RULES (Chelsea Piers, Manhattan, NY):
-NO CLEATS allowed -- only turf shoes and flats are acceptable
-NO SLIDE TACKLES
-Shin guards must be worn by every player and be completely covered by soccer socks.
-No player will be allowed to wear anything that could injure oneself or another player as per the referee’s discretion, including jewelry (rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, piercings, etc.).
-The goalkeeper must wear a jersey of a color distinguishable from the other players in the match and the referee.
-Kickoffs: Kickoffs are indirect and may be played forward or backward.
Goalkeepers:
-Cannot hold the ball for more than 6 seconds. Referee enforced.
-Cannot pick up the ball if intentionally kicked back by own team.
-CAN send goal kicks, punts, drop kicks and thrown balls over midfield.
-Goal kicks are direct and the defending team must be a minimum of 5 yards away.
Ball Exiting Field Of Play:
-Any ball that exits the playing field over the sideline is a kick-in.
-Kick-ins are indirect, and must be below the knee.
-Any ball that strikes a net, light, ceiling, or beam within the confines of the field is out of play. An indirect kick restart will occur near where the ball hit, except within the goal box on the offensive side, in which case the ball is placed outside of the box for restart.
Substitutions:
-Substitutions are on the fly at any time. Players entering the field must wait until players exiting have stepped off the field. Violation of this rule may result in a penalty. Fouls are not a guaranteed stop for substitution as the opposing team may play the ball as soon as they wish.
Points:
- A win will result in 3 points. Ties will result in 1 point during round robin play. Losses get no points.
Ties during playoffs will proceed to penalty kicks (PKs) with 3 shooters per team. Anyone on OR off the field can take PKs. If there is a tie after 3 shooters, 1 additional shooter from each team will be chosen until a winner is decided.
Yellow card:
-All yellow cards will result in a man-down situation for 2 minutes or until the opposition scores, whichever comes first. A second yellow card in a game equals a red card. The consequences of a red card are outlined below.
-Red card: All red cards will result in ejection and the player will sit out for the rest of the game AND the following game. On a red card, the team will play a man down for 6 minutes even if goals are scored. If a second red card is acquired during the tournament, the player will sit out for the remainder of the tournament. If there is a red card due to a physical or verbal fight with another player, both players may have multiple game suspensions and/or indefinite suspensions from the tournament. League organizers will decide after a discussion with the referee.
Two minute penalty: A two minute penalty can be assessed at the discretion of the referee for minor violations regardless of whether a yellow card is given.
Player Count:
- A team must have five (5) registered players physically present at game time or a forfeit will be declared. The referee’s watch is the official time in establishing a forfeit.
Waiver:
Every player in the tournament must sign a liability (waiver) form before entering the field of play.
Referees: During a tournament game the referee of that game has complete and sole authority to enforce the rules of the game and apply penalties.
Protests:
-If a player or players believe an error has been made with respect to a referee’s call, play will not be stopped. The captain of the team may speak to a Tournament Organizer within 20 minutes after the suspension of the game and submit a formal request on Ultimate Scoreboard. The Tournament Organizer will then review the situation and speak to the referee when that referee is on break if they feel matters need to be discussed to ensure the integrity of the event going forward. There will be no retroactive alteration of referee decisions unless exceptional circumstances arise.
Other Rules:
-NO spitting anywhere or at anyone
-Fist fighting, other violent physical altercations, and hate speech WILL NOT be tolerated - Tournament Organizers have the right to suspend anyone from the facility at any time for this behavior.
