OFFICIAL LEAGUE RULES SECTION I. INTRODUCTION 1.01 Name of Program The name of the program shall be the West Virginia Development League" (Shall be further referred to as WVDL in these rules.) 1.02 Mission The purpose of this league is to provide a developmental playing environment for U9-U12 club teams in and around our state. The league is also designed to increase the development of players, coaches, referees and spectators. 1.03 Owner of Program The West Virginia Development League is owned and operated by the West Virginia Soccer Association (WVSA). Participation in the WVDL is governed by the rules adopted by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the United States Soccer Federation (US Soccer) and US Youth Soccer, except where modified below. 1.04 Management of Program The program (WVDL) shall be managed and supervised by the West Virginia Soccer Association (WVSA). The WVSA Director of Soccer Operations shall serve as the commissioner of the WVDL and will be responsible for the day to day operations of the WVDL. 1.05 Rules, Policies and Procedures WVSA, and specifically, the WVDL Commissioner, will have authority to promulgate all league rules, policies and procedures reasonable and necessary for the administration and growth of the WVDL. This includes, but is not limited to, any urgent decisions that must be made in the best interest of the league. 1.06 Matters Not Provided For WVSA, and specifically, the WVDL Commissioner, shall have final authority in all matters not specifically provided for by the policies or rules. 1.07 Age Group Management Each age group will be managed and supervised by WVDL, which will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following: (a) Creating age group divisions (b) Serving as the liaison with the State Referee Assignor(s) to ensure that match officials are assigned. (c) Collecting approved WVDL team rosters (d) Recording and posting of scores and standings (not for public display) (e) Communication of age group news and information 1.08 Playing Season The WVDL shall operate anytime between August 20 and November 20 as well as April 1 and June 10. The WVDL shall determine the specific start and end dates of each season within the parameters of the calendar as outlined above.
1.09 Team Rights and Privileges Any team in the WVDL shall have the same rights and privileges afforded to any team playing in a league within their respective US Youth Soccer state association. 1.10 Contact Information and Communication All member teams of the WVDL shall have contact information on file with the WVDL, including, but not limited to (a) the Team Manager s Name, Address, Phone Numbers and valid e-mail address and (b) the Team Coach s Name, Address, Phone Numbers and valid e-mail address. E mail will be the primary means of communication within the WVDL. It is the responsibility of each team to ensure that accurate contact information is on file with the WVDL. SECTION II. TEAM APPLICATION AND ADMISSION 2.01 Team Eligibility Any team affiliated with a West Virginia Soccer Association member club may request entry to the WVDL. Clubs in good standing of neighboring state associations may request entry to the WVDL as well. 2.02 Good Standing All teams must be properly registered competitive teams that meet the requirements for participation and are in good standing with West Virginia Soccer Association or their state association. 2.03 WVSA Approval All teams applying for membership in the WVDL must be approved by the WVDL Commissioner. 2.04 Structure The WVDL will offer competition for boys and girls in four age groups, beginning with U-9 and concluding with U- 12. Each age group and gender will consist of one division with a minimum of 4 teams and a maximum of 10 teams, unless otherwise specified by the WVDL Commissioner. The U12 division will not be offered in the Spring session. 2.05 Application Deadlines All applications for participation in the WVDL must be received by the deadline as established by WVSA for each playing season. 2.06 Application Process Team applications to participate in the WVDL must be completed via an on-line system established by the WVDL Commissioner. 2.07 Acceptance of Teams Teams approved to participate in the WVDL are not automatically accepted into the WVDL. The WVDL will evaluate all applications and determine final acceptance into the WVDL based on the number of positions available and the configuration of teams in each age group. If a team declines participation in the WVDL after receiving final acceptance, that team will forfeit application fee and will be placed in bad standing with WVSA. 2.08 Acceptance of WVDL Rules Any team applying to play in the WVDL agrees to accept, abide by and comply with all rules, policies, and decisions by the WVDL and further agrees to pay all fees and fines that are due to the WVDL for participation in the WVDL.
