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YOUTH Rules & Regulations

***It is the responsibilty of Team Officials to be familiar with all league rules***

SPECIAL RULES:

  • NO HEADING for U11 & under (2013 & under). 

  • NO HEADING: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 & younger. 

    • Intentional & unintentional headers all lead to an INDIRECT (2 touch) free-kick.

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  • PUNTING is allowed for all age groups.

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  • Multi-rostering players/splitting team:

    • Players may ​play up in age group but may not play down in age.

    • If you split your team and both teams are in the same division: 

      • You may use the same roster for both teams and share players as you wish. 

    • If you split your team and each team is in a different division:

      • each team must have a separate roster. However, you may share up to 4 players among the 2 teams. This must be noted on the roster at the start of the season and cannot be different players each week.

    • Players cannot play for multiple clubs within the same division. 

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PROOF OF AGE​:

  • Soccerdome does not collect proof-of-age. It is the responsibility of each team to possess proof-of-age for each player at each game.

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  • Teams must work together to show each other proof-of-age. Be patient & understanding.

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  • If you suspect a player on the other team to be too old, you may respectfully ask the opposing team to see proof-of-age for that player. Try to bring your concern up before the game or during the first half of the game and ask the team to present proof-of-age at halftime. Note that the referee will not stop the clock for this concern.  ​

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  • Not all teams play in outdoor leagues which require MSYSA player cards, so we cannot require them. Acceptable forms of proof of age include MSYSA player cards, passports or birth certificates. 

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ADDITIONAL SPECIAL RULES:

  • Delayed Card:  The referee may allow play to resume after a foul (advantage) with the intention of carding  a player after the play.  

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  • Youth teams may only win/lose a single game by +8/-8 goals. If you see any that are incorrect, please let us know. We do not determine a group winner until we know results are screened for any errors regarding this rule. 
     

  • If one team gains a 5-goal advantage over the opposing team, the opposing team may add an additional player on the field until the goal difference is less than 5

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  • U7: 5v5 - (4 + keeper)
     

  • U8-U14: 7v7 - (6 + keeper) 
     

  • HS & Adult: 6v6 - (5 +keeper)

ADDITIONAL SPECIAL RULES:

  • NO CLEATS - NO EXCEPTIONS.

  • NO OFFSIDE

  • NO sliding*, with or without the ball; NO EXCEPTIONS.  *Clarification - a slide will be called when any part of a players arm, hand or knee makes contact with the ground and he or she attempts to play the ball.

  • Throw-ins enforced when out of bounds.

  • All kicks are DIRECT (with the exception of fouls pertaining to headers). 

  • A maximum of TWO coaches per team are allowed on the sideline.  

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ADVANTAGE RULE:

  • The Referee allows play to continue when the fouled team will benefit from an existing offensive advantage.

 

ROUND-ROBIN LEAGUES: If 2 teams are tied in points at the end of the round-robin league/tournament, tiebreaker goes to (1) goal-differential (2) goals for. 

Anchor 1 Policies
Anchor 2 Special Rules
Anchor 3 Game Play

Game Play:

Time Out Structure & Arrival:

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  • ALL GAMES CONSIST OF (48) MINUTES TOTAL - (2) 24-min halves.

  • For games running every 50 minutes - No timeouts are allotted.

  • For games running every 55-minutes - No timeouts are allotted.

  • For games running every 60-minutes - One timeout per team per game.

    • NO time-out permitted within the final minute of play.

    • NO time-out permitted once the delay count has started.

    • If the game is running behind, the referee may deny any and all time-out requests.

    • Timeouts may only be given if the team is in possession of the ball during stoppage of play, ex: throw-in, goal kick, free kick, etc.

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  • Teams are expected to arrive 15 minutes prior to scheduled game time to ensure full 48-minute game is played and avoid delays or loss of game time. 

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Delay Of Game:

  • A player has 5 seconds to put the ball in play. A card may be issued for delay of game. Referees will use their discretion to decide when to begin the count due to intentional delay tactics.

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Dead Ball:

  • Players must bring the ball to a complete stop before restarting a play (goal-kick, free-kick, corner-kick, etc.) They may restart the play without the referee’s whistle unless a penalty is involved.

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Free Kicks/Penalty Kicks:

 

FREE KICKS: 

  • Offense may play the ball immediately after spotting the ball; PLAYER(S) ON THE FIELD MUST ASK FOR DISTANCE IF THEY WANT IT. If offense asks for space, they must wait until the whistle to the play ball (3 yards will be given when asking for distance).  

  • **Scooping the ball is considered a double touch and is not allowed.

