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Futsal Game Restarts

FIFA's Futsal's Laws of the Game govern all Futsal matches worldwide. All game restarts on Futsal are the same as in Soccer except:

• Kick-off in Futsal is an indirect kick and you can not score directly from it,
  
• Kick-in in Futsal replaces the Throw-in in Soccer,
• Kick-in is also used to restart game if the ball hits anything above the court,
• Goal Clearance (throw) in Futsal replaces the Goal Kick in Soccer,
• Keeper Clearance in Futsal after a save can not be punted, 
• 2nd Penalty Spot Kick is awarded for each team foul over 5 team fouls in each half of the game.

The only variations from FIFA's Laws (aka rules) are for player and spectator safety. For example, youth players usually play on shorter courts and a common rule in youth games is that the ball must touch a player or the court before it may enter the opponent's Penalty area. This modification is imposed to protect young goalkeepers and players from running into each other while they are focused on the ball in the air.

Futsal Game Restarts That Help Your Team

Some Futsal game restarts give your team a better opportunity to keep or win possession of the ball. Often what your team does determines what the restart will be, which team restarts the game and which team has the best advantage on the restart.

In the court diagram below your team's goal is to the left and is being defended by the goalkeeper in blue. Which team has the advantage on restarts depends on:

• What - what type of restart is being taken,
• Who - which team has possession on the restart and which team is defending,
• Where - exactly where on the court in the restart is being taken,
• When - can the restart be taken instantly or does it require a signal from the game official,
• How - is there only one way to take the restart or does your team have options that can give you the advantage.

 See discussion below court diagram.

Attacking Near The Goal Your Team is Defending

If you win possession close to your own goal, you want to find a teammate in a better position than you are in to work with. If you don't have any teammates in a better position to work with don't risk losing the ball to an opponent who can instantly shoot at your goal and score. Instead look up and if you have no open teammates:

1. shoot if you have a good firm shot and your opponent's goalkeeper is not paying attention and may not see the ball coming,
2. pass to the weakest opponent on the court if they are in front of their own goal and your closest teammate to them has a great chance to take the ball from them for a quick shot on goal,
3. pass to the green area at the far end of court as close to the corner as possible and on the side of the court with the weakest kicker on your opponent's team so your team has the best chance to win the ball back as close to your opponent's goal as possible,
4. kick the ball wide of your opponent's goal if your opponent's keeper has a weak or inaccurate throw when they take a goal clearance to restart the game (throw the ball to restart the game) and your teammates always apply instant high pressure to make a good goal clearance very difficult for the goalkeeper,
5. if none of the above options are available, then play the ball out of bounds in the yellow area on the side of the court with the opponent with the weakest or most inaccurate kickin so your teammates can apply instant high pressure to win the ball back,
6. if you can't get the ball out of bounds for a kickin in the yellow area then try to make sure it goes out of bounds on the side with the opponent with the weakest or most inaccurate kickin in the red area of the sideline so your teammates can apply instant high pressure to win the ball back, and
7. if you have no other option try to make sure the ball goes out of bounds over the end line (aka goal line) on the side of the court on which the opponent taking the corner kick has the weakest and least accurate corner kick so your teammates have the best opportunity to win the ball back.

Attacking in Your Transition, Creation and Attacking Zones

The guidelines for what to do when you win possession and don't have a teammate in a better position are the same most of the time, but now always.

When you have the ball in the Transition, Creation and/or Attacking zones and don't have a teammate in a forward position who is in a "Better Position" than you are in, you may have a teammate in a behind square supporting position that is in a "Better Position" (court player and/or goalkeeper who is behind you and roughly between you and the goal your team is defending) who you should work with while your marked teammates move to be in a "Better Position" to help your team attack and score.

When your teammates are not in a "Better Position" to help your team be successful and you are under pressure from opponents, pulling the ball back and playing the ball negative back to an open supporting teammate behind you gives all of your teammates time and space to move to be in the "Best Positions" to support your teams creating a successful attack.

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Kickoff Plays
Kickin Plays
Corner Kick Plays
Goal Clearance Plays (replaces GK)
Clearances After Saves
Indirect Free Kicks
Direct Free Kicks
Penalty Kick
2nd Spot Penalty Kick
Drop Ball