YMCA mission statement: The YMCA of Greenville, following the example of Christ, promotes healthy spirit, mind and body for all. Youth Sports Philosophy: Every child plays equally Promote the benefits of fitness and healthy lifestyles Develop sports skills Promote teamwork Values education Encourage family involvement Provide a safe environment Improve self-esteem and social development Promote character development: Caring, Respect, Honesty, and Responsibility. Equipment 6-7 s will use 34-42 sticks. No defensive sticks. 8-9 s will use 37-42 sticks. No defensive sticks. All players must wear a mouthpiece. Field players must wear/use equipment provided by the Y: goggles and stick. Players may use their own sticks if they are the required length. Goalkeeper must wear/use equipment provided by the Y; helmet, throat protector, lacrosse gloves, chest protector, thigh protection, shin guards, and stick. Must also wear protective cup, not provided by the Y. Field players may not wear any padding/protection other than the provided goggles. Exception is a protective cup. Tennis shoes or soft studded turf shoes recommended. Illegal or dangerous apparel: o Metal cleats of any type o Sharp or badly worn cleats o Jewelry, hard hairpieces, exposed buttons, zippers, other hard objects Splints or plaster casts are allowed at the discretion of the referee if sufficiently padded. No pants with exposed buttons or zippers. No hard bill hats Number of Players on the Field Goalkeepers will not be used in 6-7 s, but will be used in 8-9 s. Age Group # on Field Max on Team 6-7 Year Olds 6 12 8-9 Year Olds 7 14
Duration of Game 6-7 s- 20 minute halves with running clock 8-9 s- 20 minute halves with running clock Five minute half time o Each team gets one, 1 minute, time out per half. Time outs may be called after a goal or during a dead ball situation by the team in possession. o There are no overtimes or tiebreakers o We do not keep score in our youth leagues Starting of the Game All players will meet with the referee for prayer. If the player chooses not to pray, we ask that they please respect those that do. The referees have a player pick between 1 & 2 to determine which side will have possession first. A different player each week will be designated as captain to act as captain. The player who starts with possession must pass the ball to a teammate and play will begin. Offside There is no offside since we are playing 6v6 or 7v7. Out of Bounds When the ball or ball carrier touches a boundary line or the ground outside of the playing field, the official blows the whistle to stop play and then again to restart play. Players must not move after the whistle is blown. The team that last touched the ball before it went out of bounds will lose possession except for on shots. o When a shot goes out of bounds, the player nearest the ball when it crosses the boundary line will gain possession 2 meters inside the line. Player with the ball moves 2 meters from the line and all other players stay in relative positions. o If the goalkeeper in their goal circle is the nearest to the ball when it crosses the end line after a shot, they gain possession and remain in their goal circle to restart play. A player may not deliberately push, flick, or bat the ball into an opponent s body to make the ball go out of bounds. A player may not deliberately push, displace, trip or check a ball carrier out of bounds. A player may not run out of bounds and re-enter to a more advantageous position. When a player s foot or feet are out of bounds, they may not take an active part in the game. Goal Area A circle measured 9 ft from the center of the goal line to the edge of the circle s line is the goal area. The goalkeeper is allowed in the goal circle at any time.
The goalkeeper may reach their stick out of the circle to bring the ball back, but no part of their body can be grounded outside the circle. No field players may step in the goal area, offense or defense. o For ages 6-7 since there is no goalkeeper, no player at all may step in the goal area. The penalty for a goal circle foul by the defense is a free position for the opposing team to either side of the goal line by the sideline. The penalty for a goal circle foul by the offense is a free position for the goalkeeper inside the goal circle. The goalkeeper must clear the ball with their stick within 10 seconds after it has entered the goal circle. A goalkeeper may not carry the ball into the goal circle. The goalkeeper may stop the ball with their hand, body or stick when they are inside the goal circle. Substitutions Players may be substituted during play, after goals, at halftime, and during timeouts. Players being subbed in must be at midfield. A substitute cannot step onto the field until the player they are replacing has stepped out of bounds at midfield. Substitutions may not happen when the whistle has been blown to stop play, due to players being required to stay in the same area when the whistle blows. Players must play at least 50% of the game time and players should get equal playing time. Players should get opportunities to play different positions over the course of the season. o A player may not play goalkeeper for more than one half in a game. Officials The officials will enforce the rules and provide a brief explanation of rule infraction, provide encouragement, and control the flow of the game. If you have a dispute, please bring this to the official s attention between halves and away from the players. The official s decision is final. Failure to Show: In the event that an assigned official fails to appear, the coaches and Sports Director must agree upon an official or officials. Games played under these conditions are considered valid. Fouls When a foul occurs, the official will blow the whistle and all players must stand while the official gives the call and repositions players as necessary. When the whistle blows, all players must stop moving. The goalkeeper may move if they are within their goal circle. Play resumes when the official blows the whistle. All fouls will be considered Major Fouls.
