Rules

TOURNAMENT RULES

Last Updated: January 25, 2023

1. PLAYER EXPECTATIONS

EXPECTATIONS OF PLAYERS

All players participating in our co-ed tournaments are expected to play with respect and a “fun first” attitude. In Grand River Soccer, there is an emphasis on the players to know the rules and manage their own actions on the field.

Soccer can be an intense and physical sport however, GRAND RIVER SOCCER tournaments must be a fun, non-threatening environment.

All players are expected to know the rules and manage their actions on the field.

Players should be mindful of how hard they kick the ball if an opponent is directly in front of them. This applies to goalies when trying to quickly move the ball to the other team’s end.

Players can provide constructive feedback to GRAND RIVER SOCCER as needed through their captains, regarding field conditions, unsportsmanlike play, or helpful comments/suggestions.

Positive behaviour includes:

o       Communicating with opposition in a friendly manner.

o       Exhibiting all-around good sportsmanship.

o       Avoiding unnecessary fouls or rough play.

o       Promoting friendly, fun atmosphere.

Negative behaviour includes:

o       Repeated or reckless fouls or rough play.

o       Arguing calls or non-calls.

o       Attributing vicious motives to opposition.

o       Individuals who exhibit “unsportsmanlike” behaviour.

2. GAME REQUIREMENTS

Teams will have 5 players on the field including the goalkeeper.

Teams are required to have a minimum of 2 women on the field at all times (not including the goalkeeper)

If a team has less than five (5) players they can play shorthanded

If a team has less than four (4) players, they will ‘default’

Teams are encouraged to carry at least 11 players (5 females, 5 males and a keeper)

3. FACILITY CONSIDERATIONS

GRAND RIVER SOCCER rents the fields on which we play.  As tenants, players must respect the standards and rules of each facility.

Consumption of alcohol is not allowed at the fields or in the parking areas. Players caught violating this rule are subject to fines from the facility and/or GRAND RIVER SOCCER.

Teams are expected to clean up after themselves, please do not leave any garbage behind.

Any player who causes GRAND RIVER SOCCER to receive a complaint regarding a facility may be ejected from the league. GRAND RIVER SOCCER asks all players to arrive 5 minutes prior to the game start time.

Players are responsible for property damage.

4. EQUIPMENT & TEAM SHIRTS

Solid metallic shoe studs are not permitted to be worn, nor are baseball-type cleats.

Braces and casts of any type must be completely covered with a protective sleeve.

A player cannot wear anything which is dangerous to another player. This includes earrings, hairclips, rings or other jewellery.

Shin guards are mandatory.  Players will be asked to leave the playing surface until shin guards are worn.

Each team must bring a size 5 soccer ball to each game.

Team jerseys are permitted provided everyone wears jerseys of the same colour.  Each team member should have an alternate shirt colour in case of conflicts.  Home teams are responsible for changing shirts in case of a conflict.

Eg. Team “A” wear blue jerseys and is the home team. Their opponents, Team “B” wear black jerseys.

Since the colours are similar, members of Team “A” should have ‘white” colour shirts as alternates to avoid confusion.  Similarly, if both teams had light colour shirts which are too similar, the home team should have alternates which are dark in colour.

5. TOURNAMENT SPECIFIC RULES

GAME PLAY EXPECTATIONS

Before the game, the Captains will meet to introduce themselves.

At the end of the game, Team Captains meet to discuss any issues with the game and confirm the score with the match official.

Jewellery such as rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets must be removed prior to the start of the game. The game officials will be very strict about this.  Only Medical Alert bracelets will be permitted.

The game official has final say on all matters with regards to the match.  All our officials are highly qualified. Please respect their decisions and DO NOT argue their calls. This tournament is a ‘fun first’ event.  Our officials are volunteering their time so please be respectful.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

Arrive 10 minutes prior to the scheduled game time to allow for warm-up.

Games consist of one 25-minute half, meaning no half time.

Each team will play a minimum three (3) games

Please vacate the bench area immediately after your game to allow for the next game to start on-time.

START OF PLAY

To decide which team will have the first kick-off, the game official will flip a coin. The winner can decide whether they want to kick-off or choose the end that they would like to start on.