2.09 Final Authority The WVDL shall have the final authority and right to refuse admittance of any team based upon the team s and/or club s prior performance in the WVDL. These factors include, but are not limited to: failure to play WVDL matches as scheduled; failure to comply with WVDL rules; failure to pay WVDL referees; and/or failure to pay assessed WVDL fees or fines on time. 2.10 Fees and Other Expenses Each team playing in the WVDL will pay the fees established by the WVDL. The WVDL or WVSA is not responsible for expenses incurred by teams through forfeits, travel, housing, coaching, uniforms, and other related team operating costs. 2.11 Return of WVDL Fees The WVDL shall return any fees paid to the WVDL for any team that is not admitted into the WVDL. In situations where a team withdraws following formal admission into the WVDL, the team will forfeit its WVDL team application fee and will be placed in bad standing within WVSA. 2.12 Referee Match Fees Referees will be assigned by a local certified referee assignor with the assistance of the State Referee Administrator, and will be paid by the teams before each match. Each team will provide half of the cost of the referees in cash. Each team should provide three separate envelopes to the referee crew (one for Referee, one for AR1 and one for AR2 NO EXCEPTIONS!).The cost for the referees shall be determined prior to each season. SECTION III. TEAM ROSTERS 3.01 Team Rosters Teams may create rosters prior each match using age appropriate players, as required by WVSA rules, through the league online roster system. All players must be registered within their club's registration system. No guest players are allowed. 3.02 Player Eligibility Player eligibility will be governed by the WVSA. All players have to be age appropriate for the age group they are playing in. Younger players may play in older age divisions but older players cannot play in younger age divisions. A player may not be listed on the Team Roster on more than one WVDL team. 3.03 Maximum Roster Size For U-09 and U-10 (6v6) and U-11 and U-12 (8v8), the maximum roster size is fourteen (14) players. 3.04 Player Passes Player pass cards are not required for the WVDL. 3.05 Player s WVDL Participation on a Daily Basis At no time may a player play for more than one WVDL team in any one day.
3.06 Team Technical Areas All persons allowed in a team's technical area include players and no more than four (4) coaches/team officials. No exceptions! All coaches, team officials and players will be restricted to the technical area which begins at the halfway line to the 18-yard line of their side of the field. SECTION IV. FORMATION OF DIVISIONS 4.01 Formation of WVDL Age Groups Divisions The WVDL divisions in the U-09 (6v6), U-10 (6v6), U-11 (8v8), U-12 (8v8). WVDL may choose to combine the U-09 and U-10 age groups to form one age group which would be designated as U-10. WVDL may choose to combine the U-11 and U-12 age groups to form one age group which would be designated as U-12. 4.02 Age Group Division Teams will be selected each year on the criteria in 4.01 and 2.02. SECTION V. MATCHES--OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES 5.01 Standings Method The standings of teams within Age Group Divisions are based upon the number of points earned. Teams earn points as follows: Three (3) points for a win One (1) point for a tie No (0) points for a loss Minus two (-2) points for a forfeit Standings will only be released to coaches of the teams and will not be published by the WVSA or WVDL. 5.02 Forfeits In the event of a forfeit, the team that forfeits the match will have two (2) points deducted and the opponent will be awarded three (3) points. In the event that a team forfeits more than one game, the WVDL Commissioner shall review the impact that such forfeits have on the standings and may consider dropping all results by all teams versus the team that has committed forfeits from the standings. 5.03 Forfeited Matches A team that forfeits a match shall be subject to a $100.00 fine per forfeited match and responsible for the total referee match fee. Fines and fees must be paid prior to the team's next scheduled match. Teams that fail to pay fines and fees will be subject to being placed in bad standing with the WVSA, which will prevent participation in any WVSA or U.S. Youth Soccer event. 5.04 No Contest Games deemed to be No Contest will be recorded as a game played with a score of 0-0 and each team earning zero points for the contest.
5.05 Reporting of Scores Both team managers or coaches are required to report the scores to the WVDL Commissioner via text or email within 3 hours of the completion of the match. 5.07 WVCRSL Standings Tiebreaker Since no league champion is crowned and no championship match will be played, there will be no standings tiebreakers for the WVDL. 5.08 Uniforms Teams playing in the WVDL must carry two uniform kits (one light and one dark) to each scheduled match. 5.09 Number of Games The scheduled number of games shall be determined by the WVDL based on the number of teams in an Age Group Division. The WVDL teams should expect to play an eight (8) match schedule each season. If the WVDL schedules less than an eight (8) match schedule in certain brackets due to a low number of entered teams, the WVSA will issue a partial refund of the league fee to those teams that request the refund. The WVSA will determine the amount of the partial refund. 5.10 Scheduling of WVDL Matches a) All matches will be determined by the WVDL Commissioner. Matches will be distributed across Mandatory Regional Play Dates as well as self-scheduled by the teams involved. b) All teams must immediately schedule their respective self-scheduled matches upon receipt of the WVDL match schedule. c) For self-scheduled matches, dates and times must be mutually agreed upon by both coaches. d) WVDL will provide home and away team status. The home team is responsible for any expenses incurred for field usage. e) Teams may not be scheduled to play any more than two (2) WVDL games on any one day per WVSA rules. f) If both coaches cannot agree on game date(s), time(s), and location(s) for their game(s), the WVDL Commissioner will schedule the game(s). The game(s) must be played as scheduled by the WVDL Commissioner and each team will be responsible for half of the field cost, if any. g) Game logistics (date, time, field, etc) are due in to WVDL and sent to WVDL Commissioner no later than seven (7) days prior to the match date. The date CAN NOT be changed after the set dates except for situations involving inclement weather, refer to Section 5.12.The home team is responsible for reporting the game logistics and contacting the appropriate Referee Assignor. h) Failure to report game logistics by the deadline above may include sanctions, including but not limited to, forfeiture of home field advantage, game forfeiture, and/or fines. i) Games may NOT be rescheduled for any reason other than weather (See WVSA Policy on Weather). In instances where games must be rescheduled due to weather, the home team AND organization canceling the fields must notify the Referee Assignor and WVDL Commissioner as soon as possible. The home team is responsible for submitting new game logistics to WVDL within 5 days of the canceled match. Furthermore, the rescheduled game must take place before the end of the season. j) In the event that the home team and organization canceling the fields does not notify the Referee Assignor within three (3) hours of the start of the match to cancel the assigned referees, the referee fees shall be paid by the home team. The fees must be paid before the rescheduled game will be permitted to be played. 5.11 Match Schedule and Rest Periods All matches will be played as scheduled, unless weather conditions dictate. It is the intent of the league to play only one match per day; however, on mandatory play dates, two matches per day will be played. Under no circumstances are more than two matches a day will be played by teams. On mandatory Regional Play Dates, teams will be afforded a minimum of one match rest before playing their second match.
