TOURNAMENT RULES

These rules are designed for FC Alliance 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 schedule d 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.

 

 

C. Uniforms
1. All player uniforms should be identical.
2. All jerseys shall be tucked in completely prior to 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. Pants or leggings of all field players should match the primary color of the uniform shorts.
7. Goal keepers shall wear a jersey distinctive from all field players, the other goal keeper and
also the game officials.

D. **Length of matches and ball sizes
Age Group Length Ball size
U18,19 Two 35 minute halves 5
U17 Two 35 minute halves 5
U15, 16 Two 35 minute halves 5
U13, 14 Two 35 minute halves 5
U12 Two 30 minute halves 4
U11 Two 30 minute halves 4
U10 Two 25 minute halves 4
U9 Two 25 minute halves 4
Note: Halftime shall be five minutes.
**In order 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 check in players.

E. Starting Times
1. In order 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. In the event a game is delayed due to a team using the grace period mentioned below, the
center referee may start at the starting time and end the match at the scheduled ending time.
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.
 

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 no 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 champion ship 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. After a goal by either team
2. Before a throw-in in your favor
3. Before a goal kick by either team.
4. In the event of an injury by either team, a like number of players may be substituted.
5. No substitutions allowed for a player ejected from the field.
6. 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.
7. All players substituting shall have their jerseys completely tucked in an d shall report to the
center stripe to await acknowledgment of permission of the Center Referee prior to entering the field of play.
8. 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 referee and the coach or his/her designee
at the conclusion of each match and given to the field marshal. at the conclusion of each match and given to the field marshal. The player cards shall be returned at this time to the coach or manager at the conclusion of each match. Field Marshal is responsible to have the coaches sign all game reports.
2. The match score shall be verified by the field marshal with the coaches and returned to the
scorer’s table.

a. 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 card(s) for any player cautioned or ejected and shall file
the proper TSSA report before leaving the complex. All game reports shall be given to the referee assignor prior to the referee departing the complex for the day. Any requests for copies of USSF match reports need to be done through the VP of Comp.
a. Player passes for cautioned players must be returned to the team immediately upon
completion of the referee report.  All cautions and ejections need to be recorded on the game card at the completion of the match. The tournament will supply the assignor a list of all cautions and ejections to ensure officials file the USSF match reports.

H. Game Reports (continued)
4. An ejected player’s player card may be retained by the field marshal for the team’s next game and returned to the coach or manager of the team at the of that match.
5. If a players is ejected during the last match their team plays in the tournament, the p layer
card 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 cards 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.

J. Scoring- POINT SYSTEM

Divisional winners will be determined by the following point system:
a. Win - 3 points
b. Tie - 1 points
c. 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:

a) Winner of head-to-head competition. (This criterion is not used if more than two teams

are tied.)

b) Most wins.

c) 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.

d) Team with least goals against (there is NO limit on the number of goals that will be

counted to determine this tiebreaker).

e) Team with the most goals (maximum of 4 goals in each game).

f) Kicks from penalty spot per FIFA Laws of the Game.

Semi-final or Final Matches
1. Any semi-final match or championship match that is tied at the en d of regulation play will go into sudden death (golden goal) overtime. The sudden death (golden goal) overtime period for U8-U19 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.

 

No Protests allowed