Street RULZ Football
RULZ Rules of Play
Our 5-a-side match rules. These apply to every league game at 40 Andrews Road, Tallebudgera — juniors and seniors.
⚽THE BASICS
1Four (4) outfield players plus a goalkeeper. Roster of eight, three subs.
2Subs are unlimited. The player coming off must be AT the gate before the replacement steps on. The player coming on is live immediately and can receive the ball.
2aSHUT THE GATE. Every sub, every time — the gate must be closed and latched behind you. An open gate stops the game.
3Keeper changes are allowed any time — but call it out loud: “Goalkeeper change.” It must be obvious to the referee and both teams.
4Two 20-minute halves with a four-minute break. A goal may be scored by any player.
⚡POWER PLAY — JUNIORS
4aJUNIORS ONLY. Five (5) goals down? Your team puts on a sixth player — five outfield plus the keeper — from the next restart.
4bThe extra player comes from your own roster. No spare player? Play on with five.
4cGet the gap back to two goals or fewer and the extra player steps off at the next restart. Back to four outfield plus a keeper.
4dIt switches back on any time the gap reaches five again. The referee calls it on and off. Every goal counts as normal.
👟KIT
5Turf (AG) or moulded boots. No screw-in studs, ever.
5aTurf boots grip our surface best. Anything else means less grip and a higher chance of rolling an ankle.
6Shin pads are strongly advised, but not compulsory.
7No hats. No bulky watches or jewellery. A cap peak on a small caged pitch is an eye injury waiting to happen.
🧱ON THE PITCH
8No food, no drinks and no chewing gum on the pitch. Bottles stay off the playing surface.
9Do not grab, pull or hang off the nets.
10Walls, roof and roof net are all play on.
11If the ball goes THROUGH the net, it is a goalkeeper’s ball to the keeper on the side it went out.
12If the ball leaves the pitch entirely, referee’s discretion.
13Shielding: your foot must be on the ball. Shield it without your foot on it and that is obstruction — free kick the other way.
14Corners: if more than two players are stuck on the ball and play is dead, the referee can award a drop ball to the defending team.
🧤THE D & THE KEEPER
15Attackers may enter the D but cannot score from inside it. They can pass or play a rebound. No interfering with the keeper — referee’s discretion.
16Inside their own D the keeper may use hands or feet — except a pass back from their own player, which is feet only. Handling a back pass is a penalty.
17The keeper may NOT handle the ball outside the D. A deliberate handball out there is a free kick and can be a RED CARD, especially if it stops a goal. Accidental contact is not automatically a card.
18Keepers can travel anywhere on the pitch and may throw the ball past halfway.
19A keeper’s clearance that deflects or rebounds into their own goal is a goal.
▶️RESTARTS
20Kickoff: opponents must be behind the first black pole — about three metres back.
21Kickoffs are DIRECT — score straight from a kickoff, no second touch needed.
22After a goal, the team that conceded restarts with a centre.
23All free kicks are DIRECT free kicks — score straight from any free kick. Opponents three metres back. On or near the D, the ball is moved up to two metres back to give the defence room.
24Penalties are DIRECT — score straight from it, no second touch.
25A penalty is taken from the dot. The keeper must be on the line. The taker may take up to two steps back.
⚠️FOULS
26No slide tackles, ever. Free kick against.
27Playing the ball on the ground is fine — as long as you are not tackling or trying to dispossess.
28Five fouls per half. The sixth is a penalty. After that, every second foul is a penalty. The tally resets at half time.
29No shoulder charging, at all. Shoving anyone into the side wall is a dangerous foul — penalty or card at the referee’s discretion.
30Any shove or push in the back is a penalty. A hand on a back or body is not automatically rough play — referee’s discretion.
🟨CARDS & CONDUCT
31Yellow card: three (3) minutes off. The team plays a player down for those three minutes — no substitute.
32Two yellows in a game = red. Off for the rest of the game, no replacement.
33Red card: off immediately, no replacement, the team plays the rest of the game a player down.
34Talking back to the referee after a warning is a DIRECT RED. Dissent and offensive language will not be tolerated, on or off the pitch.
📣REFEREES
35The referee’s decision on every on-field matter is final. No discussion, on or off the pitch.
36Complaints about a referee or official go in writing to admin@rulz.com.au within 48 hours. Our decision on the matter is final.
37Referees are to be treated with respect by players, teams and spectators. Abuse or intimidation means removal from the leagues and a ban from the premises.
38These rules are not exhaustive and may be added to or amended at any time.
Game length. 20 minutes each way. One-day tournaments are 15 minutes each way.
Questions or a complaint? Put it in writing to admin@rulz.com.au within 48 hours, or call Vincenzo on 0412 766 696.
Last updated 8 October 2026.
Questions or a complaint? Put it in writing to admin@rulz.com.au within 48 hours, or call Vincenzo on 0412 766 696.
Last updated 8 October 2026.