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RULES and other GUIDELINES
We wish to encourage friendly
competition and provide a safe, clean, and fun environment for all
of our patrons to enjoy while they are at One-Touch Soccer. Your
cooperation goes a long way to achieving that goal, and we ask that
all visitors to our facility review and adhere to the following
rules and guidelines:
FACILITY POLICIES
GENERAL RULES OF THE FACILITY
Individuals utilizing this facility—as players, coaches, spectators,
or otherwise—do so at their own risk. The facility, sponsors, or
any authorized representative, agent, or employee of these shall not
be responsible for any expense incurred by any individual or team if
the event is canceled in whole or in part or for any liability in
connection with the event for personal injury or property loss in
connection with traveling to, participating in, or traveling home
from the event.
One-Touch Soccer is not responsible for theft or damage to vehicles
or vehicle contents. We encourage everyone to secure all personal
property accordingly.
No individual will be allowed to participate in any game (league,
pickup, or tournament), practice session, camp/clinic, or other
activity until a waiver/release form [link] has been properly completed and
signed.
Conduct within the facility, both on the field and off, should be in
the spirit of good sportsmanship. Players are expected to
adhere to the rules of the game and make every effort to avoid
causing injury to themselves and other persons using the facility.
PLEASE DO NOT KICK BALLS AGAINST THE WALLS OF THE OFFICE/RESTROOM BUILDING!
The following are prohibited on One-Touch Soccer premises:
· Alcoholic beverages
· Smoking or tobacco products
· Illicit drugs or drug paraphernalia
· Knives of any kind
· Glass containers
· Chewing gum
NO food is permitted inside the fieldhouse.
NO animals/pets are permitted inside the fieldhouse or on
the synthetic turf outdoor field. All animals/pets
MUST be kept on a leash at all times.
PLEASE deposit all trash (water
bottles, tape, etc.) in the trash
cans provided and PLEASE help us keep our restrooms clean and in
good order. Your cooperation will only help keep our (and
therefore your) costs down, as well
as enhance everyone’s experience at One-Touch Soccer.
We urge all participants and visitors to
properly secure personal items such as wallets, purses, watches,
phones, etc. at all times. Please report any lost (or found)
items to the One-Touch Soccer staff. We do not assume
responsibility for lost items, but will make reasonable efforts to
reunite lost property with its rightful owner.
One-Touch Soccer reserves the right to refuse or terminate
individual and/or team participation at the facility for violation
of any facility/administrative/disciplinary policies.
Your comments and suggestions are encouraged and appreciated.
DISCIPLINARY POLICIES
One-Touch Soccer uses only certified referees.
Referees assigned to officiate each game have complete authority,
and the decisions of the Referee regarding facts connected with play
and interpretations of the Rules are FINAL. Referees are
independent contractors and are not employees of One-Touch Soccer.
One-Touch Soccer will periodically assess its referee pool to
ensure the highest level of refereeing possible. Feedback
regarding referees is welcomed and encouraged. Complaints regarding
referees must be submitted in writing and contain points of fact.
Red Cards
A player or coach issued a
Straight Red Card
will automatically be suspended
from his/her team's next game. A player or coach issued an
Administrative Red Card (see Rules 10 & 11 for differences) will not automatically
be suspended from his/her tem's next game, however depending on the
circumstances league management reserves the right to issue a
suspension if it deems appropriate.
In addition, the player may (at discretion of league
management) not be permitted to play on any other team until the suspension has been
served. The player and/or his/her team captain should
contact league management to determine if the additional "multi-league/multi-team"
suspension will be enforced. If a player is issued a red card in the final game(s) of a
season he or she will be prohibited from playing in his/her team's first game(s)
after registering for another season. Straight red cards for
violent conduct will result in suspension for one additional game and
subject to further disciplinary action as decided by the facility
management.
In cases where a non-rostered guest player is
issued a red card, the team captain shall be responsible and shall
serve the applicable suspension.
In cases where the player or coach who was issued
the red card is unidentifiable or ineligible to play (e.g., not on a
team's roster/does not have a signed waiver on file), the team captain shall be responsible and shall
serve the applicable suspension.
A team found to be playing with a
player who is supposed to be serving a suspension or is otherwise
ineligible (e.g., too young for an age-specific league) will be subject to
forfeit of any such games played.
