HFC TOURNAMENT RULES

 

TOURNAMENT SANCTIONING: US Club Soccer (USCS) AND US Youth Soccer (USYS)

TOURNAMENT GROUPS:

 

 

 

 

***The Tournament Director may shorten game times should circumstances require it.

 

These age groups will be a competitive 2-day format with a champion and finalist. There will be NO DFK (Direct Free Kick). All fouls requiring a free kick to be taken will be taken as an IFK (Indirect Free Kick). If there is a foul in the penalty area, then a PK is rewarded. 

These age groups will play under US Soccer laws. There will be a build out line that no opposing players can cross until after a goal kick is taken. If the keeper has the ball in hand, all opposing players must also drop behind the build out line until the ball is put in play. The goalkeeper is not allowed to punt from hands. The offside law does apply only on the attacking end from the build out line to the end line.

 

 

U11 and Above;

All U11 and above WILL play with the offside rule as defined in the LOTG.

Indirect Free Kick: A goal can be scored only if the ball subsequently touches another player before it enters the goal:

•  if an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the opponents' goal, a goal kick is awarded

•  if an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the team's own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team

 

U12- WILL allow heading

 

TOURNAMENT FORMAT: All playing formats will involve a 2-day tournament using round-robin and bracket schemas. Every team in the tournament is guaranteed a minimum of 3 games. Medals will be awarded to each player, coach, and manager on first place teams and runners-up.

 

TOURNAMENT ADMINISTRATION: Tournament Headquarters will be located in the office, at the Tatum Park Pavilion. The Tournament Director or a staff member of HFC can always be found or contacted from here.

 

GAME RESULTS: Referees will keep an official score tally for each game. Coaches will be asked to sign game cards at the end of each game, thus consenting to the final score. Referees will report game results to the tournament scheduler/scorekeeper. CAUTION: If a coach does not agree with the game card, they should not sign it. Rather, they should report to the tournament headquarters to discuss the situation with the Tournament Director. Once a final decision has been made by the Tournament Director, it will stand regardless of having a coach's signature or not.

 

TOURNAMENT CONDUCT: Players, coaches, and spectators are expected to conduct themselves in the finest ethical fashion. Displays of temper or loud outbursts of dissent are causes for ejection from a game, a field, or the tournament. Players, coaches, and/or other team officials who are ejected from a game are ineligible to participate in the team's next scheduled game. NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE PERMITTED AT TATUM PARK NOR IS SMOKING ALLOWED ON THE PREMISES.

 

TOURNAMENT PROTESTS: Protests regarding any aspect of the tournament may be made in writing and submitted to the Tournament Director. All such formal protests will be kept on file and included with a final report to be submitted to US Club Soccer and USYS.

 

TEAM JERSEYS: All players on each team must wear the same jersey. All jerseys must have a number on the back. All teams must have alternate jerseys. The home team (listed first on the schedule) is to wear their "light" jersey and the away team their "dark" jersey. The home team is to change their jersey if deemed necessary by the referee.

 

Water Breaks; Each game will have one water break each half due to the hot temperatures.

 

CLOCK STOPPAGES: There will be no clock stoppages in any games except at the discretion of the referee.

 

RED CARDS: Any player who receives a red card shall be ejected from that game and shall also be prohibited from playing in the next tournament game (league games included). The red-carded player can sit on his/her team's bench during the penalty game.

 

TOURNAMENT RULES (SPECIFIC): All games will be played in accordance with the FIFA Laws of the Game.

1.             Bracketing System: The HFC Tournament attempts to be flexible in bracketing, thus allowing any number of teams to populate a single age/gender division. The following chart documents how tournament brackets will be designed based on the number of teams registering in that division:

 

1           No bracket possible, full registration fee refunded (option for team to play up an age group)

2           Best-of-three (with agreement of both teams involved), otherwise full registration fee refunded (option for team to play up an age group)

3           2-game round robin, #2 plays #3 in semi-final, winner plays #1 in final

4           3-game round robin,

5           4-game round robin, winner determined by points      

7            2 random round robin.  Top 4 advance to gold bracket, 1v4&2v3 semis then final. Bottom three advance to silver bracket, 7v6 and winner plays 5.

8           2 groups of 4 play 3-game round robin within group, Group A #1 plays Group B #1 in final

 

2.             Scoring System

     Penalty Kicks (in accordance with FIFA)

 

If the score is tied at the end of regulation time in any semi-final games, or championship games, two overtime periods (U8-U12, two 5-minute periods; UI3-U18, two 10-minute periods) shall be played to determine a winner. If, at the end of the overtime periods a tie still exists, the game shall be determined by the taking of kicks from the penalty mark in accordance with the FIFA Laws of the Game.

 

 

 

3.             Forfeit Policies

a. A team that forfeits any game will forfeit all games with a score of 0-3 against them. This team will be ineligible to advance any further in the bracket although it may play all remaining scheduled bracket games. A team forfeits a game when it:

1. Leaves the field of play without the referee's permission;

2.  Is not ready to play at the scheduled game time;

3.  Does not wear an alternate jersey upon the referee's request,

4.  Is disqualified due to unsportsmanlike conduct,

5.  Does not field the minimum number of field players.

b. The winner of a forfeited game will receive 3 points in the tournament scoring system.

c.  If the application of this rule causes a tie between two or more teams or causes two or more teams to change positions for first and/or second place in a bracket, the tie-breaking rules of head-to-head competition and then, if necessary, kicks from the penalty mark will be applied to the affected teams to determine who advances to the next round.

