Socctoberfest Rules

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IFAB RULES

All games will be played under IFAB rules modified by USYSA/AYSA unless otherwise stated in these rules. Disputes will be settled by the Tournament Director or designated Tournament Representatives. Tournament rules may be modified under extraordinary circumstances solely at the discretion of the designated Tournament Representative. NO GAME PROTESTS WILL BE CONSIDERED.

Parent / Coach & Team seating

All players, coaches and spectators from the same team will be on the same side of the field, with the spectators to the left of the center line, and the players and coaches to the right of the center line, behind the AR

Under-8 (U6/8) 4v4 Games

U6/U8 games are 4v4, with no goalkeeper, playing on age appropriate fields. There are no throw-ins, but kick-ins instead. All free kicks are indirect. Goal kicks can be taken from the goal mouth, if marked on the field, or anywhere on the goal line.

Under-10 (U9/10) 7v7 Games

U9/10 games are 7v7, including a goalkeeper, playing on age appropriate fields.  In U9/U10 games there is a “build out” line on both sides of the field so that the field appears in thirds. The purpose of the build out line is to allow the team taking a goal kick (or any goalkeeper delivery) to play the ball out before the opposing team can influence play and advance forward of the build out line.  All opponents must retreat to the build out line during goalkeeper deliveries, including goal kicks, regardless of who takes the goal kick.  Teammates of the goalkeeper need not retreat to the line.  If the team wants to put the ball into play before the opposition retreats to the build out line, they may do so at their own risk.

Additionally, goalkeepers in the U9/U10 game CAN’T drop kick the ball.  They may throw the ball, roll the ball out when they control the ball with their hands and they can place the ball on the ground and kick it. 

Furthermore, no heading is allowed by players in U9/U10 games.  If they deliberately head the ball, the referee stops play and awards an indirect free kick (IFK) to the opposing team.

One other exception to the U9/10 game is where “offside” should be enforced.  The offside is NOT enforced on the halfway line but rather on the build out line.  Thus, the build out line is treated like the halfway line on a regular field.

Finally, substitution rules for small sided U9/10 games will be in accordance with the US Soccer Player Development Initiatives (PDIs).  They are allowed unlimited substitutions at any dead ball, with the referee’s permission.

All other rules for U9/10 soccer conform to the LOTG.

Under-12 (U11/12) 9v9 Games

U11/12 games are 9v9 including a goalkeeper, playing on age appropriate fields.  There is NO build out line and the goal keeper may punt the ball; however, for the U11 game, players are not allowed to head the ball.  If, during the U11 game, a player deliberately heads the ball the referee stops play and awards an IFK to the opposing team.

Substitution rules for small sided U11/12 games will be in accordance with the US Soccer Player Development Initiatives (PDIs).  They are allowed unlimited substitutions at any dead ball, with the referee’s permission.

All other rules for U12 and under soccer conform to the LOTG

SUBSTITUTIONS

Substitutions will be allow at any stoppage of play, with the referees permission. 

Entering substitutes must remain on the touch line until the substituting player has left the field, unless permitted to enter earlier by the referee.  Players leaving the field will do so by the closest boundary (Touch line or goal line), unless the referee directs something else.

ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

Eligible players are players whose legal name and birth date appear on the team’s roster at tournament check in. Out – of – state teams must provide a current travel roster, appropriately approved. Each U9 through U12 team may have up to 3 loan players and each U13 through U19 team may have up to 5 loan players. Players may not play for more than one team during the Tournament. Players must be from US Club, USYS, USSF or AYSO.

Maximum roster sizes are: 22 players for U13 through U19, 16 players for U11 and U12 and 14 for U9 and U10.  For U13 through U19 teams, only 18 players may dress for a given game, and those may be different for different games. Coaches must provide a player pass for each player. NO PLAYER PASS, NO PLAY. The referee will determine whether players wearing hard casts may play. Orthopedic casts (hard casts) are permitted.  The cast must be padded with a closed-cell, slow recovery foam padding no less than ½ inch thick. The referees have responsibility for the safety of players on the field. If a referee determines that a cast, splint, bandage, or dressing is unsafe, the wrapping must be changed or the player will not be allowed to play. Shin guards are mandatory for all players.

We want to have a bracket for every age group, however, if one bracket is short, we may combine age groups to complete a bracket. If that is the case, we will call your team to inform you of the change. We will do our very best to keep all brackets as competitive as possible.

MEDICAL RELEASES

Signed medical releases for all players must be in the possession of the coach or manager while participating in the Tournament and are subject to inspection by a Tournament Representative at any time. Digital copies of medical release forms are acceptable.

