Rules


TOURNAMENT RULES

These rules are designed for National Soccer Events Tournaments. The Tournament Committee shall administer the rules as stated but reserves the right to adjust and/or amend any rules, if necessary, to accommodate unforeseen problems or circumstances before and during the tournament except as stated. Otherwise, the FIFA Laws of the Game shall apply.

A. Inclement Weather

Only the referee or the tournament committee may cancel a match due to weather conditions. In the event of inclement weather, the tournament committee has the authority to reschedule matches and/or cancel the tournament. If the entire tournament should be canceled after play has begun, teams shall not receive a credit or refund.

1. If inclement weather causes the referee to stop the match at any time and conditions do not permit the restart of the match within the scheduled time, the score will stand, as it was at the time the game was stopped.
2. If a match is delayed from starting due to weather conditions, it will be started as soon as weather permits within the scheduled time frame and will conclude at the scheduled time.
3. If no portion of the match is played, best efforts will be made to reschedule the match though no such guarantee is made. There will be neither refund nor credits for any match cancellations.
4. If no portion of the tournament is played due to inclement weather and there is no possibility of any matches being played, the tournament committee shall determine partial refunds to teams after all administrative costs have been covered.

5. Once 2 games have been played no refunds will be issued.
 

B. Credentials Check

1. All teams must register.

2. All Credentials for Players / Coaches / Managers must be printed and laminated. Electronic passes are not accepted at this time.

3. All credentials for Players / Coaches / Managers will be verified to printed rosters by officials prior to the start of each match.

4. All teams must present 5 copies of their approved state, US Club Soccer, or approved event roster containing the following:

  • Team Name
  • Coach / Player Name
  • Coach / Player Pass number
  • Player jersey number 

5. All teams must provide medical release forms for each player they are registering.

6. No Player may register with two teams within the same age group, regardless of division.

7. All teams must present a player's pass for all players they are registering. Exceptions must be requested from the tournament director who will have final approval on a player’s status and my check with appropriate state offices to verify a player’s eligibility.

8. All out of state teams must present an official travel permit from their state office.

9. Roster Limits

  • U9-U10 roster limit is 14
  • U11-12 roster limit is 16
  • U15 & Up roster limit is 22

10. A max of 5 guest players are allowed. Guest players are included in the roster limits and all guest players must present player passes, travel permits, guest player requests and medical releases to be eligible for competition.

 

C. Uniforms

1. All player uniforms should be identical.
2. All jerseys shall be tucked in completely prior to the start of play.
3. All jerseys shall have a number affixed to the back of the jersey.
4. No two players on the same team should have the same number while on the field of play.
5. The home team shall wear a light-colored jersey and the visiting team shall wear a dark colored jersey.
6. Goalkeepers shall wear a jersey distinctive from all field players, the other goalkeeper, and game officials.

7. In the event of any conflicts the home team will make the adjustment.

 

D. **Length of matches and ball sizes

Age Group        Length                                              Ball size

U13-U19             Two 35-minute halves                        5

U11-U12             Two 30-minute halves                        4

U9-U10               Two 25-minute halves                        4

Note: Halftime shall be 5 minutes.

*** To keep the tournament moving on schedule and games played on time, we ask that referees not use stoppage time unless a medical emergency has been declared and a player must be moved from the field of play by Emergency Medical Services personnel. Referees shall start matches on time and may check in players in the absence of a field marshal. Please have passes, rosters, and game card ready for officials prior to each match
 

E. Starting Times

1. To keep this tournament moving on time, there shall be no coin toss except in semifinal or final game.
2. The home team shall take the bench to the left of the field as viewed from the spectator side of the field and shall defend the goal on that side of the field.
3. The home team shall provide the center referee with at least one approved match ball.
4. The visiting team shall have the opening kick.
5. Any team that is unable to field enough players to constitute a team (a minimum of seven (7) players shall constitute a team) shall be allowed a ten (10) grace period after the scheduled starting time of the match to field a team. Match time shall start at the scheduled time and continue to run until the grace period has ended. If they are unable to field a team at that time, the result shall be a 3-0 forfeit to the opposing team.

6. In the event a game is delayed due to a team using the grace period mentioned above, the center referee may start at the starting time and end the match at the scheduled ending time.
 

F. Forfeits
 

1. Failure to begin a match within 10 minutes of the scheduled starting time shall result in a forfeit to the opposing team by the score of three to zero.
2. Failure to complete a match by leaving the field of competition shall result in a three to zero forfeit to the opposing team without regard to the actual match score.
3. A team which forfeits a match will not be allowed to advance into the finals nor will that team be eligible for a championship round match. If a team forfeits a match in a bracket based on points, that team shall not be eligible for a championship or finalist trophy.
4. If a team must withdraw from competition, they shall notify the tournament director in writing of this intent and will not be eligible for any refund or awards for games played to that point.
5. If two teams mutually agree to withdraw and not play a final match, the tournament director shall be notified by both coaches and team managers of this intent. The Championship and Finalists awards may be based on the two teams’ total points at the end of preliminary play.
 