 

4.             Team Check-in: Check-in needs to be completed online. The following documentation materials will be required at check-in:

a. Official team roster (either USCS or USYS)

b. Official player passes for each player/coach, including guest players (either USCS or USYS)

c.  Medical release forms from those who have teams rostered with US Club do not have to be notarized. Only teams who are rostered through USYS need to have notarized medical release forms.

d.  Players may be dual rostered on teams within the same club as long as they meet age requirements.

5.             Team Procedures

a. Teams/coaches must comply with all published tournament rules.

b. Teams/coaches must remain in a technical area 15 yards either side of the midfield line regardless of the existence of a marked area during the play of a game.

c.  Teams/coaches must occupy the same side of the playing field as the opposing team/coach.

d. Teams/coaches must require the team's spectators to watch the game from the playing field side opposite the two teams' side.

e. Teams/coaches must be responsible for its players', parents', and spectators' behavior including no allowance or toleration of foul and abusive language.

 

 

7.    Substitution Policies

a.  Player substitutions are unlimited and may be made at the following times:

1.  Prior to ANY throw in

2.  Any goal kick

3.  After any goal

4.  Player injury for either team

5.  A yellow carded player

6.  Half time Interval

b.  A coach may not replace an ejected player from the game.

c.  An ejected coach must leave the game premises (out of sight / out of sound) prior to the referee restarting the game. The coach may be present at the next scheduled game, sitting on the spectator side and may not under any circumstance exercise any coaching responsibilities, including the use of any communication devices.

8.    Rule Violation Policies

a.  The Tournament Director has the authority to resolve a clearly substantiated violation of the tournament rules or Laws of the Game, which is reported to him. The Tournament Director may take the following actions in resolving a valid violation:

1.  To replay the game in its entirety

2.  To forfeit a game in which a team plays an unauthorized player

3.  To disqualify a tournament team from further tournament participation due to unsportsmanlike conduct

4.  To disqualify individual team members, coach, or team manager from further or selected tournament participation due to unsportsmanlike conduct

b.  By definition, unsportsmanlike acts are not in accordance with the rules of fair play or reasonable personal conduct. Such acts include, but are not limited to, starting or participating in an individual or team brawl; damaging, destroying, or stealing another team's property; harassing, taunting, physically abusing or verbally abusing referees, tournament officials, opposing players, other team managers, and other team coaches.

9.    Game conduct policies

a.  No abusive language will be allowed on the field of play.

b.  All participating players must meet the following uniform standards in order to play in a tournament game:

1.  . All players must wear the same uniform including shirts, shorts, and socks except the goalkeeper. Some minor exceptions can apply to alternate jerseys.

2.  All players must wear commercially manufactured shin guards under their pulled up socks.

3.  Shirts must be tucked in to start the game.

4.  Warm ups will be allowed under shirts.

5.  Sliding or bicycle shorts may be worn under shorts.

 

 

 

10. Other Tournament Policies

a.  The Tournament Director has the sole discretion and authority to deal with any matter that is not covered in these rules.

b.  Only credentialed team members will be allowed to discuss any team issues with the Tournament Director. The Team Managers and/coaches are responsible for all team managers' and parents' behavior. Code of Ethics sanctions will be enforced where necessary.

c.  The Game Referee may suspend a game for adverse weather conditions or to protect players when play or crowd becomes uncontrollable. If after suspending play, the situation does not improve within a reasonable time period, the referee shall report the suspended nature of the game to the Scorer's table and turn in their game report.

d.  Only the coaches/team managers of the suspended game(s) shall meet with the Tournament Director to ascertain a restart status. The coaches/team managers shall meet at a location as designated by the Tournament Director. No additional parents or players are allowed in this area/location or at this meeting.

e.  The Tournament Director reserves the right to determine an outcome in a suspended game necessary to determine a proper bracket or round robin finish. The Tournament Director will decide if a game is to be terminated, if the referee suspended it due to weather and/or safety considerations. If it cannot be restarted within sixty (60) minutes from the stoppage time, the following termination policies shall apply to the game.

1.  If one half (1/2) of the match has been completed prior to the stoppage, the score at the time of the stoppage shall stand. The game will not be replayed in the tournament.

2.  If less than one half (1/2) of the match has been completed at the time of the stoppage, the match will be replayed in its entirety on either the same day or the next available playing date. If this game is on the last day of the tournament and there is no opportunity to replay it, the outcome will be determined by a meeting of the 2 coaches with the Tournament Director, who reserves the right to make the final decision.

3.  A second stoppage of play due to weather conditions shall result in the termination of the game on that day. The two (2) preceding policies then will be applied to this game.

f.   In the case of continuous inclement weather or unsafe field conditions, the remaining Tournament games may:

1.  Be shortened — The Tournament Director may reduce the length of matches due to weather conditions before the start of a match; all such matches will be considered official.

2.  Be rescheduled (time and location to be determined by the Tournament Director)

3.  Be changed to mini-game format (the "Taking of Kicks from the Penalty Mark," time and location to be determined by the Tournament Director).

4.  Be canceled if there is no chance of advancement.

g.  If the Tournament Director rules that during the preliminary round a mini-game format of the "Taking of Kicks from the Penalty Mark" will be done due to inclement weather or unsafe field conditions, the following rules will apply:

1.  Each team will take a maximum of five (5) penalty kicks. Thus, each goal scored will count as a goal and the game may end in a tie (e.g., 4-4).

2.  At the end of five (5) kicks per team, the game will be scored as a complete game

(e.g., a score of 5-3 will be scored as a game score of 5-3).

 

 

11. Final Resolution Policy

The Tournament Director retains sole and final authority to resolve any and all issues that arise at the tournament that are not specifically addressed in these rules.