A player accumulating more than one red card during a season will be
subject to an additional three-game suspension or of an
appropriate length determined by
facility management.
A player or coach issued a red card for assaulting a referee will be
suspended from any further activities at One-Touch Soccer, and local
law enforcement authorities will be notified. "Assault on a
referee" is defined as an attempt to commit a battery, or an act
close to accomplishment thereto, on a referee.
One-Touch Soccer, upon reviewing the facts surrounding any red card,
reserves the right to amend or impose additional sanctions (including
monetary fines) to individual players and/or teams based on the
nature and severity of the offense.
Neither teams nor players shall be entitled to refund of any fees due to missed/lost games due to player or team suspensions
resulting from red card/disciplinary sanctions.
Fighting
One-Touch Soccer has a ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY toward fighting.
Any player, coach, or spectator engaged in fighting will be ejected
and suspended for a minimum of three games. Any player, coach,
or spectator engaged in fighting a second time will be banned from
the facility for a minimum of one year.
If any substitute player leaves the bench area and enters the field
to participate in a fight, the team will be subject to a
$50 fine. The fine must be paid prior to the team’s next game.
Unpaid fines will result in a team forfeiting any and all matches
until the fine has been paid.
Any team involved in fighting will be put on a nine (9) week
probationary status. During this nine (9) week period, any
similar incident, major or minor, will be grounds for dismissal from
the league. No refunds will be issued.
Any player, coach, or spectator threatening or stalking another
player, coach, spectator, referee, or staff member will be ejected
and local law enforcement authorities will be notified.
LEAGUE RULES and INFORMATION
LEAGUE-PLAY
INFORMATION
Teams are scheduled for a minimum of eight games per season,
although in many cases the season runs nine* games.
The regular season will be played in a round-robin format. Typically, divisions with
4, 5, 6, 9 or 10 teams will have their champion determined by the
results of the regular season round-robin games, while divisions
with 7 or 8 teams will have a playoff at the end of the regular
season to determine their champion, although it can vary from season
to season depending on a number of factors. Playoffs are
sometimes single-elimination and other times double-elimination
format.
In leagues with more than one division, the team that is the Division 1 champion shall also be
named overall League champion.
*The additional 9th game is provided at no extra
charge above-and-beyond the team registration fee, however league management reserves the right to cancel the "bonus"
9th game if necessary due to weather-related conditions and/or in cases where the results of those games are irrelevant
to determining the division-champion. No pro-rated refunds will be offered for cancellation of the "bonus"
9th game, since it was
being provided for free anyway.
League Standings Point System
A team can get a maximum of 10 points in the standings from each
game it plays. Points are accumulated as follows:
· Win = 6 points
· Tie = 3 points
· Loss = 0 points
· Goal Scored = 1 point per goal, up to 3 per game
· Clean Sheet = 1 point
The team with the highest number of points in the standings at the
end of the season will be declared Champion, unless a playoff system
applies.
League/Division Tiebreaker
Any teams tied in the standings shall be governed by the following
tiebreaking procedure:
1. Head-to-head record
2. Total goal differential
3. Total goals scored
4. Number of clean sheets
5. Head-to-head goal
differential
Promotion/Relegation
In multi-division leagues (leagues with
more than one division of the same league playing on the same
night), the top and bottom teams in each division at the end of a
season are subject to promotion or relegation for the ensuing
season. More than one team from each division may be promoted
or relegated, based on needs to maintain competitive balance within
each division. While this may be done in consultation with the
team(s) in question, One-Touch Soccer reserves the sole right to
make necessary changes to ensure a competitive balance within each
league and/or division. Playoff results (where applicable) do
not necessarily affect possible promotion or relegation for
the subsequent season.
TEAM ROSTERS &
ELIGIBILITY
Rosters A maximum of fourteen (14) players may be placed on a team roster
for one team in the same division/league. Players under the
age of 18 are not permitted to play in Adult League divisions.
Rosters must be submitted prior to the first game of the season.
Any player wishing to participate on a particular team must be
properly listed on that team's Roster Form. An individual
player may only be rostered on one team within a division
unless a special exception has been authorized by league management. Changes to a team's
Roster form will be permitted prior to the third game. An
individual player may change teams--i.e., be removed from one team's
roster and added to a different team's roster--only one
time per season and pursuant to the guideline that rosters may only
be modified prior to a team's third game (i.e., no "switch-backs"
are permitted). As of
kickoff of a team’s third game, the team’s roster is final. In
the case of a team losing a player long-term (e.g., due to season-ending injury),
a replacement may be added at the discretion of league management
(proof of injury may be required).
