Each team may roster up to 8 youth or 12 adult players. All players must be listed on the official roster, have a completed waiver, and provide proof of age at check-in when required.
Rosters become final at check-in. Any team using a player who is not properly registered may forfeit the match and may also be removed from the tournament.
Player Eligibility and Age Divisions:
Age divisions are based on the player’s birth year. Players are permitted to play in an older age division, but may not play in a younger age division.
Girls may play on boys’ teams. Boys may not play on girls’ teams. If a team has even one boy on the roster, the team must register in a boys’ division.
Youth divisions are not considered coed.
Adult coed divisions may be offered separately. In adult coed play, teams must have at least 2 female players on the field at all times. If a coed team chooses to play in another division, such as Men’s Open, the coed player requirement does not apply.
Player Equipment:
Shin guards are required for all players during play.
Players may wear a cast on the hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, or shoulder only if it is properly covered with closed-cell, slow-recovery foam padding at least ½ inch thick. The referee or Tournament Director must approve the padding before the player may participate. The Tournament Director has final authority on all equipment approvals.
Jewelry may not be worn during games.
All field players on the same team must wear matching-colored shirts. Numbers are not required. If both teams are wearing similar colors, the home team must change. Goalkeepers must wear a shirt color that clearly distinguishes them from both teams.
Home and Away Teams:
The team listed first on the schedule will be considered the home team.
Match Start, Game Length, and Schedule Adjustments:
Teams must be ready to play at the scheduled start time - or forfeit A minimum of 3 players is required to begin a match.
If a team does not have the minimum number of players or causes a delay, the match may be forfeited. A 5-minute grace period may be allowed, but delayed starts may result in a shortened game in order to keep the tournament on schedule.
Games will consist of two 12-minute halves with a 1-minute halftime. A match may also end early if one team reaches a 10-goal lead.
The game ends when time expires, even if the ball is in the air or an attacking play is in progress. The only exception is when time is extended to complete a penalty kick. A goal will only count if the ball completely crosses the goal line before the final whistle.
There will be no coin toss. The home team will kick off to begin the match, and the away/visitor team will choose which goal to defend first. Teams will switch ends at halftime.
Game times, field assignments, or game lengths may be adjusted due to weather, field conditions, or scheduling needs. Matches may be moved earlier or later to help keep the event running smoothly.
Offside:
There is no offside rule.
Heading:
Heading is not permitted in youth divisions. Heading is allowed in adult divisions.
Slide Tackling:
Slide tackling by field players is not allowed.
Players may slide to keep a ball from going out of bounds, block a shot, or save a shot, provided there is no contact with an opposing player. Sliding is only permitted when no opponent is involved in the play.
A slide tackle violation will result in a direct free kick. If the infraction occurs inside the goalkeeper arc, a penalty kick will be awarded.
A second slide tackle violation by the same player will result in a yellow card. A third violation by the same player will result in a red card.
Direct Restarts:
Corner kicks and kickoffs are direct kicks.
Kickoffs may be played in any direction.
Touchline Restarts:
Instead of throw-ins, the ball will be restarted from the touchline by either a kick-in or a dribble-in.
The ball must be placed stationary on the touchline before the restart. A player may not score directly from a stationary kick-in. If a player chooses to dribble the ball into play, the ball must make one full rotation before it may be kicked into the goal.
Penalty Kicks and Free Kicks:
Penalty kicks will be taken from the top of the arc or 7 yards from the goal.
Physical fouls will result in direct free kicks. All other fouls will result in indirect free kicks.
Defending players must remain at least 5 yards away from the ball on all free kicks.
Goal Clearance:
When a goal kick would normally be awarded, the goalkeeper will restart play with a goal clearance.
The goalkeeper begins with the ball in their hands and may restart by throwing the ball, placing it down to pass or kick, or placing it down and dribbling it out of the penalty arc.
Once the goalkeeper places the ball on the ground, the ball is live. The ball must leave the penalty arc within 4 seconds. If the goalkeeper fails to complete the goal clearance within 4 seconds, the opposing team will receive an indirect free kick from the top of the arc.
A goal may not be scored directly from a goal clearance. Once the ball has left the penalty arc, a goal may be scored from anywhere on the field.
Punts and drop-kicks are not allowed.
Goalkeeper Rules:
During live play, when the goalkeeper has the ball in their hands, they may throw it anywhere on the field or place it down and dribble inside or outside the penalty area.
The goalkeeper may not punt or drop-kick the ball.
The ball must leave the goalkeeper’s penalty arc within 4 seconds. Failure to do so will result in an indirect free kick for the opposing team at the top of the arc.
A goalkeeper may not throw the ball directly into the opposing team’s goal.
Players may not initiate contact with the goalkeeper while the goalkeeper is inside the penalty arc. Violations may result in a yellow card.
Once the goalkeeper leaves the penalty arc, they are treated as a field player.
Substitutions:
Substitutions may be made by either team during any stoppage of play, including direct and indirect free kicks, once acknowledged by the referee.
Repeated substitutions used to waste time may be denied by the referee and may result in disciplinary action.
Sportsmanship and Conduct
Coaches are expected to set the tone for their teams and are responsible for the behavior of their players and spectators.
Referees, tournament staff, facility staff, and event officials reserve the right to remove any coach, player, or spectator whose behavior is disruptive, unsafe, disrespectful, or unsportsmanlike.
Yellow Cards and Red Cards:
Yellow cards accumulate throughout the tournament.
A player who receives 2 yellow cards in the same match will receive a red card and must serve the related penalty.
A player who receives 3 yellow cards in one day will be suspended for their team’s next match. After serving the suspension, the player may return if the team has additional games that day.
A player who receives a red card may not return for the remainder of that match and must also sit out the team’s next match in this tournament. The team may substitute another player for the sent-off player.
A player who is sent off in 2 separate games during the same tournament will be removed from the remainder of the event.
Tournament Format and Schedules:
The tournament will use a round robin format whenever possible for one-day events.
There will be no overtime during pool play or round robin games.
Pool Play Scoring:
Pool play and round robin standings will be scored as follows:
Win: 3 points Tie: 1 point Loss: 0 points
Pool Play Tiebreakers:
If teams are tied in pool play standings or round robin results, the following tiebreakers will be used:
Head-to-head result between tied teams
Goal differential in pool play
Fewest goals allowed in pool play
Most goals scored in pool play
Team shootout with 4 players
Semifinal and Final Tiebreakers:
If a semifinal or final match ends in a tie, teams will take a 1-minute break followed by a 3-minute golden goal period.
If the match remains tied after the golden goal period, the winner will be decided by a shootout using the 4 players who were on the field at the end of the golden goal period.
There will be no overtime, golden goal period, or shootout during pool play or round robin games.
Forfeits:
If a match is forfeited, the official score will be recorded as 10-0.
Protests:
Protests will not be accepted.
Referee decisions regarding facts, judgment calls, and rule interpretation during play are final. If there is a question regarding the interpretation of a rule, the onsite Tournament Director will make the final decision.