After each goal, the team that was scored on will kick-off to re-start the game.

Kick-offs may be put into play only in a forward or backward direction and may not be touched by the kicker again until the ball has been contacted by another player.

FOULS

All fouls will be at the discretion of our game officials.  Please DO NOT take liberties because we have officials.  If deemed appropriate, game officials may penalize players as follows:

YELLOW CARD: 2 or 4 Minute Penalty

A player is shown a yellow card if he commits any of the following offences:

• unsporting behaviour
• dissent by word or action
• persistent infringement of the Rules of Indoor Soccer
• assessed a 3rd minor misconduct time penalty in the same match

RED CARD: 5 Minute Penalty

A player is shown a red card if he commits any of the following offences:

• serious foul play
• violent conduct
• boarding
• spitting at an opponent or any other person
• denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
• denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick
• using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
• receiving a second caution in the same match

All penalties must be served for the full duration as opposed to hockey where the penalty expires upon a goal being scored.

Accumulation of two (2) yellow cards or one (1) red card will result in the player being suspended for the remainder of the tournament.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Substituting a goaltender can only occur during a stoppage in play.

Substitutions on all other players can happen at any time as long as the leaving player is on the sidelines before the replacement steps on the field of play.  This is very similar to hockey’s changing on the fly.

GOALKEEPER

When a player passes the ball to their goalkeeper, the goalkeeper is not allowed to pick the ball up or use his/her hands on the ball in any way. If this happens, it will be considered a hand ball and the opposing team will be awarded an indirect free-kick from where it happened.

The goalkeeper can leave the crease to defend his/her goal or retrieve a loose ball. They may not touch the ball with their hands once they have left the crease.

The goalkeeper can leave the crease to play the ball up the field.

The goalkeeper can cross the centre line.

A goalkeeper is allowed to score.

The goalkeeper can NOT throw the ball directly into the opposing goal.

BALL OUT OF PLAY

The ball is out of play when it has fully crossed the end-line or side-line, whether on the ground or in the air.

The kicker must not play the ball again until it has been touched by another player. A goal cannot be scored directly from a kick-in or a corner kick.

The ball may be placed one ball length over the line due to obstructions from field partitions etc…

FREE KICKS

All free-kicks are to be indirect (except penalty kicks).

All indirect free-kicks are to be taken from the point where a foul occurred – see below ‘Fouls’ section for an explanation. This also applies to when the goalkeeper illegally plays the ball with their hands.

The ball must touch at least 2 players before it can be a goal (the kicker and 1 other, which could include the goalkeeper).

PENALTY KICK

A penalty kick will be awarded anytime a foul (major or minor) is committed within the goal crease. It will be taken from  two yards from the outer goal crease line with all other players outside of the penalty-area and at least 5 yards from the penalty mark.

The goalkeeper must stand (without moving his/her feet) on their own end-line, between the goal posts, until the ball is kicked; the kick must go forward and the kicker cannot touch the ball a second time until it has been touched by another player (goalkeeper).

GAME STOPPAGES

If the ball comes in contact with the netting/roof, the play is stopped and the ball is taken to the sideline closest to where the contact occurred and a kick-in is awarded against the team that last touched the ball.

OFFSIDE

There are NO offsides.

SLIDE TACKLES

Slide Tackling is NOT Allowed period!

6. TIE BREAKER & PLAYOFFS

TIE BREAKER

The order in which to settle a tie in the standings will be as follows:

• Wins
• Head to Head
• Least Goals Against
• Most Goals For
• Goal Difference
• Coin Toss

PLAYOFFS

There are no ties in the playoffs.

If the score is tied at the end of regulation time, penalty kicks will be taken.

When penalty kicks are taken, the initial five players will consist of a maximum of three males. Teams will alternate between male and females or vice versa. If all females have shot once, they must shoot a second time.  Five players from each team will alternate shots from the penalty-mark at one end of the field (refer to the section on penalty kicks).

At the end of the ten shots (five by each team) if the score is still tied, then penalty-shots will continue with the remaining players on the team (a player is not allowed to take a second shot if there are players on his/her team that have not yet shot).

As soon as one team has a higher score and both teams have taken the same number of shots, that team will be the winner.

Have Fun !