laws of the game continued

LAW VII - THE START AND RESTART OF THE GAME

1.      Before the game starts, the referee will toss a coin between the team captains to decide which team will choose their side of the court and
         which one will take the kick to commence the game.
2.     The game will start by order of the referee, by a player of the team kicking off putting the ball in forward movement towards the opposing
         teams half. A goal can be scored from a kickoff.
3.      At the beginning of the game, each team will occupy half of the court of play. The team in the opposing half, not taking the opening kick
         off, should be no less than 3 metres from the ball until it is in play or has been moved by the opposition team the distance equal to it’s
         circumference.
4.      The player who makes the initial kick cannot touch the ball a second time until it has been touched by another player. Breaking this rule
         will lead to repeating the initial kick off and a disciplinary sanction for that player (yellow card).
5.      After a goal has been scored the kick off is taken by the opposing team.
6.      After the regulation break the teams will change court sides and the kick will be taken by the team that did not start the game.
7.      In case of overtime a new coin toss will be made, just like the one at the beginning of the game.
8.      After an interruption of the game, and the ball still being in the court of play, due to excep- tional reasons not mentioned in these laws,

         the referee will instruct the continuation of the game through a dropped ball in the same spot where the ball was when the play was
         interrupted. No player may be situated within 1 metre from the contact point of the ball on the floor. If these rules are not followed the
         referee will repeat the action.
9.      The ball is out when;
     - it passes completely over a sideline or goal line, be it by air or floor,
     - the game stops by order of the referee,
     - the ball hits the ceiling.
10.    The ball will be in play at all times including if;
     - it bounces back from the goalposts or the crossbar and it stays in the court,
     - it bounces off any of the referees inside the court.

If the game is played under roof and the ball is thrown or kicked by a player, accidentally hitting the ceiling or any other obstacle in the court, the game will continue with a lateral throw, closest to the sideline from where the event occurred, by a player of the opposite team.

LAW VIII - A GOAL

It is considered a goal when the ball has entirely crossed the goal line between the goalposts and below the crossbar, as long as it has not been carried, projected or hit intentionally by the hand or arm of any player in the opposing team, including the goalkeeper. A goalkeeper cannot score a goal by rolling the ball the full length of the field. The team that has made the most number of goals during the match will be the winner. If both teams should have the same number of goals or if no goal was scored by either team, the match will result in a draw.

The points scores to be used in all official tournaments of each club or association affiliated to FFAO will be : 2 (two) points for the winning team, 1 (one) point in case of a draw and 0 (zero) points for the losing team.

LAW IX - VIOLATIONS

The violations defined in this Law are divided into:
Personal Violations
Technical Violations

Personal Violations
All personal fouls are cumulative and will be penalised as follows:

Direct Free Kick
A team player will be punished for breaking a rule when causing one of the following fouls.

The opposing team (to that of the violator) will be given a direct free kick if a player causes one of the
following fouls in such a manner that the referee judges it imprudent, dangerous or made with excessive force:-

1.     Kicks or attemps to kick a player on the opposing team.
2.     Places himself in the way deliberately so as to make the opposing player trip, be it by means of legs or by stopping in front or behind the

         player.
3.     Jumps on or throws himself upon the opposing player.
4.     Contacts the opposing player from behind, unless the opposing player was blocking or obstructing the way.
5.     Contacts the player in a violent manner. Ie charging
6.     Harms or attempts to harm, spits on or assaults an opponent.
7.     Holds the opponent by grabbing him/her by the hand or obstructs the player’s action with any part of the arm, legs or by holding the

         uniform.
8.     Pushes the opponent with the hands or arms.
9.     Slides for the ball with the opponent, by placing the foot directly upwards with one or both soles of the feet, either frontally or laterally, to

         obstruct the path of the player.
10.   Touches, deflects, holds or projects the ball with the hand or arm intentionally, except for the goalkeeper within the limits of the goal area.
11.   Hinders or stops the goalkeeper’s free movement within the limits of his/her goal area.
12.   A goalkeeper using his/her hands to make a save outside their goal area.
13.    A double footed tackle.
14.    A goalkeeper passing over the halfway line except for a penalty shootout.
15.    A player rudely blocks the way between the ball and an opposing player to stop his normal movement (shepherding) or intentionally

obstructs the vision of an opponent to hinder progress of their play.

Penalty Kick
A penalty kick will be given if a player makes any of the above mentioned violations (with the exeption of 14) within the limits of the goal area, regardless of the position of the ball and as long as it is in play.

Technical Violation
The following events will be sanctioned with a side line throw from the place closest to the area where the violation occurred.

