*** Patriots FC Thanksgiving Tournament ***
RULES OF PLAY
General:
Teams must be duly registered with and in good standing with an appropriate governing body. Players must be instructed to compete in the spirit of the game and according to the laws of the game. MAPS Showcases shall use only USSF referees, in a three referee system wherever possible. Field Marshals will be assigned to each field and will assist in the safe and orderly completion of events.
Injuries:
In the event of an injury contact your field marshal or the tournament control center. Either an EMT or a Trainer will assist you.
Abusive Behavior:
While at the fields, any coach, parent, team official, player or spectator threatening violence or verbal abuse to any individual will immediately be ejected from the tournament and the team may be ejected from the tournament. This type of behavior is not acceptable at this event and will not be tolerated.
SMOKING IS NOT PERMITTED ON OR NEAR ANY PLAYING FIELD.
PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON OR NEAR ANY PLAYING FIELD.
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH COACH / MANAGER TO INFORM THEIR PLAYERS AND PARENTS OF THESE GUIDELINES.
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1. General Rules of the Game
a. All games shall be played under the laws set forth by F.I.F.A., except as modified by these rules.
b. US Soccer rules requiring the exclusive use of US Soccer registered referees shall be strictly enforced.
2. Registration and Eligibility
a. All teams must register at least one full hour before their first game at the Field Headquarters at the site of their first game. (Should a pre-Registration be made available, team managers will be notified by email communication.)
c. At initial registration each team shall provide a photocopy of the official team roster. The roster must include a uniform number for each rostered player and each guest / loan player, which must remain constant for the entire showcase and match the number on the Player Profiles submitted. If circumstances require a change in uniform number for any game, that change must be reported in advance to the officials on-site.
d. At Check-in, one hour prior to game time, a team representative must present and have available the properly certified roster for the team for that weekend (specifically indicating which players are participating
e. All players must be registered youth soccer players in good standing with an appropriate governing body. Players must either be on a team’s official roster or be an approved loan player / guest player duly registered.
f. The Gameday Roster must be submitted containing no more than eighteen (18) players who will be deemed eligible to play for the team on that date, including rostered players and guests. Each team will be allowed up to 5 guest players from outside teams. For example, the roster for day 1 is fixed and cannot be changed for day 1. Players on the roster for day 1 are not allowed to be replaced. The day 2 roster can be changed to accommodate 18 players.
g. All players on the same team, rostered or guest, must use Player Passes from the same governing body.
h. USA teams must present picture identification cards issued by the team’s Federation Organization member (USYS, AYSO, US Club, etc.). Teams must provide proof of approval for participation from the team’s Federation Organization. Teams from outside the State Association where the tournament is located must provide proof of permission to travel, if their governing body so requires.
3. Player’s Equipment and Field Regulations
a. All soccer equipment must adhere to F.I.F.A. laws. A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewelry).
b. Shin guards are mandatory.
c. Knee braces, if worn, must be covered completely.
d. casts are allowed. Game Referee has final authority whether any cast is permissible in that game.
e. Players’ numbers must coincide with numbers listed on the roster.
f. All teams must have two sets of jerseys in contrasting colors. All players must wear matching color team shorts and team socks; one set of each will be acceptable for the team.
g. In the event that team colors are similar, the home team will change colors. The home team is the team listed second or below on the schedule.
h. Each team’s players and coaches shall take one side of the field, and all spectators shall take the opposite sideline. On the team’s sideline, the home team has the choice of side with respect to the centerline, and coaches and players must stay within their side.
i. On the spectators’ sideline, spectators are to remain behind the designated line. No one will be allowed behind either end line.
j. Player picture identification cards are required to be checked by the referee prior to each match.
4. Substitutions
a. FIFA rules (e.g., throw-ins by either team, free kicks, corners, etc.) are modified to allow unlimited substitution with the referee’s permission, at every stoppage in play. Free substitution is allowed for all age groups.
b. Players must be clearly standing and waiting AT THE MID-FIELD LINE to be substituted (and not merely waiting “in the vicinity of mid-field”), and the referee’s assistant should be alerted, to the extent possible, of the request to substitute at the next stoppage of play.
c. Players standing at midfield should be substituted into the game at the next stoppage of play, unless they remove themselves from the mid-field position prior to the stoppage of play.
5. Game Duration & Ball Size
a. Games are two (2) halves of thirty (30) minutes each, to the extent that weather and schedule permit. Showcase officials may increase some or all game lengths by up to five minutes per half if scheduling permits
b. FIFA Inspected/Approved size 5 balls shall be used to be supplied by the tournament.
