NEW CHANGES TO THE LAWS OF THE GAME are in red.
FIFA RULES APPLY
With the exception of the rules/regulations on this page, FIFA's Laws of the Game apply.
Please review these rules
FIFA (IFAB) NEW CHANGES - Laws of the Game Web Page
LIGHTNING / THUNDER
When should activity be resumed?
Outdoor activities should be resumed 30mins after the LAST thunder/lightning witnessed.
Any large structured building will make a good shelter. If a building is not available, a vehicle with closed windows will provide good protection.
GAME CONFIRMATION PHONE CALLS
It is a league requirement that every game is confirmed by the coaches. The confirmation is to be made by phone, not by email or text messaging. The away team coach is responsible for calling the home team coach at least 48 hours before game time. However, the home team coach can be the person to initiate the phone call. The following information should be confirmed:
GAME CANCELLATION PROCEDURE:
Games are to be cancelled by HOME TEAM only. Reasons for cancelation are limited to field playing conditions, and weather conditions that relate to player safety.
FORFEITS:
The referee should allow a 15 minute delay if a team does not have enough players to start the game. After 15 minutes of delay if the game is played the game is shortened by the amount of wait time the game was delayed. After 15 minutes any team without enough players ready to play will forfeit. Also, a team that does not have an adult coach at the match will not be allowed to play and will be considered to have forfeited.
A team which uses a non-rostered or ineligible player in a match will be charged with a forfeit.
A team/club which does not properly follow the rain-out policy and causes another team to arrive at a field without a match will be charged with a forfeit.
A forfeit will be scored as 1-0.
MINIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS REQUIRED TO START A MATCH:
11v11 (7) | 9v9 (6) | 7v7 (5).
Note: If a team is unable to field a full team the opponent does not have to play short players also. - However - It is highly recommended that the opposing team fields the same number of players. An option would be for the team with the most players, donate a player or two. Rec is about fun and gaining experience.
GAME REFEREES:
Referees are not provided by the league. The home team/club provides the ref for their home games. In the event of a referee no-show, a referee shall be chosen with mutual consent of both coaches. No games will be played without a referee.
See the ref info page for detailed referee information.
PINNEY ETIQUETTE: Pinnies are worn by the home team if the visiting team's jersey is the same color.
PLAYER'S EQUIPMENT:
COACH MOBILITY:
PLAYER EQUAL PLAYING TIME RULE: The league requires all players must get equal playtime.
RED & YELLOW CARDED PLAYERS:
Procedure to follow if a red or yellow card is issued.
Coaches from both teams are to report any player or players that receive a red or yellow card to the commissioner. The commissioner will be responsible for notifying the coach of the next game and the coach's club rep to let them know the red carded player is not permitted to participate in the their game.
What to include in the report.
The report can be sent in an email, it does not have to be a separate attached document. The report should be submitted to the commissioner within two days after the game.
GAME DURATAION:
SUBSTITUTION RULES:
All substitutions will occur at the mid-field line, with the permission of the referee. (Players will not be able to enter the game from the "bench" area)
***NEW***
A player being substituted leaving the field at the nearest point on the boundary line, then they will proceed to walk around the field.
All substitution will be with the referee's permission and will no longer require possession or during specific stoppages in play.
BUILD OUT LINE: The build out line is only to be used by the U10 division. (See Bottom of Page)
OFF SIDES: Enforced for all age divisions (U10 thru U19).
U10 off sides rule. Off sides starts at the build out line
**NEW**
GOAL KICK / FREE KICK
At a goal kick and a free kick for the defending team in their own penalty area, the ball is in play as soon the kick is taken (it can be played before it leaves the penalty area).
OTHER RULE CHANGES
Clearer wording for 'handball'
Attacking team players must be at least 1 yard away from a defensive 'wall'
The goalkeeper only has to have one foot on the goal line at a penalty kick
A new dropped ball procedure (including a dropped ball being awarded if the ball hits a match official and goes into the goal, team possession changes or a promising attack starts).
HEADERS/PENALTY
No headers in U12 and under. This includes practices.
When a player deliberately heads the ball in a game, an indirect free kick (IFK) should be awarded to the opposing team from the spot of the offense unless the infraction occurs in the 6 yard box in which case the ball is placed on the 6 yard box line.
