Soccer Tournament Rules

NUMBER OF PLAYERS 7 v 7 Games – The total number of players on the field at once include: 6 field players and a goalkeeper. For coed 2 of the players must be female. The minimum number of rostered players required to start a game is 4 (3 field players and a goalie of which 1 player is a female). A game is terminated once it has started if a team has fewer than 5 players due to injury or penalties. If you have only 1 female show up you must play short. A male cannot take the place of the missing female to field 7 players.

ROSTERS – Team rosters must be finalized before the first game of the tournament. Players must be added to the team’s roster before the first game, and only players who sign a player waiver form are considered rostered. There is no maximum to the number of players you can put on your roster, but the minimums above must be met. Players may not be rostered on two teams in the same tournament.

EQUIPMENT:

MANDATORY – Shin guards fully covered by socks, uniform shirt, shorts, footwear.

EXCLUDED – Hats, hard cast (even if padded), braces of any kind that are deemed dangerous by the referee and any other equipment that the referee deems dangerous. If a player  is wearing a hard knee brace, they must wrap any buckles or sharp edges. Players will not be allowed on the field with any equipment the referee deems dangerous. THE FINAL DECISION AS TO WHETHER SOMETHING IS DANGEROUS OR NOT LIES STRICTLY WITH THE REFEREE.

DURATION OF THE GAME:

GAME TIMING – During the regular season games will consist of two (2) 22-minute “RUNNING TIME” periods. The clock will stop only if, in the opinion of the referee, moving an injured player while waiting for medical attention would be hazardous to the injured player. Get the injured player off the field as quickly and safely as possible, as the clock is ticking. Tournaments will feature one (1) forty (40) minute running half. 

EXTRA TIME – For the tournament finals there will be a 5 minute golden goal period, followed by penalty kicks will be a round of 5 players with at least 2 females shooting. For all pool play and semi-final games there will only be penalty kicks. If there is still a tie after the 5 kicks, there will be a one on one situation until the tie is broken. Any player on the team can take the kicks. Each team member must shoot once before a player can shoot again.

START OF PLAY – The kick off is a direct free kick and may be played in any direction.

FOULS AND MISCONDUCT:

1. A) DIRECT FREE KICKS – governed by FIFA Laws of the Game with the following additions:
2. Sliding of any kind from players or goalkeepers outside the penalty area is not allowed.. Goalkeepers may slide tackle as long as they are doing so within their penalty area and not in a dangerous manner. Players may not:

1. Slide
2. Tackle from behind
3. Check an opponent against the boards (Revere)
4. Slide to play the ball in the penalty area whether or not offensively or defensively. If defensively, a penalty kick will be awarded.

1. B) INDIRECT FREE KICKS – governed by FIFA Laws of the Game.

Any indirect kick taken by the attacking team for a foul inside the penalty area, the ball will be placed at the top of the penalty area in the center. No playing the ball while on the ground.

1. C) BLUE, YELLOW & RED CARDS – All cards are a time served penalty. The time served begins when the players exit the field and the ball is put back into play, NOT when the penalty was called. Get off the field quickly, the game clock is still ticking (exception: the ref stops the game clock for red cards)

BLUE CARD = 2-MINUTE PENALTY – The player receiving this card will serve a 2-minute penalty. If the goalkeeper receives a 2-minute penalty another player may serve the penalty. The player penalized is released in the following manner: 1) the 2 minutes have been served or 2) the non-penalized team scores a goal before the 2 minutes have expired. (Similar to hockey). MANDATORY 2-MINUTE PENALTIES – Any foul initiated from behind the fouled player deemed dangerous by the referee.

YELLOW CARD = 5-MINUTE PENALTY – If a player receives a yellow card then that player MUST serve the full 5 minutes no matter how many goals are scored by the non-penalized team. If the goalkeeper receives a yellow card then he must serve the 5 minutes and a replacement keeper will enter the playing area and a field player will be removed.

RED CARD AND 5-MINUTE PENALTY – Ref stops the game clock, the player who was issued the red card has 2 minutes to leave the building (not just leave the field) before the game is restarted. If the player refuses to leave, the game is declared a forfeit for the penalized team. The player penalized may not participate in the next scheduled game. A member of the penalized team will serve the 5-minute time penalty in their place once the game clock is restarted.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS – A team may not have less than 4 players on the playing area while penalties are being served. If a team has more than 2 players serving penalties only the first 2 penalties are running. As one penalty is over, then the 3rd begins and then the 4th begins, etc.

OTHER PROVISIONS

DISTANCE FROM KICKS – All defending players must be at least 3 yards from the ball.

DOUBLE TOUCH – The player taking the free kick cannot be the first person to touch the ball after the ball has been kicked. Another player (not the boards) must touch the ball before the player can kick the ball again.

SUBSTITUTIONS – Substitutions may be made at anytime while the game is in process provided that the player being substituted is within 3 yards of the team door before the substitute enters the playing area. If this distance is not met, the referee may issue a 2-minute bench penalty for too many players on the court. Goal keepers may be substituted either by 1) on the fly as above 2) after a goal is scored before the kick off 3) at a stoppage in play when the keeper’s team is in position of the ball and 4) when play is stopped for an injury. In all cases, the goalie must notify the referee when substituting with another player.

GOAL KICKS/KEEPER THROWS – May be taken from anywhere within the penalty area. The ball may not travel beyond the halfway line in the air. The penalty is an indirect free kick from the half way line for the attacking team.

PENALTY KICKS – Penalty kicks are to be taken from the top of the penalty area in the center. All players, other than the one taking the kick, must remain behind the mid line until the kick is taken.

GOALKEEPER RESTRICTIONS – Once keeper is in possession of the ball, the keeper may throw the ball back into play. Keeper’s may not punt or drop kick the ball into play. Penalty for kicking the ball will be an indirect free kick from the top of the penalty area. The keeper may release the ball on the ground and play it as a field player with the same restrictions as a field player. The keeper may not go outside the penalty area and dribble the ball back into to the penalty area and pick the ball up. Keepers will be restricted to the pass back rule and must release the ball within 6 seconds.

PLAYER LINE RESTRICTIONS – There are no line restrictions except those for goalkeepers as mentioned.

NO OFFSIDES

NO BICYCLE KICKS!! – too dangerous for everyone around you, and the ground is concrete under the turf. Do not do it.

INTENTIONAL DELAY OF GAME – The referee will warn a team for the first intentional delay of game. After the first warning, any reoccurrence will result in a 2-minute penalty

TIEBREAKERS – If teams are tied in the standings after pool play is completed, tiebreakers are as follows:

1. Head to head record
2. Fewest goals allowed among tied teams