Duration and Tie-Breaking Methods & The Start and Restart of Play

DURATION AND TIE-BREAKING METHODS

A futsal match consists of two 20 minutes halves. The length of either half is extended to allow penalty kicks to be taken or a direct free kick to be taken against a team that has committed more than five fouls. Halftime cannot exceed more than 15 minutes.

A coin toss determines which team start the match. A kick-in start the second half, penalty periods, and restarts the action after a goal is scored or the ball goes out of play. A drop by the referee restarts the game when stopped for any reason not covered by the laws of the game.

In competition or any tournament futsal, the match cannot end in a tie during the game. A team’s away goals (for teams playing one home and one away match) count as double. Extra time consists of two periods of five minutes. If no winner is produced after these methods, 3 kicks from the penalty mark are taken, and the team that has scored the most wins.

If it is not decided after 3 kicks from the penalty mark, it continues to go on with one extra kick from the penalty mark to each team at a time until one of them has scored more goals than the other.

THE START AND RESTART OF PLAY

At the beginning of the match, a coin toss is used to decide who will start the match. The choice of ends is decided by the toss of a coin. The team winning the toss decides which goal it wishes to attack in the first half of the game.

A kick-off is used to signal the start of play and is also used at the start of the second half and any periods of extra time. It is also used after a goal has been scored, with the other team starting the play. After a temporary stoppage for any reason not mentioned in the Laws of the Game, the referee will drop the ball where the play was stopped, provided that, prior to the stoppage, the ball was in play and had not crossed either the touch lines or goal lines.

If the ball goes over the goal line or touchline, hits the ceiling, or the play is stopped by the referee, the ball is out of play. If it hits the ceiling of an indoor arena, play is restarted with a kick-in to the opponents of the team that last touched the ball, under the place where it hit the ceiling.