Tournament Rules - 2008

GENERAL RULES

GENERAL CONDUCT

Only the coach who registers the team may speak with the Field Marshal on matters pertaining to the tournament. Each team shall have a designated speaking captain during the games. Coaches are responsible for the actions of their players, assistant coaches, parents and spectators.

The players, coaches, assistant coaches, parents and spectators for the respective teams must be on opposite sides of the field during the game. No one associated with either team is allowed behind either goal area during the games.

The coach is expected to control his/her sideline and to put an end to any conduct detrimental to the good of the game. The coach is also expected to address any problem that the referee may bring to his/her attention. Failure of the coach to keep control of self, players, assistant coaches, parents or spectators may result in forfeiture of a game or the suspension of the team for the balance of the tournament by the referee, referee coordinator, Field Marshal, site coordinator or Tournament Director without refund. Dismissed coaches, assistant coaches, parents or spectators, who fail to leave the area, will be considered grounds for game forfeiture or team suspension from the tournament.

PARKING

Park in designated parking areas only at any site or facility. Do not park on grass. Citations by local law enforcement officers will be issued for failure to observe local ordinances.

PLAYER/COACH CONDUCT

Two yellow cards in the same game result in the ejection of the player from that game and the player must also sit out the next game. There shall be no substitution for the ejected player.

One red card results in the ejection of the player from that game and the player must sit out at least the next game. Based on the referee report, the site coordinator, field marshal or referee coordinator may impose additional penalties for violent or dangerous play up to and including banning the player from further participation in the tournament. There shall be no substitution for the ejected player. Two ejections of the same player during the tournament result in the banning of that player from competition for the rest of the tournament.

Coach ejections will be treated the same as player ejections. In order for the game to continue after a coach ejection, an assistant coach must show a valid pass to the referee or the game is forfeit. If no assistant is available for the next game, then that game is also forfeit. Ejected coaches must leave the field area immediately and may not attend the following game. If not, the game is forfeit.

Per EPYSA tournament rules, all referee assaults and all yellow and red cards will be reported to EPYSA and the respective state associations.

AGE, ELIGIBILITY and GUEST PLAYER POLICY

Competition is open to properly registered teams of no more than 18 players including up to 5 guest players. All players (including guests) must be registered with their respective state, provincial or national association. All teams from outside EPYSA must supply a copy of their Permission to Travel Form signed by their state, provincial or national association. From EPYSA rules, secondary players registered on your roster are considered guest players for the purpose of traveling to tournaments and will be counted toward your 5 guests maximum if they attend.

Current player passes authorized by their respective state, provincial or national association will be required as proof of age for each player, including guests. Current coach passes authorized by their respective state, provincial or national association will be required as proof of good standing.

Official team rosters will be checked against coach and player passes during registration. The Field Marshal or referee may use a copy of this tournament-approved roster to verify player eligibility before or during each game. Use of an illegal player (a player not registered with the tournament or a player who received a red or 2 yellow cards in the prior game) will result in the immediate dismissal of the team from the tournament without a refund.

No player can play for more then one team in the tournament.

LAWS OF THE GAME

All matches will be played in accordance with FIFA Laws of the Game, except as specifically superceded by these rules.

SUBSTITUTIONS

There will be no limit to substitutions subject to permission of the referee: after either team has scored a goal, at the beginning of the second half, at either team's goal kick, on possession of a throw-in or on the other teams throw-in provided the team in possession of the throw-in is substituting. When a yellow card is given, the carded player MUST be substituted for. The player may re-enter at the next available opportunity, subject to the permission of the referee. The opposing team has the right to one substitute at that time. If an injured player is attended to on the field, the injured player MUST be substituted for. The player may re-enter at the next available opportunity, subject to the permission of the referee. The opposing team has the right to one substitute at that time.

PROTESTS

There will be no protests. In matters pertaining to the game, all decisions of the referees are final. All scheduled center referees are USSF certified and are assigned by a local, state approved, referee assignor. The Tournament Committee, Tournament Director, Site Coordinators, Field Marshals, Harleysville Soccer Club and its officers have no control over referee assignments.

FORFEITS

A 5-minute grace period will be allowed after the scheduled kick off time before the game is awarded to the opponent. A minimum of 7 players constitutes a team. Teams that fail to field the minimum at the start of the game or who fall below the minimum during the game forfeit the game regardless of the score at the point of forfeiture. Every team must have a coach with a valid pass at each game or the game is forfeit. A forfeit will be recorded as a 0-3 loss for the forfeiting team and a 3-0 win for the opponent.

PLAYER EQUIPMENT

Each team is required to have alternate colored jerseys or pinnies. When the referee determines that the colors are similar, the home team is responsible for changing their jersey. In consolation or championship games, the home team will be determined by the referee's coin toss.

Shin guards must be worn during all games and socks are to cover shin guards during the match. All players must wear numbered jerseys. Players from the same team must wear different numbers and the numbers must match the player's number that is turned in on the tournament roster.

