Indoor Soccer (Benchball)

Indoor Soccer (Benchball) Rules

SPIRIT POINTS: An integral part of all the sports that the Moncton Sport & Social Club offers. It is based on the primary focus of the MSSC, which is sportsmanship and to have FUN...NOT on competitive and aggressive sport.

1. Equipment/Set-Up: Team captains are responsible for bringing the provided Wilson soccer ball to all of their game sites. Captains are also responsible for ensuring that all benches are placed appropriately in the goal area and in the corners where necessary. All teams should bring both a light and dark colored shirt to all games.  

 2. Game Time/Default: Please arrive at least 15 minutes early so that games will start on time. Games are 55 minutes in length, with no stoppage for a halftime. Please agree on one person to act as timekeeper. Teams are comprised of five (5) players with a minimum of two (2) of each gender. A default will occur if any team cannot field a squad by 10 minutes past the official start time. A team can play with a minimum of 4 people, as long as two (2) of the players are women and two (2) are men. Women may play any position on the court. Captains may agree to waive the rules regarding minimum players but this should be decided before the game starts. IF IT IS AGREED THAT THE GAME COUNTS, IT COUNTS!   

 3. General Rules: In general, standard soccer rules apply to all OSSC games. Notable exceptions are listed below:

1. Teams are comprised of 5 players (including goalie) with min. of 2 of each gender on court.
2. The game begins with one team initiating play by making a pass from the centre of the court
3. Player substitutions can be made at anytime (i.e. changing on the fly is allowed). However, please ensure that the player coming off has completely entered the team bench before the new player joins the action and the change does not disrupt the flow of the game. Goalies cannot change on the fly - please wait for a stoppage in play before substituting goalies.
4. A handball infraction occurs when the ball hits a player’s arm from the ELBOW down (as opposed to the shoulder). In addition players may use their arms to block the ball from hitting their groin area, and women can also use their arms to block the ball from hitting their chest. This rule will reduce the number of stoppages in play. Please don’t abuse this rule.
5. All free kicks are indirect. To score off an indirect kick, the ball must be touched by another player (offense or defense, but not the goalie)
6. The offending player should call their own infractions, however any players involved with the incident can also make a call. When a foul is called, play must stop as there is no "advantage" in OSSC soccer. Players not on the court at the time of any incident cannot make a call at any time.
7. Teams may call a one (1) minute time-out if needed, except in the final 10 minutes of play.
8. Balls can be played off both back and side walls.
9. A game can end in a tie during the regular season. In the playoffs, a game that is tied at the end of regulation time is decided by a three-minute sudden death overtime period. If still tied, a shoot-out will commence; each of the five players on the floor (including the goalie) takes one shot each at a distance of eight paces. Only the players on the court at the end of the game can participate and the goalie that finished the game remains the goalie for the shoot-out. After five shots, if still tied, teams continue taking single shots until one team has scored (and the other team does not). The order of shooters must be maintained. (Please note that playoff games should only be 50 minutes in length in anticipation of needing the extra time to settle a tie)
10. Balls can not be kicked above shoulder height. This will result in an indirect kick for the non-offending team.

     

    4. Slide Tackling: Even if contact is made with the ball first, slide tackling is not allowed under any circumstances. As well, no players (with the exception of the goalie) can slide to block a shot or pass at any time.

 5. Scoring: To score a goal, the ball must hit the front of the bench (benches turned on their side will be used as goals). If the ball hits the top of the bench and then deflects off the back wall, it is NOT A GOAL. A ball that hits the top of the bench and then bounces back into play without hitting the back wall (or hits the ground before hitting the back wall) is a FAIR GOAL. A ball that deflects off the corner of the bench, regardless of whether it hits the back wall or not, is NOT A GOAL. In addition, you cannot score by shooting the ball from your own side of half – the ball must first be touched by an offensive player in the attacking half, or deflect off a defender in the attacking zone. A shot from your own side of half that deflects off only the goalie and goes in is not a goal. This will help to reduce the amount of “ball blasting”.

If a discrepancy arises as to whether the ball hit the front of the bench or the corner, an indirect kick is awarded to the offensive team from where the original shot was taken. Please remember that you are playing in a self-officiated, co-ed, social league, so any arguments or disputes should be kept to a minimum.

6. Goalies: Goalies CANNOT use their hands to block a shot. If a ball deflects off the goalie’s hands and goes in, it is a goal. If a ball deflects off the goalies’ hands and does not go in, an indirect kick is awarded to the offensive team from where the ball was kicked. If a goalie purposely uses their hands to block a shot that would have otherwise gone in, it is a goal. Goalies must stay behind their “crease line” (In most gyms, this is a line approximately 1 metre in front of the bench) - they can touch a ball that is on the other side of the line, as long as one foot remains behind the line and they do not touch the floor on the other side of the line. Goalies ARE permitted to slide or spread out along the floor, provided that it is a reaction to the play. (i.e. goalies cannot stay in this position). You can also play that goalies are not allowed to dive but this must be decided on before the game starts. When a goalie has control of the ball in front of the bench, it is good sportsmanship to allow the goalie to clear the ball without checking them. However, if the goalie goes into a corner beside the bench to play a ball, then opponents have the right to check them.

7. Rough Play: ANY ROUGH OR PHYSICAL PLAY WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE EXPULSION FROM FURTHER LEAGUE PLAY AND MAY RESULT IN LIFETIME LEAGUE EXPULSION. PLEASE SEE THE MSSC POLICY SHEET FOR OUR OFFICIAL POLICY ON THIS SUBJECT. It is recognized that incidental contact between players is inevitable – however, all players should go out of their way to avoid creating an unsafe play. This rule supersedes all others.