Players must be able to provide proof of identification upon
request. The following will be accepted as proof of ID:
Driver’s License, Student ID, Resident Alien Card (“Green Card”),
Passport, or some other form of picture ID.
Rosters may be checked by league management
at any time. A team can request a roster check of the opposing
team starting with the third game of the season. This request
may be made before the game starts or at halftime, and should be
made to league management. Any player found to be ineligible will be not be
permitted to play in the game.
Guest Players Guest players
(i.e., players not listed on a team's Roster form) are permitted, under
the following guidelines: • The captain of the
team with guest player(s) must
get permission for the guest player(s) participation from the
opposing team's captain. It is
the team captain's responsibility to do this
before the start of the game.
Non-approved guest players are considered ineligible.
• Any guest player must have proper paperwork on file with
league management in the office. This means the player has
either filled out an Individual Waiver Form or is already properly
listed/signed on another team's roster.
• Once permission has been granted by an opposing team for
guest player participation, the referee
must be informed that guest player(s) participation has been
agreed to.
• The number of guest players used by any team shall not result in that team having
more total players than the opposing team. In cases where guest players are used at the beginning of a game
while a team is waiting for late-arriving rostered players, once the rostered players arrive the guest players
shall no longer contunue to play.
• All guest player participation is also subject to approval by league management.
Please note that the spirit of the guest player rule is to allow for teams who may be shorthanded for a particular
game to be able to field a full team. It is NOT so teams can bring in "ringers" for important or difficult games.
League management reserves the right to suspend or amend the guest player policy if it is used improperly or abused.
Participation on Multiple Teams A player
may participate in more than one league. For multi-division
leagues, a lower division team may not field more than four (4)
players from upper division team(s). A player may only be on one roster in a given division,
although exceptions may be made by facility management for teams
that have been promoted or relegated between divisions from the
previous season.
Age-Specific Leagues For age-specific adult leagues (e.g., Over-30, Over-40), each team
may have a maximum of two (2) players on its roster who are no more
than five (5) years younger than the designated age for the league.
For example, a team playing in the Over-30 league is permitted to
have one or two players who are in the 25-29 year age range.
Age eligibility is based on the player’s age at the time of his or
her team’s THIRD game of the season.
For all age-specific leagues--adult and youth--players must be able
to provide proof of age when requested by management. The following
will be accepted as proof of age: Driver’s License, Birth
certificate (or copy), Resident Alien Card (“Green Card”), or
Passport. Inability to provide proof-of-age may result in that
player being declared ineligible to play. Every youth team is required to have an adult
(minimum age 21 years old) on the bench to supervise the team.
Failure to have this individual will result in a forfeit of the
game.
EVERY PLAYER
MUST SIGN AND DATE THE ADULT TEAM ROSTER FORM PRIOR TO PLAYING HIS
OR HER FIRST GAME. Any player who has not signed the roster form is
not eligible to participate. Teams found to be playing with ineligible players are subject to
forfeiture of any and all games in which such players participated.
No refunds will be issued, and further sanctions (e.g., ban from
league) may be considered.
Team captains/managers are responsible for being aware of all
rules, guidelines, and policies of One-Touch Soccer, and for keeping
THEIR team informed.
No-Shows and Forfeits
All players and teams are encouraged to do
everything within their power to attend their respective games. In
the event of inclement weather resulting in a team's inability to
field the minimum required number of players, a forfeit will result
unless One-Touch Soccer has cancelled the game.
If a team fails to show up for a scheduled game, the use of the field by the opposing
team shall be permitted at the discretion of management. Teams are requested to appreciate that forfeiture is not in the spirit of
competition and detracts from the enjoyment of the event by all participants.
A team forfeiting a game (or games) during any one
season will be subject to the following fines:
· 1st forfeit = $60 fine
· 2nd forfeit = $100 fine
· 3rd forfeit = Termination of team’s participation from the current season and loss
of any re-registration priority for the following season. No refunds will be issued.
Fines for forfeits must be paid prior to the team’s next game. Unpaid fines will result in a team forfeiting
any and all matches until the fine has been paid. Teams incurring
forfeits (on winning or losing side) during a season shall not be
entitiled to any pro-rated refund nor to any registration
discount for a future season.
