Major Indoor Soccer League Rules:
The Field:
- The field dimensions are 200ft x 85ft (61m x 26m).
- Goals are 8ft high x 14ft wide (2.4m x 4.3m) and are receded into the end boards.
- There are 2 45-foot arcs surrounding each of the goals; these act as the equivalent of the NBA's 3-point line.
- The fields are composed of artificial turf.
- Two Referees are on the field and have total jurisdiction over the game. An Assistant Referee is stationed at the timer’s bench to supervise the game clock, penalty box, team benches, keep a record of the game and to assist the referees in the control of the game.
- The visiting team has possession for kickoffs in the first and third quarters; the home team in the second and fourth. Play restarts (after the ball leaves the playing area) with a kick-in or a corner kick or distribution from the goalkeeper.
- Corner kicks are taken if the ball leaves the playing area between the two flags on the goal line, having been last touched by the defending team. The goalkeeper will distribute the ball if the ball leaves the playing area between the two flags on the goal line, having been last touched by the attacking team.
- Kick-ins are taken when the ball leaves the field of play at any other area and will be put back in play by the opposing team at the point the ball left the field longitudinally between flags or top of arc if directly out in the defensive zone.
- Yellow Line violations are called when a forward pass crosses both yellow lines in the air without being touched by another player. The goalkeeper may not play the ball over 2 lines except a throw from within his penalty area. Change of possession and a direct kick from the defensive yellow line restarts play.
- Play off of walls - The ball may be struck in such a way that it contacts one or more walls without penalty or stoppage. If the ball flies over the walls or contacts the ceiling, play is stopped and the team opposing the one that most recently touched the ball is awarded a free kick at the location where the ball left the arena or made contact with the ceiling.
- Contact Rules - Standard contact rules generally apply (i.e. ball contact must be made during a play on the ball, no charging with hands or elbows, no charging from behind, no holding the opponent etc.). the sliding tackle is banned.
- No offside - There is no offside rule. Instead, there is a "three-line violation", prohibiting players from playing the ball in the air from behind the front line of their own penalty area across all three lines into the opponent's penalty area. Violations often result in a free kick for the opposing team at the front line of the offending team's penalty area.
- Zones - Because of short fields and walls surrounding the goal, a common tactic is to attempt to score at kickoff by shooting at the goal and charging at the goal with all five non-goalkeeper players who overwhelm the other team's defense and score at close range. As this depletes the tactics and drama of the game, this league has adopted an ice hockey-like zone rule, requiring that the ball not cross into the next forward zone toward the goal without being touched by a player.
- The Crease - No player may shoot the ball from inside the crease (the goalkeeper's box) unless that player entered the crease already having the ball.
- Games are divided into four quarters of 15 minutes each for a total of 60 minutes of play time.
- There are two three minute periods between the first/second and third/fourth quarters and one 15 minute half-time in-between the second and third quarters.
- If the game stays tied until the time runs out, there will be extra 15 minute, golden goal overtime periods.
- Teams have 3 timeouts per half.
- 6 players on the field; 24 payers on the roster.
- All 24 players are eligible for selection to each 18-player game-day squad during the regular season and playoffs.
- (GK) Goalkeeper - The goalkeeper's main job is to stop the other team from scoring by catching, palming or punching the ball from shots, headers and crosses. Goalkeepers, typically unlike their teammates, remain in the penalty area for most of the game. As a result keepers have a better view of the pitch and often given advice to their defense when the other team is on the attack or during set pieces except penalties. Keepers can only touch the ball in their own box excluding the arc which is really outside the penalty area.
- (D) Defender - Defenders play behind the Transition and their primary responsibility is to provide support to the team and to prevent the opposition from scoring a goal. They usually remain in the half of the field that contains the goal they are defending.
- (T) Transition - Similar to a Midfielder in the outdoor game, the Transition is a player whose position of play is midway between the attacking forwards and the defenders. Their main duties are to maintain possession of the ball, taking the ball from defenders and feeding it to the strikers, as well as dispossessing opposing players. Transitions are expected to cover most areas of the pitch, as at times they can be called back into defense or required to attack with the strikers. They are more often the players that initiate attacking play for a team.
- (S) Striker - Strikers are the players who are positioned nearest to the opposing team's goal. Their primary responsibility is to score goals and to create scoring chances for other players. Strikers may also contribute defensively by harrying opposition defenders and goalkeepers whilst not in possession.
- Teams are allowed unlimited live substitutions while the game is in progress, provided that one player leaves the arena before another steps on.
- Blue Card = warning card, similar the yellow card in the outdoor game.
- Yellow Card = the player charged with the penalty must sit in the penalty box for 2 minutes while their team plays shorthanded.
- Red Card = the player charged with the penalty is permanently ejected from the game.
- Fouls are penalized with a free kick to the offended team, and in some cases, depending upon the severity of the foul, time in the penalty box. A goal can be scored directly from all free kicks.
- Penalties are called and time served in the penalty box for Penal offenses, Misconduct and Major violations. All power play time penalties are two (2) minutes in length. Misconducts (the referee will show a yellow card) are five (5) minutes in length. The penalty call will not be made (delayed time penalty) and play stopped until the guilty team gains ball possession or play is otherwise over.
- A penalty kick is awarded to a team when a Penal Time Penalty is committed by the opponent in its own penalty area (25 x 30 feet). The penalty kick is taken from the penalty spot (24 feet directly in front of the goal). All players except the designated kicker and goalkeeper must stay behind the yellow line.
- Man Advantages (power play) - a team will play one (or two) men short when a power play time penalty is called by one of the game officials.
- A shootout is awarded for all time penalty infractions which deny a goal-scoring opportunity. The offended team shall designate a player to attempt to score a goal in a one-on-one situation with the opposing goalkeeper. The shootout begins at the center of the defensive yellow line.
- All Misconduct Time Penalties are five (5) minutes in length. The guilty player must serve this penalty.
- Penalty Goal (the non-offending team gets a one-on-one opportunity to score on the opposing goalkeeper off of a minor technical infraction) = 1 point.
- All Goals inside the 3-point arc = 2 points.
- All Goals outside or on the 3-point arc = 3 points.
- The MISL Draft takes place in the last week of April and last two (2) rounds.
- All MISL Teams can only draft 2 players per draft.
- All potential players must have a college degree in order to be eligible for the draft.
- The selection order is based on each team's win-loss record in the previous season and whether the team reached the playoffs. Teams that did not reach the playoffs the previous season are ranked in reverse order of their records (so the team with the fewest wins is awarded the first selection).
- Ties between teams with identical records are determined by the following tiebreakers (in order): strength of schedule, division tiebreakers, conference tiebreakers, and a pre-draft coin flip.
- Order of Draft Picks: Non-playoff Teams (1-22), Eliminated in First Round (23-26), Eliminated in Second Round (27-28), MILL Runner-up (29), MILL Champion (30).
- Each team plays 26 games; 4 games (2h / 2a) against all other 4 teams in their division, and 2 games (1h/1a) against the other 10 teams in the conference.
- The regular season begins in October and ends in March.
- The postseason is an 8-team single-elimination tournament in which the division champions and 1 wild card from each conference are automatically chosen.
- The format for the first round of playoff games is 1v4 and 2v3; all playoff games will be played at the higher ranked team's stadium.
- The next round is the Eastern Conference and Western Conference championships, followed by the Continental Cup for the league title.