Rules

Technical

1. The max total size of field is 50 x 34m. The max playing area is 46 x 28 m (graphics attached)
2. The size of goals is 4 x 2m (inner size, not including posts)
3. The size of ball is 5

Timing

4. Matches are played 20 minutes each half
5. Half time is 5 minutes.
6. If a team arrives late (after the official start of the match) then they lose the match by default (5-0).
7. The referee must add extra time to the game if it was interrupted due to injury, deliberate delaying etc.
8. If a match is abandoned part-way through, due to inclement weather or any other unforeseeable circumstance, then the re-scheduled match will resume at the exact same point in terms of timing at which it was suspended. The match protocol must contain the same players who were on the match protocol when the match was abandoned, with the exception of players sent off during the abandoned match as well as players suspended for the abandoned match. The teams must restart the match on the field with the players who were in play at the time the match was abandoned.

Players

9. Players must be male.
10. Players must be a minimum of 16 years old. Any player that is under 16 s allowed to play only with the written notarized permission of his parents/guardians, in accordance with the legislation of the country he belongs.
11. In any case of complain players must be able to provide evidence of their identity by showing their valid ID card or passport.
12. Players must be amateur. Please refer to the ’EMF Professional Player Definition.’ (attached)

Squads

13. There are a maximum of 15 players in a squad. Provisional list of up to 15 players and team officials shall be submitted to the Tournament Committee no later than 09th of August and final list up to 15 players must be confirmed 16th of August. Teams can make 3 changes on final saquad list according to initial squad list between 16th of August and 1st of September. Please see below ’EMF Professional Player Definition.’ (attached). The official registration will take place on 1th September at Stadium.
14. Only players and officials registered in the the team list are allowed to sit down on their bench.
15. Squads must change benches at the half time.
16. A maximum of 3 team officials are allowed to represent the team on the team bench during the games.
17. In all matches players must present ID card or passport for identity check.
18. Players without ID are not allowed to participate to the match.
19. The players identity check is made by referees and the match observers.
20. All squad members registered in match protocol who are not playing must be sat down on their bench. One person can (eg. head coach) stand up and manage the team. He must respect technical area. All substitution players must wear vests (different color then the jersey)

Clothing

21. Each squad should wear the home/away kit as well as one set of reflective bibs/vests for the substitions.
22. Referees will wear to avoid colour clashes with the participating teams.
23. Each player will wear a long or short sleeved jersey with which should have a printed number between 1 and 99 on the back. The printed number should be 20-25cm in size. The number on the jersey must be the same as the number submitted to the referee and printed on their match protocol.
24. If a player’s jersey is damaged then they may swap to a jersey with a different number, so long as no other player has worn that number during the game. In this case the team captain must alert the referee of the change before it is done.
25. The goalkeeper’s kit should be a different colour distinguishing from his team and the oppponent.
26. Shin pads must be worn.
27. Shoes with metal studs or blades are not allowed. Only flat shoes or shoes with elastic or plastic moulds are permitted. See bellow ‘Authorised footwear.’
28. Wearing jewellery of any kind is strictly forbidden.

Referees

29. Two referees will officiate each match, from opposing sidelines.
30. The third referee will administer substitutions at the halfway line and supervise the behaviour of the benches, ensuring all substitutes and team management are seated throughout the game.
31. The fourth referee will act as time keeper and keep a record of all scores, red and yellow cards and any other incidents in the match protocol.
32. The referee has the authority to:
a) Start, suspend and restart the game as appropriate
b) Warn or penalise players for both on and off-field behaviour
c) Exercise discretionary power
d) Add extra time to the game for any delays
33. The Tournament Director is responsible keeping the archive of match protocol after the game. The Tournament Director may delegate this this duty to another member of the Tournament Committee.

Start of the game

34. The team manager (leader,captain) must be in place at least 30 minutes before the start of the game to complete the match protocol. Countdown to kick-off attached
35. Teams must enter from the side of the pitch and walk out to the centre, forming a line facing the main side of the grandstands. The team listed first in the fixtures (the ‘home’ team) will go along the line and do the handshake procedure with the referees and their opponents.
36. The referee will then toss a coin and the captain of the team listed second in the fixtures (the ‘away’ team) will choose heads or tails. The winner of the coin toss will choose an end, the losing team will kick off.

Substitutions

37. A maximum of 6 players are allowed on the pitch at any given time.
38. There are unlimited substitutions.
39. Substitutions are roll on, roll off, administered by the third referee at the halfway line on the side of the pitch where the team benches are located.
40. If a player is injured they may leave the field from another point, but the player replacing them must enter at the halfway line upon authorisation of the referee.
41. In the case that a goalkeeper is substituted for an outfield player, the outfield player must wear a different coloured jersey distinguishing from his team and the oppponent.

Sliding

42. Slide tackles are not allowed.
43. General sliding to control or stop the ball is permitted only if there is no opponent nearby. 