1. The goalkeeper delays putting the ball back into play more than 5 seconds, once it has been thoroughly controlled and is ready to be put into play.
2. A player bars a move by restraining or holding the ball with the feet, leg or body against the floor stopping it from play for more than 5 seconds, except for the

goalkeeper, being on the floor in his/her own area to defend his/her goal.
3. In the event of a direct free kick or penalty shot hitting the upright or crossbar and deflecting on to the referee, it cannot be played again by the same player. If it is it

         becmes a sideline throw.
4.     A player delays the motion of the ball for more than 5 seconds in any way (penalties, free kicks, throws etc), the ball is given to the other team.
5.     A player uses expressesions to trick the opponent, pretending to be a member of their team, or retains the ball with his/her hands in order to delay restoring the ball

into play, thereby gaining an advantage from this delay.
6. A goalkeeper lets go of the ball intentionally and the ball hits the floor. Whether the ball is still or in motion, it will be considered a ball in play, free to be kicked by any

         player, except f or the goal keeper.
7.     The team delays more than 15 seconds in restoring the motion of the ball (not international).
8.     The goalkeeper throws the ball beyond the half way line, without first having the ball touch the floor or another player.
9.     A goalkeeper overreaching their goal line area with the ball in their hands or slidingwith the ball in their hands outside the goal area .

Applying the Rule of Advantage
In the event of a violation, if the ball remains in the possession of the opposing player in any place within the court, the referee will allow the game to continue without any further consequences.

Disciplinary Sanctions

Violations Worth One Warning (Yellow Card)

Players and officials will be warned and shown a yellow card if incurring one of the following faults:

1.     Persists in breaking the rules.
2.     Shows disagreement with the referee’s decisions, be it with words or by gestures.
3.     Displays non-sportsmanship conduct.
4.     Deliberately delays restarting play.
5.     Deliberately leaves the court, not through the substitutions area, and without permission of the referee.
6.     Does not respect the required 3 metre distance from a direct kick, a lateral throw or a corner.
7.     Touches the ball with his/her hands (except the goalkeeper in their area).
8.     The goalkeeper venturing beyond their half way line.
9.     A player kicks or throws the ball away so as to waste time.
10.   Enters the court to instruct or rebuke players, or even assistants, without permission of the referee.
11.   Addressing the following people inappropriately:- referees, timekeepers, opposing team members or the public.
12.   Openly encouraging illegal or non sportsmanlike play.
13.   Dressing inappropriately, according to the rules.
14 .   Double footed tackle—general rough play—pushing—shirt pulling.
15.   Illegal slide tackle—high elbow– high foot– general hacking and charging.
16.   Bad language (undirected).

Note
The delegates will have the following tasks:-
     - prepare and present the team sheets with all the appropriate documentation
     - be the technical and administrative nexus between the bench and the control table.
Any other action may be sanctioned in accordance to these laws.

Violation That Merits a Removal (Red Card)
The referee will report the causes and circumstances in an impartial presentation of the facts, avoiding personal opinions.

A player, official or spectator will be issued a red card and removed if:-

1.     They are found guilty of violent tackles, violent conduct, threatening or fighting with any player.
2.     They spit at or on a player, official or spectator.
3.      They use loud, foul, offensive and obscene language directed at players and officials.
4.     A player throws or kicks the ball at an official in an aggressive or dangerous manner or threatens, strikes or attempts to strike an official.
5.      A player deliberately stops the ball from entering the goal with his/her hand with the exception of the goalkeeper.
6.     A player receives a second yellow card during the game.

Nb:      A player receiving a red card may be substituted immediately.

Complimentary Rulings
1.     Any player who accumulates five personal fouls will be shown a blue card unless another colour is warranted. They will be substituted, being unable to return to the

         game but may remain on the bench.
2.     A player who receives a second yellow card in the same game may be substituted by another player and may remain on the bench.
3.     Any player or member of the team receiving a direct red card and removal from the game cannot remain on the bench.
4.     The referees may rule, without previous warning, a player’s, coach’s or spectator’s removal via a red card due to repeatedly breaking any of the rules.

LAW X - ACCUMULATIVE FOULS AND FREE KICKS

All the actions mentioned in Law IX are considered personal fouls and accumulative fouls.

1.     During a free kick all the team members from the opposing team must be at least 3 metres from the ball until the ball is in play and they will not obstruct or interrupt the

player who is taking the kick.
2. Each team will be permitted to have 5 accumulative fouls in each half of the match, without losing their right to form a wall when the opposing team is given a free kick. 3. From the sixth accumulative foul onwards, personal fouls will be sanctioned with a 9 metre penalty kick. The team will not be permitted to form a wall nor will they be

allowed to have a player between the goal and the ball, except the defending goalkeeper. The penalty kick will be taken from the second penalty mark (9 metres). The

        defending goalkeeper must be a minimum of 3 metres from the ball.
4.     The timekeeper will have numbered signs from 1 upwards and will make them visible as the teams commit accumulative fouls.
5.     If the fifth accumulative foul is carded the timekeeper will notify the referees and once the card is given a red flag, or a visible indicator, will be placed on the control

table towards the team that committed the foul.
6. In case of overtime, overtime will be a continuation of the second half, maintaining the technical conditions in which the second half ended regarding the individual

fouls, and the accumulative fouls in each team, the timeouts granted and the cards shown.

