indoor natatorium

Indoor Soccer Rules

Regulations published in the Texas A&M Rec Sports Handbook will be the governing policies for all intramural sports. Team captains are responsible for possessing a thorough understanding of these regulations and their implications.

The United States Indoor Soccer Federation Playing Rules will be in effect with the following interpretations and exceptions. 

Field of Play

The indoor soccer matches will be played on the indoor soccer courts in the Rec Center. A perimeter wall that will be playable will contain the playing area. Any objects above this area or suspended from the ceiling will be considered out of play, i.e., basketball goals and supports.

Maximum Number of Players

A match will be played by two teams, each consisting of not more than seven players, one of whom shall be the goalkeeper. CoRec teams will play 3 men and 3 women. The seventh player on the court may be of either gender. A CoRec team may never play with more than 4 players of either gender at any time.

Minimum Number of Players

To start and continue a game, a team must have at least 4 players on the court ready to play. (For CoRec, there must be at least 2 males and 2 females to start a game.)

Eligibility/Restricted Players

Participants may NOT represent more than one team in any sport with the exception that an individual may play on one Co-Rec team and one men’s OR women’s team. When a player’s name appears on a roster, he/she is considered to have played in that contest. Any team that allows an ineligible player to play will forfeit the game(s) in which the ineligible player participates.

Limitations for Restricted players: (Definitions of restricted players may be found in the Rec Sports Handbook)

  1. Restricted players are ineligible to compete in their sport or associated sport for the following time periods:
    1. Professional athlete: five years from the time he/she last played as a professional.
    2. Varsity letter winners: one calendar year from the conclusion of the semester they last completed.
    3. Collegiate postseason honorees: one calendar year from the conclusion of the semester they last completed.
    4. Scholarship athletes: the academic year they received the scholarship.
    5. Competitive sport club member: no period on ineligibility, but are restricted.
    6. Squad members: the academic year they are a squad member.
  2. Once a player becomes eligible to play in the intramural program, he/she is restricted to play in the Competitive League for the time periods listed below. No team shall have more than two “restricted” players on its roster and that team must play in the Competitive League. Competitive club members must play in the highest skill level offered. ABSOLUTELY NO RESTRICTED PLAYERS MAY BE ADDED DURING THE PLAYOFFS.
    1. Professional athletes: 10 years
    2. Varsity letter winners: 5 years
    3. Collegiate postseason honorees: 5 years
    4. Scholarship athletes: 2 years
    5. TAMU sport club competitive members: current school year
    6. Squad members: 1 year

All other eligibility rules and regulations may be found in the Rec Sports Handbook.

Check-In

Teams should be signed up and prepared to play at 10 minutes after the hour. Prepared means that ID's and footwear have been checked, or the opposing team will be awarded one goal. The game clock will start AT GAME TIME. The supervisor will keep the official time. For each additional three minutes the team is late another goal will be awarded. After ten minutes, a forfeit will be declared and a score of 5-0 will be posted.

Penalization for being late:

    Minutes late:
    Score:
    Minutes late:
    Score:
    0 - 1
    1 - 0
    6
    3 - 0
    1
    2 - 0
    7
    4 - 0
    2
    2 - 0
    8
    4 - 0
    3
    2 - 0
    9
    4 - 0
    4
    3 - 0
    10
    5 - 0 Forfeit
    5
    3 - 0

Dangerous Equipment

A player cannot wear anything that is dangerous to another player. Headbands may be worn as long as there is no knot in it. Hair-clips made of metal will not be allowed, but "scrunchies" or other elastic hair retaining devices are acceptable. Failure to remove the article at the referee's request may disqualify that player from the game. *Under no circumstances will a player wearing a cast or splint be allowed to play.

  1. Jewelry: Participants are NOT permitted to wear any visible jewelry. This includes any metal or plastic hair bands and bobby pins. If participants choose to wear jewelry, it must be completely covered BEFORE arriving at the game site, with a band-aid or athletic tape. The Department of Recreational Sports WILL NOT provide band-aids or athletic tape to cover jewelry items. If covered, jewelry must remain flush with the skin and not be protruding out; this is for the protection of all participants.
  2. Playing Equipment: All players must wear shoes while competing. Black sole shoes that scuff the floor, multi-cleated turf shoes, plastic sole shoes, boots, hiking boots and sandals will not be allowed. All soft rubber non-scuff shoes are allowed. In addition, shin guards are highly recommended. If shin guards are worn, they must be fully covered.

