Fouls and misconduct are penalized as follows: 

 

Direct Free Kick: 

 

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following offenses in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force: 

 

·  kicks or attempts to kick an opponent; 

·  trips or attempts to trip an opponent; 

·  jumps at an opponent; 

·  charges an opponent, even with the shoulder; 

·  strikes or attempts to strike an opponent; 

·  pushes an opponent. 

 

A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following offenses: 

 

·  holds an opponent (which includes pulling the opponent’s uniform); 

·  spits at an opponent; 

·  handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area); 

·  plays in a dangerous manner; 

·  deliberately impedes the progress of an opponent when the ball is not being played; 

·  prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands; 

· throwing of sand to an opponent or the referee; 

·  commits any other offense, not previously mentioned in Rule 11, for which play is stopped to caution or dismiss a player; 

 

Penalty Kick: 

 

A penalty kick is awarded if a player commits any of the aforementioned offenses inside his own penalty area, irrespective of the position of the ball but provided that it is in play. 

 

The player who received the foul takes the penalty kick, unless seriously injured, in which case his substitute does. In the event that the offense committed was deliberate handling of the ball, any player from the team awarded with the free kick may take it. 

 

Kicks from the Halfway Line: 

 

A direct free kick from the center of the halfway line is also awarded to the opposing team if: 

·  a team has possession of the ball inside its own penalty area for more than 5 (five) seconds, and is not defending it from any opponent; 

 

·  the goalkeeper uses his hands to receive an intentional pass from any team-mate, two times right after each other without the ball having 

touched an opponent; 

 

·  the goalkeeper kicks the ball in the air (volley shot) before it touches the ground and after releasing it from his hands 

 

·  the goalkeeper, after having possession of the ball in his hands inside his own area,  plays the ball with his feet out of the penalty area and then comes into that area again and takes the ball with his hands (see Rule 11) 

 

·  the goalkeeper restarts the game with his feet. 

 

  

Cautionable offenses by players  

 

 Yellow card 

 

A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following offenses: 

·  is guilty of unsporting behavior; 

·  shows dissent by word or action; 

·  persistently infringes the Rules of the Game; 

·  delays the start of play; 

·  fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, kick-in, throw-in, free kick or goal clearance; 

·  enters or re-enters the pitch without the referee's permission or infringes the substitution procedure; 

·  deliberately leaves the pitch without the referee's permission; 

·  handles the ball deliberately on a non goal scoring opportunity. 

 

Sending-off offenses by players 

  

 Red card 

 

A player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following offenses: 

·  is guilty of serious foul play; 

·  is guilty of violent conduct; 

·  spits at an opponent or any other person; 

·  denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (with the exception of a goalkeeper within his own penalty area); 

·  uses offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures; 

·  receives a third caution in the same match. 

 

 

A player who has been shown the red card may not re-enter the game in course nor may he sit on the substitutes' bench. A substitute player may enter the field two complete minutes after a teammate has been sent off with a red card. 

 

Cautionable offenses by the technical staff 

  

 Yellow card 

 

A member of the Technical Staff (i.e. coach, team delegate, players on the bench) is cautioned and shown a yellow card if he commits any of the following offenses: 

 

·  is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct toward the opponent team, spectators, or any tournament official; 

·  shows violent dissent by word or action from any decision taken by the referees. 

 

 Red Card 

 

A member of the technical staff is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following offenses: 

 

·  is guilty of violent conduct; 

·  spits at an opponent or any other person; 

·  uses offensive, insulting or abusive language and / or gestures; 

·  receives a second caution in the same match; 

·  enters the field without the referee's permission. 

For any of these offenses, a direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the center of the half way line. 

 

The referee shall report the reason why a member of the technical staff has been sanctioned with a red card to the Disciplinary Committee, who will analyze the possibility of additional sanctions. 

 

Technical staff sent off by referee will have to be seated in a location far enough from the competition area as not to interfere with the game.