8v8/7v7 League Rules
| GENERAL: |
We are recreational adult soccer leagues for men and women. The purpose of our leagues are to promote and support adult soccer play in a friendly and family-like environment in the Riverside County area. FIFA and USSF rules govern play, except as amended by these rules and the league Director.
It is the intent of our leagues to
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| PARTICIPATION IN OUR LEAGUE: |
| Players and coaches joining our leagues must follow any additional guidelines found within these rules. |
| ROSTER: |
| All teams are required to provide a list of players at the beginning of the season and no later than game three (3) as well as a roster print out from their web site before each game. Failing to provide an official roster printed out from their team web site will represent a forfeit for that game. Any changes to the roster before game 8 require a $10 fee. Unregistered players on a team will also be the cause of a forfeit which equals to the loss of the game plus a penalty of minus 2 pts from their standings. After the 8th game of the season there shall be NO more changes to any team rosters. |
| LEAGUE FEES : |
| Half the team fee is due 2 months before the season starts. Full payment is due no later than 4 weeks before the season begins. If this is not the case, there is $100 late fee. $25.00 will be charged on return checks. Returned checks will not be re-deposited. |
| CROSSOVERS: |
| A player will be allowed to switch teams only 1 time during a season with previous approval from the League Director. Players are allowed to play in different divisions during the same season as long as they fulfill the age requirements and have paid their fees. |
| PLAYER ID CARDS: |
| All players are required to have a player ID card. The league will provide these cards for a nominal cost of $5. There will be a $10.00 fee to replace a lost player card. |
| PLAYER RESPONSIBILITIES: |
| Yellow cards (2-minute penalty) don't carry to the next game. A red card issued is expected to carry an automatic 1-game suspension minimum; a double-yellow card does not carry a suspension. A suspended player will sit out only for the division that he was suspended on unless he is considered a threat to the safety of another individual. Suspensions do NOT carry over other divisions and/or other nights. Accumulation of 3 red cards in the same season will result in suspension from the league for six months, dated from the date of the last card that causes the suspension. The suspended individual must also take and pass a referee training class and provide a letter of completion from the instructor before allowed to re-enter OUR LEAGUES league play. |
| League Operations |
| LEAGUE WEB SITE: |
| Our Leagues operate web sites at http://www.temeculaadultsoccer.com and http://www.riversideadultsoccer.com. Each web site provides the latest information on league operations and should be consulted weekly for all questions concerning the leagues. |
| SEASONS: |
| Our leagues run 3 seasons per year. The fall season runs from Sept through Dec. Spring season runs from Jan to April and the summer season runs from May to end of July. The All-Star game takes place on early January. |
| TEAM DIVISION PLACEMENT: |
| Teams will be placed in divisions based on level of experience and participation in the league and availability. In the given case that there are 2 divisions in the same age group (same day) the winner of the lower division will be moved up to the upper division and the team that ends in last place of the upper division will be moved down to the lower division. |
| FINALS: |
| At the end of the regular season, the top four teams will advance to the play-offs. For divisions with eight teams, all eight teams will play a quarter-final-round instead of playing game 10. If there are four teams in a division, all four teams will advance to the play-offs. For quarter-final play, the lower ranked team MUST beat the higher ranked team in order to move on. For semi-final (only if time allows it) and final games, the teams will play two regular 25 minute halves. If there is no winner, there will be two 5-minute 'golden-goal' halves in which the second 5-minute over time will require the teams to play without a goalie but still 8vs8. (With restricted time on weeknights, teams may have to go to PKs right away or do PKs before their game.) If there is no winner, there will be a best of 3 PKs (in coed 1 of the 3 has to be a female player), 10 steps back from the goal line. If no winner still, teams will continue until somebody wins. In case that the lights go off and there is no winner still, the game will be decided on a coin-toss. |
| SCHEDULE CHANGES: |
| Once a season schedule is published to the league web site, no changes will be made unless there is an unexpected logistical problem that arises. The only other exception is weather related changes. If this is the case, all managers will be notified of the change(s) electronically. Weather and field availability permitting, all teams will play a ten match series each season plus a mini-tournament at the beginning of the season. |
| MAKEUP GAMES AND CANCELLATIONS: |
| A match is considered official once the 1st half has been completed. If play must be halted after the start of play, but before the half is complete, the OUR LEAGUES scheduler will make every attempt to reschedule the shortened game. However, if field, weather or other situations preclude timely rescheduling, the game may not be replayed. If this occurs, the score standing will be used as the final score of the game. If a play-off game is approved to be rescheduled, the requesting team will be required to pay for the referee fee, plus the field rental fee and the lights cost if game is played under the lights. Regular season games can not be rescheduled. |
| FORFEIT: |
| Failure to have a minimum amount of players to show-up (5 on 8v8/4 on 7v7 games) will result in a forfeit for that team. Referees will allow a ten-minute grace period from posted start time to field a team. A two-point deduction from the offending team's division standing will be reduced for the forfeit. The team that wins by default will add maximum points to their division standings 3 points and 3 goals. |
| PLAYER CONDUCT: |
| Players are responsible for fair, sportsmanlike and polite behavior at all times. NO fighting will be tolerated. Foul, vile or vulgar language MUST not be used on the field either toward other players or to yourself in general. Referees are instructed to card offenders. Any fight will result in immediate one-year suspension without a refund to whoever throws the first punch. All other individuals who get involved in a fight will be also suspended for at least six months according to managers and other witnesses' reports. Referee or racial abuse will not be tolerated. Assault includes the following acts committed upon a referee: hitting, kicking, punching, choking, spitting at, or on, grabbing, stepping on, or running into a referee; the act of kicking or throwing any object at a referee that could inflict injury, damaging the referee's uniform or personal property. Referee abuse is also defined as a verbal attack or physical approach that implies or threatens physical harm to a referee or the referee's property or equipment. Verbal threats are remarks that carry the implied or direct threat of physical harm. Threats such as: "I'll get you after the game" or "You won't get out of here in one piece" shall be deemed referee abuse. Commission of any of the preceding acts will carry a 6 month to one-year suspension from Our Leagues. |
