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Outdoor Soccer Rules

(scroll down for 6 v 6 clarifications)

GENERAL INFO - MENS

11 players on the field

Two 40 minute halves, running clock

Each team shall field 11 players on the field at one time. PSG rules allow a team to play a legal game shorthanded with a minimum of 7 players. Teams may have as many players on their roster as they want. All rosters must be finalized by the second week of the regular season. Players added after the second week that are not on the team roster or waiver will not be eligible for playoffs. Players may only be on one roster per league.

GENERAL INFO - COED

11 players on the field (7 males/4 females)

Two 25 minute halves, running clock

Each team shall field 11 players on the field at one time (no more than 7 men). PSG rules allow a team to play a legal game shorthanded with a minimum of 7 players, with at least 2 female. Teams may have as many players on their roster as they want. There is no maximum limit on the amount of females on the field at one time. All rosters must be finalized by the second week of the regular season. Players added after the second week that are not on the team roster or waiver will not be eligible for playoffs. Players may only be on one roster per league.

EQUIPMENT

Shin-guards are Required. We also require matching colored shirts. We can supply them, but if you have jerseys let us know. Referees will check for dangerous equipment, referee's opinion is final. Players will not be allowed to enter play until correction has been made.

FORFEITS

Teams will have until 10 minutes past the designated start time to field a legal team. Shorthanded teams may play a legal game with a minimum of 7 players, with at least 2 of them being females. Teams fielding less than 7 players or without at least 2 women will receive a forfeit. Exception: Teams may play a “legal game” with less than 7 players or less than 2 females with the opposing teams consent. Teams who agree to play under these conditions will loose the option of receiving a forfeit win. Teams may pick up players during the regular season in order to field a full team. Substitutes will not be allowed during playoffs.

If your team forfeits a match during the season, the following rules apply:

• First Offense: Game recorded as loss and warning issued.
• Second Offense: Game recorded as loss and PSG staff reserves the right to remove team from league and playoffs with no refund for games not played.
• Third Offense: Removal from the league and playoffs with no refund for games not played.

If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to call our office so as to help us schedule your opponent a game. However, this does not mean that your team will not receive the loss as a forfeit.

COIN FLIP/BEGINNING OF GAME

The beginning of the game will start with the PSG staff using an “odd/even”, or coin flip. The winning team will choose a goal to defend and the loser will kick-off.

KICKOFF

Consists of the ball being placed at midfield on the center spot. The ball is in play once it is touched forward by any player.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Teams may not substitute “on the fly”.  All substitute players must notify the referee before entering the game. Substitutions may occur during the following instances:

• Throw-ins (for either team)
• Scoring of goals
• Goal kicks
• Injured player (1 for 1)
• Yellow card (1 for 1)
• Any dead ball in special instances with the referee's permission

Players involved in an illegal substitution are subject to a caution (yellow card) if the referee deems necessary. If a team is currently playing a game shorthanded and has a player arrive late, the entering player must receive permission from the referee before entering the field and may not enter during play. The referee has the right to deny permission to teams wishing to substitute on the other teams' throw ins if he/she believes that the substitution is for time wasting purposes or if stopping play will deny the other team a chance at a direct chance at scoring. There is no limit on the amount of substitutions per team/per game. During the course of the regular season teams are allowed to “pick up” players that are not on their roster in order to field a full team. In playoffs no non-roster players will be allowed to play.

TIME

Play will be divided into two (2) 25 minute halves for coed and two (2) 40 minute halves for men's leagues, separated by a very brief halftime. There will be a running clock maintained by the referee. The clock will stop only during serious injury time-outs. Any delay tactics, (kicking the ball far out of bounds) will allow the referee (at his/her discretion) to stop the clock. If time wasting is being employed by a team, the offending player may be cautioned (yellow card), at referee's discretion.

FOULS, PENALTIES, and RESTARTS

DIRECT KICKS - The ball is to be placed at the point of the infraction and to be put in play by any player on the affected team. No opposing player is allowed to be within 10 paces/yards of ball prior to kick. A player stepping unnecessarily close in front of an opposing free kick may be cautioned, however, 10 paces/yards will only be granted if asked for by a member of the team with the free kick. Goals may be scored on direct kicks. 

A direct kick will occur when a player commits the following "penal" fouls:  

• kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
• trips or attempts to trip an opponent
• jumps at an opponent
• charges an opponent
• strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
• pushes an opponent
• slide tackling (coed only)

Penal fouls committed inside the penalty area by the defense will result in a penalty kick 12 paces/yards out. All players on the field (other than the goalie) must be behind the ball and outside of the penalty area until it is kicked. The goalie must remain on the goal line until the ball is kicked.

INDIRECT KICKS - The ball is to be placed at the point of the infraction and to be put in play by any player on the affected team.  No opposing player is allowed to be within 10 paces/yards of ball prior to kick.  A player stepping unnecessarily close in front of an opposing free kick may be cautioned, however, 10 paces/yards will only be granted if asked for by a member of the team with the free kick. An indirect free kick must be touched by a player (of either team) other than the person who takes the kick before a goal is scored.