Game Reschedules
On rare occasions (e.g., extreme inclement or
dangerous weather, power outages), it may be necessary for One-Touch
Soccer to reschedule games. We will make every effort to avoid
doing this and will strive to provide as much advance notice to
affected teams as possible. Notification will be made via one
or more of the following methods: website, telephone, email, or
text-messaging. In cases where management is forced to
reschedule games, teams are still responsible for playing all their
respective games. Inability of a team to play a game rescheduled in
this manner will result in a forfeit; forfeit policies will apply
and no refunds will be issued.
Requests from teams for rescheduling games are strongly discouraged, and will only be
considered at management’s discretion and according to the following
guidelines: The team requesting to reschedule a game must submit a
request to management via email a minimum of ten (10) days prior to
subject game. Management will offer available days/times to both
teams involved in the subject game for approval. It will be the
team managers’ responsibility to coordinate and select one of the
available timeslots. If the teams cannot agree on a new timeslot
and the team requesting the reschedule cannot field a team for the
originally scheduled day/time, the game will result in a forfeit.
If both teams do agree to a new timeslot for the game to be
rescheduled, the team making the original request for reschedule
must pay a $35 fee prior to the game being played. Failure to pay
the rescheduling fee will result in a forfeit. There will be no
reschedules for a game that has previously been rescheduled in this
manner.
RULES of the GAME
Scroll to bottom for YOUTH league variations.
Unless otherwise stated in
specific Rule items below, all Rules follow current IFAB-approved
Laws of The Game.
Rule 1 - The Field Of Play
Field measures 80' wide x 180' long. Markings on the field
include:
· Penalty Areas,
with Penalty Mark at top center
· Center Circle
· Halfway Line,
with Center Mark at center
· “Red Lines”
(which are not actually red), with Restart Mark at center.
Red Lines are located halfway between the Halfway Line and each
Goal Line.
Rule 2 - The Ball
The ball is size 5.
Rule 3 - The Players
3.1 - Number of players
a) Team roster is limited to
14 players.
b) 6 players per team, one
of whom is a goalkeeper, with no less than 4 players per team on
the field at all times.
c) Coed teams must have a
minimum of 2 female players on the field (female goalkeeper
counts). If a coed team has only 1 female player present
at game start time, the game will begin but that team will play
shorthanded (maximum of 5 players on the field) until a second
female player is available.
d) If a team does not have
the minimum number of players (4 total and, for coed, including
at least 1 female player) at game start time, the game clock
will start and 1 goal will be awarded to the opposing team for
each minute that passes until A) the team has enough players to
play; or B) five goals are scored in this manner, at which point
the game will be considered a forfeit.
e) During an Overtime Period, neither team shall play with
more than 4 players on the field (i.e., it's 4-v-4 instead of 6-v-6), one of whom is a goalkeeper. For
coed, each team must have a minimum of 1 female player on the field
(female goalkeeper counts).
3.2 - Substitutions
Substitute players are to remain in their team bench area.
Teams may substitute players freely during play (“on the fly”)
provided that:
a) Substituting players must
enter/exit the field of play between the Halfway Line and
the nearer end of their own team's bench
by "tagging" in and out.
b) The player substituted
for does not, in the determination of the Referee, interfere
with play at the time the replacing player enters the field of
play.
3.3 - Goalkeeper substitution
Goalkeeper substitution is only permitted during a stoppage
(i.e., NOT "on the fly”), and only provided that:
a) The Referee is notified
before the substitution is made.
b) The new goalkeeper is
properly and legally equipped.
Rule 4 - The Players'
Equipment
a) Each team’s players must
wear same-color jerseys. Jerseys do not need to be
numbered. The team listed as the "home"
team on the schedule is responsible for
having alternate color jerseys in the event that both teams show
up wearing the same color. In playoff matches, the lower-seeded
team will be responsible for changing into alternate color
jerseys.
b) The goalkeeper
wears jersey colors distinguished from all other field players.
c) All players must wear
shin guards, which must be completely covered by socks.
d) Turf
shoes are very strongly recommended, but molded plastic or
rubber cleats designed for use on synthetic turf ARE permitted.
Absolutely NO metal cleats or screw-in
studs are allowed. Flat-soled shoes are, of course, legal as well.
e) Players shall not be
permitted to wear anything deemed dangerous by the Referee.