Uniforms

A player must have sleeves on his/her undershirt if he/she is wearing a jersey from the Department of Recreational Sports. If a team does not choose to wear the jerseys provided for it, the team must all wear jerseys of the same color and that will distinguish it from the other team. The jerseys must have different numbers. No hats or knotted bandanas will be allowed.

  1. Goalkeeper Equipment: Goalkeepers will wear colors that distinguish them from other players and referees.

Pre-game

The referees will call the captain from each team to center court before the start of the game. At this time, the referees will discuss the rules and answer any questions the captains might have. The team listed first on the scorecard will call the toss to determine which team has the option to kick off or defend a particular end.

Starting the Game

All players start on their half of the court and every player on the team opposing the kicker must remain at least fifteen feet from the ball until it is kicked. Once the referee has given the signal, the game will be started by a player kicking the ball, in any direction. The kicker cannot play the ball a second time until after it has been touched by another player. A free kick will be given if the kicker touches the ball without it touching another player. A goal can be scored directly from a kick off.

Starting the Second Half

To begin the second half, teams will change ends. The opposite team that kicked-off in the first half will take the kick-off in the second half.

Duration of the Game

The duration of the game will be two halves of 20 minutes, with a several minute half-time.

  1. The clock will run continuously for the first 38 minutes of the match unless stopped by an official (i.e., for injuries that require a medic, blood on the court, etc. The clock will not stop for balls going outside the court of play, penalty kicks, injuring not requiring the medic, etc.). During the last two minutes of the second half, the clock will stop during all dead ball situations.
  2. In regular season play, if the score is tied at the end of regulation, the game will remain tied and no overtime will be played. 
  3. During the playoffs, one five-minute sudden death overtime period will be played. A coin toss before the start of the overtime period will determine possession or choice of side. The team listed second on the scorecard will call the coin toss. If the score is tied after the overtime period, the winner will be determined by a penalty kick (PK) tiebreaker as follows:
    1. The team listed first on the scorecard will call the coin toss to determine the first team to kick. The winner of the toss may elect to kick first or last.
    2. Each team will select 4 players to take the penalty kicks. Only players on the court at the end of the overtime period will be eligible to take PK’s in the tiebreaker (in co-rec it must alternate gender).
    3. Each team will take an initial series of four kicks alternately. The team scoring the greatest number of points will be declared the winner.
    4. If the score is still tied after each team has taken four kicks, the remaining players on the court will shoot in a sudden death manner until a winner is declared. No shooter may be repeated until all players that were left on the court at the end of regulation have kicked.
    5. Once goalkeepers are designated, they will not be replaced unless injured. Goalies may be one of the kickers to kick in the tiebreaker.
  4. In championship finals games, two five-minute sudden death overtime periods will be played before the penalty kick procedure stated above will be used.
  5. Time Outs - Each team is allowed a one-minute time-out per half. A team may use their time-out during any of the following situations:
    1. After a goal has been scored.
    2. On your free kick.
    3. On your corner kick.
    4. When your goalkeeper has possession of the ball with his/her hands in their goal arc.
    5. No time-outs will be allowed in overtime play.
    6. One of the players on the court must notify one of the officials on the court they want a time-out.
    7. If a team attempts to call a time-out after they have already used their time-out for that half, a 2-minute team time penalty will be awarded.

Ball In and Out of Play

The ball will be out of play and will be put back into play with a DIRECT kick:

  1. When the ball leaves the playing area.
  2. When the ball strikes any object above the height of the walls.
  3. When a goal is scored.
  4. On the referee's whistle.
  5. The ball will be in play at all other times.

Scoring

A goal is scored when the entire ball has passed over the goal line, between the goal posts, and under the crossbar. In CoRec play, goals scored by males will be worth 1 point and goals scored by females will be worth 2 points, including PK’s. All goals that are unintentionally scored by the defending team will be worth 1 point.

Substitutions

  1. FREE SUBSTITUTIONS WILL BE ALLOWED IN ALL CLASSES. During the game, court players and goalkeepers may be substituted on an unlimited basis, provided the player substituted for is within the substitution area at his/her own bench area, or off the field of play within his or her own bench area, before the substitution is made. Neither the player entering or leaving the court may participate in the game during the time when they are both on the court. Penalty: A member of that team will serve a two-minute team time penalty. Note: The offending team's captain may choose which player must serve the penalty. This will not count towards the player’s accumulated individual time penalties for purpose of ejections.
  2. If the referee stops play for an injured player, he or she must be substituted. Exception: goalkeepers. Officials reserve the right to require the substitution of a goalkeeper if this privilege is abused as a stalling technique.
  3. Players who sustain injuries causing an open wound will be required to leave the game. A player may not re-enter the game until the flow of bodily fluids is stopped, the wound is covered, and the medic on duty approves re-entry.

