Referees, Discipline and Match Officials

A futsal match is officiated by two referees, the referee and the second referee, both with full authority to enforce the Laws.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5.1 · recall

Where the referee and the second referee disagree after both signalling an infringement, the referee's own decision prevails.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5.2 · applied

The referees' decisions on facts connected with play, such as whether or not a goal is scored, and the match result, are final.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5.3 · recall

Referees may change a decision on realising it is incorrect, provided play has not yet restarted or the match ended.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5.4 · applied

A decision may only be changed before play has restarted or the match has ended, not afterward.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5.4 · recall

Even with both referees holding full authority, the Law still specifies that the referee's decision prevails if the two disagree.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5.2 (synthesis) · applied

A second referee is mandatory for international matches; the Law does not require one for every match played anywhere.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5.5 · recall

The Law makes a second referee mandatory only for international matches; other levels aren't required to appoint one.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5.5 · applied

Alongside enforcing the Laws and controlling the match, both referees are responsible for duties such as checking equipment compliance.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5.1 · recall

Both the referee and the second referee have full authority to enforce the Laws, including awarding restarts like a penalty kick.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5.1 · applied

Recording the details of cautioned or sent-off players is one of the third referee's duties.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 6 (third referee) · recall

The timekeeper manages the chronometer, starting it after a correct kick-off and stopping it when the ball goes out of play.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 6 (timekeeper) · recall

The third referee notifies the timekeeper of a requested timeout, and the timekeeper then signals it with a distinct acoustic signal.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 6 (third referee & timekeeper) · applied

Both the third referee and the timekeeper have duties around signalling a team's fifth accumulated foul, so the sixth is anticipated correctly.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 6 (third referee & timekeeper) · recall

Recording the goal scorer's number is one of the third referee's duties.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 6 (third referee) · applied

Checking a substitute's equipment before pitch entry is one of the third referee's duties.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 6 (third referee) · recall

Alerting the referees to an obvious error outside their own vision is one of the third referee's duties.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 6 (third referee) · applied

The timekeeper signals the end of a period or the match with an acoustic signal different from the referees' own whistle.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 6 (timekeeper) · recall

Supervising conduct in the technical area is one of the third referee's duties.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 6 (third referee) · applied

The timekeeper's core job is timing the match itself; the third referee's duties are mostly recording players, cautions, goals and other details.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 6 · recall

Futsal's Laws judge a sliding tackle under the same careless, reckless or excessive-force standard as any other challenge, with no rule written specifically for it.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.1 (scope) · recall

Because there's no separate sliding-tackle rule, a clean challenge that wins the ball is judged the same whether or not it involved a slide.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.1 (scope, synthesis) · applied

Persistent infringement of the Laws is a cautionable offence, shown with a yellow card.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 (cautions) · recall

Offensive or abusive language is a send-off offence regardless of whether the offender is a player on the court or a substitute on the bench.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 (send-offs, synthesis) · applied

Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity is a send-off offence; persistent infringement is only cautionable.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3-12.4 (contrast) · recall

A caution allows the player to continue; a send-off removes him from the match and leaves his team briefly short-handed, a real practical difference.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3-12.4 (contrast, synthesis) · applied

Dissent by word or action toward a match official's decision is a cautionable offence.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 (cautions) · recall

A second caution in the same match is one of the send-off offences, regardless of what the first caution was originally for.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 (send-offs) · applied

Violent conduct is one of the send-off offences.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 (send-offs) · recall

The restart, a direct free kick, and the disciplinary sanction are separate questions; an ordinary careless foul often draws only the free kick, with no card at all.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12 (synthesis) · applied

A goalkeeper handling the ball again in his own half after it was deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate is an indirect free kick offence.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.2 (back-pass) · recall

The back-pass restriction applies specifically to a ball deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper; a header is a different method and isn't covered by it.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.2 (back-pass, scope) · applied

Receiving the ball with his hands straight from a team-mate's kick-in is its own separate handling offence, distinct from the back-pass rule.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.2 (kick-in handling) · recall

The back-pass restriction applies across the goalkeeper's whole own half, while the kick-in-handling restriction is narrower, covering only his own penalty area.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.2 (contrast) · applied

The four-second control limit applies to the goalkeeper controlling the ball with either his hands or his feet in his own half, not just with his hands.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.2 (four-second control) · recall

