U16 Boys Futsal Tournament Starts On Jan 29
The Bermuda Futsal Federation [BFF], in partnership with the Bermuda Football Association [BFA], will be holding a U16 Boys Futsal Tournament, beginning at 7.00pm on January 29.
Games will be held at the Bermuda College Gymnasium, with clubs, schools, and youth organizations invited to register teams.
A spokesperson said, “As part of the BFA’s ongoing development programme and to provide additional opportunities for players to showcase their football skills, participants will be exposed to the exciting game of futsal.
“Many of the world’s best football players have credited futsal as the primary reason for their superior technical skills and the BFF is pleased to be able to assist the BFA in promoting the game to young players.”
Registration forms and tournament rules can be collected from the Bermuda Futsal Federation via email at bdafutsal@yahoo.com; the registration deadline is January 26.
The tournament rules follow below:
- Age Group – The age group is under 16 and only players born in 1999 or 2000 are eligible to play.
- Tournament Format – The competition is based upon the number of teams registered and will be organized into a match format as provided for in the schedule.
- Schedule – Teams/players should arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of their game. The tournament will start at 7 pm on 29 January, 2016 at the Bermuda College. After teams have registered, they will be provided with a schedule showing their specific times.
- Team Size – Each team should have a minimum of 6 players.
- Uniforms– Players must wear regular sneakers or indoor futsal shoes. Players must also wear shin pads and long socks completely covering the pads. Uniforms are not mandatory but may simply be matching shirts and shorts if you do not have a club, school or youth organization uniform. Each team should also maintain a contrasting shirt for use by the team’s goalkeeper. Teams not having a uniform will be provided with a bib.
- Player responsibility – Players play at their own risk. The Bermuda Football Association [“BFA”], Bermuda Futsal Federation [“BFF”] and their representatives or officials accept no responsibility for any injury that a player might receive in the course of a game. By participating, team officials, coaches, players and their parents/guardians unconditionally agree to accept and abide by this condition.
- Substitutions – There is unlimited substitutions and players can re-enter the game [unless they have received a red card or have been sent out of the game for cooling off] at any time. The substitute must enter the pitch via their own team’s ‘substitution zone’ that is in front of the team’s bench area. The substitution is completed when a substitute enters the pitch via their own team’s substitution zone, after handing their bib to the player being replaced, unless this player has had to leave the pitch via another zone for any reason.
- Kick-ins – In order to restart the game after a ball has gone out of play, the ball is kicked back into play from the touchline and from corners. The ball must be placed stationary on the touchline. A player taking a kick-in can kick it to their goal keeper, but the goal keeper cannot play the ball with their hands and is subject to the 4 second possession rule in their own half. A goal cannot be scored directly from a kick-in. If the ball touches a player before entering the goal, then a goal is allowed. If the ball does not enter the pitch from a kick-in, the referees shall order a player from the opposing team to take it.
- The 4 Second Rule – For kick-ins, free kicks, goal clearances and corner kicks the player in possession of the ball has 4 seconds to restart play. If play isn’t restarted within four seconds an indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposing team. The goalkeeper is not allowed to control the ball in the goal area with their hands for more than 4 seconds in their own half.
- The 5 meter Rule – Players are required to keep 5 meters from the player in possession of the ball on free kicks, corners, goal clearances, kick-ins and penalties.
- Goalkeepers – Goalkeepers are allowed to come out of and players are allowed to go into the penalty area while the ball is in play. A goal clearance must be thrown out by the goalkeeper. It can be thrown directly in the air by the goalkeeper into the opponent’s half. After playing the ball, the goalkeeper cannot touch the ball in their own half after it has been deliberately played to them from a team-mate without an opponent playing or touching it.
- Accumulated Fouls – Each team will be allowed to give away 5 direct free kicks in each half, then on the sixth foul a direct kick is awarded to the opposing team and the defending team is not allowed to position any players [other than the goal keeper] between the ball and the goal. The kick is taken from the 10 meter mark or, if the foul was committed closer to the goal than the 10 meter mark, then the kick may be taken from the position where the foul took place. The defending goal keeper must be at least 5 meters from the position of the free kick.
- Duration of Games – Each game consists of two fifteen or twenty minute running halves with not more than a 5 minute half-time break. The clock only stops when there is a time out or when the referee stops play due to an injury to a player or for some other official reason.
- Time Outs – Each team is allowed a one-minute time out in each half.
- Sliding Tackles – The goalkeeper is the only player who may slide in order to save the ball [providing they are in the goal area and do not use excessive force]. For other players, sliding tackles against an opposing player with the ball are not allowed. Players are allowed, however, to slide on the court, for example to stop the ball from going out of play. For a player sliding to be considered an offence, the tackler’s opponent must have possession of the ball. Referees will not give a foul for a slide if the opponent does not have possession of the ball.
- Cooling Off – If a player becomes too aggressive on the court, at the referee’s discretion and in lieu of a red or yellow card, the player may be sent from the court for a cooling off period of 5 minutes after which they may play again. The player may be substituted.
- Red Cards – If a player is sent off then the team to which the player belongs must remain with a player short until either two minutes have passed, or the opposition has scored a goal. If the team only has 3 players and a player is sent off, that team will forfeit the match and the points will go to the opposing team.
- Fair Play Policy – BFF enforces a zero tolerance on fighting. Any abuse, gross misconduct or inappropriate contact by players, coaches or team officials, directed at BFA or BFF officials, referees, coaches or other players will result in exclusion from the competition.
- BFF officials have the exclusive authority to make decisions during the games on any matter not covered by the above rules. Their decisions are final.
The U16 Boys Team registration form follows below [PDF here]:
