Sportsmanship & Player Protection

• Sportsmanship: All players are expected to show the utmost sportsmanship.  Act like your spouse, kids and mother are watching you (they just might be)
• Women will be protected by referees (i.e. 50/50 ball between male and female is not 50/50 - male must soften his challenge)
• No hard strikes of the ball by a male player should be taken when a female field player is directly in front.  This will be considered dangerous play.
• Do not charge the goalkeeper!
• No more than two goals by any individual player will be counted per game.  A ball played into the goal (from a direct shot or deflection by a defender) by a player who has already scored twice will result in a goal-kick.
• Fun - Fair - Safe.
• No slide-tackling.
• To prevent blow-outs, managers may agree to fair play rules such as goals by females count as 2, extra field players allowed if goal differential is three or more, etc. and/or should encourage play such as two-touch limits, etc.
• Referees are encouraged to issue cautions and send-offs for rules and league style-of-play infractions, and/or document concerns and issues about specific players on game reports.

Format of Play

• 7v7 or 8v8 including GKs.
• For 8v8 Co-ed divisions, a maximum of 6 men may play on the field (meaning 2 women) unless agreed upon by team captains and referee prior to the game.
• For the 7v7 Competitive division, teams may play with an 8th player IF two of the players are women.
• For the 7v7 Competitive division, female goals will be used to break any tie score and the end of the match similar to the away-goals rule used in professional soccer. For example, if the final score is a tie 4-4, but Team A had two of its goals scored by women and Team B had none scored by women, Team A will win the match.
• Games will be two 30-minute halves with a 3-5-minute halftime break. Lights go out at 10:00pm.
• Free and unlimited substitutions when ball is out of play at Referee's discretion. All players must play at least half of each game.

Equipment/Fields

• Ball size: 5 (each team must supply one game ball).
• Matches will be played using the black 12U lines and the move-able 12U/10U goals.
• All players must be wearing shin guards with socks fully covering them.  While soccer cleats or turf shoes are strongly recommended, tennis/running shoes are allowed.  However, baseball/football/softball cleats are prohibited.
• No pets, weapons, alcohol, tobacco, other controlled substances, noise makers, etc. will be allowed at the field.
• Teams shall wear shirts/jerseys of the same color, each with a unique number on the back.

Rules

• There is zero-tolerance for harassing the referees.
• Cautions (yellow card): A player receiving a caution must exit the game for 3 minutes with no substitution allowed.
• Send-offs (red card): A player sent-off must leave the field immediately and is ineligible to return to any division/season until after a review by the Discipline Committee.
• Offside rule will NOT be enforced.
• Infractions described above (hard play/strike against women and/or slide-tackling) are considered "dangerous play" and will be awarded an indirect free kick.
• Goalkeepers may not punt or drop kick the ball.  After holding the ball, the GK may only kick the ball when it is in contact with the ground.  Any kick of a ball that is bouncing or off the ground will be considered a drop-kick.
• AYSO/FIFA laws of the game apply unless noted.

Rosters/Lineup

• Only registered players may play in any match.
• A minimum of 5 players from the roster is required to play a match.
• Only guest players approved by the League Director for any particular game may play.  Both team captains and the referee should receive notification from the director if a guest player is to play.
• Guest players are only allowed to let a team avoid playing short (meaning if the team has less than 6 men they may borrow players to get to 8.  If the team has less than 2 women, they may borrow women to get to 8.  Teams shall not borrow players to have subs.)
• Lineup cards will be provided to the team managers the day of each game.  The home team manager should print the lineup card and bring to the game.
• Games should not begin until team managers have ensured all players present have a jersey number that is written on the lineup card.
• The use of unregistered players, more than three borrowed players and/or the use of borrowed players bringing the total above eight will result in a forfeit and possible suspension.
• Anyone who has invited an unregistered player to play will be subject to removal from the league.

Discipline

• The Discipline committee shall consist of a Director and 2-3 other members, including the head referee of the adult league.  Members shall be recruited by the Director subject to approval by the League Commissioner.
• The Discipline Committee shall have discretion to review any and all cautions and send-offs issued, on-the field/sidelines incidents, any behavior detrimental to the league and/or anything referred by the Fair Play Committee.
• There shall be the following official levels of discipline
• Probation – for a period of 1 game up to the remainder of the season.  This is equivalent to starting each game with a caution (yellow card), meaning a higher level of scrutiny placed on play.
• Suspension – for a period of 1 game up to the remainder of the season.  A player will not be allowed to play while suspended.
• Expulsion – a player is not allowed to play in any division indefinitely.
• A caution automatically results in probation for the following game.
• A second caution in any season automatically results in suspension for the remainder of the season or until the discipline committee adjusts the suspension.
• A send-off (red card) automatically results in suspension for the remainder of the season or until the discipline committee adjusts the suspension.