Rule 5 - The Referee
The decisions of the Referee regarding facts connected with play
and interpretations of the Rules are FINAL.
Rule 6 - The Duration of the
Game
a) A regulation game
consists of two 25-minute Halves, with a 2-minute (or shorter,
at Referee’s discretion) halftime interval.
b) Time will be extended for
the taking of a Penalty Kick.
c) Except in the case of an
unusual delay, determined by the Referee, the Game Clock counts
down continuously through each Half or Overtime Period.
d) Regular-season games may
end in a tie (i.e., no overtime/tiebreaker).
e) If a game where a winner
must be determined (e.g., playoff) is tied at the
end of regulation, two 5-minute "Golden Goal" Overtime Periods
are
played. If still tied, a Tiebreaker takes place, as
described in Rule 12.
f) In cases where a game is terminated
by the referee or league management prior to halftime,
the game shall be replayed. If the game
has reached halftime, the result will be considered final.
g) In extreme heat conditions, the Referee may call a short
break at a stoppage in play that occurs roughly halfway through each Half. The game clock will
continue to run during this break and play will resume with the restart appropriate to the stoppage.
Rule 7 - The Start and Restart
of Play
7.1 - Game Start Time
Games will start promptly at the scheduled game time. When
the previous game ends, teams will be allowed a reasonable
amount of time to get all equipment into the bench area and take
the field. We ask that players whose game has just ended
not linger in the bench area to make way for players playing in
the next game. Forfeit time is five minutes past scheduled game
start time.
7.2 - Kickoffs
A Kickoff from the Center Mark starts play at the
beginning of each Half and after every goal. Teams will change direction at
half time and alternate kick off.
7.3 - Free Kicks
A team is awarded a Free Kick after an infraction of the rules
by the opposing team. ALL FREE
KICKS ARE DIRECT.
Before a player takes any Free Kick, the ball must be
stationary. All opposing players must be a minimum of 5 yards
from the spot of the Free Kick (or, if within 5 yards of the
opponent's Goal, along the Goal Line). The player taking a
Free Kick cannot play it again until someone else first touches
the ball.
The Free Kick is taken from the spot on the field where the
infraction occurred, with the following exceptions:
a) Within Own Penalty Area:
from any spot therein
b) Within Opponent's Penalty
Area: from the Penalty Mark
c) Five Second Rule
Violation on a Corner Kick: Goal Kick awarded to the opposing
team
d) Five Second Rule
Violation on a Goal Kick: from the Restart Mark nearest to
offending team's Penalty Area
e) Goalkeeper handles the
ball from a deliberate pass (or throw-in) from a teammate: from the Restart Mark nearest to
offending team's Penalty Area
f) Delayed Penalty: A) as
normally administered according to the ensuing stoppage; or B)
in case the offending team obtains possession of the ball during
play, at the spot of the original offense
g) Three-Line Violation:
from the offending team's Restart Mark
h) Superstructure Violation:
from the Center Mark or Restart Mark nearest to where the ball was last played
7.4 - Drop Ball
If neither team has clear possession of the ball at a stoppage,
the Referee restarts play with an uncontested Drop Ball to a
player from the team who last touched the ball prior to the
stoppage. A Drop Ball caused
while the ball is inside a Penalty Area is dropped to the
defending team's goalkeeper, regardless of who last touched the
ball.
For restarts in unusual circumstances (e.g., after injury), play
is restarted with a Drop Ball from the location of the ball when
play was stopped.
7.5 - Five Second Rule
Failure by a player to put the ball into play within five (5)
seconds, as signaled by the Referee, shall result in a
possession turnover to the opponent. When playing as goalkeeper,
failure to distribute the ball having held it in his or her
hands for over five seconds, which, in the opinion of the
Referee, is designed to delay the game shall be penalized by
awarding a Free Kick to the opposing team
from the Restart Mark nearest to offending goalkeeper's team's
Penalty Area.