5.12 Inclement Weather The Home Club is responsible for notifying the Referee Assignor, WVDL Commissioner and opponent as soon as possible if the scheduled fields are unavailable due to inclement weather (See WVSA Policy on Weather). All reasonable efforts must be made to complete the match on the scheduled dates. 5.13 Team Obligations The host club coach/team official is responsible for contacting the opposing coach/team official at least 72 hours prior to the match to verify match date, time, location and uniform kit colors. If there is a color conflict in regard to uniform kits, the home team is responsible for changing kits. The uniforms must have a clearly displayed unique number for each player except the goalkeeper. The home team is responsible for providing three, properly inflated and proper sized balls to be used during the match as well as a properly lined and cut field, including goals, nets for the goals, and corner flags. The home team is responsible that all goals MUST be properly anchored for every match. SECTION VI. RULES OF PLAY 6.01 Laws of the Game Games will be played under the applicable rules of US Youth Soccer. Teams are responsible for obtaining and being familiar with the U.S. Soccer Official Administrative Handbook and the FIFA Laws as they govern play subject to the modifications noted herein. The WVDL Rules are subject to change with or without notice. 6.02 Substitutions All age groups the WVDL will operate under the unlimited substitution rule. 6.03 Match Length and Ball Size Match length and ball size for Length of Half Ball Size games in the WVDL shall be as follows: Age Group U-12 and U-11 (8v8) 30 min. 4 U-10 and U-09 (6v6) 25 min. 4 6.04 Field Size Varying sizes may be used for U9 U12 in accordance to U.S. Youth Soccer. 6.05 Official Match A match shall be considered official after one full half of play is completed (the second half does not have to start). If less than one half is completed and the match is abandoned, the entire match must be replayed, subject to WVDL Rule 8.04 and/or review by the WVDL. If a match is abandoned in the second half of play due to inclement weather, the final score will be the score at the time the match is abandoned. If a match is abandoned for any other reason including but not limited to gross misconduct, the WVDL will decide the disposition of the match score following review of all information available including but not limited to Referee Game Reports, reports for WVDL staff, etc.
6.06 Forfeits-Lack of Appearance A 15-minute delay in the start of a game due to a team s lack of appearance is permitted for scheduled matches before the game is abandoned unless otherwise agreed to by both teams and the game officials. Failure to appear for a scheduled match will result in a forfeit. 6.07 Anchored Goals The coaches and match referee should inspect the integrity of the goals to ensure they are secure and suitable for play. Matches shall not begin until both goals have been firmly secured. 6.08 Rosters Each team must bring their official team roster to each match and must provide it to the Match Referee prior to the start of a match. 6.09 Playing of Ineligible Player A team that plays an ineligible player shall be subject to disciplinary action including but not limited to: forfeiture of the match and any fines associated with a forfeit, suspension of the team s coach from WVDL competition or expulsion of the team from the WVDL. 6.10 Availability of Team Rosters Upon request, copies of official WVDSL team rosters must be provided to the opposing team coach/manager prior to the start of each game. 6.12 Uniform Color Conflict When there is a conflict in uniform color, the team listed first on the schedule (the home team) must change their uniform color, subject to the Match Referee s decision. 6.13 Coaching from Sidelines Limited coaching from inside the team s respective Technical Area is permitted. Coaches may not leave their team s Technical Area or enter the field of play without permission from the Referee. When a technical area is not marked at the field of play the match officials may determine the boundaries of the technical area. 6.14 Team Bench Supervision A coach, manager or team official must supervise an WVDL team at all times at the Team Bench Area. Coaches, managers and team officials are required to provide the Referee with a pass, as provided by WVSA, certifying that the coach, manager or team official is currently rostered with the team/club. If by send off or emergency, a team does not have a coach, manager or team official to supervise the WVDL team during an WVDL game, then the game shall be forfeited. A maximum of 4 coaches, either coaches registered to the team that is participating in the game. 6.15 Concussion Protocol The West Virginia Soccer Association is serious about concussion-related injuries and have an unwavering commitment to keeping our children safe. All teams agree to abide by the WVSA Concussion Policy and adhere to the US Youth Soccer Concussion Management Program.
