2008 Rules and Regulations
ALL TOURNAMENT GAMES WILL BE PLAYED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE LAWS OF THE GAME AS OBSERVED BY THE NJSYSA AND USYSA UNLESS OTHERWISE
MODIFIED BY THE FOLLOWING TOURNAMENT RULES:
Rule #1 - Team Roster
Rosters must be submitted with application. Rosters will be considered official and
become frozen at the time of team registration a few days before the tournament
(not the online registration). Teams
will be allowed a maximum of 18 players for 11v11 teams (for U17 teams & up
the maximum roster size is 22) and 14 players for 8v8 teams. Players shall be
rostered & play for one team only.
A maximum of three (3) guest players will be allowed. A team roster size may not exceed the number
of players on its approved tournament roster.
Rule #2 - Team/Player Eligibility
All teams MUST be state affiliated clubs or a member
of US Club Soccer. All players must
have a current and valid player pass from their governing state organization or
US Club Soccer, which must be presented to the tournament committee at the time
of registration. All Player and Coaches passes will be inspected before
every game. If you do not have a
player’s pass, the player will not be allowed to play. All games in which an ineligible player
participates will be forfeited. Any team fielding an ineligible player is
subject to disqualification. Secondary
passes are not permitted.
Notarized medical release forms and player passes must be presented at
registration, and must be available for review at the fields upon request. Out of state teams must have their
Permission to Travel Form signed by their USSF representative, or their
association.
Any team disqualified from play by the referee or
Tournament Committee will be ineligible for awards.
Rule #3 - Age Determination
Players must have been in
the year of their FIFA age bracket, or later.
All games in which an ineligible player participates will be
forfeited. Any team fielding an
ineligible player is subject to disqualification from the tournament.
Every attempt will be
made to group teams by age group. Final
team bracketing will be set based on the number of entries in each age
group. The Tournament Committee
reserves the right to combine teams into divisional play should it be deemed
necessary. A player “playing up” an age
level must play at the higher level.
(For example, a player would be U-12 eligible but is carded to a U-13
team may not play for a U-12 team in the Tournament, but may play U-13, U-14 or
U-16.).
Substitutions shall be
unlimited & may be made at the discretion of the referee(s) at the
following times:
a)
Prior to a throw in by your team;
b)
Prior to any goal kick;
c)
After a goal by any team;
d)
At half time;
e)
Injury - if any team exercises its right to substitute where the coach
enters the field, both teams shall be allowed an unlimited substitution,
f)
NO substitutions will be permitted for an ejected player.
g)
Following a yellow card (player cautioned) the opposing team will be
allowed to substitute one player for each player that was cautioned.
The length of games for
division five (5) will be 25 minute halves, divisions four (4) and three (3)
will be 30 minutes halves, and divisions two (2) and one (1) will be 35 minute
halves. Half time will be five
minutes. The clock shall be a running
clock and will not be stopped for any reason other than serious injury.
Division V Two 25 minute halves Size 4 ball
Division IV Two 30 minute halves Size 4 ball
Division III Two 30 minute halves Size 5 ball
Division II Two 35 minute halves Size 5 ball
Division I Two 35 minute halves Size 5 ball
All matches will be
played in accordance with the official schedule unless circumstance arise which
require alterations at the discretion of the Tournament Committee. If you game is running behind schedule and
the goal differential is three or more goals with five minutes or fewer to play
in the game, the referee (at the request of the tournament committee/referee
coordinator) has sole discretion to end the game any time within the last five
minutes. The game will be declared to
be completed. No advance warning is
required.
The Tournament Committee
reserves the right to alter the length of any game due to the weather or any
other extenuating circumstances (including mercy rule violations, etc.).
Rule #6 - WEATHER, FIELD CONDITIONS
Regardless of weather
conditions, coaches and their teams must appear on the field at the scheduled
time, unless notified otherwise by the Tournament Committee. Failure to appear will result in
forfeiture. If inclement weather delays
a game past its allotted time, then the score at the time of stoppage will
stand, so long as at least one half of the game has been played. Otherwise, it will be treated as a canceled
game; canceled games will be scored as a 1-1 tie. The Tournament Committee has the right to shorten playing times,
change field locations and/or change game times. However, BTSCA will not be responsible for making up any games
that are canceled due to weather and/or unsafe playing conditions. All games will take place unless the
Tournament Committee (and/or the referee) determines that the playing
conditions are hazardous to players, or are otherwise unacceptable to the
authorities responsible for the fields.
The Tournament Committee reserves the right to determine whether or not
a game is to be rescheduled.
Rule #7 - REFEREES
All games will be
officiated under the USSF approved system. All playoff games will use the
three-man system. In games where only
one referee is present, each team will be required to provide a linesman who is
acceptable to the referee. The
decisions of the referees are binding and final. All efforts will be made to use a 3 man
system for all division I,II,III & IV matches wherever possible. In Division V, there will be 1-man
referee. In games where there is only
one (1) center referee, both teams will be required to provide a linesman who
is acceptable to the referee.
Rule #8 - FORFEITS
Forfeits will be declared
a 1-0 loss. A game will be declared a
forfeit if one or both teams scheduled to play fail to field a team of 7
players (11v11) or 6 players (8v8) within the ten-minute grace period of the
scheduled start time. In the event that
the previous games run past the schedule starting time, the grace period shall
commence at the conclusion of the previous game. In the event of a double forfeit, each team will be charged with
a 1-0 loss. A game shall be described a
forfeit if a team is deemed ineligible and/or a team plays an ineligible player
(Rules 1, 2, and 3). Any team
forfeiting a game will not be eligible to be declared a winner or runner-up in
single bracket division.
Rule #9 - PROTESTS AND DISPUTES
NO PROTESTS WILL BE
ALLOWED! The tournament director and/or committee
shall resolve all disputes. The
decisions by the tournament director and/or committee are final.
RULE #10 - CONDUCT
All players & coaches
are expected to conduct themselves within the spirit, as well as the letter, of
the Laws of the game. Players or
coaches ejected from a game by the referee will not be allowed to participate
in the next scheduled game. Any
spectator ejected from the field location by the referee, or directed to leave
by a Field Marshal or a member of the Tournament Committee, will not be allowed
to be present during subsequent games.
The Tournament Committee reserves the right to review the referee’s
decision to determine if further action is warranted. Any player, coach, or spectator ejected due to fighting or any
other conduct unbecoming of the game will be barred from further participation
in the tournament, and their state association will be informed in writing of the
infraction. Coaches are responsible for
the conduct of their team players, the team parents, and other team
supporters. Persistent unsportsmanlike
behavior by any team, or its supporters, will subject the coach to disciplinary
action. Two cautions (yellow card) to a
player or coach in a game constitute a red card. Anyone ejected from a game must leave the field area. All cautions & ejections are to be
reported by referees to the field marshal.
The Burlington Township Soccer Coaches Association (BTSCA) will report
incidents of misconduct back to a team’s respective league &
affiliation. Referees are instructed to
issue a caution (yellow card) to the bench for unruly or abusive behavior on
the part of the spectators. A second
yellow card to the same bench for the same reason will automatically terminate
play. The Tournament Committee will
decide if the game is to be replayed, continued from the point of disruption,
or declared a forfeit.
RULE #11 - SCORING AND STANDINGS – U8 THROUGH U10
Each team will play a minimum of three games. In compliance with the New Jersey Youth Soccer rules, all teams U10 and younger will receive participation awards only. There will be no standings and no results posted. No trophies and/or awards. Games that end in a tie will be considered a tie game. U10 teams and under shall NOT participate as a full-sided team.
Rule #12 - SCORING AND
STANDINGS- U11 AND ABOVE
Each team will play a
minimum of three games. The first and
second place teams in each girls and boys flights, U-11 and above, will receive
awards for each player and one for their team.
Each team will be ranked in order of match (game) points (pts.):
Win = 3 pts.; Tie = 1 pt.; Loss = 0 pts.; Red Cards
or 2 Yellow Cards = -1 pts.; Mercy Rule = -1 pt.
Our goal is to celebrate
sportsmanship, as well as fun and competition.
Any team that ends a game with a goal differential greater than 6 (six)
goals will be penalized one game point and the loss of all bonus points.
One point will be
subtracted for each red card (or two yellow cards) issued to a player, team
coach or bench. The team with the most
points finishes first. In the event of a
tie involving two or more teams, the following tie-breaking rules will apply:
1.
Head to head competition
(when only two teams are tie).
2.
Most shutouts recorded.
3.
Goal differential bonus points:
The winning team will receive bonus points for goal differentials up to a
maximum of three (3) goals per team per game. (Examples: 1 to 0 is one bonus point,
4.
Fewest goals allowed.
5.
Most goals scored.
6.
FIFA penalty kick procedures at a field to be designated by the
Tournament Committee. In the event of
games canceled by the Tournament Committee, tiebreaker rules will be based on
the average per the number of games actually played.
7.
In the event of a five team bracket and the teams in a two-way tie have
not played each other, they will play a 15 minute mini game to decide the
bracket champion. Golden goal rules
apply. If tied after 15 minutes of play
rule (6) will be applied.
Note: Any
tie-breaker conditions not covered by these rules will be decided upon by the
tournament committee. All decisions
made by the tournament committee are final.
RULE #13 - CANCELLATIONS/REFUNDS
Every attempt will be made to play and/or make-up all
games. In the event the tournament is
canceled prior to any games being played, in compliance with NJYS cancellation
policy, Burlington Township Soccer will refund 80% of the team’s entry
fee. The reason for cancellation may
include, but not be limited to, weather, field usage, or sponsoring
organization management decision. If a
tournament is postponed or rescheduled, a new permission to host agreement must
be submitted to NJYS and all teams that applied to the original date will be
given the opportunity to withdraw from the revised date of the tournament with
a full refund of their entry fees.
Refunds will not be awarded to teams who withdraw
after acceptance into the tournament by the tournament committee.
RULE #14 - INCLEMENT WEATHER/FIELD CONDITIONS
If any of the three days of the tournament are considered
unplayable due to weather or field conditions, the tournament will be played in
two days and winners will be decided by our point system. If the tournament is played in two days,
each team will play 3 games. The
Tournament Committee, the BTSCA and/or NJSYSA will not be responsible for any
expenses incurred by any team, club or individual if the Tournament is canceled
in whole or in part. Please check our website, http://www.btsoccer.homestead.com for updates.
RULE
#15 - Home Team
Players and coaches will
be on one side of the field, and all parents and spectators will be located on
the opposite side of the field. The first team listed on the schedule (Home
Team) will have their choice of sidelines. The home team will supply the game
ball. The Tournament ball shall be used as the game ball. Spectators are to stay at least five yards
behind the touchline or if marked, behind the spectator line.
RULE
#16 - Uniforms
All teams shall have
numbered uniforms. The home team
(listed first on schedule) must change their uniform if there is a color
conflict.
Players are expected to
arrive at a match without earrings, watches, necklaces, combs, or metal
barrettes. A hair control device is
permitted provided there are no knots of any kind. Players who violate the equipment rule are subject to a caution
from the referee. A player caught on
the field with illegal equipment will be cautioned by the referee and directed
off the field. Properly wrapped hard
casts of any kind, or metal splints, shall be permitted only at the discretion
of the referee. Orthopedic wraps must
be secured and metal rings covered with tape.
All players must wear shin guards.
No metal cleats are permitted. Screw-on
cleats must be inspected by the referee, prior to the match, for exposed
areas. Glasses shall be permitted at
the discretion of the referee. We
recommend recreation specs or safety goggles.
Rule #17 - MISCELLANEOUS
a)
In the spirit of good sportsmanship, there is a goal differential
allowed per game of six (6) goals. If a
team goes above this goal differential, match (game) points are taken away for
that particular game (see Rule #12).
b)
All teams must report to the Field Marshals twenty (20) minutes prior to
the scheduled start of each game.
c)
Each team will be responsible for medical insurance coverage and
treatment for each of its players. Each
coach must have proof of medical insurance and NOTARIZED medical release forms,
both at the time of registration and during play. Each team, its players,
parents, and other supporters participate at their own risk. The Host Club
(BTSCA) is not liable for any accidents or injury occurring during the
tournament.
d)
There will be a general awards ceremony following each U11 and older
championship game by the gazebo at the main complex. First and second place trophies will be awarded at the conclusion
of the respective flights final game.
e)
Any team, which fails to play in accordance with these Rules and Regulations,
will not be invited back to future tournaments.
f)
The Tournament Committee reserves the right to reject the application of
any team, if such action is in the best interests of the tournament.
g)
Situations and/or issues not covered by these Rules and Regulations
which occur prior to or during the tournament will be brought to the attention
of the Tournament Committee by the manager or coach of any registered
team. The Tournament Executive
Committee will meet to evaluate the situation or issue. They will make a decision as expeditiously
as possible and their decision is final.
h)
No coach, player, or team supporter will be allowed within 18 yards of
the goal line.
i)
In the spirit of sportsmanship, at the conclusion of every game each
team will meet at midfield to shake hands.
j)
Each team is encouraged to exchange team patches (or pins) after
each game.
k)
Pets are not permitted at the playing fields (except service animals).
l)
Golf Cart Policy: In accordance with New Jersey Youth Soccer rules, golf carts are
to be driven only by persons with a valid driver’s license.
Note: Any condition(s) not covered by these rules will be decided by
the tournament committee. All decisions
made by the tournament committee are final.
Revised
January 20, 2008