PRE-GAME CHECK IN

All teams must check in at least 1 hour prior to their first game of the Tournament at the Field Marshal station located at the field. All players must check in with the field marshal or referee prior to each game. Teams will turn over their player passes to the Field Marshal or referee for verification. Field marshals must have a team’s laminated player passes in their possession during all games. Teams are required to pick up their passes after each game and sign the game card. Passes for ejected players and coaches will not be returned after the game. Field Marshals will hold passes until the ejected individuals have served their suspensions.

FORFEITED GAMES

Teams failing to check in 10 minutes prior to a scheduled kick-off time may forfeit the game. To be awarded a forfeit win upon the failure of an opponent to check in, the non-forfeiting team must have checked in properly even if it is known that your opponent will not appear. Teams playing U9-U10 games must have at least 5 players present and available to play. Teams playing U11-12 games must have at least 6 players present and available to play. Teams playing U13 – U19 games must have at least 7 players present and available to play. Should a team not meet this requirement at any point in a match, the team will forfeit the game. If the non-forfeiting team is not winning the game at the time of the forfeiture, it will be awarded points as if it won the game by a 3 – 0 score.

Number of players on the field:

Age Group  # Player on field

U6 – U8 - 4 v 4

U9 – U10 - 7 v 7

U11 – U12 - 9 v 9

U13 – U20 - 11 v 11

The game durations and the ball sizes are as follows:

Age Group      Ball Size      Game Length      Half Time

U6 – U8            3                  20 min. halves       5 min.

U9 – U10          4                  20 min. halves       5 min

U11 – U12        4                  25 min. halves       5 min

U13 – U14       5                  30 min. halves       5 min

U15 – U20       5                  35 min. halves       5 min

The Tournament Director or his or her designee reserves the right to shorten the length of any game in the interest of completing the tournament, getting back on schedule, inclement weather, or any other unforeseen circumstance leading to the need to conserve time.

TOURNAMENT SCORING

A. Teams shall be awarded points for match results as follows:

6 points for each win

3 points for a draw

0 points for a loss

1 point for a shutout

1 point for each goal up to three goals

-1 point for each red card. Any team that receives three or more red cards in the tournament, will be removed from the tournament.

B. For a forfeited match, the winner will be credited with a 3-0 win and awarded 10 points. A maximum of 5 minutes allowed from match time to forfeit time.

C.  No points will be awarded if neither team shows up.

D.  Any team leaving the field prior to determination of a winner shall forfeit the match.

E.  A match is considered official upon completion of one half of play. If circumstances dictate that play be stopped after halftime, the score will be recorded based on the score at the time of the stoppage.

F.  Final standings for the pool will be determined by the total number of points accumulated during pool play.

G.  Scores of each match played will be posted on the Socctoberfest page of the club website, through Got Soccer, after the Field Marshal reports each match score.

TIE BREAKING WITHIN A POOL

Ties in pool standings will be broken by employing a tiebreaker.

1. Head to Head (if more than 2 teams are tied, immediately move to tiebreaker #2).

2. Largest goal differential (Goals For minus Goals Against with a maximum differential of 4 goals for or against per match).

3. Least goals allowed.

4. Most goals scored (maximum of 4 per match).

5. FIFA penalty kicks (site and time at the discretion of Tournament Director). 11 players from a team (or 7 players for U9-U10 and 9 players for U11-U12) must be ready to participate within 5 minutes of appointed time or else that team will forfeit its opportunity to prevail in the tiebreaker.

TIE BREAKING IN SEMI-FINAL AND CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES

If the score is still tied at the conclusion of regulation time in any Semi-Final or Championship match, both teams will take penalty kicks as described below until a winner is determined. There will be no overtime period. No Semi-Final or Championship match shall end in a tie.

PK Procedures – Only the 11 players on the field (or 7 for U9-U10 or 9 for U11 – U12) at the conclusion of regulation may participate. The Center Referee will gather all the players on the field at the end of regulation time and not allow them to go to their respective sidelines. They are the only players who will shoot the PK’s. After the initial 5 PK’s are taken and no winner has been determined, each team will take an equal number of PK’s (one for one) until a winner is determined. If need be, all (11 or 9 or 7) players will be used and then each team will begin again in the whatever order they want. Scores for the winning side will be posted as 3 – 0.

AWARDS

All team players will receive participation pins. Medals will be given to each player on first and second place teams in the U9-U19 age brackets.

