Swamp Football Rules: Interesting Information on this Dirty Kind of Sport

Swamp football is one of the youngest kinds of sport in the modern world since it appeared only in 1998. It was developed by a Finnish skier who offered to play a football match during a muddy season. It had occurred much precipitation before, and the football field had become very sticky. As a result, the Finnish athletes could not play traditional football and tried to kick a ball in mud just for fun. After that, more and more people have started playing this game in different countries of the world. To tell the truth, this kind of sport is growing in popularity even now, and the given article is going to present the most exhaustive information on swamp football.

General Principles

Swamp football matches take place in special fields having a lot of water and holes. That is why these matches should take place during warm seasons just as traditional football matches. However, one of the main differences between these two sports variations is that swamp footballers feature a smaller speed of moving across the field. It happens that these players literally sink in the bog, often waist-deep. Athletes should do their best to escape these difficult situations.

These matches take place on fields with the dimensions of 60 meters long and 35 meters wide between two teams with six players (one goalkeeper and five field players) in each.

Match duration can be different depending on a league or governing body. Thus, professional matches consist of two 13-minute halves, while these halves should last for 8 minutes each in amateur leagues. The absence of offsides is another difference between traditional and swamp footballs. If a match ends in a draw, a penalty shootout should take place. Every team is given three attempts.

Representatives of the same team should have an identical uniform. Thus, players are not allowed to play without this uniform or change their footwear during a match. As for footwear, athletes may play in any shoes except for football boots with cleats. At the same time, it is possible to play barefooted.

The goal area is five meters long and it embraces the whole width of the field. A goalkeeper may not touch the ball with his hands if it was his partner who sent the ball to him (once this rule is violated, a free kick should be announced). When a goalkeeper picked up a ball that was sent by an opponent, he has six seconds to kick it. Otherwise, a free kick should also be announced).

In swamp football, there are the following types of kicks:

1. Starting kicks. They occur in the beginning of every half and after every scored goal. The ball is placed immobile in the center of the field, and a player should kick it with his foot. It is possible to score a goal directly from a starting kick only if another player or a goalkeeper touches the ball before it crosses a goal line.
2. Goal kicks happen when the ball crosses a goal line from an attacking player. It is performed by releasing the ball from the hands and kicking it with a foot before it touches the ground.
3. Throw-ins. These are different compared to traditional football because they are performed in the same way as described above.
4. Corner kicks. They can be performed in two ways – either by releasing from hands or by kicking the ball that is placed on the ground.
5. As for penalty and free kicks, they are performed in the same way as by releasing the ball from hands. If a player is going to make a penalty kick, all the other players should stay at least five meters from the ball but should not stay between the ball and the goal. A penalty mark is seven meters from each goal. It is possible to score goals directly from corner kicks, free kicks, and throw-ins only if any player or a goalkeeper has touched the ball before it has crossed the goal line.

Every team can make an unlimited number of substitutions, and it is not necessary to stop the game for this. The only requirement is that these substitutions should take place through an appropriate area.

The following penalty sanctions can occur in a swamp football match:

• two yellow cards in a single game mean sending-off;
• one red car means sending-off.

Once a player is sent off, his team should play shorthanded for two minutes. At the same time, a sent-off player cannot participate in this very match and two following ones.

Players are allowed to touch the ball with any parts of their body, except for hands. It is possible to control the ball with knees and heads while on all fours until the referee stops the match. Besides, a player is allowed to hold the ball with his body for no more than five seconds. If this rule is violated, a free kick should be announced.