ROMP RULE: No romp rule but a 5 point rule applies.
5 Point Rule
If a team is down by 5 goals the team that is down may add a player (adding a player is optional) for the remainder of the game. This can be done without a stoppage in play with the referee's approval. This does not change the responsibility of the coach of the leading team to institute restrictions on scoring. The additional player does not have to be removed if the goal (score) gap closes.
Although the league does not have a 'romp rule' we do have guidelines to prevent game scores from getting 'out of hand'. Before each game coaches are to discuss how to handle a lopsided high scoring game (when one team is leading by 4 points) if the situation would arise. A document is provided for this purpose which offers several suggestions and options that can be utilized to keep the score from getting out of hand. Please print a copy of this document and go over it with the opposing coach before each game.
PLAY FORMAT:
Including keeper
GIRLS U15 9V9 FORMAT FOR FALL: The Girls U15 division may play 9v9 in fall rather then the traditional 11v11 based on some clubs not having enough players. If both teams have minimum of 12 players each on game day and if the coaches agree they may play 11v11 format. This needs to be agreed upon by both coaches and the referee needs to be informed as well. Games will be played on the regular size fields for U15 age group. Boys format is 11v11.
PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
In order to participate in league play, players must meet the following criteria:
JV & VARSITY SCHOOL SOCCER PLAYERS
School Players can play in all divisions at the discretion of the player's club.
TRAVEL PLAYERS PLAYING ON REC TEAMS
In order for a travel player to play for a rec team the player must be 'de-carded' (relinquish his travel player status). To just stop playing on travel teams does not make a travel player eligible to play on rec teams because the player is still registered with the travel league as a 'carded' travel player. If you are a carded travel player and would like to relinquish your travel player status you must do this through the LANCO.
GIRLS PLAYING ON BOYS TEAMS
This is allowed as long as the female plays within the same age group and does not have travel status. - The max number of girls that can be fielded on game day is 50%.
BOYS PLAYING ON GIRLS TEAMS
Not allowed.
U19 BOYS TO GIRLS RATIO
If a team is unable to field two female players this team must play short one player.
PLAYERS PLAYING ON MORE THAN ONE TEAM
A player can play for more than one team as long as the team is within the same age group and/or at a play up age group as long as the player is filling a roster in order to prevent a forfeit.
PLAYING DOWN RULE
In order for a player to be eligible to play-down, the club cannot be fielding a team in the next age division up.
The play-down player cannot be more than one birth-year older (according to the birth year chart) than the age-group in which he will be participating. If there is
an issue of any kind, contact the commissioner.
Play-downs in the Spring:
The age charts encompasses one full season which is both the fall and spring seasons. If a player is eligible to play down in fall, he/she can also play down in the spring even though be might be more than one year older in the spring.
ROSTER SIZES
There are no maximum roster sizes but it is recommended teams limit their rosters to the numbers shown below.
FIELD & GOAL SIZES
SMALL SIDED FIELD SIZES: For 7v7 and 9v9
When the league decided to adopt USYS recommendation of playing small sided games it was understood that not all clubs have the real estate in which to add small sided game fields. For the clubs that could not provide separate fields they were to do the best they could which included sharing resources including goals. If space is tight the fields should be laid out as close as possible to the recommended USYS small sided field setup parameters. One possibility is to place a field inside of a field. However, if this option is used both fields must be lined with a different color with a strong enough color contrast that the players & refs can easily tell which field is which.
Field Set-up Documents (PDF's)
GOAL SIZES
ABOUT THE SILENT GAME
One game every season is designates as a silent game. What this basically means is; no instruction is to be given to the players from the coaches or the fans. The silent games will be in the middle of the season.
Although the term "silent" is used to recognize the day, the fans do not have to be "silent". Parents are still encouraged to cheer for the players when they make a good play or score a goal. - The "silent" pertains to the coaches giving instructions to the players, AND... to all the "sideline coaches" who like to coach or give instructions to the kids from the parents' side of the field.
The silent game gives the coaches an opportunity to evaluate the kids on how well they do without any instruction, while allowing the players to see first hand the importance of talking to each other on the field.
BUILD OUT LINE RULES