G. Substitutions
Unlimited substitutions may be made with the consent of the center referee under the following conditions:

  1. At Any stoppage of play as per FIFA laws of the game. By either team.
  2. In the event of an injury by either team, a like number of players may be substituted.
  3. No substitutions allowed for a player ejected from the field.
  4. In the event a team must substitute when a player who is bleeding or has an open wound, the player may return at the next legal substitution opportunity only after the wound has been properly treated and checked by the referee or assistant referee.
  5. All players substituting shall have their jerseys completely tucked in and shall report to the center stripe to await acknowledgment of permission of the Center Referee prior to entering the field of play.
  6. No player shall leave the field of play without permission of the Center Referee.

 

H. Game Cards

1. All completed game reports shall be signed by the referees and the coach or his/her designee at the conclusion of each match. The player passes shall be returned at this time to the coach or manager at the conclusion of each match.

2. The match score shall be verified by all match officials and coaches and delivered to tournament headquarters by the referee crew. If a match score is incorrect and all parties have signed the match report, both coaches and managers must be contacted and agree that the score was incorrect before a score may be reversed.

3. The referee shall request the player pass for any player cautioned or ejected and shall file the proper USSF report before leaving the complex. All game reports shall be given to the referee assignor to be filed according to the state office. Player passes for cautioned players must be returned to the team immediately upon completion of the referee report.

4. An ejected player’s player pass may be retained by the tournament committee for the team’s next game and returned to the coach or manager of the team at the end of that match.

5. If a player is ejected for violent conduct, the player cannot participate in ANY tournament matches until the next scheduled game for that team has concluded.

6. If a player is ejected during the last match their team plays in the tournament, the player pass shall be pulled so the referee may complete the game report and shall be returned to the team at the end of the tournament, no later than one hour after the conclusion of the last match of the tournament or one hour after the referee’s last match of the tournament. All player pass shall be returned to the teams at the conclusion of tournament play.


I. Sidelines


1. Coaches should keep coaching from the sidelines to a minimum. If persistent infractions occur, the referee will warn the offending coach and take appropriate action. Harassment of players on the sidelines will not be tolerated.
2. Coaches, players, and spectators will remain two yards behind the touchline.
3. Team benches shall be on one side of the field and the spectators shall be on the other side of the field.

4. Coaches are responsible for the conduct of their teams’ spectators.
 

J. Scoring

Because colleges are limited to the number of evaluations a coach can make, we will declare a tournament winner through points earned after three games. There will be scoring of games since this is a showcase tournament; however, the main purpose is showing the players to college coaches. Each team will play 3 games and the point system will work like this:

 

Divisional winners will be determined by the following point system:

  • Win - 3 points
  • Tie - 1 points
  • Loss - 0 points

 

 

Tiebreakers

In the event that teams are tied on the basis of points, the following tiebreakers will be considered in order until the tie is broken:

  1. Winner of head-to-head competition. This criterion is NOT used if more than two teams are tied.
  2. Most wins.
  3. Team with greatest net goal difference (NGD), which is computed as ‘goals for’ minus ‘goals against’ with a maximum of 4 NGD in each game.
  4. Team with least goals against. There is NO limit on the number of goals that will be counted to determine this tiebreaker.
  5. Team with the most goals. Maximum of 4 goals in each game.
  6. Kicks from the mark per FIFA Laws of the Game.

 

K. Semi-final or Final Matches
Any semi-final match or championship match that is tied at the end of regulation play will go into sudden death (golden goal) overtime. The sudden death (golden goal) overtime period shall consist of two 5-minute halves. During half time, the teams shall switch ends of the field and resume play. The first legal goal to be scored during the sudden death overtime shall be the winning goal. If at the end of the golden goal overtimes the game is still tied, the game shall go to penalty kicks under the FIFA Laws of the Game.
 

L. Small Sided

1. U9-U10

  • Heading is NOT allowed. Intentional heading on the ball will result in an indirect free kick.
  • Punting is NOT allowed.
  • Have a BUILD OUT LINE. Offside will start at the build out line.

2. U11 

  • Heading is NOT allowed. Intentional heading on the ball will result in an indirect free kick.
  • CAN PUNT.

3. U12 

  • No Restrictions. Any U11 teams electing to play in a U12 division must sign the heading disclaimer before the first game. Punting is allowed for these teams.

4. U11/U12 combined divisions

  • If there is a combined 11/12 division the No Heading rule is applied to both teams playing if one of them is u11. This is done to make the game fair for both teams and to protect everyone's liability. In games where u12 is playing u12 in that same division there is no rule about heading for those games. Punting will be allowed for u11s when playing in the u12 division.

 

M. Awards

Championship awards will be given for first and second place.

 

N. Concussion Policy

Any player suspected of having a concussion will not be permitted to play from that point on without a Doctor's Release.

 

O. Heat / Cold Policy

USSF Guidelines will be implemented as needed.

 

P. Protests

No Protests allowed

 

 

 

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