Major Fouls- Fouls that are dangerous. The offending player will stand 4 meters behind the player awarded possession. If a foul occurs in the critical scoring area, the fouled player is awarded possession on the corner. The offending player will stand 4 meters behind the player awarded possession. The player must make a pass from the corner. In ages 6-7, there is no shooting on free positions from fouls. A yellow card is given as a warning to an offending player, coach, or team personnel. The player must leave the field for two minutes. The team may substitute a player in for the carded player. A red card is an ejection from the game. Anyone receiving a red card is prohibited from playing in the team s next game. o Players and coaches can receive yellow and red cards for unsportsmanlike conduct both on and off the field. For example, screaming at an opponent or using abusive language is a misconduct foul. NO STICK CHECKING is allowed! Stick to stick contact and stick to body contact is strictly prohibited. o Rough and reckless checking can cause injury and warrants a yellow or red card. o Officials may call a foul anytime they feel a player is using their stick in a dangerous or intimidating way. Body Contact- This league is a non contact league although incidental body-to-body contact may occur. Incidental contact may occur when two players are going for a loose ball. Legally boxing out or sealing off an opponent is an important part of winning possession on ground balls. If a player overruns a ground ball, they may not back into an opponent to shield the ball, nor cover the ball with the back of their stick, preventing another player from gaining access to that ball. Body-to-body contact may be called charging, blocking, pushing, or no call at all if it s clearly incidental. o Charging- A player may not charge, barge, shoulder, or back into their opponent. o Pushing- A player may not push an opponent with their hand, body, or stick. o Illegal Pick- A player may not set a moving or stationary pick out of an opposing player s field of vision, not giving them the time or space to avoid contact. o Blocking- A player may not move into the path of the ball carrier with no chance to avoid contact. Shooting- Shooting is not allowed unless the pathway to the goal is clear. A player must be able to see the goal before they shoot. The free space to goal within the critical scoring area is defined by two lines extending from the ball to the outside of the goal circle. It is expected that a shooter will not shoot if a defender is in this space.
o Obstruction of Free Space to Goal- A player may not use any part of their body to guard the goal in a manner that denies the attack the opportunity to shoot safely and encourages shooting at a player. o Dangerous Follow Through- A player may not follow through with their stick in a dangerous or uncontrolled manner at any time. o Dangerous Propelling- When a player passes or shoots the ball without control in the direction of another player. o If the ball goes in the goal as the attacker hits the defender on the shoulder with their follow through, the goal is disallowed, the shooter receives a yellow card and the defender gets the ball. o A goal is not scored when the ball deflects off the body of an attacking player. The critical scoring area is at the end of the field where the attacking team is shooting for goal. It is the fan beside and in front of each goal. Stick Handling Violations o Warding Off- Cradling with one hand and using the other arm to ward off a defender. o Covering- A player may not guard a ground ball with their foot or stick. o Hand Ball- The only player that may play the ball with their hand is the goalkeeper when they are in their goal circle. o Squeeze Head of Stick- A player may not use their hand or body to keep the ball in their stick. o Body Ball- A player may not allow any part of their body to intentionally impede or affect the ball s direction. Three Pass Rule- Three attempted passes are required before a team can shoot on goal. Washed-Out Games If games are cancelled due to inclement weather, someone will be at the YMCA front desk at least 60 minutes before the first scheduled game with the necessary information. A decision will be made 60 minutes before your scheduled game. Each YMCA of Greenville branch will be notified at that time with their cancellation news. Each coach to play at that time will be contacted via phone with the update. o If you are in doubt of whether your game is cancelled, please contact the YMCA front desk to obtain information. o Because it is raining at your location does not necessarily mean it is raining at the YMCA, so please call. In the case of bad weather breaking out within 60 minutes of your game or during a game, the Sports Director holds the right to cancel the games. If this happens, the
games will be rescheduled on another date by the Sports Director, unless the first half is already completed. If the first half is completed, the game will stand as final. o Games will be rescheduled during a practice day, if possible. o The current YMCA policy is to schedule 6 games during a season. We will try our best at rescheduling games unless time/weather restrains us from doing so. We guarantee at least 6 games. Abandoned Games The referee reserves the right at any time to abandon a game (call stoppage of play and leave the field) under the following conditions: A failure by a coach, spectator, or player to heed the warnings given by the referee regarding improper conduct. Extreme climatic conditions in which the playing conditions have become unsuitable or the possibility of danger exists to players, coaches, spectators, etc. If a game is abandoned after the first half is completed, the game will be considered final. If a game is abandoned due to climatic conditions before the first half is completed, the game will be rescheduled. Spectator Conduct: All spectators must remain on the opposite side of their respective teams. Spectators are not permitted behind a goal. Team Parents who are assisting the coach with drinks and snacks may sit on the team bench with the coach s approval. Positive team support is encouraged. Offensive language or behavior will not be tolerated. This includes making comments to the officials, players or coaches. Each coach is responsible for the conduct of all persons on his/her team or supporting his/her team. A spectator may be yellow carded by the referee at which time the official will also notify the coach that a warning has been given to one of their team s supporters. Further disruptive behavior or improper conduct after a second warning will result in a red card (spectator ejection from game) and possible abandonment of the game by the referee. Entering Field of Play: No member of the coaching staff may enter the playing area once play is underway, unless invited by the referee... The only exception to this rule will be in an emergency situation created by player injury. *** 6-7 year old teams may have one coach on the field at all times.