CCA Sports Soccer Rules

 

CCA reserves the right to make rule changes-in the event of a rule change they will be communicated by e-mail to all registered players.

 

Overview

 

CCA Soccer will generally follow FIFA “Laws of the Game” except in the following circumstances;

 

Team Composition

 

Each team should have a minimum of 3 females and 6 males.  Teams may play with fewer women but they must leave the missing player’s position unfilled (a team with a missing female cannot fill that position with a male). There is a minimum of 6 players needed to begin the game (and at least one female player).

 

Each team will have a player designated as the goalie. This player will wear a jersey of a different color than his team or the opposing team.

 

Field

 

Soccer will be played on an ~60yd x 90yd sized field.  The penalty area will be defined from the touch line where the goal is placed out 18yds (penalty area) with a penalty mark at 12 yards. The goalie is allowed to use his hands within this area but will commit a handball if he touches the ball outside of the box.

 

Game Play

 

Games are scheduled for two (2) twenty-two (22) minutes halves with a 5 minute halftime period, or one full hour. Games may end in ties during regular season games.

 

In the event that a playoff game ends in a tie there will be a 5 minute overtime period played to completion; possession being determined based on the kickoff rules.

 

If the score is still tied following this overtime period the teams will take penalty kicks to determine the winner. Any 5 rostered players (3 male and 2 female) can be selected to take the kicks in any order with order determined based on the kickoff rules and the player kicking order will be determined before kicks begin.

 

If the score is still tied after all 5 players from both teams have kicked the teams will proceed in sudden death Penalty Kicks (with any 5 rostered players 3 male and 2 female) with the first team to make a kick with the opposing missing their kick will be declared the winner. Each team will alternate taking kicks first, determined by the kickoff rules and the player kicking order will be determined before kicks begin.

 

Play will begin with a kickoff to be determined by a coin flip (or another similar manner ‘rochambeau’) with the winning team electing to kick-off or a side to defend. In the second half the teams will rotate sides and kick-off.

 

Goals are scored when the entire ball crosses the plane of the goal line by any part of the player’s body other than the hand (defined as the hand and entire arm up to the base of the shoulder). All goals count as 1 point despite the gender of the scoring player.

 

There is no penalty for offside’s in CCA Soccer.

 

Substitutions are unlimited and can be taken at any time during play from midfield. The player leaving the match must exit at midfield and the player entering the match must enter at midfield and may not enter the match until the player leaving the match is off of the field.

 

Teams may also substitute during dead balls (throw-ins, goal kicks, and corners) at the discretion of the referee and the referee may allow “quick kick” to the offenses advantage. Teams are allowed to substitute following goals at their leisure and goalies may only be substituted at dead balls or injury timeouts.

 

Throw-in’s can be made backwards to the goalie who then has the ability to use their hands.

 

Goalie’s may also use their hands on unintentional passes backwards from their teammates and or balls played directly from the head, knee, chest, etc…)

 

Intentional passes back to the goalie with the foot, if handled by hand, result in a penalty and an indirect free kick.

 

Corner Kicks and Goal Kicks will be awarded when the balls leaves the touch line and will be taken on the side of the field by which the ball exited the field of play.

 

 

CCA Fouls and Safety

 

In the interest of safety CCA Soccer does not allow slide-tackling, sliding to contact the ball with ones feet, playing on the ground or “rough play” of any kind as determined by the official. Incidental contact is expected and tolerated but the referee has discretion in determining unsafe play.

 

Examples are:

Hand Checking or Shielding with the arm by the offense or defense (Direct)

Running through a player to gain possession of the ball (Direct)

Body checking a player with/without possession of the ball (Direct)

Coming into deliberate unsafe contact with the goalie (Direct)

Slide Tackling or Playing on the ground (Direct)

 

Penalties for Infraction

 

Any of the aforementioned penalties will result in a direct kick at the spot of the foul.

All free kicks require a 10yd distance by the opposing team. The kicking team may request this distance to be marked off by the referee.

 

A defensive player may be warned or further penalized for continuously and blatantly lining up closer than 10 yards to or ‘stalling’ the free kick.

 

In the event that the foul occurs in the penalty area and/or is deemed to nullify a goal a penalty kick or an automatic goal may be awarded. Not all fouls in the penalty area will result in a penalty kick.

 

Any player that commits what is determined to be a gross foul, penalty or engages in abusive language with other participants or the referees may be sent off the field for a period of time to be determined by the referee or ejected from the game.

 

If a player is sent off the field due to such an infraction the player will not be able to be replaced for that period of time. In the event of an ejection (red card) this will result in a (10 minute) period where the player will be unable to be replaced by his team. If there are no additional rostered substitutes the team will play down for the remainder of the match.

 

Referees are instructed to talk only with CCA staff and team captains.  Casual conversation with the referee is allowed, but any player yelling at the referee or CCA Staff will be ejected from the game, and the player will be asked to leave the facility. The referee has wide latitude to handle unruly teams as he/she sees fit.

 

No metal spikes are allowed. Only rubber spikes are allowed.

 

A game may be called complete after a (full half has been played).

 

Mercy rule:  if a team is losing by (6 or more goals with 5 minutes remaining) the referee will consult the captain of the losing team.  If the losing team is willing to play, play will continue, provided play doesn’t extend past the one-hour time limit. 

 

The referee decision is final.