Scoring

44. The referee disallows the goal, if the ball went inside the defending team’s goal directly from a goal kick or throw-in. The play is then restarted with a goal kick for the defending team.
45. The referee disallows the goal if the ball is thrown by hands from the opposing goalkeeper into the other team’s goal.
46. If a player scores an own goal from a goal kick, throw-in, direct free kick or indirect free kick. The game is restarted by a corner kick for the opposing team.
47. If a match is drawn (both in the group and knock-out stage), there will be three penalties from each side. If the teams still cannot be then the game will go to sudden death penalties until a winner is found. The players taking the sudden death penalties must be different to the players who have taken the first three penalties.

Re-starts

48. If the ball goes out of play it will be thrown-in from the side-line.
49. If the ball passes the goal line (but there was no goal) then the goal keeper must restart the game by a
kick-off. 

Free-kicks

50. The distance between the ball and the opponents at a free kick should be 5 meters.

Yellow and red cards 

Index Name
1. Unsporting behavior
2. Reckless foul 
3. Disrespect for the game
4. Stopping of a promising attack 
5. Holding
6. Dissent with referees decision 
7. Persistent infringement of laws of the game
8. Delaying the restart of play
9. Failure to respect the required distance
10. Entering the pitch without referees permission
11. Leaving the pitch without referees permission
12. Simulation
13. Deliberate hand ball
14. Wrong substitution
15. Other: (Reason to be explained)

Red cards

16. Excessive reckless foul play
17. Violent conduct
18. Denying a goal by deliberately handling the ball
19. Denying obvious goal scoring opportunity
20. Using offensive language or gestures

51. A red card results in exclusion of the relevant player for the rest of the game and the team will be reduced to 5 players for 5 minutes.
52. A player who receives a direct red card will be banned from playing in the subsequent game.
53. A player who receives two yellow cards in one game will be shown a red car and therefore is excluded for the remainder of the game. The team will be reduced to 5 players for 5 minutes.
54. A player who receives a yellow card in two consecutive games is banned from playing in the subsequent match. This rule applies throughout the whole competition and the player’s record will not be wiped after the group games. (except final where the player who got two yellow cards in two different games - usually quarter and semi-final is allowed to play). The yellow cards are starting to accumulate again after the suspension is served.
55. The Disciplinary Committee has the authority, upon witnessing or written report, to exclude a player for the remainder of the tournament for very serious offences (violence towards players, officials, spectators etc.)
56. Team officials and management are subject to the same disciplinary measures as the players.

Qualification

57. 16 teams progressfrom the group stage into the next round of the competition "Last 16". They are the winner of each group, the runner-up from each group and 4 best 3rd place teams from the 6 group.
58. RULE FOR 3rd PLACE TEAMS RANKING:
1. After the group stage the 4 best 3rd place teams qualified for the last 16.
2. The ranking is made between those 4 teams, by:
2.1 points
2.2 goal difference
2.3 goal scored
2.4 number of wins
2.5 EMF ranking
2.6 the difficulty of the opponents (on the basis of the opponents points in the EMF NA ranking)
3. In the Last 16 no teams from the same group can meet.
4. If after the ranking between the 3rd place teams the team from the 3rd place is supposed to play the team from the same group, this will move automatically the 3rd place team to the next opponent
according the schedule.
59. For every win in the group a certain team obtains 3 (three) points, 1 (one) point for a draw and 0 (zero) for a loss. If a group match is drawn, both teams go for penalty shoot-out procedure (c.f. art. 48). The result from the penalties is taken into acount only if the teams have equal points after the completion of the matches
from the group stage.
60. If two teams tied on points after the completion of the group stage, the following criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings
a) Higher number of points obtained in the direct match between the teams question (both teams) the result from the penalty shoot-out is considered valid;
61. If three teams tied on points after the completion of the group stage, the following criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings
a) Higher number of points obtained in the matches played among the teams in question (the three teams). The three teams form an additional ranking between them hereinafter: additional ranking
b) If the points between the three teams are equal the results from the penalty shoot-out in the matches between three teams are taken into account, if applicable. In this case every win on penalties gives 1 (one) additional point for the additional ranking between the three teams, those points are not accumulated in
the official ranking.
c) Superior goal difference from the matches played among the teams in question (the three teams);
d) higher number of goals scored in the matches played among the teams in question (the three teams);
e) lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received in the group stage (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for
two yellow cards in one match = 3 points);
f) drawing of lots. If on completion of a group stage a draw is required, the lots are drawn in the EMF Tournament office. The draw is made by the Tournament director and the team managers/captains, they must sign a document stating that they accept the result of the draw 

Disciplinary Committee

The Disciplinary Commitee is responsible for preserving International Minifootball Rules, the spirit of fairplay and
sportsmanship as well the EMF image and reputation. It may impose sanctions and any other disciplinary
measures, in accordance to the EMF Discilinary Code (attached), in force for all European minifootball teams.