The FIFA Council have approved amendments to the Beach Soccer Laws of the Game proposed by the FIFA Referees Committee.

The majority of the proposed amendments seek a clearer alignment with the Football and the Futsal Laws of the Game. Indeed, the FIFA administration has also taken into account some amendments from the new Futsal Laws of the Game, where similar situations are involved.

The amendments affect 16 of the current Beach Soccer Laws of the Game. One of the relevant changes provided in these amendments is that after extra time, if the score is still tied, both teams will take five penalty kicks in the shoot-out, instead of the previous amount of three. 

Also, the goalkeeper will now only be entitled to keep possession of the ball for 4 seconds within his/her own half, extended from his/her penalty area. Another change affecting goalkeepers will be, when a goalkeeper is in need of medical attention during the game, he/she will have to be treated off the pitch, thus allowing the game to restart, and must re-enter the pitch from the substitution zone.

Another of the issues that was modified, inside Law 8 - The Start and Restart of Play, states that the ball will be now considered in play when it is kicked and clearly moves.

The amended Beach Soccer Laws of the Game will be in force as of 1 July 2021, thus including the upcoming FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Russia 2021.