Goalkeepers must wear a jersey color that contrasts with both team's jerseys and the referee's jersey.

Players may not play if they are wearing a hard cast, regardless of covering. No metal cleats may be worn during soccer games. Players may not wear jewelry on the playing field, including metal hair clips.

BALLS

Under-12 and younger play with a size 4, everyone else a size 5. The home team supplies the game ball.

DURATION OF PLAY

Brackets of 8 teams will play 3 mini games in a qualifying round, and 3 full-length games in a championship round.

For Brackets of 5, 6 and 7 teams, it will just be a 4 long game round robin type tournament.

For Brackets of only 4 teams, there will be 3 long games played in a round robin style. The resulting 1st place and 2nd place teams from the round robin will play in a championship. The 3rd and 4th place teams will play a consolation game.

All teams are expected to play all assigned games.

Qualifying Round:

All games in the qualifying round will be twenty-five (25) minutes in length. There will be no stoppage time. There will be no halftime, however the referee will allow teams to change ends on the field at a stoppage of play at approximately the twelve (12) minute mark of the game. The clock will continue to run during the exchange of ends.

Round Robin, Championship and Consolation Round:

All games in the round robin, consolation and championship rounds consist of two (2) twenty-five (25) minute halves. The halves will be separated by a five (5) minute half time. If weather conditions warrant, the referee may grant a one (1) minute water break in each half.

The referee, the site coordinator or the Field Marshal may shorten or cancel games to preserve the field or to keep the tournament on schedule. A game will be deemed official and its score stand if 20 minutes of the game have been played as of the scheduled start of the next game. Match time will be kept running and there will be no stoppage of time unless an injured player is assisted from the field by medical personnel.

INCLEMENT WEATHER or POOR FIELD CONDITIONS

Regardless of weather or field conditions, coaches and their teams must appear at the field, ready to play as scheduled. Failure to appear will result in forfeiture of the game unless approved by the site coordinator ahead of time. Due to the 3 game formats, rescheduled games may be impractical.

INCLEMENT WEATHER or POOR FIELD CONDITIONS BEFORE A GAME

An individual game may be cancelled or the players may be prohibited from warming up on the field and the game length may be reduced. Only the Tournament Committee, the Tournament Director, the site coordinator, the referee or the Field Marshal may shorten or cancel a game.

INCLEMENT WEATHER or POOR FIELD CONDITIONS DURING A GAME

The game length may be reduced. Only the site coordinator, the referee or the Field Marshal may shorten a game. Should a game be terminated with 20 or more minutes played, the game will be considered official and the score will stand.

Cancelled games or games terminated before 20 minutes of play shall be considered a 0 to 0 tie for purposes of tournament standings.

SCORE REPORTING

A Field Marshal will fill out a game report for each game played. The report will include game related information such as goals scored, yellow card and red card information and injuries. Coaches will be asked to sign the card to insure that there is score agreement. In the event of disagreement, the referee's score is final. At the conclusion of each match the Field Marshal will take this information to the site headquarters where the scores will be posted. Yellow and red card information will be used for tiebreaker scoring and for the Post Tournament report to the state.

RANKING

Results are based on the following scoring criteria

Teams tied in points at the end of regulation games follow this tiebreaker order:

1.)       Head to Head competition if there are only 2 teams involved.

2.)       Goal Differential up to 3 goals (+ and -) per game for all games played.

3.)       Head to Head competition if there are only 2 teams left.

4.)       Fewest Goals Allowed up to 3 per game.

5.)        Head to Head competition if there are only 2 teams left.

6.)        Fewest Red Cards

7.)       Head to Head competition if there are only 2 teams left.

8.)       Fewest Yellow Cards

9.)       Head to Head competition if there are only 2 teams left.

10.)   Penalty Kick shoot-out as described below at the first available appropriately sized goal at the site.

If inclement weather, poor field conditions or darkness preclude a shootout, the match will be decided by the flip of a coin. If one team is not present, the team present shall be deemed the winner. (Remember a team is comprised of a minimum of 7 players, so a coach cannot represent the team in the unlikely event that the tiebreakers should ever go this far.)

TIES

Ties stand in all games except in the championship round.

If the game is tied at the end of regulation time there will be 2 five-minute sudden death overtimes. If the game is still tied, then the game will be determined by a penalty kick shoot-out. Only players who were on the field at the end of the last overtime period may participate. Each team will designate their first 5 kickers. If, after these 5, there is a tie, then the game will be determined by sudden death penalty kicks. If it is still tied after the 11th player, then the sudden death shoot-out continues in the same order starting with each team's first kicker.

In the event of inclement weather or poor field conditions, there will be no overtime play and the penalty kick shoot-out will begin immediately. Only the referee, site coordinator or the Field Marshal may eliminate the overtime play. In the event of poor field conditions, the Field Marshal, site coordinator or referee may choose the best available goal at the site for the shoot out. If inclement weather or poor field conditions don't permit a shootout, the final results will be based on the criteria described in rule 14 for the 2 teams, applied to their completed game.