The Rules

All games will be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game, as published by Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on a yearly basis, with the following exceptions:

AGE
All players must be twenty-one years old or older to play in Foothills Soccer League.

ROSTERS
A maximum of twenty-five players is allowed on the team roster. All twenty-five players may play on any given game day. Rosters will be frozen after the third week of play.

UNIFORMS
All teams must have matching uniforms (shirts, shorts, and socks). Any player that does not match the rest of the team will not be allowed to play until their uniform matches the rest of the team. SHIN GUARDS MUST BE WORN BY ALL PLAYERS AT ALL TIMES DURING THE GAME.

SUBSTITUTIONS
Substitutions are unlimited and will be as follows:

a) Prior to a throw in by the team in possession
b) Prior to a goal kick by either team
c) After a goal by either team
d) After a stoppage in play due to an injury
e) During the issue of a yellow or red caution card

LENGTH OF GAMES
The games shall consist of two forty-five minute periods. The referee MUST START THE GAME at the scheduled starting time. In the event that the field or teams are not ready for play at the scheduled start of the first game of the day, the length of the game shall be adjusted to compensate for the delay.

PLAYERS
A minimum of seven players per team is to be enforced without causing an automatic forfeiture of the game. A maximum of five male players and a minimum of three female players must be on the field at all times. If the number of male players on the field is less than five, the remaining positions may be filled with female players. The goalkeeper is a unisex player and does not count against these minimums/maximums. This rule will not be enforced should an injury during the game cause the number of females to drop below the minimum number of three. If, however, the total number of players on the field drops below seven after the game has started, the game will be considered a forfeit.

FORFEITURES
Any team unable to field seven players at the scheduled start time will be assessed a forfeiture, accept upon the mutual consent of both team captains. Any team caught playing with an ineligible player will forfeit all of the games played with that player. When a forfeit occurs, the opposing team will be awarded a 1-0 win, or 4 points for the game.

CHECK INS
All players must check in with the referee with a current, valid Foothills Soccer player pass. If necessary, the referee may ask for an additional picture ID. This shall be done either before the start of the game or at half time. If a player is not checked in by the referee at the beginning of the game, that player cannot play and must wait until half time to check in. If a player does not check in prior to the start of the second half, that player will not be allowed to play in the game. In the event a team begins the game without a full squad, only then do they have the option to check in players up until the team has reached a full squad of eleven players on the field. Any player that needs to check in after a full squad has been reached must wait until half time.

STANDINGS
Team standings are determined by using a point system. Points will be awarded using the following point system: Winning Team receives 3 points plus 1 point for each goal up to three. Losing Team receives no points. For a tie game, each team receives 1 point. Tiebreakers are determined as follows:

1. Head to head.
2. Greatest net goals (Goals scored minus goals allowed).
3. Most Goals
4. Coin Toss

SLIDE TACKLES
Slide tackles are allowed in all divisions. To be considered a clean slide tackle you must make contact with the ball.

FIGHTING
FIGHTING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! FIGHTING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!!!! If a player is carded for fighting, they will not only sit out the two mandatory game suspension, but the incident will be reviewed by the league president and a hearing will be held if deemed necessary. If the president or the hearing panel finds the incident inexcusable, the player will either:

a) be suspended from further play for a minimum of eight games, or
b) be banned from any further play in the Foothills Soccer League. Players entering the field from the sidelines during a physical altercation, without permission of the referee, will be red carded.



TAUNTING AND UNSPORTSMAN LIKE BEHAVIOR
In order to stop the escalation of violence, the referee may issue a yellow card for taunting or unsportsman like behavior. If the offending player is booked twice in the same game (two yellows) the player will be sent off the field and sit the following two games, or if a physical altercation results from the taunting, both players will be subject to penalties under fighting.

No loitering is allowed behind the touchlines of the field. Players who sub off the field are allowed to walk around the field to get to their bench, but must not talk or interfere with the goalie. People are allowed to shag balls but must not talk or interfere with the goalie.



OVERTIME PERIODS
During the regular season game, if the score is tied at the end of regulation, that game is scored as a tie and the game is over.

During a playoff game, if the score is tied at the end of regulation, there will be two full five-minute overtime periods. Teams will change ends of the field after the first five-minute overtime period. If the score is still tied after the two full five-minute overtime periods, both teams will begin the shoot-out.

SHOOTOUTS
In a shoot-out, each team has five opportunities to score a goal in a one-on-one situation with the opposing goalkeeper. Each one-on-one situation begins with the goalkeeper on the goal line and the offensive player 35 yards away from the goal line. The player has five seconds to dribble the ball and take one shot. The ball must be released within the five seconds. As soon as the ball is touched by the goalkeeper, the play is ruled dead unless the momentum of the ball carries it into the goal; then it is a score. All shots must be taken in an alternating order (male, female, male, female, etc.). All players participating in the shoot-out must be on the field before the final overtime period ends. No players may leave or enter the field of play between the final overtime period and the shoot-out.

If a tie score is the result of the shootout after the first five players from each team have taken their shot, players are selected from the remaining field players. The shootout becomes sudden death (a score, miss round). After all the field players, including the goalies, have taken shots, the shooters are recycled from the beginning, and must shoot in the same order.

If a team is playing with less than eleven players, any shots that would be taken by a missing player will be considered a missed shot.

All F.I.F.A. rules apply during a shootout. Goalies may not use their hands outside the goal box to prevent a score. If a hand ball foul is made by the goalie during the shootout, a penalty kick will be awarded to the shooting team which may be taken by any player on the field and the goalie will be ejected from the game. This ejection is for the remainder of the game only; no additional game sits will be assessed. If at any time a goalie is ejected from the game, a replacement goalie can be selected from the players who have been checked in for that game.


CANCELLATIONS
A game schedule of all games is provided at the beginning of each season. If a game has to be canceled, it will be moved to the end of the regular season. If a game has started and is called before the full ninety minutes is played, (due to weather, injury, field conditions, altercations, etc. at the referee’s discretion) it will be considered a full game if at least one full half has been completed. If less than one full half has been completed, an attempt to reschedule the game will be made. If the game is not able to be rescheduled, (no field or referees available), the score at the time the game was called will stand.

YELLOW AND RED CARDS
YELLOW CARDS: Any one person receiving three yellow cards in seasonal year (Fall Season through Spring Season) is automatically suspended for two complete games. This is not subject for discussion. A player's card will be returned to the team representative once a new sticker is placed on the back of that player's card.

After a yellow card issued, the player receiving the card MUST substitute out of the game. This player may enter back into the game at the next legal substitution opportunity. (see Substitutions).

RED CARDS: Any person receiving a red card is automatically suspended from the current game and for the next two complete games. If the red card occurs at the end of the Fall Season, the suspension will carry over to the Spring Season. If a person receives more than one red card within a season, they are subject to dismissal for the remainder of the season as well as from Foothills Soccer League at the discretion of the league president.