A team can carry up to 16 players on their roster.
Men's & Women's Leagues = Each team consists of 6 players on the field, including a goalie.
Co-Rec League = Each team consists of 3 men and 3 women on the field, including a goalie.
To start a game, a team must have at least 5 players. A Co-Rec team must have a minimum
of two women, two men, and a goalie of either sex.
If during a game a team has fewer than 5 eligible players due to injury or ejection, the game
shall be terminated.
Forfeit time is the scheduled game time.
II. The Officials
An official shall enforce the rules and decide any disputed point. The official has the responsibility and authority of calling fouls.
The official may stop the game for any rule infringement, and suspend or terminate the game whenever stoppage is deemed necessary.
The official shall allow play to continue when the team against which an offense has been committed will benefit from such an advantage.
The official may caution any player guilty of misconduct or unsportsmanlike conduct, and if the player persists, suspend him/her from the game. A SUSPENDED PLAYER MAY NOT BE REPLACED.
Only the designated captain, in a sportsmanlike manner, may approach the official and question a call.
III. Substitution
Substituting may occur at any time that a team has possession: during your team's kick-in, your team's goal kick/corner kick, and any time that the opposing team is substituting a player.
Substitutions by either team may also occur after a goal.
Substitutes shall go to their team entry position and cannot enter the game until the player they are replacing is completely off of the field.
A player who receives a yellow card must be substituted immediately.
During an injury, both teams may substitute only if the injured player is substituted. A player that is bleeding must be substituted from the game.
Any player may change places with the goalkeeper, provided that the Official is informed before the change is made and the change is made during a stoppage in play. Penalty: Yellow card
IV. Duration of the Game
The duration of the game shall be two equal halves of 20 minutes. Halftime shall not exceed 3 minutes.
The addition of time will be at the discretion of the official.
Time shall be extended to permit the taking of a penalty kick awarded before the sounding of the final whistle to end each half.
A game shall become official at the completion of the first half.
V. Start and Restart of Play
Before play begins, a coin is tossed and the team that wins the toss will have the choice of kicking off or deciding which goal to defend. The second half play will begin with a kickoff by the team that did not kickoff to start the game.
After the Referee has given a signal, the game shall be started. The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves forward. If the ball is not properly touched, the ball will again be placed on the kickoff mark the kickoff retaken.
The kicker may not touch the ball again until another player has touched the ball. Penalty: Indirect free kick
A dropped ball is a way of restarting the match after a temporary stoppage. Play may also be restarted with an indirect free kick if in the opinion of the Officials one team had clear possession of the ball when the stoppage occurred.
VI. Ball In And Out Of Play
The ball is out of play when:
It has completely crossed the goal line or touch line whether on the ground or in the air
The official sounds his/her whistle
The ball is in play at all other times, including when:
It rebounds from a goalpost, crossbar, or corner flag post and remains in the field of play
It rebounds off of the official when her/she is on the field of play
There will be no whistle to restart play except:
When a team asks the official for 5 yards
When play has been stopped to caution or eject a player
For a penalty kick d. When a goal is scored
VI. Method of Scoring
A goal is scored when the whole ball has passed over the goal line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar, provided that no violation of the rules has been committed by the team scoring the goal. If the Official's whistle sounds before the ball passes fully into the goal, the goal shall not be allowed.
A goal may be scored directly from a goal kick, but only against the opposing team
A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick, but only against the opposing team
A goal may be scored if a goalkeeper throws, punts, or dropkicks a ball into either goal
A goal CANNOT be scored directly from a kick-in. It must touch a member of either team before crossing the goal line to be counted as a goal.
Co-Rec ONLY - Goal by a Woman - 2 points, Goals by a Man - 1 point. The last offensive person to touch the ball will be credited with the score.
Mercy Rule - If a team is ahead by 3 or more goals with 2 minutes remaining in the second half, the game shall be over. If a team takes the lead by 3 goals during the final two minutes of the game, the game shall be over. In Co-Rec, the team must be ahead or go ahead by 5 goals with 2 minutes remaining to end the game.
VII. Fouls and Misconduct - Free Kicks
Free kicks shall be classified under two types:
DIRECT-- from which a goal can be scored directly against the offending side. All direct kicks awarded in the penalty area shall merit a penalty kick.
INDIRECT -- from which a goal cannot be scored unless the ball has been touched by a player other than the kicker before passing into the goal.
Offenses for which a DIRECT kick shall be given are:
Kicking or attempting to kick an opponent
Tripping or attempting to trip an opponent
Jumping at an opponent
Charging an opponent (A fair charge is one in which a player makes non-violent shoulder-to-shoulder contact with an opponent, with the arms and elbows close to his/her own body, at least one foot on the ground, and the ball within playing distance)
Striking or attempting to strike an opponent
Pushing an opponent
Holding an opponent
Spitting at an opponent
Slide tackling an opponent
Intentionally handling, carrying, striking, or propelling the ball with a hand or arm
Using foul or abusive language directed towards a player or official
Handling by the goalkeeper outside the penalty area
Kicking the ball so that it hits the ceiling will result in a direct kick for the opposing team from the location WHERE THE BALL WAS ORIGINALLY KICKED.
