EUROFootball 2025 – Budapest

COMPETITION GENERAL AND TECHNICAL RULES

 

• Game format: 6 aside (5 outfield players and a goalkeeper).
• Field: Outdoor, approx. 40×20 meters of astro turf (artificial grass).
• Ball: Normal ball (size 5) – two balls per football field will be provided by the host.
• Goal size: 3x2m.
• Shoes: only indoor or astroturf shoes can be used, no cleats allowed (no rubber cleats either!).
• Penalty area: 6m, penalty mark: 7m.

 

• Water dispensers will be available at the competition venue, please bring your own bottle with you!

 

• Competition Technical Commission: 5 members – the captains of the Hungarian men’s and women’s teams, two referees (not involved in the given dispute), and one designated person from the organising company

 

• Playing time: The matches are 2*12 minutes long, with a running clock.

 

• Referees: Official referees, delegated by the Budapest Directorate of the Hungarian Football Association.
  • 1 person/match, except for the finals,
  • 2 persons/match in the finals.

 

• The number of substitution opportunities are unlimited; all registered players can play the respective game.
• The use of return substitutions is also permitted.
• Substitutions are made continuously (flying) at the half-line – there is no interruption of play due to substitutions.

 

• Shinguards are not compulsory but recommended.
• If the colours of the jerseys of the two teams playing in a match, or of one team and its opponent’s goalkeeper, are not sufficiently different from each other, the use of a distinctive jersey is mandatory. The referee of the match decides whether the use of a distinctive jersey is necessary.
  • The distinctive jersey/bib is provided by the organisers.
  • The distinctive jersey/bib must be worn by the team on the right side of the match pairing.

 

• A referee’s coin toss determines which team will start the match.

 

• 3 points for a win, 1 point each team for tie, 0 points for a defeat is awarded for each game

 

 

• There is a 3-minute waiting period at the beginning of a match. If a team does not appear within 3 minutes of the scheduled kick-off time of the match, the game will be recorded with 0 points and a goal difference of 0-3 for them.
  • If neither team appears within 3 minutes of the scheduled kick-off time of the match, both teams will receive 0 points, with a goal difference of 0-3.
• Minimum number of players with whom the match can start: 4 field players and 1 goalkeeper.
  • A match may not start if either team has fewer than 5 players
  • A team that does not reach the minimum number of players at the start of the match loses the match by a goal difference of 0-3.

 

• It is not possible to substitute more than the number of players listed – participants registered as officials cannot replace any players, even if players get injured.
• Transfers of players between teams are not allowed – not even between two different teams from the same country.

 

• Yellow and red cards:
  • If a player gets a yellow card, that is applicable only for the current game, and it does not affect the next match.
  • If a 2^nd yellow card is received within a match, or in the case of an immediate red card: 2-minute exclusion for the offending player, during which period the team is reduced in number of players. After the exclusion time has expired, any player except the excluded one may return to the field.
  • If there is a penalty shoot-out after the end of the match, the player who received 2 yellow cards or immediate red card in the respective match may not take part in it.
  • When a red card warning was given for a serious foul, the Competition Technical Commission judges the severity of the foul and decides whether the offending player can play in the remaining matches of the tournament.

 

• In matters not regulated, the general rules of football apply.

 

• In disputed situations, the Competition Technical Commission is responsible for making decisions. It is important to highlight that the Competition Technical Commission does not overrule the decisions made by the referee during the match, it does not even deal with cases like those and does not modify the result of a match.

 

 

Rankings at the end of the group matches (all group matches are played on Friday)

 

In the group phase games the teams’ ranking in each group will be determined by the higher number of points obtained in all matches played.

The ranking of each team in each group will be determined as follows:

• Greater number of points obtained in all group matches,
• Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned,
• More wins in all group matches,
• Greater goal difference in all group matches,
• Greater number of goals scored in all group matches,
• Drawing of lots by the CTC.

Should more than two teams have the same number of points, the criteria listed above apply.

 

• In the knock-out phase a match that end in a draw is followed by 3-3 penalties. If the result is still tied after 6 kicks, the penalty shoot-out will continue in pairs until a decision is made.
• In a penalty shoot-out, any player who is not excluded from that game may take a penalty kick.

 

• Defending distances at set pieces:
  • Free kick: 5 meters.
  • Kick-in/throw-in (women only), corner and kick-off: 3 meters.

 

• A slide-tackle is not allowed unless it is performed with a clear purpose to win/possess a free ball. It is the referee’s discretion to decide whether a slide-tackle movement is executed in a sanctionable way.

 

 

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE WOMEN TOURNAMENT

• The goalkeeper may throw the ball out or kick it from the ground. The ball may be thrown to the other half of the field.
• The ball can be thrown-in or kicked-in from the sideline

 

Schedule and the Placement Matches to Decide the Final Ranking

 

Seeded team:

The team that finishes 1^st at the end of Friday’s group stage is seeded and their next match is the semi-final.

 

Quarterfinals:

After the group stage, the 2^nd placed team plays against the 5^th placed team, and the 3^rd placed team plays against the 4^th placed team for a place in the semi-finals.

 

“Consolation round”:

The losing teams of the quarterfinals play against each other in the consolation round: the winning team of the match continues in the semifinals, while the tournament ends for the losing team.

 

Semifinals:

The “seeded” team that won the group matches on Friday and the winner of the consolation round play against each other to qualify for the final; while the winners of the quarter-final matches play against each other in the other semi-final.

 

Bronze match and Final:

The losing teams of the semi-finals play each other for third place.

The winning teams of the semi-finals will play each other in the final.

 

 

SPECIAL RULES FOR THE MEN TOURNAMENT

• At the goal-kick/goal-throw, the ball CANNOT directly cross the half-line without touching any player. If the ball directly crosses the half-line without touching any player, then the opponent shall continue the game by a kick-in from the nearest crossing point of the half-line and sideline.
  • When the ball is in play the goalkeeper may play it over the half-line.
• The ball can only be kicked in from the sideline (no throw-in is allowed).

 

Schedule and the Placement Matches to Decide the Final Ranking

 

• 19 men teams in 4 groups (3×5 + 1×4).
• 4 seeded teams – seeding is applied based on the previous years’ results.

 

After the group phase:

1^st and 2^nd placed teams continue between 1^st-8^th place -> cross-matches (QFs, SFs, Finals)

3^rd and 4^th placed teams continue between 9^th-16^th place -> cross- matches (QFs, SFs, Finals)

The three 5^th placed teams play a mini group tournament for the final placements of 17^th-19^th.

 

Have a great tournament! 🙂

Detailed rules can be found by clicking here.