Rule 8 - The Ball In And Out
Of Play
a) A Throw-In, Corner
Kick, or Goal Kick will be awarded when
the entire ball crosses the Touch Line or Goal Line. For a
Goal Kick, the ball may be placed anywhere within the Penalty
Area. For a Corner Kick, the ball must be placed within
one (1) yard of the corner of the field. The Corner Flag
may NOT be moved.
b) Three-Line Violation
occurs when a player (goalkeepers included) propels the ball in
the air across the two “Red Lines” and the Halfway Line toward
the opponent's Goal without touching another player or a Referee
on the field of play. The whole of the ball must have
crossed both “Red Lines.” (i.e., if the ball is placed on
one Red Line and kicked from there and then crosses over the
other Red Line, there is no violation.)
c) A Superstructure
Violation occurs when the ball contacts any part of the building
above the field of play. (Note that on our indoor field, the
third horizontal structural cross-member up from the ground
represents the distinction between a superstructure violation
and a ball across the touchline.)
Intentionally kicking the ball hard
enough and with the intent to hit the superstructure, ceiling,
signage or lighting will be cause for a red card issued by the
referee. THIS WILL ALSO BE deemed as an intent to destroy property of One-Touch
Soccer. A five (5) minute penalty will be assessed to the
offending team and a direct kick awarded to the opposing team.
Additional sanctions (such as the offending player facing a
suspension or ban from One-Touch Soccer) may also be considered.
Rule 9 - The Method of Scoring
9.1 - Goals
A team scores a goal when the whole of the ball legally passes
over the Goal Line between the goalposts and under the crossbar.
A goal may be scored directly from a Kickoff, Free Kick, or any
Restart except a Throw-In or Drop Ball.
a) In coed leagues, a goal
scored by a female player will count as 1 goal. This
includes all Free Kicks, Penalty Kicks, and Shootouts.
b)
An own-goal will count as 1
goal, regardless of whether it was scored by a male or female
player.
9.2 - Forfeits
A forfeit
is recorded as a 5-0 final score. A double-forfeit is
recorded as a 0-0 result with NO points being awarded in the
standings to either team. A
team will forfeit a game for the following reasons:
a) Not having the minimum
number of players required by the end of the 5-minute grace
period after game start time.
b) Dropping below the
minimum number of players required at any point during the game.
This includes players lost due to injury as well as players
serving Time Penalties or sent off with a Red Card, as explained
in Rule 11. In this type of forfeit, the official game
result will still be scored 5-0, regardless of who is winning
and what the actual score is at the point in the game when the
forfeit is invoked.
Rule 10 - Fouls and Other
Violations
10.1 - Standard Fouls
Standard Fouls that result in a Free Kick for the
opposing team include:
a) Holding, handling,
playing in a dangerous manner, impeding (obstruction)
b) Kicking, tripping,
jumping, charging, striking, or pushing in a manner the Referee
deems careless, serious, reckless, or involving excessive force
c) Violations committed by a
Goalkeeper:
i.
Illegal Handling: A goalkeeper who carries the ball
from inside the Penalty Area to outside of the Penalty Area by foot shall not handle the ball
again inside the Penalty Area prior to the ball being touched by
an opposing player.
ii.
IFAB rules apply regarding when a goalkeeper may handle
a ball played back from a teammate.
d) Unsporting Behavior,
including:
i. Leverage: Using the body of a teammate or any part of the field
to gain an advantage
ii.
Encroachment: Entering the 5-yard protected area of an opposing
player taking a Free Kick
iii.
Preventing the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his or
her hands
iv.
Dissent
10.2.1 - Slide Tackling
Slide tackling is NOT PERMITTED and will result in a Free Kick
being awarded to the opposing team. Any player who slides
or similarly leaves his/her feet, lunges, or goes down on a
knee, in the vicinity (considered to
be one body-length in any direction) of any other
player (even if a tackle is not the primary objective) shall be
deemed to have committed a slide tackle. A slide tackle in the
Penalty Area will result in a Penalty Kick being awarded to the
opposing team. Additional penalties (e.g., Blue, Yellow, or
Red Card) may also be enforced at the Referee’s discretion.
10.2.2 - Goalkeepers and Slide Tackling
Referees will use discretion for normal goalkeeper play within
the Penalty Area, as it relates to slide tackling. The two most
common cases where a goalkeeper might be called for slide
tackling are:
a) If in the referee's opinion, the goalkeeper
is attempting to take a player out of the play as opposed to making a saving/stopping play
on the ball. (Most commonly if the goalkeeper makes a feet-first
slide.)
b) If the goalkeeper starts his/her slide inside
the Penalty Area but momentum continues the slide outside the Penalty Area.
