Rules for Adult Outdoor Soccer
General Rules
- Adult Outdoor Rules – Soccer Leagues
- 40-minute game – running clock
- Outdoor format is 8v8 (Coed – team must have 2 women or play short)
- Minimum of 6 players to avoid forfeit (Coed – minimum 1 women)
- Throw-Ins (indirect)
- No punting. No dropkicks. No kicking the ball wildly in frustration.
- Fouls will be called tighter near the edges of the field.
- No sliding – even if no one is around. Except goalkeepers where the slide starts inside the box.
- Slide tackle is a card worthy offense – any showing of studs is a red.
- Yellow card – the carded player sits for 5 minutes
- Red card – the carded player is out for the game AND carded team will play short for 5 minutes. The carded player may be out of the next game or longer depending on the offense
- Violent behavior will not be tolerated. That includes shoving and verbal threats.
- All players must be registered and have an active building pass
- Any team with players that have not registered are subject to forfeit.
- Player sharing is allowed during the regular season. (Future leagues may not allow this option)
- Players must be rostered and registered in the system.
Team Registration
Full payment is required by the start of the first game of a session or the team will be assessed a late fee and possibly forced to forfeit. If full payment is not made by the start of the second game, the team will not be allowed to play any further games until the balance is paid in full. All members of a team are jointly responsible for the full payment of the team fee; however, it is the team captain who is ultimately held responsible in the case of overdue, unpaid balances.
Individuals
Individuals that sign up will be placed in a 422 SportsPlex database where other teams may contact you to recruit you for their team. If you still are not on a team, the 422 SportsPlex will create a team from all the individuals in the database if enough players are available.
Team Rosters
Team rosters must be turned in prior to the first league game. Additions and or changes will be permitted prior to the third game. Only rostered players can play in seeded play that could result in a team advancing to the championship game and championship games.
At the discretion of management, a team may claim hardship and add one player after the third game. A player may only be added after the third game if an unforeseen circumstance occurs such as but not limited to injury or relocation and a rostered player is unable to play for the remainder of the session. Proof of hardship must be provided in writing. Examples include a doctor’s note and employment acceptance letter.
Any player on a roster that is found to be illegal will forfeit all the games for the team during that season. It is the responsibility of the team to know which players are legal or illegal. Management reserves the right to check the identifications of any player on a player roster to check and see if they are legal players under management guidelines.
Official Games
A game is considered “official” after one completed half of play. If there is an injury or other unforeseen circumstance such as a power outage, the current score will stand as official once a half has been played.
Forfeits & Make-Up Games
Forfeits:
Team captains must call or email the 422 SportsPlex to inform them of the forfeit (players cannot cancel a game, only the team captain). The SportsPlex will then notify the other team. If a team shows up to play and the opposing team does not show up, then the team present will win by forfeit. In the case of a forfeited game, players from the teams are normally allowed to use the field, to practice, scrimmage, etc. However, 422 SportsPlex reserves the right to use the field, at that time, for other activities at the discretion of management.
Forfeiture will be incurred if a team has failed to field the minimum number of players (4 player minimum) within ten minutes from the start of the game clock. If at any point during the game if a team can not field 4 players, the team will forfeit. This includes playing down due to yellow cards, red cards, or injuries.
Teams incurring forfeitures during a session may not be allowed to play in subsequent sessions. A game clock will not stop once it has started, and it will not be reset if a team shows up late. Any team no show will result in a 3-0 victory for opposing team and no rescheduled game will be given.
After the first forfeit, the team that forfeited will receive a warning. The second forfeit, a $50 fine. If a team forfeits three times in one season, they’ll be pulled from the league, all money paid will be lost, and the team will have to pay in full at the time of registration for all future leagues.s
Make-ups: If a team is unable to play a scheduled game, the opposing team may choose to accept a 3-0 forfeit. If both teams agree to a make-up, they will be offered possible times from the facility management office. It will be the team manager’s responsibility to coordinate and select one of the available times and confirm the new game time. Failure to do so will result in the game being forfeited. The 422 SportsPlex is not responsible for teams that neglect this rule and fail to notify the opposing team that they are not going to make a scheduled game. 422 SportsPlex does not guarantee that all rescheduling requests will be honored.
Sportsmanship
Individuals are expected to play under control and within the rules of the game, and to the best of their ability will avoid causing injury to themselves and other persons using the facility.
Referees
Referees appointed to each game have complete authority on the field of play, and their decisions on points of fact connected with the game are final. Officiating will be monitored and assessed periodically and management will always try to provide quality officiating at the facility. Constructive comments regarding officiating are welcome and encouraged. Please submit any such comments in writing via email.
Complaints regarding officials should be submitted in writing via email. Please include the game date, time, and field number, and have your name and the name of your team at the top. Teams are asked not to discuss the officiating in a game immediately following their game. The commissioner will take seriously all complaints written 24 hours after a game. The staff will not take seriously complaints directed at him/her immediately following a game, verbal or written. The commissioner will not overturn any calls made by the referee during the course of a game.
If a team suspects an illegal player or other illegal activity associated with other teams, they should inform the staff immediately. If this activity is discovered after the game is completed, the team should file a formal protest to the commissioner. Please read our rules above to understand how to file a formal protest. Do not discuss officiating or the officials with the facility staff during or immediately after your game.
Coed League Play
Coed Leagues must have at least 2 women on the field of play at all times. If a team has only one woman on the field of play, a team must play down a player until another woman fills that spot. If a team has no women, the game is forfeited.
Guest Players
All adult teams are allowed guest players as outlined in the above rules. Guest players may be rostered on another team in the same league, but must be approved by the opposing team in order to be allowed to play. Failure to have the opposing team approve a guest player from the same league will result in a forfeit for the team utilizing the guest player. Guest players can be rostered in other leagues as long as the player is playing at the appropriate level. Teams violating any of the general rules regarding guest players will forfeit their game. Any team playing for the division championship (Play-off games ) will not be allowed to use any guest players for that game. All players who play in the play-off and championship game must be on their team’s original roster from the start of the season.
Kick-Off
The home team (the first team on the schedule) will kick-off the first half. The visitors will kick-off the second half. The kickoff can go backwards. A goal can be scored directly on a kickoff.
Substitutions
Substitutions are free and unlimited as long as such substitutions do not interfere with the flow of the game. All substitutions must happen along the team’s sideline. Furthermore, each and every substitution must wait until the player they are substituting for is off the field before they can enter. Teams that violate this rule will be given a warning for having too many players on the field by the referee. If a team has been warned but continues to ignore this rule, then the referee will award a direct kick to the opposing team from the point of infraction. The referee has the right to award a yellow card if teams continue to ignore this rule. Any team that continues to make illegal substitutions after the opposing team is awarded a free kick will be given a team yellow card.
Teams may substitute for the goalkeeper during play. The referee should be notified of a change in a goalkeeper. Play will stop for goalkeeper substitution at the referee’s discretion. Penalty for failure to notify official of keeper substitution will result in a loss of possession.
Contact Information
Please contact the 422 Sportsplex at info@the422sportsplex.com or 610-323-9600