BFF Set To Hold COED Futsal Tournament
The Bermuda Futsal Federation [BFF] will be holding a COED Futsal tournament competition at the Bermuda College Gym on December 17 starting at 9.00am, with the competition open to clubs, organizations and other interested persons.
A spokesperson said, “The competition is for men and women players and is based upon the number of teams registered and will be organized into a multiple match or single elimination format as provided for in the schedule.
“Teams/players should arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of their game. All games will take place at the Bermuda College Gymnasium. The tournament will take place on 17 December, 2016. After teams have registered, they will be provided with a schedule showing their specific game times.
“A player must be 15 or older as of 17 December, 2016. Each team should have a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 10 players and must consist of at least 3 women and 3 men. 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 school or club 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.
“Players play at their own risk. BFF and its representatives or officials accept no responsibility for any injury that a player might receive in the course of a game.
“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 her 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 her own team’s substitution zone, after handing her bib to the player being replaced, unless this player has had to leave the pitch via another zone for any reason.
“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.
“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 her hands for more than 4 seconds in her own half.
“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 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.
“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.
“Each game consists of at least two twelve minute running halves [could be more depending on the number of teams entered] with not more than a 3 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.
“Each team is allowed a one-minute time out in each half. 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.
“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.
“If a player is sent off then the team to which the player belongs must remain with 4 players until either two minutes have passed, or the opposition has scored a goal.
“BFF enforces a zero tolerance on fighting. Any abuse, gross misconduct or inappropriate contact by players, coaches or team officials, directed at 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 Bermuda Futsal Federation thanks the public for their continued support for futsal in Bermuda.”
Registration forms can be received from the Bermuda Futsal Federation via email at bdafutsal@yahoo.com. The registration deadline is 5.00pm on December 12.
For more information, call 595-8787 or email bdafutsal@yahoo.com.
The COED Holiday Tournament registration Form follows below [PDF here]:
