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SHOOTOUT: RULES & CLARIFICATIONS

Everybody playing indoor soccer know what shootout is, but certainly many players, even referees, don't know exactly its rules.
As everything matter in Indoor Soccer, there are many diference between facilities, but the basic is the same:

Shootout is Awarded for any of the following fouls committed by a defending player in his defensive half of the field:
1. Foul “from behind”, by an attacker with one defender (probably the goalkeeper) between attacker and goal and has a reasonable goal scoring opportunity.
2. Any foul where he is the last player on the team between the attacking player with the ball and the goal.
3. A penalty shootout may be awarded following a delayed blue, if the offense would have originally warranted.
4. Cumulative sixth foul in a half or fourth in overtime; a penalty shootout is awarded. No time penalty served.

What is the shootout mechanic?

(a)
Any player may take the Shootout;
(b)
All players serving Time Penalties are seated in their appropriate Penalty Area.
All players of the attacking team stand behind the Halfway Line and outside of the Center
Circle. Players of the defending team stand behind the Halfway Line and inside of the
Center Circle;
(c)
The ball is placed at the Restart Mark nearer the attacking Goal;
(d)
The Goalkeeper has at least one foot on his Goal Line and may not move off of it
until after the Referee whistles the Shootout to begin;
(e)
Once the referee blows the whistle, the ball is in play, just as in regular play, and the
player plays the ball forward. The player taking the shootout may use any standard
legal manner to score--including a direct shot on goal, dribbling and then shooting,
playing the ball off of the boards, passing to a teammate, and so on. A shootout which
takes place during regular game play is not timed; the ball is simply back in play in
standard game mode once the referee blows the whistle.

This is the basic rule under US Indoor Soccer Associaiton, North Texas State Association, Northwest Oregon Indoor Referees Association, New Mexico Youth Indoor Soccer Associaiton, and many more leagues, and facilities.
The Cleveland rules has and important specification: "The game clock shall continue to run at all times, even during the setup for a shootout attempt.
Any foul which is committed by the keeper on the shootout player will result in a
Penalty Kick being awarded", that is usual in most facilities, but Cleveland has the write rule about it.

COED:
Usualy there are not diferences, except is a male take shootout 1 point is scored, and if the female is taking 2 points are awarded.

TIEBREAKER:
When shootout is the tiebreaker system all rules explained above are applied, but there not intervention of another players, and kicker has 5 second for to finish his play. Many facilities establish that the first, third and fifth shootout must to be take by female players.

OTHER QUESTIONS: (These are answers gave by Said Sanhoury, US Indoor Soccer Association's Director of Officials)
In a shoot out situation can the defensive team switch goal keepers? YES.
Specifically, can a player that was on the field at the time the foul
resulting in the shootout was called, switch with the player that was the
designated keeper at the time of the foul? YES
It is my understanding that once the shootout has been awarded, there are no
substitutions allowed at all. NO,Once the shoot out has been started (NOT
AWARDED), there is no sub for the first 3 seconds of the sootout.

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