FULL BY-LAWS
All rules are as per the FIFA – Futsal Laws of the Game 2021/22, with minor amendments intended to enhance the playing experience at Cockburn ARC. Please consult the Sports Management Team for specific rule clarification.
All participants play at their own risk.
Games consist of two eighteen-minute halves, with a one-minute half-time break and a two-minute changeover period.
Game start times are: 6:00pm, 6:40pm, 7:20pm, 8:00pm, 8:40pm, 9:20pm.
All registered teams are expected to be available to play at these times.
Player and spectator behaviour
The moment you set foot in Cockburn ARC Sports Stadium, you have become a custodian of our sporting community. Players and spectators must understand that they are just as responsible for creating a positive and inclusive environment as administrators and referees.
Anti-social and aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated by your teammates, opposition players, spectators, officials and competition organisers alike. Individuals who fail to acknowledge their responsibility in maintaining a social environment will be making participation less enjoyable for all and risk their and/or their teams ongoing involvement with all Cockburn ARC facilities and programs.
Any on or off-court incidents deemed to be anti-social will be dealt with accordingly and at the discretion of the Sports Management Team and/or an authorised representative of the Cockburn ARC. This may include ejection from the playing arena, short- and long-term suspensions, and if necessary, permanent banning from the Cockburn ARC for the offending individuals and/or teams.
Spirit of the game
At Cockburn ARC, the focus will be seeing games go ahead so that all teams can enjoy the consistency of knowing they have an opposition to play each week. This will occasionally result in cross-division fixtures, scheduled byes being substituted for fixtured games or teams being asked to play twice in an evening. The allocating of competition points in such cases will be managed by the Team Sports Coordinator.
Fostering a social environment where everyone can feel welcome to participate is an integral aspect of our competition. Players from any team during the regular season (regardless of division) are welcome to fill-in for any other side. However, this is only permissible when a team is short of regular players.
Please respect the spirit of the game – attempting to headhunt players to achieve results won’t get your team anywhere in the long run. All players and substitutes must be at least registered within the Spawtz online portal to participate. If teams are utilising regular substitutes throughout the course of the season, we would suggest they be registered as a player of the team, allowing us to easily ascertain their eligibility for finals.
Players are welcome to feature in multiple sides during the regular season (including within the same division). However, if a player qualifies for finals for two sides in the same division, he or she may only represent one team during the entire finals' series (semi-finals and grand finals).
Officials and the Sports Management Team reserve the right to deny a player from playing within, or ‘filling in’, for another team. In other cases, a non-regular player may also be told that they can only play on a wing for that game. Such decisions will be based on a perception of fairness for the opposition team and will be a judgement call made the Sports Management Team.
Rule clarification
Participants may not wear jewellery, watches, pins, or other dangerous/sharp items. Fingernails may be short taped, cut or gloved at the discretion of the umpires/referees. Tape is not provided by The Cockburn ARC, and it is the responsibility of the player to ensure that they comply with the above.
To qualify for finals, individual players must have played at least 4 games within a regular season.
A minimum of 4 players are required to start the game.
All players are required to present conforming uniforms with the same colour & shade.
All players must display a unique number on the back of their jerseys i.e., all players must always display different numbers. Numbered bibs are acceptable.
Players strictly cannot slide at any time, apart from the nominated goalkeeper in their penalty area. However, goalkeepers will be penalised if they slide in an unsafe or reckless manner or use excessive force (irrespective of whether they reach the ball first).
A player on the ground cannot play the ball, whether deliberately or not.
A player cannot charge an opponent with their shoulder.
If a player receives a yellow card, they must leave the court for two minutes, a replacement by substitution may take the court immediately.
Open League: There are no caps on gender, an open league is a league for all!
All players must be 16 years or older to play in the competitions.
SubstitutionsThe player being replaced must be completely off the court before the replacement enters the court, and this swap should be at the same area of the court and in the team’s defensive half.
Referees should be informed when substitutions and goalkeeper swaps occur – no rolling substitutes are allowed. If a team fails to inform a referee of an on-field change, they risk being penalised.
Example A) It is unclear who is a team’s nominated goalkeeper, and the ball is handled in the penalty area. Referee may have no choice but to award a penalty kick.
Example B) Your team has just scored a goal moments after a quick substitution occurred and it is unclear whether the player coming off did so at the same point of the pitch as the player that entered. The referee must decide whether your team achieved an unfair advantage in the play and may have to disallow the goal.