What Are the Rules of Indoor Soccer for Kids?

Ask two indoor facilities for their youth soccer rules and you will get two different sheets. One uses kick-ins instead of throw-ins and does not show yellow or red cards to young players. The other bans heading for kids 11 and younger and shows cards the way an outdoor referee would. Same sport, same age group, different game.

So what are the rules of indoor soccer for kids? We read two published youth rulebooks side by side so you do not have to. Below you will find what they share, where they split, what your child should wear, and a short quiz that helps you decide between an indoor league and indoor training. Along the way we will tell you plainly when a league is the better answer.

What are the rules of indoor soccer for kids?

In the two youth rulebooks we compared, kids played seven-a-side, with six field players and a goalkeeper. There was no offside, substitutions were free, and each game ran two 22-minute halves on a running clock. Both required shin guards, banned slide tackles and kept jewelry off the field.

Both documents borrow from the outdoor game, but neither is the outdoor game. The Maryland fieldhouse says its rules follow the FIFA Laws modified for indoor play. The Colorado fieldhouse blends United States Indoor Soccer Association rules with U.S. Soccer rules. There is no single national rulebook for youth indoor soccer, which is why the details change from building to building.

Two real youth indoor rulebooks, side by side

Rule	Maryland fieldhouse, winter 2025-26	Colorado fieldhouse, winter 2023
Players on the field	Seven-a-side: six field players plus a goalkeeper, ages 8 and up	Seven-a-side, with a suggested roster of 12
Game length	Two 22-minute halves, running clock	22-minute halves, running clock
Offside	None	None
Substitutions	Unlimited, on the fly	Free substitution
Ball size	Size 4 for 12 and under, size 5 for 13 and up	Size 3 for 8U, size 4 for 10U and 12U
Footwear	Turf shoes or flats; molded cleats and metal studs not allowed	All shoes welcome except steel-toed cleats, metal cleats, golf shoes and baseball cleats
Shin guards	Required, worn under the socks	Required, must be real shin guards and covered
Heading	Not allowed for 11 and younger	Not mentioned in the rules
Slide tackles	Not permitted; goalkeepers may slide in their own penalty area at the referee's discretion	Not permitted; goalkeepers may slide only inside their penalty arch
When the ball leaves play	Throw-ins, goal kicks and corners from the touchlines and goal lines	Kick-ins instead of throw-ins; the netting above the boards is out of play
Cards	Yellow means two minutes out with a replacement; red means ejection	No yellow or red cards in recreational youth leagues; referees can warn, eject or give a two-minute sit-out

Read straight across and you will see the pattern. The things that shape the game, like team size, game length, no offside and free substitution, matched. The things that affect your Saturday routine, like ball size, footwear, heading and restarts, did not. Our sources are the Adventist HealthCare Fieldhouse 2025-26 winter youth rules in Maryland and the City of Aurora's Southeast Recreation Center fieldhouse rules in Colorado. Neither is a Kansas City league, and the Colorado sheet is from 2023, so treat both as examples of what to expect, not as your league's rules.

How is indoor soccer different from outdoor soccer for kids?

The biggest differences are format and flow. In our two rulebooks, substitutions are free and the clock keeps running, which keeps play moving. One of the two is played in a boarded, netted fieldhouse and uses kick-ins instead of throw-ins. Indoor games are also played in a smaller space than a full outdoor pitch.

Some differences are smaller than parents expect. U.S. Soccer's small-sided standards for ages U-6 through U-12 already shrink outdoor games, because fewer players means more opportunities for touches on the ball. They also remove offside before the U-9 age group. For a young player, then, "no offside" is not an indoor quirk at all. It becomes one only once outdoor offside kicks in.

If your question is really about training rather than games, we cover that separately in our comparison of indoor vs outdoor soccer training in Kansas City.

What should kids wear to indoor soccer?