The back-pass restriction specifically requires that no opponent played or touched the ball in between the team-mate's kick and the goalkeeper's handling.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.2 (back-pass, precise wording) · applied

Unlike the back-pass and kick-in-handling restrictions, which turn on where the ball came from, the four-second limit is a straightforward time measure.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.2 (synthesis) · recall

Futsal restarts the touchline with a kick-in, not a throw-in, so a scenario built on a throw-in simply doesn't arise under these Laws.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 15.1 (contrast, synthesis) · applied

The goalkeeper may not touch the ball with his hands inside his own penalty area after a team-mate has kicked it to him, including directly from a kick-in; outside the area any handling is an ordinary handball offence anyway.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.2 (contrast) · recall

A deflection is still a touch by another player, and that's all it takes to clear the restriction, whatever caused the deflection.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.2 (back-pass, synthesis) · applied

The substitute may only enter the court after the player being replaced has already left it.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 3 (substitution procedure) · recall

Both the departing player and the substitute must use their own team's substitution zone.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 3 (substitution procedure) · recall

A substitute entering before the player being replaced has left is cautioned and ordered off the court for infringing the procedure.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 3 (improper substitution) · applied

An improper substitution that stops play restarts with an indirect free kick to the opposing team, taken from the ball's position when play stopped.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 3 (improper substitution, restart) · recall

When the ball was inside the penalty area at the stoppage, the indirect free kick for an improper substitution is taken from the penalty-area line at the point nearest to where the ball was, along a line parallel to the touch line.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 3 & 13 (position of free kick) · applied

The referees decide whether a challenge is a foul in the first place; the timekeeper's job is only to track and signal the running tally once it's given.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Laws 5, 6 and 12 · applied

A caution is a personal disciplinary sanction on a player; an indirect free kick for improper substitution is simply the restart that follows a procedural breach, a different kind of consequence.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 3 & 12 (synthesis) · applied

Awarding restarts is a power held by the referee and the second referee; the third referee's role is support and record-keeping, not making those calls.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5 & 6 (synthesis) · recall

Technical-area conduct, substitution procedure, and fouls sit under different Laws, 6, 3 and 12 respectively, even when they happen in the same passage of play.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Laws 3, 6 & 12 (synthesis) · applied

The referee-versus-second-referee tie-break, the divided duties of the third referee and timekeeper, and the goalkeeper's separate back-pass, kick-in and time restrictions all exist to keep each role and limit clearly defined rather than overlapping.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Laws 3, 5, 6 and 12 · recall

The referees can still take the appropriate disciplinary action, but the restart that went with the offence no longer applies.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5 · applied

In the event of undue interference or improper conduct, the referee relieves the second referee or the other officials of their duties, arranges replacements and reports it.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5 · recall

The referees are not obliged to take disciplinary action immediately, but must do so when the ball next goes out of play.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5 · applied

When more than one offence occurs at the same time, the referees punish the more serious offence.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5 · recall

When an offence is committed from the technical area and the offender cannot be identified, the senior team coach present in the technical area receives the sanction.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5 · recall

A medical team official who commits a sending-off offence may remain if the team has no other medical person available, and may act when a player needs attention.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5 · recall

The referees and other match officials are not held liable for any injury, damage or loss due to a decision taken under the Laws of the Game.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5 · recall

A restart decision cannot be changed once the referees have signalled the end of the period and left the court after the timekeeper's signal.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 5 · applied

A caution before the match is given verbally, not with a card, and reported to the authorities after the match; a later cautionable offence brings a yellow card, which is not a sending-off because it is the first card shown in the match.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

The referees' disciplinary authority runs from entering the court for the pre-match inspection until leaving it after the match, including kicks from the penalty mark.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Occasionally leaving the confines of the technical area without committing another offence should usually result in a warning; repeated or blatant cases lead to a caution or a sending-off.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · recall

Dissent by a team official includes actions showing a clear lack of respect for the match officials, such as sarcastic clapping, and is cautionable.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Excessively or persistently gesturing for a red or yellow card is a cautionable offence by a team official.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Delaying the restart of play by the opposing team, for example by holding on to the ball, is a sending-off offence for a team official.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Deliberately throwing or kicking an object onto the court is a sending-off offence for a team official.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

A player or substitute who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the court and the technical area.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · recall