Indirect kicks will occur when the goalkeeper:

• takes more than 6 seconds to release the ball from his/her hands
• touches the ball again with his/her hands after it has been released by his/her possession without touching another player
• touches the ball with his/her hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him/her by a teammate
• touches the ball with his/her hands after he/she has received the ball directly from a throw in by a teammate

Indirect kicks will occur when any player:

• plays in a dangerous manner
• impedes the progress of an opponent (obstruction)
• prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his/her hands
• a player is called offsides

OFFSIDES  - It is not an offence in itself to be in an offsides position

A player is in an offsides position if:

• He/she is nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent

A player is not in an offsides position if:

• He or she is in his/her own half of the field of play
• He/she is not nearer to his/her opponents goal line than at least two of his/her opponents
• He/she is even with the ball or the second defender

A player in an offsides position is only penalized if, at the moment the ball touches, or is played by one of his teammates, he/she is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by:

• interfering with the play 
• interfering with an opponent
• gaining an advantage by being in that position

A player can not be deemed offsides by receiving a pass directly from a:

• goal kick
• corner kick
• throw in

OUT OF BOUNDS - Anytime the ball goes completely over either sideline, out of bounds, a throw-in will ensue. The person throwing in the ball must throw the ball overhead with both hands and keep both feet remaining on the ground out-of-bounds or on the line until the ball is released.
Anytime the ball crosses an end line, a corner kick or goal kick will ensue.

1. Last touched by a defender- a corner kick. Ball is placed on nearest corner and kicked in by offensive team. Goals may be scored directly on corner kicks.
2. Last touched by attacker. A goal kick by the defense. The ball must be placed anywhere in or on the line of the goal area box.

FIGHTING

Fighting is not allowed and will NOT be tolerated. All parties involved in fighting will be sent off (red carded) from the game and subject to ejection from the league at PSG staff discretion.

CAUTIONS AND EJECTIONS

Two yellow cards in the same game or one red card require the ejected player to leave the field and surrounding area. Any player who receives a red card will receive an automatic 1 game suspension for the team's next scheduled game. Multiple game suspensions for fighting, severe fouls, or extreme unsportsmanlike behavior are up to the discretion of Players Sports Group.

PLAYOFFS

• Playoffs will follow the last week of regular season and will be single elimination.
• SEEDING ­ Teams will be seeded for the playoffs based on a points system. Teams will be awarded 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. In most cases all teams will advance to playoffs. Ties (same amount of points) at the end of the season are broken by the following criteria:

1. Head to head result (ties with 2 teams only)
2. Least amount of forfeits (forfeits are recorded 5-0)
3. Goal differential (max of 5 goal differential per game)
4. Most goals scored
5. Coin flip or random drawing of numbers if more than two teams       

• PLAYOFF GAMES ­ Playoff games will follow the same format during regulation as the regular season. If teams are tied at the end of regulation in the playoffs, sudden death will be used. A sudden death play-off will involve 6 men and 3 women from each team for a one five-minute overtime.  A coin toss or even/odd will be used to start the overtime. Winner of the toss chooses if they would like to choose sides or kick off. If neither team scores after the sudden death overtime period, teams will go into a shootout.

SHOOTOUT SPECIFICS

1. Each team selects 5 players (3 males, 2 females)- players do not have to have been playing at the end of regulation to kick. A coin toss will decide which team shoots first. The referee will decide which goal to shoot at.
2. Teams will alternate taking direct penalty shots from 12 paces off the goal line. (No guy/girl shooting order is necessary)
3. If tied after the 1st round, the 2nd round will be SUDDEN DEATH i.e. 1st player from Team A scores & 1st player from Team B misses - Team A wins. Players who shot in the 1st shootout are not eligible to shoot again until all remaining players present have shot. If and when 1 team begins to utilize players for the second time, the other team may “recycle” players as well. Thus, some players on the team with more people present, may or may not shoot. After the original five kickers from each team have kicked, no guy/girl shooting order is necessary. Teams may send any unused players to kick at this time.

FIFA

Normal rules and penalties of FIFA apply unless exceptions have been made herein.

STANDINGS

Standings will be posted on-line with the season schedule. View your standings and schedule at www.playerssports.net

OUTDOOR SOCCER RULES (6 v 6)

All proceeding rules for 11v11 apply unless stated or clarified below. Normal soccer laws apply with the exception that 6 v 6 is played on a smaller field with a smaller goals and the following rules:

• Teams have a total of 6 players on the field at a time including goalie (4 men and 2 women for coed leagues). Teams can have more women than two as long as a team does not have more than four men on the field. Teams need a total of 4 players (and at least one woman) for an official game.
• There will be two 22 minute halves with a running clock with a 1-2 minute halftime.
• Shin guards are required to play.
• There is no "offsides" rule.
• Defenders must be 5 yards from the ball for free kicks upon request from team taking the kick. Jumping in front of the ball to prevent a quick free kick may result in a yellow card.
• Penal fouls inside the penalty area result in a penalty kick to be taken 8 yards from the goal line. All players other than the goalkeeper must be behind the ball until it is kicked.
• Goal kicks may be taken from anywhere inside the penalty area.
• Out of bounds results in a kick-in for the team not to touch the ball last. Kick-ins are direct kicks.
• Teams may sub on the fly at any time. The player leaving the field must be off the field before a new player enters the field. Players must sub from about the middle line. Both teams should keep their gear and sub from the same side of the field.
• There is no slide tackling and will result in a direct kick for the opposing team. Repeated offenses may result in a yellow or red card.

updated ES 10/15/07