10.3 - Bicycle Kicks
Bicycle kicks are NOT PERMITTED and will result in a Free Kick
being awarded to the opposing team. Additional penalties
(e.g., Blue, Yellow, or Red Card) may also be enforced at the
Referee’s discretion.
10.4 - Flagrant Fouls
a) A Penalty Kick is awarded
for a Foul committed within the Penalty Area for which the
offending player receives a Time Penalty (i.e., a Card is shown).
b) A Shootout is awarded as
the penalty for Denying an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity
(current IFAB interpretations apply for criteria to determine DOGSO)
that occurs outside the Penalty Area.
10.5.1 - Cards
a) Blue Card Offenses:
i. serious Fouls
ii. Unsporting Behavior
iii. Deliberate Handball
iv. Deliberate Handball by a Goalkeeper outside the Penalty Area
v. Goalkeeper Endangerment
vi. Any Foul by the Goalkeeper during a Shootout
b) Yellow Card (Cautionable)
Offenses:
i. second Blue Card
ii. reckless Fouls
iii. Unsporting Behavior
iv. Dissent
v. Denying
an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, when a Penalty Kick is
awarded and the offending
player was making an attempt
to play the ball
c) Red Card (Ejectionable)
Offenses:
i. *second Yellow Card (or third Blue Card)
ii. Fouls which the Referee considers violent or committed with
excessive force
iii. Violent Conduct or Fighting
iv. Leaving team bench to engage in a fight or confrontation
v. Denying
an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, when a Penalty Kick is
not awarded,
or when the offending player is not making an attempt
to play the ball
vi.
Extreme Unsporting Behavior, including:
1. Spitting at an opponent,
Referee, or any other person
2. Use of abusive,
insulting, or threatening
language and/or behavior
3. Bodily contact with a
Referee in dissent
10.5.2 - Language
In Adult League play, there is an understanding that there may,
at times, be some "adult language." However, usage of profanity is strongly discouraged.
-
In cases of incidental profanity (e.g., a
player's excited utterance of frustration after missing a shot,
etc.), the Referee shall have discretion as to whether a warning
should be issued or if a Card is warranted.
- NOTE: In
cases where children are present--either as spectators or when
youth teams are also playing--the use of profanity shall
not be tolerated and Cards shall be issued accordingly.
Generally this will mean that what would otherwise (or
"normally") be a warning will result in a Yellow Card and what
would "normally" be a Yellow Card will result in a Red
Card. - Use of abusive, insulting, or threatening
language directed at or
about another player or the
Referee shall be subject to a Red Card, pursuant to Rule 10.5.1
(c).
Rule 11 - Time Penalties and
Short-Handed Play
11.1 - Time Penalties
The following penalties apply to offenses for which a Card is
issued:
a) Blue Card
=
2-minute Time Penalty
b) Yellow Card =
2-minute Time Penalty
c) *Administrative Red Card
=
2-minute Time Penalty AND ejection
d) Straight Red Card
=
5-minute Time Penalty AND ejection
The player who commits a carded offense serves the Time
Penalty, seated in his or her team bench area, until its
expiration and the Referee beckons the player back onto the
field. This includes goalkeepers. If a substitute in
the bench area or non-player personnel commits a carded offense,
on-field players are designated by their teams to serve the Time
Penalty in order to satisfy the requirement for playing
short-handed. When a player is ejected, another player on
the offending team must be designated to serve the time penalty.
11.2 - Short-Handed Play
For each Time Penalty being served by a player, his or her team
plays with one fewer field player until its expiration.
NOTE: A team may not have fewer than the minimum required number
of players on the field, regardless of the number serving Time
Penalties, so if a player receives a Time Penalty while two or
more teammates are already on the bench serving other Time
Penalties, his or her team continues to play with the minimum
while he or she joins teammates on the bench (i.e., the
offending player shall be replaced by a substitute to satisfy
minimum player requirements). If the team does not have
sufficient player(s) on the bench to make the replacement and
satisfy minimum player requirements, the game is immediately
ruled a Forfeit.
11.3 - Exceptions
Under the following circumstances, Time Penalties either expire
prior to their completed countdown, or have the beginning of
their countdowns delayed:
a) Powerplay
Goal: If a team is scored upon having fewer players on the field
of play, due to one or more players serving Time Penalties, one
player from the team is released back into the field of play.
