Tournament Rules

General 7v7 Game Play Rules

The F.I.F.A. rules of play will apply with the following exceptions:

1. Teams will consist of six field players and one goalkeeper.

2. There is no offsides unless a player is camping-out in the opponent's penalty area.

3. Substitutions can be performed at any time during the game. You do NOT need the referee's attention or permission to substitute. However, players being substituted must be out of the play area when the substitute enters the playing field.

4. All opposing players must allow 10 yards clearance from the placement of the ball for any free kick. Except when the ball is within 10 yards of the goal, then the opposing players may line-up on the goal line.

5. All goal kicks will be taken from the end line within 10 yards of either side of the goal post.

6. The ball must leave the penalty area before it can be played and considered in play. If touched before it leaves the penalty area, the kick will be retaken.

7. Once the ball is under control, the goalkeeper has 6 seconds before she must release the ball into play.

8. Policing/eliminating the use of profanity is the responsibility of the team captain. Yelling at or intimidation of the referee must be controlled by the team captain. The captains are the only individuals allowed to discuss any game situations with the referee. Players and/or teams will typically receive a warning, then a yellow card will be issued for continued use of profanity.

9. No slide tackles are allowed in this tournament. An intentional slide tackle will result in a red card being issued. (The only exception is the goalie may slide to gain possession of the ball.)

10. No opposing player may charge the goalkeeper once the ball is in control.

General Tournament Rules

1. Eligibility: All participating teams must be currently registered with their association. A team representative must provide a USSF roster form signed by all participating players and current, laminated, USSF Player Cards. Teams not affiliated with TSSAS must provide a travel permit from the state association. Teams are allowed a maximum of 15 players per roster. A player will only be allowed to play for one team during the tournament. If a player is found on multiple rosters/teams (even if they have not played yet), both teams will be eliminated from the tournament. Roster revisions are final as of 8:00pm, Friday, February 7, 2010. A team must have at least seven players on the roster to be eligible to play.

2. Equipment: Shin guards are required. Socks must cover the shin guards entirely. All team shirts must be the same color with permanent numbers at least 8" tall. Shirts must be tucked in at the start of play. In the event of a color conflict, home teams (listed first on schedule) will change to their alternate team color. The home team must supply game balls. Goalkeeper jerseys must be clearly distinguishable from team player shirts and referee shirts. Player equipment is subject to the Referee's inspection and approval; the Referee maintains the option to send off a player due to uniform violations.

3. Duration of Games: All games will be held on Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14, 2010. All games will have two 25-minute halves, with a five-minute break between halves. In the event of a tie during a preliminary round game, the tie will stand as the final score. In the event of a tie during a semi-final/final game, there will be two 5-minute overtime periods. If at the end of the two overtime periods the score is still tied, penalty kick shoot-outs will begin immediately.

4. Team Advancement: Teams will advance on the basis of accumulated points.

   Win	6 points, plus 1 point for each goal scored (max of 3 goals). (10 points max per game)
   Tie	3 points, plus 1 point for each goal scored (max of 3 goals). In the event of a tie during a preliminary round game, the tie will stand as the final score.
   Loss	0 points, plus 1 point for each goal scored (max of 3 goals).
   Bonus	1 point is awarded for a shutout.
   	Forfeit equals 8 points. One point will be deducted for each red card or three yellow cards to a team in a match.

   
   

   Ties in the standings will be resolved in the following order:

   Bracket Games

   In the event that two or more teams are tied in points at the end of these games, the following tiebreakers shall be applied in this order until a winner is determined. While following this criteria, never revert back to the top of the list even after a team has been eliminated from the tiebreaker. 1. Winner of head to head competition 2. Most total wins 3. Net goals (goal difference, limit of +/- 3 per game) 4. Goals against 5. Most goals scored (maximum of 3 goals per game) 6. Fewest team penalty points: (red card=3; yellow card=1) 7. Coin flip

   Semi-Final / Championship Games

   All semi-final games ending in a tie will have two 5-minute overtime periods. If the score is still tied, penalty kick shoot-outs will begin immediately.

    

5. Advancement:
   Open Division - top 4 teams based on points as listed above advance to Semi-Finals.
   Over-30 (Division A) - (4 team bracket) - top 2 teams based on points as listed above advance to Championship Finals.
   Over-30 (Division B) - (4 team bracket) - top 2 teams go directly to Championship Finals.
   Over-40 - (4 team bracket) - top 2 teams go directly to Championship Finals.
   

6. Forfeited Games - Failure to Show: Due to the tight game schedule, no grace period from scheduled GAME TIME will be allowed. A minimum of 5 players constitutes a team. If a team forfeits a game, the score will be recorded as a 1-0 victory for the other team and 8 points will be awarded.

7. Substitutions: Substitutions will be unlimited and can be made anytime. A substituted player may re-enter the game. Substitutes must enter and exit at the center of the field.

8. Conduct: NO PROTESTS WILL BE ALLOWED. ALL referee decisions are FINAL.

9. Warnings and Ejections: Any player receiving a yellow card must be substituted out for a minimum period of 5 minutes. Any player receiving one red card will be ejected from that game and the game immediately following without substitution. Any player receiving two red cards or three yellow cards will be eliminated from the rest of tournament play. Any team receiving three or more red cards will be eliminated from the tournament. Player cards for teams or players ejected from the tournament will be kept and sent to their State Association with a misconduct report.

10. Slide Tackles: No slide tackles will be allowed in any division. A slide tackle will result in an automatic red card. (The only exception is that the goalkeeper may slide to gain control of the ball.)

11. Awards: Each team placing 1st and 2nd in each division will receive an award.

12. Rainout: There is no rain-out date for this tournament. In the event of bad weather, the Tournament Committee has the authority to make any of the following changes prior to the start of the game: (1) Relocate/reschedule games; (2) Reduce playing time by up to 50%; or (3) Award prizes based on the status of games played. If the tournament is completely rained out, teams will receive a refund of registration fees once tournament costs are deducted. Check the website for the latest rainout information: www.rrwsl.org