LAW XI - THE PENALTY KICK

1.     A penalty kick will be given against the defending team when a foul is committed inside the penalty area.
2.     A goal may be scored directly from a penalty kick.
3.     Additional time is allowed for a penalty kick to be taken at the end of each half, or at the end of periods of overtime.
4.      The ball will be placed on the penalty mark.
5.     The player taking the penalty kick must be clearly identified.
6.      The defending goalkeeper must remain on his own goal line, facing the kicker and in between the goal posts, until the ball is in play.
7.     The players other than the kicker must be located inside the playing area, outside the penalty area, behind or to the side of the penalty mark, at least 3 metres away

         from the penalty mark.
8.     The penalty will be taken on the referee’s whistle. (The player will be given 5 seconds to kick the ball).

Procedure
1.     The player taking the penalty kicks the ball forward and he cannot play the ball a second time until it has been touched by another player.
2.      The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves forward.
3.     When a penalty kick is taken during the normal course of play, or time has been extended at half time or full time, a goal will be awarded if; the ball touches one or

         both goal posts, the crossbar or the goalkeeper before passing between the goal posts into the net or is kicked directly into the back of the net.
4.     The defending team players must be behind the line of the ball and 3 metres away from the ball.

Infringements/Sanctions
If a defending player infringes Procedure Law 4 and no goal was achieved the kick will be taken again, but if there was a goal it will stand.
If a player of the team kicking the penalty infringes Procedure Law 4 and a goal is achieved, the kick will be taken again, but if no goal was achieved, there will be no retake.
If the player who is taking the penalty plays the ball twice without it touching another player, a sideline throw will be awarded to the opposing team from the closest site where the fault happened.

LAW XII - GOAL LINE THROW

1.     It is the only way to restart the game once the ball has gone past the goal line, either by air or floor, after having touched an opposing team member and no goal was

achieved, according to Law VIII.
2. It will be performed only by the goalkeeper, who will make it by throwing the ball with his/her hands and it will be repeated if the ball does not leave the goal area

         before being touched by another player.
3.     If the ball is thrown directly into the other half of the court a side line throw to the other side will be awarded unless the referee allows the advantage rule to apply.
4.     A goal cannot be scored directly from a goal line throw unless the ball touches one of the players (with the exception of the opposing goalkeeper).
5.      The opposing team’s players must remain outside the goal area while the goal line throw is made.
6.      If a goalkeeper persists in throwing the ball over the halfway line ie 3 times, a yellow card will be issued and a personal foul for time wasting.

LAW XIII - THROWS

Side line throws will be made to restart the game when the ball goes out through any of the sidelines.

Procedure
1.     The player who is to throw the ball (with the exception of the goalkeeper) will stand behind the side line at the same point through which the ball left the court, with

         both feet joined or apart, perpendicular to the line towards the court, without any part of the sole or heel leaving contact with the floor.
2.     The ball will be thrown with both hands, with the movement beginning from behind the head and making an arch above the head towards the court.
3.     The ball will be in play from the moment it leaves the hands of the thrower.
4.     No goals can be scored directly from a side line throw, even if the ball touches the goal keeper.
5.     If the thrower doesn’t comply with these procedures, the referee will order a new side line throw by the opposite team.

Corner Throw
It will be made when the ball leaves the court through the same team’s goal line outside the goal posts, pushed or touched by one of the players defending the goal. No goals can be scored directly from a corner throw, the ball must touch a player other than the goalkeeper for a goal to be scored.

Procedure
1.     It will be performed by an opposing team member from the corner on the same side of the goal through which the ball left the court.
2.     If the ball left the court above the crossbar of the goal the referee will decide the side of the goal from which the corner throw will be made.
3.     It will be made in the same way as a lateral throw, with the exception of the feet of the thrower, which will be located on the right angle formed by the goal line with the

         side line, meeting at the corresponding corner, both feet out of the game court, but otherwise subject to the same limitations as the side line throw.
4.     If the thrower doesn’t comply with these procedures the referee will order the restart of the game with a goal line throw by the opposing team’s goalkeeper.

Goalkeeper Throw
It will be the only way of returning the ball into play by the goalkeeper.