Shin guards, shoes your league allows, and nothing on the wrists or ears. Both rulebooks require shin guards, and one specifies they must be real shin guards, not cardboard or other substitutes. Jewelry is banned in both. The Maryland list is specific enough to include wristbands, watches and hair ties, so check your child's wrists before the whistle.

Footwear is where parents get caught. A turf shoe that is welcome at one fieldhouse can be banned at another, and the word "turf" means different things in different buildings. Ask the league which shoes it allows, then read our guide to indoor soccer shoes for kids before you buy a pair. Teams usually wear matching jerseys or pinnies, and one league requires a permanent number on the back.

Is an indoor league or indoor training the better fit?

A league is for games, and coached training is for reps. Which one your child needs depends on what they want. When the Aspen Institute's Project Play surveyed 3,827 young people ages 10 to 17, current players named having fun (48%) and playing with friends (47%) as their top favorite things about playing. Only 12% named a college scholarship or roster spot. For a lot of kids, a friendly indoor league is the right answer and training can wait.

Training earns its place when a child wants to fix something specific, like a weak foot or a shaky first touch, and games alone are not fixing it. Prestige Indoor Sports offers coached training, camps and field rentals rather than a league, so if your quiz result points to a league, that is the honest answer. If it points to coaching, see our indoor soccer training in Overland Park.

Quick quiz

League, training or both?

Five questions. One possible answer is that your child does not need training at all right now.

1. What does your child want most right now?

To play games with friends To get better at one specific skill Honestly, both

2. How do games feel for your child lately?

Fun and confident Hesitant, quiet or hiding from the ball Fine, but the same mistakes keep repeating

3. Does your child already have a team or regular games?

Yes, plenty A few No, hardly any

4. How much time can your family give each week?

One evening at most Two or more sessions It varies week to week

5. What would a great season look like?

Smiling, sweaty and asking to go back A clearly better first touch or weaker foot A bit of both

Show my resultStart over

Six questions to ask before the first game

The fastest way to avoid a surprise is to ask the league six things before registration closes. Most coordinators can answer them in a minute, and the answers cover almost everything that trips up first-time indoor families.

1. Which rulebook do you follow, and can I see it? Ask for the current season's sheet, because rules change between seasons.
2. How many players take the field, and what ball does my child's age group use? Format and ball size both vary by age.
3. Which shoes are allowed? Turf shoes, flats, indoor shoes and cleats are treated differently from building to building.
4. What are the contact rules? Ask about heading, sliding and pushing into the boards.
5. How are cards and time penalties handled? Some leagues skip cards for young players, and others use them.
6. How do substitutions work, and how much will my child play? Free substitution is common, so playing time depends on the coach.

Frequently asked questions

Is there offside in indoor soccer?

Not in the two youth rulebooks we compared: both say there is no offside. Outdoors, U.S. Soccer's youth standards also remove offside before the U-9 age group, so the difference mostly shows up for older players. Always check your own league's sheet.

How many players are on an indoor soccer team for kids?

Both rulebooks we compared play seven-a-side, with six field players and a goalkeeper, and cap rosters at 14 in one case and suggest 12 in the other. Other leagues use smaller or larger formats, so ask what your child's age group plays.

Do kids wear cleats in indoor soccer?

It depends on the league. One rulebook accepts turf shoes or flats and bans molded cleats and metal studs. Another welcomes all shoes except steel-toed cleats, metal cleats, golf shoes and baseball cleats. Ask before you buy, and see our indoor soccer shoes guide.

How long is a youth indoor soccer game?

In both rulebooks we compared, games are two 22-minute halves on a running clock, with a halftime of up to two minutes. Other leagues set game length by age group, so confirm it when you register.

Is indoor soccer good for kids' development?

Smaller games mean more touches. U.S. Soccer says playing with fewer players keeps kids constantly involved and gives them more opportunities for touches on the ball, and indoor formats share that feature. A league adds game experience, while coached training adds targeted reps. See our comparison of indoor and outdoor soccer training.

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