Deliberately entering the technical area of the opposing team in a non-confrontational way is cautionable; doing it aggressively or confrontationally is a sending-off.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Entering the court to confront a match official, including at half-time and full-time, is a sending-off offence for a team official.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Minor or low-level disagreement usually brings a warning, dissent such as sarcastic clapping a caution, and offensive, insulting or abusive language a sending-off.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Minor disagreement usually brings a warning; persistent unacceptable behaviour, including repeated warning offences, is cautionable.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity with a deliberate handball is a sending-off offence wherever it occurs.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

A non-deliberate handball that denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity outside the offender's own penalty area is a sending-off offence.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

When a non-deliberate handball denies a goal and the referees award a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

A genuine attempt to win the ball does not save the defender from a red card when his foul outside the penalty area denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity; the attempt-to-play-the-ball exception applies only inside the area, where a penalty kick is awarded.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Inside the penalty area, when a penalty kick is awarded and the offence was an attempt to play the ball, the offender is cautioned instead of sent off.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Holding, pulling or pushing is not an attempt to play the ball, so a player who denies a clear chance this way is sent off even when a penalty is awarded.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

A DOGSO is likelier when the goal is unguarded or when active attackers outnumber active defenders, the goalkeeper included and the offender excluded.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · recall

The goal is guarded when the goalkeeper is in his own penalty area and within the imaginary triangle formed by the goalposts and the ball. D is in the triangle but outside the area; B and C are outside the triangle.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

In the penalty area, a foul that stops a promising attack while trying to play the ball brings no card; a non-challenge such as a shirt pull that stops a promising attack is a caution; denying a clear chance outside the area is a sending-off.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

If the advantage is applied after an offence that denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity, the offender is cautioned, not sent off, when the ball is next out of play.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Attempting to deceive the referees, for example by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled, is unsporting behaviour and is cautioned.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Making unauthorised marks on the court is unsporting behaviour and is cautioned.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

A player who plays the ball when leaving the court after being ordered to leave is cautioned for unsporting behaviour.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Verbally distracting an opponent during play is unsporting behaviour and is cautioned; like all verbal offences, it is penalised with an indirect free kick.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

A player who handles the ball in an attempt to score a goal is cautioned, whether or not the attempt succeeds.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

A player must be cautioned for removing the shirt or covering the head with it, even if the goal is disallowed.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Leaving the court to celebrate a goal is not a cautionable offence, but players should return as soon as possible; approaching spectators in a way that causes safety issues is cautioned.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Initiating a deliberate trick to pass the ball to the goalkeeper with the head, chest or knee to circumvent the Law is unsporting behaviour; the player who started the trick is cautioned.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

A careless foul brings only a free kick; throwing an object recklessly is cautioned for unsporting behaviour, and with excessive force it is violent conduct and a sending-off.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Covering the head or face with a mask or similar item when celebrating is cautioned; the sanction is given before play restarts, here with the kick-off.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.3 · applied

Kicking an object at an opposing substitute is restarted with a direct free kick where it struck or would have struck him; when that is off the court, from the nearest point on the boundary line.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 · applied

A physical offence against a team-mate, substitute, team official or match official on the court is restarted with a direct free kick or a penalty kick.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 · applied

When a substitute, sent-off player or team official commits an offence against a substitute, sent-off player or team official of either team, play restarts with a dropped ball.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 · applied

If a substitute, a sent-off player or a team official commits a direct-free-kick offence, it counts as an accumulated foul against their team.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 · recall

If a player touches the ball with an object held in the hand, play is restarted with a direct free kick, or a penalty kick in his own area.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 · applied

If the ball is out of play, play is restarted according to the previous decision, whatever offence is committed meanwhile.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 · recall

An offence committed off the court by a player against a player, substitute or official of his own team is restarted with an indirect free kick on the boundary line closest to where it happened.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 · applied

When an object is thrown at an opposing player, play restarts with a direct free kick from the position where the object struck him.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 · applied

The strike happened behind the defender's own end line, within the width of his penalty area, so after the red card for violent conduct the restart is a penalty kick.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 · applied

Offensive, insulting or abusive language is a sending-off offence, and the sent-off player must leave the vicinity of the court and the technical area; all verbal offences are restarted with an indirect free kick.

Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025/26, Law 12.4 · applied