Offenses for which an INDIRECT free kick shall be given are:
Playing the ball a second time before it has been touched by another player at the kickoff, a throw-in/kick-in, a drop kick, a free kick, a corner kick, or a goal kick
Obstructing the progress of an opponent
Playing in a dangerous manner (i.e. high kick, playing on the ground)
If the goalkeeper takes more than 6 seconds while controlling the ball with their hands before releasing it into play
If the goalkeeper touches the ball with their hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him/her by a teammate.
If the goalkeeper touches the ball with their hands after receiving it directly from a throw-in/kick-in taken by a teammate.
A player prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands
A player commits any offense for which play is stopped to caution or dismiss a player
When a DIRECT or INDIRECT free kick is being taken, all opposing players shall be at least 5 yards from the ball until it is kicked unless they are standing on their own goal line.
If a DIRECT or INDIRCT free kick is kicked directly into a team's own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team.
Treat all free kicks to be taken in the goal area by the defense as a goal kick.
An INDIRECT kick to be taken in the goal area by the offense shall be taken from the top of the goal area line.
VIII. Fouls and Misconduct - Disciplinary Sanctions
Yellow card offenses:
Unsporting behavior
Dissent by word or action
Persistent infringement of the rules of the game
Delaying the restart of play
Failing to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner or free kick
Entering the field of play without the Official's permission
Deliberately leaving the field of play without the Official's permission
Red card offenses:
Serious foul play
Violent conduct
Spitting on opponent or any other person
Denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball
Denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the goal by an offense Punishable by a free kick or penalty kick
Using offensive, insulting, or abusive language and/or gestures
Receiving a second yellow card caution in the same match
IX. Penalty Kick
Awarded for any infringement of the rules, within the penalty area, that would require a direct free kick (including kicking the ball so that it touches the ceiling).
A penalty kick shall be taken from the penalty mark. While the kick it is being taken, all players with the exception of the player taking the kick and the opposing goalkeeper, shall be within the field of play but outside the penalty area and at least 5 yards from the penalty mark.
The opposing goalkeeper may ONLY move laterally on his/her own goal line between the goalposts, until the ball is kicked.
The player taking the kick must kick the ball forward.
Should the ball hit the goalposts or crossbar and rebound into play, the player who kicked the ball must not play it again until it has been touched by another player. Penalty: Indirect free kick
The ball shall be deemed in play directly after it is kicked.
X. The Kick-In/Throw-In
When the ball passes COMPLETELY over a sideline, it shall be kicked in from the point where it crossed the line by a player of the team opposite to that of the player who it last touched.
A player shall:
Place the ball on the ground on or behind the sideline and proceed to take the kick following the rules of an indirect free kick. The ball shall be in play immediately after it has crossed over the line, and may be played by any player except the one who executes the kick-in. Five yards shall be given, the same as all free kick situations.
If the ball is improperly kicked into play, the restart shall be taken by a player of the opposing team.
If the ball fails to enter the field of play, it shall be kicked again.
If an opponent interferes with or in any way impedes the actions of the thrower/kicker while the kick-in is being taken, the official will administer a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Goalkeepers cannot handle a ball that is kicked-in directly to them by their own team.
A goal CANNOT be scored directly from a kick-in. It must touch a member of either team before crossing the goal line to be counted as a goal.
XI. Drop Ball
Drop ball occurs:
When the ball is caused to go out-of-bounds by two opponents simultaneously.
Following a suspension of play for an injury or other situation in which no team has clear possession of the ball.
A foul by both teams occurring simultaneously.
The spot of the drop ball is where the ball becomes dead unless this is in the goal area, in which case the spot is the nearest point on the goal line in the field of play.
XII. Goal Kick
A goal kick shall be awarded to the defending team when the ball crosses the goal line, having last been touched by the attacking team.
Players opposing the kicker shall remain outside the penalty area until the ball moves out of the penalty area.
A player of the defending team shall kick the ball from the ground at any point within the goal area. A goal kick must clear the penalty area and enter the field of play or the goal kick will be retaken.
After the goal kick leaves the penalty area, any player except the one who executed the goal kick may play the ball.
Goal kicks are direct free kicks.
XIII. Corner Kick
When the ball is last touched by the defending team and goes over the goal line, a member of the attacking team shall take a kick from within the quarter-circle at the nearest corner flag.
Players of the team opposing that of the player taking the corner kick shall not approach within 5 yards of the ball until it is in play.
After the corner kick is first touched, any player except the one who executes the corner kick may play the ball.