Three-Line Violation

A player is guilty of a three-line violation when he/she plays the ball across the three lines (centerline and the two adjacent lines) in the air, toward the opponents' goal line, and the ball does not touch another player or the ground. A direct free kick will be awarded to the opposing team and will be placed in the middle of the red line where the kick was originally taken.

Offside

There is NO offside rule in indoor soccer.

Fouls and Misconduct

All fouls including goalkeeper violations will be DIRECT free kicks. A player who intentionally commits any of the following offenses while the ball is in play shall be penalized by the referee awarding a free kick to the opposing team, to be taken at the point of the infraction, subject to exclusions in Rule 18.

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following seven offenses in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:

  1. Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
  2. Trips or attempts to trip an opponent
  3. Jumps at an opponent
  4. Charges an opponent
  5. Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
  6. Pushes an opponent
  7. Tackles an opponent

A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following six offenses:

  1. Holds an opponent
  2. Spits at an opponent (also a RED card)
  3. Deliberately handles the ball (except for the goalkeeper within his/her own penalty area)
  4. Plays in a dangerous manner
  5. Impedes the progress of an opponent
  6. Prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his/her hands

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his/her own penalty area, commits any of the following five offenses:

  1. Controls the ball with his/her hands for more than six seconds before releasing it from his/her possession
  2. Touches the ball again with his/her hands after he/she has released it from possession and before it has touched another player
  3. Touches the ball with his/her hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him/her by a teammate
  4. Touches the ball with his/her hands after he/she has played it with any other part of his body outside of the penalty area and before it has touched another player
  5. Punts or drop kicks the ball

A. Blue Cards

A blue card will be shown in the following circumstances and the offending player must serve a two-minute time penalty resulting in a power play.

  1. Unsporting behavior while the ball is live and playable, including strikes, elbows, or attempts to strike or elbow an opponent.
  2. Boarding, i.e. propelling an opponent into the perimeter wall.
  3. Sliding – an intentional slide by a player involved in a play while another player is not in striking distance.
  4. Persistent infringement – repeated fouls of a similar nature over the course of a game, at the discretion of the referees
  5. Substitution violation (team penalty) – including substituting in an inappropriate manner (wrong door, over the wall, etc.) or a substituting player touching the ball prior to the completion of the substitution.
  6. Dangerous equipment after warning (see Rule 6A).

B. Yellow Cards

A yellow card will be shown in the following circumstances. Two blue cards will equal a yellow card and a two-minute time penalty will be assessed. A straight yellow card will come with a four-minute time penalty.

  1. Unsporting behavior while the ball is dead or unplayable, including inappropriate physical or verbal interaction between players with opponents or referees.
  2. Dissent by either word or action.
  3. Failure to Respect the Required Distance – encroachment on a free kick or other restart.
  4. Delaying a restart, including intentionally kicking or throwing the ball out of the playing area.
  5. Slide Tackle (automatic YELLOW CARD – BUT any slide tackle from behind is an automatic RED CARD). A slide tackle is defined as an intentional slide by a player involved in the play, when another player is within striking distance. A player may be penalized for a slide tackle even if they do not make contact with another player.
  6. Second Blue Card (2 minute power play).
  7. Technical infractions (team penalty), including adding a player before a penalty expires, too many players on the court, and misconduct by bench personnel or spectators.

C. Red Cards (Ejection)

A player will be ejected from the court of play for:

  1. Serious Foul Play – any foul in live ball play during a challenge for the ball committed with excessive force or brutality that endangers the safety of the opponent.
  2. Violent Conduct – use of excessive force or brutality while not challenging for the ball, including fighting and challenges where there is not a reasonable possibility for the offender to win the ball.
  3. Denial of Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity – by either foul or handling the ball.
  4. Slide tackle from behind.
  5. Abusive language directed at another player, referee, staff member, or spectator.
  6. Spitting at another player, referee, staff member, or spectator.
  7. The accumulation of THREE blue cards or TWO yellow cards.
    1. A team time penalty that corresponds with the blue or yellow card shown must still be served by a member of the offending team.
    2. If a player is shown a straight red card, he/she will be ejected and cannot be replaced for the remainder of the match. The offending team will be forced to play a player down.

