may only be made during a stoppage in play
• The replacement goalkeeper must wear a jersey which distinguishes him from all other players
Infringements/Sanctions
If, while a substitution is being made, a substitute enters the pitch before the player being replaced has completely left:
• play is stopped
• the player being replaced is instructed to leave the pitch
• the substitute is ‘sin binned’ for the agreed period.
• Play is restarted by an indirect free kick to be taken by the opposing team from the place where the ball was situated when the game was stopped. However, if the ball was inside the penalty area, the indirect free kick is taken on the penalty area line, at the place nearest to the position of the ball when play was stopped
Where barricades are used if, while a substitution is being made, a substitute enters the pitch or a
player being replaced leaves it from a place other than the recognised opening in the barricades:
• play is stopped
• the substitute is ‘sin binned’ for the agreed period.
• play is restarted by an indirect free kick to be taken by the opposing team from the place where the ball was situated when the game was stopped. However, if the ball was inside the penalty area, the indirect free kick is taken on the penalty area line, at the place nearest to the position of the ball when play was stopped
A match should not be considered valid if the playing strength of either team is reduced by more than two players (for five –a-side) and by three (for six and seven –a side).
LAW 3 - The Players’ Equipment
over the goal line, either on the ground or in the air, and a goal is not scored in accordance with Law 10.
Procedure
• the ball is placed inside the corner arc at the nearest corner
• opponents remain at least 1m from the ball until it is in play
• the ball is kicked by a player of the attacking team
• the ball is in play when it is kicked or touched
• the kicker does not play the ball a second time until it has touched another player
Infringements/Sanctions
An indirect free kick is taken by the opposing team if:
• the player taking the corner kick plays the ball a second time before it has touched another player. The indirect free kick is taken from the place where the infringement occurred
For any other infringement:
• the corner kick is retaken
Where the playing area is surrounded by barricades the corner kick is replaced by a kick-in at a point 2m inside the playing area at the corner nearest the point where the ball left the playing area.
Kicks From The Penalty Mark Procedure
Taking kicks from the penalty mark is a method of determining the winning team where competition rules require there to be a winning team after a match has been drawn.
Procedure
• the referee chooses the goal at which the kicks will be taken
• the referee tosses a coin and the team whose captain wins the toss decides whether to take the first or second kick.
• the referee keeps a record of the kicks being taken
• in principle each team takes five kicks, depending on the circumstances described hereafter
• the kicks are taken alternately
• the names of the players taking the kicks are announced to the referee by the captains of each team before the kicks from the penalty mark are taken and must be among those included on the list of players submitted before the match. Only those players on the pitch at the completion of the game are eligible to take part in Kicks from the Penalty Mark
• where a player(s) has been sent off by the referee the opposing team must reduce the number of players to equalise the participants in each team prior to the Kicks from the Penalty Mark commencing
• if, before both teams have taken five kicks, one has scored more goals than the other could score, even if it were to complete its five kicks, no more kicks are taken
• if, after both teams have taken five kicks, both have scored the same number of goals or have not scored any goals, kicks continue to be taken in the same order, until one team has scored one goal more than the other from the same number of kicks
• any player who has been sent off may not take part in the kicks from the penalty mark
• any eligible player may change places with his goalkeeper
• only the eligible players and match officials are perm