| REFEREES: |
| All decisions made by the referees assigned to TASL or RASL matches are final. USSF and referees in training are contracted to referee league games, if you have a problem with the referees that officiate the games, we suggest that you look into leagues on the north side. No appeals will be accepted pertaining to decisions by the referee. No player or individual shall enter the field of play without the referee's express permission except during substitutions. |
| REFUNDS : |
| Once entered on the schedule, no team or player shall receive a refund for any reason. Refunds to players during the season are the responsibility of the team managers. |
| UNIFORMS: |
| All teams are required to wear uniforms in order to play. Matching jerseys (no t-shirts allowed) are required and must be numbered. Shorts and socks do not necessarily need to be of the same brand name or style but have to be of the same color (or very similar such as navy blue & black. Clashing colors will not be allowed such as wearing green instead of red or orange instead of royal blue). Teams are expected to fulfill this requirement no later than game 3. A referee shall disallow a player from the field of play until he or she is wearing his or her team matching colors. If player refuses to change then he shall not be allowed to play. In case both teams are wearing the same color, the HOME team must have an alternative option to change colors (bibs are fine). If home team does not have a back up plan, the home team will be doomed to FORFEIT the game. |
| OLDER AGE GROUP DIVISIONS: |
| In the older age group divisions, teams are allowed to have some younger players as follow: a total of 4 years under age can be used but a maximum of 2 players in any combination possible thereof i.e. one 26 year old, or two 28 year olds, etc. Furthermore, teams are allowed to have a goalie that is 25 years old or older but this player is required to play in goal 100% of the time. |
| GRIEVANCE POLICY/PROTEST: |
A grievance/protest is a complaint with a suggested resolution. The only matters that are grievable/protestable are treatment of players by coaches, actions of spectators, or any clear violation of the League Rules that has escaped the attention of the League Director. Any grievance/protest shall be filed in writing, with a $50 nonrefundable protest fee, to the league within three days of the action under protest. Upon receipt, the League Referee Director will review the relevant facts, appoint a managers panel (from other unrelated divisions) and render a determination, in writing, to the protestor within seven days. The following items, while not exclusive, are not grievable/protestable:
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| SCORING AND POINT CALCULATIONS: |
| Teams will lose standing points for red cards issued to team members during matches. Red card - loss of 1 point for each card received |
| DEVIATIONS FROM FIFA AND USSF Laws OF THE GAME FOR 8 VS. 8 OR 7 VS. 7 |
| Unless otherwise indicated here, all Laws of the Game as prescribed in FIFA's sanctioning bodies' rulebooks will apply to all TASL matches. Law 1: The Field of Play. Local conditions may mandate use of non-standard or sub-optimal fields. The field size used will be 80 X 50 or 70 X 55. Law 3: The Number of Players. Teams will play with a maximum of 8 players at one time. Free-substitutions are permitted for both teams at any time avoiding having 9 players on the field at one time. Law 7: Duration of the Match. If weather or field conditions mandate, and with the concurrence of both involved coaches, matches may be shortened from the normal 25 minute halves. Law 8: Start and Restart of Play. From goal kick and goalie punt, ball needs to be touched or it has to bounce on own half. Goalie throws are allowed to cross the half line. Law 11: Offside. There will not be any offside position. However, on direct or indirect kicks it is not allowed to 'screen' the goal keeper (mainly to avoid injury). The goal keeper shall be allowed at least 3-4 yards from any opponent. Corner kicks are the exception. Law 12: The Wall. The distance of the wall shall be 8 yards on 8v8 and 7 yards on 7v7. Law 20: Throw-ins. There will be no throw-ins. Instead, teams will do a DIRECT kick from point where ball went out. All infractions will become a direct-kick. COED ONLY: Each team WILL NEED at least THREE female players on the field at all times during each one of the games (4 girls for Friday nights). If only one or two females are present, then the team will play short, if all three female players are missing, team will have to forfeit. Female goals count as 2 pts. This is NOT the case for Fridays coed 4/4. |
| SLIDE TACKLING AND SLIDING |
| Slide "tackling" is the action used by a player when he/she goes reaches down on the ground in order to win the ball from an opponent and this is not allowed in the coed or older divisions. "Sliding" without trying to win the ball from another opponent is permissible as long as there are no other players around. In other words, sliding to score a goal while the goalie is in close proximity is NOT allowed. Sliding to save the ball from going out of bounce with nobody near is ALLOWED. However, the ruling on this is always to the referee discretion but always according to the rule. |
| SEASON POINT TIE-BRACKERS: |
In case of point ties, the tie will be broken in this order:
During the quarter-finals, the lower ranked team MUST win the game to move on. In case of a tie, the higher ranked team will qualify to the next round. There is NO overtime. During semi-finals (if time & field availability allows it) and finals, teams will play two 5 minute sudden death (Golden Goal) halves. If teams are still tied after the first 5 minute over time, the second five minute Golden Goal half shall be played without the goalies but still 8vs8. If tie persists, teams will go to a 3-3 shoot-out (or PKs) until somebody wins or until the lights go off. If this is the case a simple coin toss will determine who gets recorded as season champion and who will be the runner-up. * If there is any disagreement with regards to the above rules, it will be the League Director's responsibility to interpret such rules to the parties affected. The League Director shall have the final word on any rule interpretation issue. |