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🏛️Official — FIFA
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The ball (Law 2, Section 1). The match ball must be spherical, made of suitable material, of a circumference between 62cm and 64cm, and weigh between 400g and 440g at the start of the match.
— Section 1, Section 2, section i, Section 3, Section 12, Law 2, Law 4, Law 3
Why people argue about this
People often argue that the ball size range (62cm-64cm) is too broad, thinking it allows for a wide variety of balls with vastly different qualities, when in fact, this precise sizing ensures consistent gameplay and fairness across all matches. The confusion arises because they overlook how uniform sizes help players adapt their playing styles without being hindered by the ball's size variability.
Surface (Law 1, Section 1). The pitch surface must be flat, smooth and non-abrasive, preferably wood, and must never be dangerous to participants.
— Section 1, Section 3, Section 2, Section 4, Section 5, Section 9, Section 6, Section 7, Law 1
Why people argue about this
People often assume that a wood surface is mandatory for futsal pitches, misunderstanding that it's just one of many acceptable materials like synthetic turf or hard-packed clay, which must be flat, smooth, and non-abrasive instead of necessarily wood. They overlook the key point about the surface being safe for players, not just its material composition.
Number of players (Law 3, Section 1). A match is played by two teams of a maximum of five players each, one of whom must be the goalkeeper.
— Section 1, Section 12, Section 8, Section 7, Law 3, Law 5, Law 6
Why people argue about this
People often assume that having a maximum of five players per team means you can only have four outfield players plus one goalkeeper, but actually, they are allowed to play with up to five players including substitutes on the bench who can be brought in during the game if needed, as long as no more than five players are active at any time.
Duration (Law 7, Sections 1 and 4). A match lasts two equal periods of 20 minutes of playing time; the clock is stopped by the timekeeper whenever the ball is out of play.
— Section 3, Section 1, Section 2, Law 7, Law 8, Law 11, Law 9, Law 15, Law 12
Why people argue about this
People often assume that the 20-minute halves mean each team gets a full 40 minutes of playing time, but actually, the clock stops for every stoppage in play like timeouts or ball out of bounds, so teams only get about half that much actual game time per half due to these interruptions.
Goal scored (Law 10, Section 1). A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided no offence has been committed by the scoring team.
— Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Law 10
Why people argue about this
People often assume that a goal is scored as soon as the ball crosses the line, without checking if it's between the posts and under the crossbar. But in futsal, they know this isn't always true; the referee must confirm all three conditions are met to award a goal according to Law 10, Section 1.
Direct free kick offences (Law 12, Section 1). A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following against an opponent in a manner the referees consider careless, reckless or using excessive force: charging, jumping at, kicking ...
— Section 1, Section 2, Section 5, Section 3, Law 12, Law 13, Law 14
Why people argue about this
People often assume that a direct free kick is awarded for tripping an opponent in Futsal just like in soccer, but actually, it's more nuanced - they argue about whether pushing or jumping at someone with excessive force constitutes a foul when, according to the rule, only charging and kicking are specifically mentioned as punishable offenses.
Jewellery and dangerous equipment (Law 4, Section 1). A player must not use or wear any equipment or item that is dangerous.
— Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 9, Law 4, Law 5, Law 12, Law 1
Why people argue about this
People often assume that just because a piece of jewelry is small, it's automatically safe to wear in futsal, leading to arguments about earrings or bracelets. However, the confusion arises because the rule specifically states dangerous equipment must be avoided, not necessarily all types of jewelry, and futsal courts are hard surfaces where any sharp or protruding item could pose a risk.