6. Forfeit
a. A five minute grace period will be allowed from scheduled kickoff time. Teams must be present and ready to play at the scheduled time or forfeit the game. Nonetheless, Showcase officials will have the option to shorten, reschedule or otherwise create such circumstances as will allow a game to be played on the field rather than be won by forfeit.
b. A minimum of seven players constitutes a team.
c. A forfeit will be recorded as a two to zero result.
d. The Tournament Committee will review abandoned games on a case-by-case basis.
e. No team that forfeits a game will be eligible to win any championship awards at the event.
f. The determination of the Tournament Committee is final.
7. Inclement Weather
a. All teams and coaches must show up at the scheduled field and time regardless of weather conditions, unless otherwise notified by a League Official. Failure to appear will result in a forfeit, which is scored as a two to zero loss, and may result in the rescheduling or loss of a team’s future games at the Showcase.
b. In the event of stoppage of play due to severe weather conditions, a team representative is required to report to the Headquarters Station fifteen minutes after stoppage has occurred, at which time the remaining schedule may by resumed, cancelled, modified or any decision further postponed for another defined length, pending receipt of information to formulate a definitive resolution.
c. In the case of inclement weather, the Showcase Committee has the authority to change, cancel or reschedule any game and / or its format.
d. In the event of extreme weather conditions that dictate cancellation or modifications of the format that day, the Showcase Committee will determine what portion, if any, of the registration, referee and field fees are to be refunded.
e.
f. The determination of the Committee is final.
8. Discipline
a. Coaches, players and spectators are required to conduct themselves within the Laws of the Game.
b. All disciplinary measures imposed by the Showcase Committee shall be limited to participation in the Showcase.
c. Notwithstanding section 8.b. above, cautions and ejections based on violent behavior, such as referee assault, will be referred to the appropriate governing body as required by such governing body’s rules and regulations.
d. A player or coach receiving a red card in a game will be suspended for one game. A player or coach accumulating 2 yellow cards in one game will be suspended for one game. A player or coach receiving a single yellow card in multiple games will not be subject to a yellow card accumulation penalty. Such players and coaches will not be with the team during the next match(es). They can be on the opposite side of the field and watch the game as spectators.
e. Spectators ejected from the field must leave promptly, and failure to do so may result in forfeiture of the game in which their team is participating and / or resort to civil authorities.
f. Additional penalties may be imposed, as deemed fit and necessary by the Tournament Committee.
9. Standings and Championships
a. All game scores are recorded and will be posted on the website after the Showcase.
b. Game cards will be used by the referee to record game results and disciplinary actions. Field marshals will deliver game cards to the registration desk.
c. In the event that a grouping is created for championship play, the following rules will apply:
1. Team standings based on won-lost record.
2. Wins count for three points, ties for one point.
3. Forfeits are recorded as a 2-0 score.
4. In the event of tie, head-to-head is determinative, if applicable.
5. In the further event of a tie, goal differential against in-group opponents will be determinative, with up to plus-4 or minus-4 units awarded per game.
6. In the further event of a tie, the results of any crossover games out-of-group will be compared, first by won-loss, then by goal differential.
7. In the further event of a tie, accumulated goals scored, with a limit of 4 per game shall determine the winner.
8. In the further event of a tie, accumulated goals against, with a limit of 4 per game shall determine the winner. The winner is the team with the least goals allowed.
9. Finally, teams will conduct a Penalty Kick Shootout. Should a team fail to show up for the scheduled shootout, the tiebreaker will be awarded to the team prepared to participate.
a. Each team will designate eleven players to take shots including one goalkeeper.
b. 5 initial shots per team, alternating teams, until a decisive result is reached.
c. If still tied, single alternating penalty kicks, until a decisive result is achieved.
d. Shootouts will be assigned to a designated area
10. General Information
a. Only USSF registered Referees will be utilized, assigned by a USSF certified referee Assignor.
b. Coaches, players and their fans are expected to conduct themselves within the Spirit of the game. In this regard the Showcase Committee reserves the right to take disciplinary action as necessary.
d. Under no circumstances will the Tournament Committee or staff be responsible for any part of any expenses, incurred by any team due to, but not limited to, part or whole cancellation of the Tournament due to circumstances beyond the Committee’s control (e.g., weather, facility operations, road closings, etc.).
e. The tournament Committee reserves the right to decide on any/all matters and its interpretation of these rules shall be final. No protests will be entertained.
f. All teams shall shake hands at the end of each game as a gesture of friendship and sportsmanship.
g. Referee decisions may not be protested or disputed.
