How Long Is A Futsal Game?
A futsal game includes two 20 minute halves, one 15 minute halftime break, and one possible one minute timeout per team in each half. The game may be longer than this if the score is tied and overtime is required.
The Clock
The way the clock works in futsal is much different than that of a regular soccer game. The time actually stops whenever the ball goes out play as well as for a penalty kick. The clock will also stop for a kick-in or corner kick, but a player still only has four seconds to put the ball into play or the kick-in or corner will be given to the other team. Whenever an injury or serious circumstance that involves something outside of the court occurs, the time will indeed stop as well. If it is an extremely excruciating injury, the injured player will go off the court and a substitution will follow immediately after and the clock will resume.
Substitutions
Another aspect of time in futsal is that substitutions can always happen during gameplay or on the fly similarly to ice hockey. The clock will never stop for a substitution. Substitutions are also unlimited, and to do it within the laws of the game, the player being subbed off has to be completely over the court line before the new player can be subbed on.
Extra Time
Extra time will only occur in instances where there is still a draw that does not involve away goals. An away goal is the concept of having an advantage over another team when you play each other twice, each game at one of each other’s home court, and teams can win on a combined aggregate score. The actual advantage is that if the aggregate score is tied, the team who scores more goals at the other team’s stadium will win. However, if away goals do not have an effect, it will go to extra time. Extra time consists of two five minute periods. There are also no timeouts in extra time. If the game is not finished in extra time it will go to penalty kicks.
Penalties
Penalty kicks or known as a penalty shootout is always the result of a very tight and intense game because there is no other way to determine a winner. After extra time each team will receive three penalty kicks from the designated penalty spot on the court which is approximately 20 feet from the goal. The side of the court where the penalties are taken is decided by the referee and the team who goes first in the shootout is determined by a coin toss. Whichever team scores more penalties wins.
However, if both teams score the same amount of penalties, it goes to sudden death. The way sudden death works is that each team will receive one penalty kick at a time. If one team scores one and the other misses the game is over, but if both teams score or miss, they do it again.