  • Defense must always give a minimum of 1-2 steps as the offense has the right to play out.​

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PENALTY KICKS: 

  • The ball is placed on the penalty spot outside of the box. Players must stand behind the ball. The goalie cannot come off of his line until the ball is kicked.

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Schedules:

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YOUTH League Schedules: Please do not distribute your schedules while they are in draft phase. **YOUTH GAME SCHEDULE STATUS WILL BE NOTED ON SOCCERDOME.COM HOMEPAGE** Final schedules are released about one week prior to the start of session.

The contact for each team will receive an email when schedules are FINAL along with proper postage on our website homepage.

Teams must make note of any schedule requests on the online registration form.

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Rosters:

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ROSTER/WAIVER FORM: – No individual is allowed to play until necessary information and signatures are properly completed. Failure to comply may result in forfeiture of all the games played.

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TEAM ROSTERS & INDIVIDUAL PLAYER PARTICIPATION: 

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  • Team rosters must be signed, completed and turned in prior to the FIRST league game.​

  • For YOUTH leagues-players may be added to the roster up until the 3rd game.

  • 18 player maximum on roster

  • Our roster/waiver form only has room for 15 players so teams with large rosters must write the extra few players on the bottom or the back of the form. ​

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Game Day/Equipment:


GAMEBALLS:

  • Teams are responsible for bringing their own game ball. Each team should have 1 game ball.

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EQUIPMENT:

  • Turf or flat-soled shoes are required (NO cleats will be permitted, no exceptions).

  • All players must wear shin guards, and long socks.

  • Teams must be dressed in matching colored shirts.

  • Numbers are suggested, but not required.Teams must have an alternate set of matching shirts in case of a color conflict.

  • The away team must change colors in the event of a conflict.

 

Substitutions:

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Substitutions are on the fly: 

  • There is no stoppage of play for substitutions [except goalie (no stoppage of clock)]. Enter/Exit should be from the middle of the field.  Failure to substitute appropriately may result in blue card.

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Fouls:

A FOUL occurs if a player commits any play/action that the referee sees as dangerous, reckless. See examples of fouls below:

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(a) Holding an opponent

(b) Handling the ball (exception of goalie within box/boundaries)

(c) Playing in a dangerous manner

(d) Impeding the progress of an opponent (obstruction)

(f) Preventing the Goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands

(g) Kicking an opponent

(h) Tripping an opponent

(i) Jumping at an opponent

(j) Charging an opponent

(k) Striking or elbowing an opponent

(l) Pushing an opponent

(m) Encroachment: Entering protected area of an opposing player taking a free kick (warning may be given)

(n) Other: Behavior in which (REFS DISCRETION) does not warrant another category of penalty (ex. foul language or taunting)

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BLUE CARDS:

  • Player receiving BLUE card must sit out for 2 minutes; team may sub on a different player (blue card is issued to penalize the player)
     

YELLOW CARDS:

  • Player receiving YELLOW card must sit out for 2 minutes; team must play down a player for the entire 2 minutes (yellow card is issued to penalize the player and the team)
     

RED CARDS:

  • Any player or coach that receives a red card must leave the team area; management may request that the coach or player leave the premise.

  • Management determines the severity of a red card suspension. Minimum one game suspension for a red card.

  • It is the team's responsibility to follow up with cj@soccerdome.com should a red card be issued to a player on the team. 

Forfeits:

  • The team forfeiting their game will receive a 3-0 loss.

  • Teams may allow opposition to pick up a non-rostered player(s) instead of taking the forfeit. In this instance, the final score will be noted as a regular game. 5 players (4 + keeper) needed to start a game.

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General Snow/Inclement Weather Policy:

Soccer Dome will attempt to stay open and plowed so that teams who choose to play, are able to. FOLLOW the FACILITY STATUS on the front homepage of the website. Should Soccer Dome facilities CLOSE, a message will be posted on the front homepage. If you choose not to play your game, please notify us so we can quickly let the opposing team know. An attempt will be made to reschedule postponed games due to inclement weather, however, a make-up is not guaranteed.
 

(5v5 League ONLY)
*these rules are only for the U7/8 league on small 5v5 field.

  • ALL Games are held at Soccer Dome 1 Jessup (Field #3)

  • 5v5 (4 + keeper) 

  • Kick-ins enforced when out of bounds.

  • Goalie may use hands inside the arch only. 

  • Goalie may not punt the ball; throws only.

  • Goalie may not throw the ball past the half-way line or the other team receives indirect free-kick from the center. 

  • All kicks are indirect 

  • No penalty kicks

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