Procedure
1 It will be done with the hands exclusively. The goalkeeper cannot drop the ball and then play it with his feet. The goalkeeper will have five seconds to put the ball back into play.
2 The goalkeeper can use the feet to participate in kicking the ball during the game to antici pate or kick back or clear the ball.
3 The goalkeeper’s throw will be under Laws IX and XII. A goal will be validated if the ball touches one of the players, with the exception of the opposing team’s goalkeeper.

Every player will have five seconds to throw the ball, starting from the moment the ball is ready to be thrown or the referee gives the order to do so.

LAW XIV - BACK PASS

1.     The goalkeeper is allowed to pick up the ball or play it with his/her feet from a back pass whilst inside the goal area twice. This cannot be repeated a third time until the

ball has been touched by the opposing team. A breach of this procedure will incur a sideline throw and an accumulative foul for the player and team.
2. However, the goalkeeper is allowed to receive the ball from his/her team at anytime during the game and play it with his/her feet. Provided he/she is outside the goal

         area this is not considered to be a back pass and no sanction can be imposed.

LAW XV - SLIDE TACKLES AND PLAYING THE BALL WHILE ON THE GROUND

Slide tackles are allowed but with restrictions

1.     The sole of the foot must be down.
2.      The foot must not be above ball height.
3.     Only one foot must be used.
4.     Players, including the Goal Keeper, cannot slide from in front directly into the opposing players.
5.     Full contact of the ball must be made. Contact with half ball and half player is a foul and will be sanctioned.
6.     Players are allowed to play the ball whilst lying on the ground.

LAW XVI - THE REFEREE, THE SECOND REFEREE AND THE TIMEKEEPER

The Referee

1.     Will protect all players by enforcing all the Laws of the Game.
2.     Will permit the ball to remain in play if a player is fouled but his/her team has a clear advantage, or he/she will sanction the foul committed if there is no such

advantage.
3. Will take note and inform the proper authorities of all situations that occurred before, during and after the match, and also of the sanctions given to players or technical

         staff of each team.
4.     Will be the timekeeper, if a timekeeper is not present.
5.     Will interrupt, stop or end the game in cases where the Laws are continually infringed or because of any type of external interference.
6.     Will take disciplinary measures against a person who commits fouls suitable for expelling or sanctioning.
7.     Will sanction unauthorised persons who enter the playing area.
8.     Will pause the match if he/she believes a player has suffered a serious injury and will order the removal of the player out of the playing area and restart the game. If the

         referee believes the player does not have a serious injury he/she will permit the game to continue until the ball is out of play.
9.     Will make sure the correct ball is being used as per Law II.

The Second Referee

1.     A second referee will be appointed to run the opposite side of the court to the senior referee. He/she will be equipped with a whistle and cards.

2. He/she will referee according to the laws of the game and will have discretionary power to stop the game when the laws are infringed.

The first referee’s decision will be final

If the first referee and the second referee point out a foul simultaneously and there is no agreement about which team committed the foul, the first referee’s decision will prevail.

The first referee and the second referee will be able to enforce a sanction or an expulsion, but if they do not agree, the first referee’s decision will prevail.

The Timekeeper

The timekeeper will be appointed to stay outside the game court at the half way line and at the same side as the substitute area.

The timekeeper will have a timer and the necessary team sheets to keep a record of the game. These team sheets will be provided by the organisers.

The Timekeeper

1.     Will start the timer after the referee gives the order to start the game.
2.     Will stop the timer when the ball is out of play.
3.     Will start the timer again when the referee gives the order for a goal line throw, or a side line throw, or a corner throw, a free kick, a penalty kick from the penalty mark or

         second penalty mark, a timeout, or restarting with the game ball on the floor.
4.     Will keep control of the minute of time out.
5.     Will announce through an accoustic signal, different from the referee’s, the end of the first half, or end of the game, or overtime, or the end of the time out minute.
6.     Will keep a record of each team’s first five accumulative fouls as well as other fouls, as pointed out by the referees in both halves of the game.
7.     Will let the referee know the number of the player who has committed a fourth personal foul.
8.     Will keep a record of the interruptions in the game and the reasons for them.
9.     Will register the numbers of the players who scored the goals legally approved by the referee and the final score of the game.
10.   Will keep a record of the numbers and names of the players warned or expelled.

In the case the first referee gets injured, he/she will be substituted by the second referee who will in turn be substituted by the timekeeper.

In international games the participation of the second referee and the timekeeper will be mandatory.

Complementary Rulings

1.      FFAO will decide on the participation or non-participation of two referees in the lower categories. In this case one person can take over the referee’s role, following

these Laws completely, and giving the responsibilities of the timekeeper to one person.
2. In international games it is mandatory to use an electronic scoreboard.