HOME TEAM

·        Is the team listed first on the schedule

·        Must change jersey in case of color conflict

·        Will be on the north or east side of the field

·        Team bench will be on the side behind the Assistant Referee

·        Spectators will be on the same side of the players, to the left of the center line

VISITING TEAM

·        Is the team listed second on the schedule

·        Has choice of jersey color

·        Will be on the south or west side of the field

·        Spectators will be on the same side of the players, to the right of the center line

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

FC Sonora Soccer Club and the Socctoberfest tournament fully endorses and supports good sportsmanship and fair play. Furthermore, we seek to provide a positive environment for our tournament participants, referees, volunteers and spectators. Due to the increase of abusive and intimidating behavior towards referees and in too many cases, our youth referees, we have adopted a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for the tournament. There will be no questioning of the referees’ decisions or dissent from coaches, assistant coaches or spectators of any nature directed to the referees. Any questioning of any referee’s abilities or application of the rules will be directed to the Field Marshal on site. Referee evaluation forms are also available from the Field Marshal. It is the responsibility of ALL coaches, assistant coaches, players and spectators to maintain the highest standards of conduct while participating in or watching tournament games. Abusive, confrontational and obscene language, violent play/conduct, fighting, inciting, escalating and other behavior detrimental to players, referees, coaches, the game and the sport will not be tolerated before, during or after any game. Head coaches are completely responsible for the behavior of their Assistant Coaches, Team Managers and spectators on their side of the field and are subject to being sanctioned at the discretion of the referee for inappropriate conduct by spectators.

Additionally, coaches, assistant coaches and players must remain in the coaches’ box at all times. If not marked, the box is assumed to be the width of the center circle.  Excessive coaching from the sidelines is not permitted. No coach, assistant coach, player or spectator shall make profane, derogatory or critical remarks or gestures to or about the referees, other coaches, players, or spectators. Finally, alcoholic beverages and smoking are not permitted at any game sites.

DISCIPLINE

Referees shall report yellow and red cards to the Field Marshals. Any player/coach ordered from the field of play (red carded) will not be allowed to play in the next game. The player/coach card will be turned in with the game report. Further suspension or action may be deemed appropriate by the Tournament Director, depending on the nature and/or severity of the offense. The card will be returned at the completion of the player/coach suspension. If the suspension is not completed at this tournament, the card will be forwarded to the State Association per AYSA rules. Any team, coach, assistant coach or spectator who engages in any conduct that disrupts the tournament or poses a threat or danger to the safety of tournament participants, staff, referees or volunteers may serve as cause to dismiss a team from the tournament. The decision to dismiss a team shall be in the sole discretion of the Tournament Director or his or her designee.

WEATHER

The Tournament Director reserves the right to modify all Tournament Rules to fairly and safely complete the tournament. The health and safety of players is our priority. The Tournament has an obligation to protect the fields and facilities that are being used for tournament play. All decisions will be based on field conditions with input from the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Department as necessary. It is the responsibility of the coaches and teams to be available for any contingencies. Field Marshals at all locations will be informed of any changes and will provide instructions to all teams. Coaches are asked to be patient and remain flexible if this unfortunate situation arises. In the event of inclement weather, the Field Marshal, in conjunction with the Referee Coordinator, will decide whether the fields are playable or if the games should be stopped. Do Not leave the game site until instructed to do so by the Field Marshal.  The Field Marshal shall also instruct teams when it is clear to play. In the event a game is stopped during the match, and cannot be continued, the score at the time will stand if at least half of the game is completed. If the inclement weather persists, the Tournament Director shall make a decision regarding if and how the tournament shall proceed and post such decisions as promptly as possible. When in doubt, teams should go to the game site or risk forfeiture. As a result of inclement weather, any number of options may be considered, including but not limited to shortening all games or conducting games by kicks from the mark. Games won by PK’s will be entered as a 3 – 0 win. See above rules for more details.

UNIFORMS

Uniforms should be identifiable as the “team” uniform bearing the team’s soccer club or organization affiliation. All players must have identical jerseys, including loan players. Referees will have final authority for accepting players in uniforms that are slightly different from the standard uniform of that team. All uniforms shall have a number and numbers will not be repeated on the field by players playing on the same team.

No player will be permitted to wear anything in a game that could cause or aggravate injury to either that player or any other player.

No jewelry will be allowed except for medical or religious jewelry, which must be taped down to help prevent injury.  Earrings may not be worn, even if taped.

DISPUTES

The Tournament Director settles all disputes and the decision is final. Tournament rules may be modified under extraordinary circumstances as deemed necessary by the Tournament Director.

DISCLAIMER

FC Sonora and the Socctoberfest Tournament does not assume responsibility for controlling all circumstances relating to the tournament. In the event that the tournament cannot be completed as scheduled, FC Sonora, its Board of Directors, tournament volunteers and staff, will not be responsible for any claims or damages. The entry fee is non-refundable after acceptance.

COACHES ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A representative from each team is responsible for acknowledging receipt of these rules at check in. All coaches are deemed to have read these rules even if they are not the team representative signing the acknowledgement at check in.