If the team has two players serving Time Penalties, only the
player whose Time Penalty was recorded earlier is released back
to the field of play.
b) Simultaneous Ejections:
When two simultaneous Red Cards carrying the same Time Penalties
are assessed to opposing players, their Time Penalties are not
served.
c) End of Game: All
Time Penalties carry over between periods but expire at the end of
the game.
11.4 - Delayed Penalty
In instances where the Referee would issue a Blue Card, but
applies the Advantage Rule, the Referee shall record and assess
the offense when A) the team of the offending player gains
control of the ball; or B) the Referee stops play for any other
reason, whichever comes first. In the event a goal is
scored as a result of Advantage being applied, the offending
player's penalty shall be recorded for accumulation purposes but
the Time Penalty is not served.
Rule 12 - Shootouts and
Penalty Kicks
Any eligible player may take a Shootout or Penalty Kick.
All substitutes and players serving Time Penalties must remain
seated in their team bench area. For Shootouts, all other
players must remain behind the Halfway Line. For Penalty
Kicks, all other players must remain behind the nearest “Red
Line” to the Penalty Kick.
12.1 - Shootout
a) The ball is placed at the
Restart Mark nearer the attacking Goal;
b) The Goalkeeper
must have at least one foot on the Goal Line and may not move
off of it until the Referee whistles the Shootout to begin;
c) Once the Referee whistles
the Shootout to begin, the ball is in play;
d) The player has 5
seconds to score after the Referee’s whistle;
e) If the player does
not score within 5
seconds, play is restarted with a Goal Kick.
f) Any foul by the
goalkeeper—inside OR outside the Penalty Area—results in a
penalty kick without the goalkeeper in goal.
12.2 - Penalty Kick
a) The ball is placed at the
Penalty Mark;
b) The Goalkeeper
must have both
feet on the Goal Line until the ball is in play; and
c) The player who takes the
Penalty Kick may not touch the ball again until after it touches
another player.
12.3 - Tiebreaker
If a game that must have a winner (playoff, tournament, etc.) is
still tied following the two Overtime Periods, a Tiebreaker
takes place, via Shootouts, with the following additional/special
provisions:
a) The Referee designates
the Goal at which both teams shoot.
b) The higher-seeded team shall decide which team shoots first.
c) All players, other than
the player taking the shot and the defending Goalkeeper, must remain
within their team bench areas
d) Each team has
three (3) shots,
with players from each team kicking alternately.
e) A different player must
take each of the shots. For coed leagues, at least one (1) of the
shot-takers must be a female player. A goal scored by a female player during a shootout DOES
count as two goals, just as in other parts of the game.
f) If, after both teams have
taken three (3) shots neither has an advantage, the Tiebreaker
continues, alternating one player at a time (for coed, one out of
every three shot-takers must be female), until both teams have
taken an equal number of shots and one team has scored when the
other has not. The (3) original three shot-takers for each team
may not shoot again until three (3) other different
players have taken a turn as shot-taker.
g) Any foul by the
goalkeeper—inside OR outside the Penalty Area—results in a
penalty kick without the goalkeeper in goal.
YOUTH LEAGUE GAME RULE VARIATIONS
Rule 2 - The Ball
U9 to U12 games will use a size 4 ball. U8 and below
will use size 3.
In games involving two teams of different age groups who would
ordinarily use different size balls (e.g., a U9 team vs. a U8
team), the coaches for each team will be responsible for coming
to an agreement before the game as to which size ball to use,
and shall inform the referee of their decision. If the
coaches cannot come to an agreement, the smaller of the two ball
sizes shall be used (for the above example, a size 3 not size
4).
Rule 3 - The Players
3.1 - Number of players
a) Team roster is limited to
12 players.
3.2 - Substitutions
Substitutions shall only occur at stoppages in play and with the
referee's approval (under the same guidelines as Georgia Soccer/USSF
matches). **High School leagues shall use the same
substitution rule as the adult leagues, as laid out above.
Rule 7 - The Start and Restart
of Play
7.5 - Five Second Rule
The Five-Second Rule shall not be enforced in U16 and below.
**High School leagues shall use the same Five-Second Rule as the
adult leagues, as laid out above.
Heading the Ball
Consistent with US Soccer guidelines, deliberate heading is disallowed for all players
age 10 and
below. For any games played between a U11 team and an older-age team, neither
team will be permitted to deliberately play the ball with the
head.
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