SECTION VII. MATCH CONTROL 7.01 Three Person System Matches must be officiated by the three-person FIFA/USSF Referee System. In the event the assigned referee fails to appear (within 10 minutes of the match time); a certified official must be found to officiate the match. The Referee may appoint replacements for Assistant Referees who fail to show up by the match time. In the event certified USSF officials are not available, the Referee may appoint Club Assistant Referees. Club Assistant Referees shall be limited to signaling when the whole of the ball crosses the whole of the touchline or goal line with a flag straight up in the air. The Club Assistant Referee may not make any other decisions in the match in regard to fouls, possession, etc. (FIFA/USSF Referee Guidelines). 7.02 Game Officials Game officials will be assigned under the authority of the WVDL working with the WVSA SRA, WVSA SYRA or WVSA certified Referee Assignor(s). 7.03 Payment of Referees Referees and Assistant Referees appointed under the provisions of these WVDL Rules shall be paid at the beginning of the match. Each team is responsible for payment of one half of the WVDL required fees of the match officials. If fields are closed and/or games are canceled and the referees are not notified prior to their arrival at the site, the officials will be paid for their first scheduled match only. In the event that there is only one Assistant Referee, only one Assistant Referee payment is made. 7.04 Termination of Matches Referees may terminate matches for lack of crowd control, poor team behavior or other unsportsmanlike circumstances. Each coach is responsible for the behavior and conduct of his/her players, parents and supporters. Upon request by the Game Officials, coaches are responsible to assist in the control of parents, fans, and spectators. The Referee will report the termination of any match to the WVDL within 24 hours. The WVDL shall ascertain the facts and determine appropriate disciplinary action that may include: a) Reprimand, b) Forfeiture of game as appropriate; c) Suspension from future WVDL matches or d) Recommendation to the WVSA Executive Director of a more severe penalty. If play is stopped at any time due to one of the teams (by action of players, coaches, administrators, spectators) adjudged to be at fault, it shall be at the discretion of the WVDL Commissioner whether the game is to be replayed or declared a forfeit. 7.05 Filing of Referee Match Report In the event that red cards are issued, the Referee must contact the WVDL Commissioner as soon as the match is complete and file a match report within 12 hours of the match. Filing shall be defined as providing pertinent match information via e-mail or fax. Original copies of all paperwork must be postmarked within 48 hours of a match. 7.06 Referee No-Show If no referees appear for the scheduled match, the host club should first contact the local referee assignor. Then, the club should immediately contact the WVDL Commissioner.
SECTION VIII. SEND OFFS AND DISCIPLINE 8.01 Cautions & Send Offs All players cautioned during WVDL play will be recorded by the WVDL Commissioner. If a player accumulates three yellow cards in a season of league play, the player will receive a one match suspension that must be served at the next scheduled match. Any further cautions will be reviewed by the WVDL Commissioner and additional disciplinary action may be imposed. Any player, coach or team official who is sent off (red card for player and dismissal for coach or team official) from a match will be suspended for the team s next WVDL match. Further discipline may be deemed by the WVDL Commissioner based on the nature of the ejection or removal (violent conduct, referee abuse, etc.) Coaches are responsible for their players and spectators. If a team spectator's conduct results in dismissal from the parent sideline, the removal will be considered as awarded to the coach. Physical violence, foul or abusive language or harassment will not be tolerated. Any incident of the such will be reported to the WVDL Commissioner and those involved will be subject to disciplinary actions by the league. 8.02 Disciplinary Actions All disciplinary measures imposed by the WVDL shall be limited to an individual or team s participation in any WVDL match. The WVDL will record the issuance of all red and yellow cards and other matters involving the conduct of a team, its players, coaches or supporters and immediately distribute this information to WVSA. Furthermore, WVSA has the right to impose additional sanctions with regard to any matters arising from participation in the WVDL. 8.03 Violation of Rules Any violation of the rules herein will be subject to disciplinary action by the WVDL. 8.04 Violent Conduct Any player that is sent off for violent conduct will receive an automatic two match suspension and may result in a discipline hearing where an additional suspension may be imposed. SECTION IX. PROTESTS & APPEALS 9.01 Protest & Appeals No protests or appeals will be accepted by the WVSA or the WVDL.