D. Penalty Kicks

A penalty kick is awarded for any foul committed by the defending team within their own penalty area for which a misconduct is issued (i.e., a card is shown). The ball will be placed on the penalty spot within the penalty area; all players must start behind the nearest red line, except the designated shooter and the goalie who starts with their heels on the goal line. The official blows the whistle and play is live once the person taking the kick touches the ball (the goalie can leave the line and the players on the red line can converge on the player with the ball). The shooter cannot play the ball a second time before it’s touched by another player. Also, penalty kicks are the only free kick in indoor soccer that must be kicked forward.

Restarts

Free Kicks (The ball will be put back in play with a DIRECT kick.)

  1. Enforcement of free kicks will be from the spot of the foul unless the foul occurred inside the goal arc.
  2. All goalkeepers’ violations that happen within the goal arc will be placed at the top of the goal arc.
  3. Perimeter Walls
  4. If the ball is kicked over the perimeter wall other than over the goal area (the area of taller Plexiglas), the ball will be put back into play by a free kick taken by the other team from the spot nearest to where the ball went out.
  5. If the ball is kicked over the perimeter wall in the goal area by the offensive team, the ball will be put back into play by a throw from the keeper of the defensive team.
  6. If the ball is kicked over the perimeter wall in the goal area by the defensive team, the ball will be put back into play by a corner kick taken by the offensive team from the corner spot.
  7. If the ball strikes an object above the perimeter wall and over the field of play, the ball will be put back into play by a free kick taken by the other team from the spot directly below where the ball contacted the object. (Unless this occurs within the goal arc, a goalkeeper throw or corner kick will be awarded.)

Players Serving Time Penalties

  1. Players serving time penalties must proceed directly to the penalty area by the scorekeeper. The penalty time will not begin until the player is in this area.
  2. A player serving a blue card or yellow card time penalty may return to the game if the opposition scores and he or she is the only player serving a time penalty.
  3. If two players from the same team are serving time penalties and the opposition scores, only the player having served the longest time may return.
  4. If two players from Team A and one player from Team B are serving time penalties and Team B scores, only the player from Team A having served the longest time may return.
  5. If a player is assessed a time penalty in the first half and time expires before the time penalty does, the time penalty must be completed in the second half.  This is also true for a penalty in the second half if the game proceeds into overtime.
  6. Goalkeepers must sit out for the allotted time if shown a card, one of the field players must play goalie.
  7. If a player does not wish to return to the game when the time penalty has expired, a teammate may return for him or her.
  8. No more than three players from a team may serve time penalties simultaneously. If a fourth player receives a time penalty, a substitute from that team may take his/her place on the court. If a substitute is not available, the player having served the longest time may return. At no time should a team default for having less than four players due to players serving time penalties.
  9. The gender of the penalized player(s) will continue to affect the composition of the players on the court. A team cannot have 4 of one gender on the court, and one of that same gender in the penalty box.

Goalkeeper Restrictions

  1. The goalkeeper has six seconds to release the ball from his or her hands after each possession.
  2. The goalkeeper may NOT punt or drop kick the ball.
  3. The goalkeeper may not play the ball with his or her hands if it is intentionally passed back with the feet to him or her by a teammate.
  4. If the goalkeeper plays the ball with his or her feet outside of the goal arc and brings it into the arc, he or she may NOT pick it up.
  5. The goalkeeper MAY bounce the ball ONCE after he/she has possession of the ball.

Protests

  1. There shall be no protests on judgment calls, i.e., whether or not the ball crossed the line for a goal.
  2. Teams can protest rule interpretation. The team captain must protest immediately by telling the official in a calm manner once the incident occurs. If not done at the time of the incident, protests will not be allowed. Teams cannot protest after the play has resumed.

Suspended Players

Any player ejected from a contest must report his or her name to the supervisor or have a team member do so. This person is immediately ineligible to participate in all intramural activities until he or she meets with the staff member in charge of the sport. If a team does not provide the name of the ejected player, the referees reserve the right to call the game.

Mercy Rule

Games will be called when a team is leading by the following:

  1. 15 goals anytime in the 2nd half.
  2. 10 goals with 5 or less minutes remaining.
  3. 5 goals with 2 or less minutes remaining.

Forfeited Games

A team will be forced to forfeit the match if they accumulate TWO STRAIGHT RED CARDS or FOUR STRAIGHT YELLOW CARDS at any time that the officials have jurisdiction over the game. This includes all pre-game and post-game incidents. Players that are ejected for the accumulation of blue cards will not count towards those numbers. A forfeited game will receive a posted score of 5-0.