PLAYER REGISTRATION: All players must register on their teams’ roster form before the tournament begins. Any team or player determined by the event director to have falsified age or skill level will be dismissed from the tournament. Age verification can be a copy of players birth certificate or official FYSA Roster with birth date verified, or FYSA Player Pass.
ROSTERS: No changes or substitutions to rosters after the start of a team’s first game. All rosters are final at the start of the team’s first game.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Eight is the maximum number of players on a team; FOUR field players at one time. Players may only play on one team in the tournament. There are no goalkeepers in 4v4 soccer. Substitutions may occur at any dead ball situation, but players must get referees attention and enter and exit at the half-field mark only.
TEAM UNIFORMS, EQUIPMENT : All players must wear jerseys/shirts during play and each team must bring both a light and a dark colored jersey/shirt. If both teams are wearing the same color a coin flip in qualifying play will determine the team that will change uniforms. In playoffs the higher seed will have the option. All players must wear shin guards. Any player without shin guards will not be allowed to play. Soft braces will be accepted and judgment of their safety will be the responsibility of the referee.
FIELD DIMENSIONS: Maximum length-40yards, width-30 yards. U8 will play on smaller fields, minimum dimensions 30 yards by 20 yards.
GOALS & GOAL BOX: The goals are 4 feet high by 8 feet wide. The goal box, 10 feet wide and 6 feet deep, is directly in front of the goal. No player may touch the ball within the goal box, however any player may move through the goal box. Any parts of the ball or player’s body on the line are considered in the goal box; the player is an extension of the box. If a defender touches the ball in the goal box, a goal is awarded to the offensive team. If the defender OR the ball is in the box and contact is made, a goal is awarded. If an offensive player touches the ball within the goal box, a goal kick is awarded to the defensive team. If the ball comes to a complete stop in the goal box, regardless of which team touched it last, a goal kick is awarded to the defensive team. The goals are maximum four feet high by eight feet wide.
GAME DURATION: The game shall consist of two 12 minute halves separated by a tow minute halftime period OR the first team to reach 12 goals, whichever comes first. Games tied after regulation play shall end in a tie except in playoffs. A team, at the discretion of the referee and the tournament director will be forfeited at game time if they are not present. Teams are responsible for waiting until their seed for playoffs has been determined. There are no time outs in 4v4 soccer.
GOAL SCORING: Goals can be scored from anywhere on the offensive half of the field of play. The ball must last be touched (either by offense or defense) within the attacking team’s offensive half of the field.
SCORING (IN QUALIFYING PLAY): Games will be scored according to the following: 3 points for a win; 1 point for a tie and 0 points for a loss.
TIEBREAKERS: (after qualifying play) Ties in standings between two teams will be broken by; 1) head to head results between tied teams; 2) goal difference in qualifying play; 3) goals scored in qualifying play; 4) shootout. Ties between three or more teams will be broken by; 1) goal difference in qualifying play; 2) goals scored in qualifying play 3) shootout with 1 team receiving a first round bye by random draw. If the criteria for 3 or more teams eliminates all but 2 teams, the criteria for a tie between 2 teams (above) will be used to determine the rank of the two teams. A forfeit will be entered as score of 6-0.
PLAYOFF OVERTIME: Shall consist of overtime period, maximum length of three minutes with a coin toss to decide kick-off direction. The first team to score in overtime is the winner. If no team has scored in the three minute-overtime period, the winner shall be decided by shootout. A coin flip will decide which team starts the penalty kick round. The three players from each team remaining on the field at the end of overtime will alternate with each penalty kick, with the higher scoring team winning after the first round. If the score remains tied after the first round of penalty kicks the same field players will rotate in a sudden death penalty kick format until one team scores unanswered.
NO OFFSIDES and NO SLIDE TACKLING IN 4V4 SOCCER
FIVE YARD RULE: IN all dead ball situations, defending players must stand at lease five yards away from the ball. If the defensive player’s goal area is closer than five yards, the ball shall be placed five yards form the goal area in line with the place of the penalty.
KICK-INS: The ball shall be kicked into play from the sideline instead of throw in.
INDIRECT KICKS: All dead ball kicks (kick-ins, free kicks, kick-offs) are indirect with exception of corner and penalty kicks.
GOAL KICKS: May be taken from any point on the end line, and not in the goal box area.
KICK OFF: May be taken in any direction.
PENALTY KICKS: Shall be awarded if, in the referee’s opinion, a scoring opportunity was nullified by the infraction. It is a direct kick taken from the middle of the half-field line with all players behind the half-field line. If a goal is not scored, the defense obtains possession with a goal kick. Penalty kicks are not live balls.
PLAYER EJECTION (RED CARD): Referees have the right to eject a player from the game for continual disobedience or as a result of an incident that warrants sending the player off. The team may then continue with their remaining players. FYSA 502 rule: DISCIPLINE
The tournament committee shall have a discipline committee of not less than three (3) members. The discipline committee will review and rule on all reports of unacceptable conduct by players, managers, coaches, referees, spectators, etc. using the FYSA standards as set by FYSA Rule 502.
- All players and managers/coaches shall be subject to FYSA Section 502- Discipline and Sanctions.
- A player or manager/coach ejected will have an automatic minimum one (1) game suspension regardless of the cause of the ejection.
- Depending on the severity of the unacceptable conduct, the discipline committee may recommend the suspension of up to the duration of the tournament with further disciplinary action by the appropriate state of national association. The discipline committee recommendations must be available to the affected parties no later than prior to their next scheduled game.
- At the conclusion of the tournament, passes will be returned to the coach (even if a suspension has not been completed). A complete report will be sent to FYSA within seventy-two (72) hours of the conclusion of the tournament for possible further discipline.
FORFEITS: any team forfeiting tow consecutive games in qualifying play will be re3moved from the tournament. Any team forfeiting a game in playoffs will be removed from the tournament.
PROTESTS: There will be NO protests.
SPORTSMANSHIP: Players, coaches and spectators are expected to act in the nature of good sportsmanship at all times. Abuse of the referees will not be tolerated and may result in a player, coach or spectators removal from the game. Any instance of such conduct will disqualify the responsible team from the event.
GENERAL: The Tournament Committee, and/or host organization will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by any team due to the cancellation in part or whole of this tournament.
SITUATIONS OR OCCURRENCES THAT THESE RULES DO NOT ADDRESS SHALL BE LEFT TO THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR.
rev-10/27/09