MSA MCSL RULES 1. League Purpose The purpose of the Mississippi Competitive Soccer League (MCSL) shall be to foster and advance competitive soccer in Mississippi while providing a vehicle for advancement to the MSA Championship Tournament. The purpose shall also be to promote the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, and courage through an organized athletic competition. The Competitive league shall be the highest level of in-state play for MSA Competitive level teams and will be open to 13U through 19U boys and girls teams which are in good standing with their MSA affiliated club and the Club is in good standing with the Mississippi Soccer Association (MSA). For the 13U age divisions the top 2 from the fall league in each gender may be promoted into the Spring National League - Mid South Conference, if approved by the Competitive League Committee. For the MCSL, each age/division must have at least four (4) teams. If necessary to achieve a 4-team league, the League Administrators may combine age groups. Teams will play either a round robin or double round robin schedule depending on the total number of teams in the league. The League Administrator will strive to provide each team with an equal number of home/away matches. Some matches may be scheduled at a neutral site to minimize travel. 2. Competitive Team Coaching Requirements Beginning with the 2016-2017 seasonal year, any person registering as a head or assistant coach of a team in the MCSL must have the appropriate license as outlined in the current MSA policy. 3. Competitive League Committee The Competitive League Committee (CLC) will be chaired and co-chaired by the Competitive I VP and Competitive II VP of MSA. There will be 4 additional members appointed to the committee by the Chair and Co-Chair. These committee members will be organizational Directors of Coaching or a properly designated member of a MSA organization. The MSA Executive Director will serve on the committee as an ex-officio member and only vote if a tie breaking vote is needed. The MSA State Technical Director will serve in an advisory capacity on the board. 4. Admission to League Teams shall be admitted to the Competitive League upon registration which has been properly submitted by the established deadline. Teams must be endorsed by the head coach and team s parent club President or Executive Director/DOC. All fees must be paid upon acceptance into the league. All deadlines & play dates will be established by the CLC, working with the club leaders, prior to each season. Teams will not be allowed participation until all registration qualifications are met. 1
MSA MCSL RULES FIFA Laws of the Game - These rules will apply to all competitions except as otherwise provided herein. 1. Game Length - A regulation game for the following age groups will be two halves each of the following times: a. 13 14 & Under - 35 minutes b. 15-16 & Under - 40 minutes c. 17-19 & Under - 45 minutes Only the game official has the authority to shorten any match under the Inclement Weather Policy and only has this authority after the match has started. 2. Game Rosters - a. Game rosters shall be limited to eighteen (18) players per team. b. All players listed on the MCSL roster are eligible to play, based on roster limitations, unless a player(s) is serving a suspension. Rosters must maintain a consistency of 9 players from the beginning of the season through State/Regional and/or National play. 3. League Bracket Scoring System - Each age / gender group game will be scored: a. Win = 3 points b. Tie = 1 point c. Loss = 0 points Maximum points per game = 3 points. 4. Scoring System policies a. MCSL games do not have to have a winner. Games may end in a tie. b. The following tiebreakers will be used to determine the bracket standings (six or eight teams) and the round robin team standings (five or less) for Premier Cup upon completion of MCSL play. 1. Winner of Head to Head Competition (This criteria is not used if more than two teams are tied) 2. Winner of most games in the league 3. Team with Greatest Goal Differential (goals for minus goals against up to a maximum of +4 or -4 points per game) 4. Fewest Goals allowed 5. Kicks from penalty mark per FIFA Laws of the Game c. If two teams are still tied after computing all of the above listed tiebreakers, the results shall be decided by the taking of kicks from the penalty marks in accordance with the FIFA Laws of the Game. 2
MSA MCSL RULES d. The National League MidSouth Conference (NLMC) teams will be seeded #1 and #2 according to their final standings. They must have completed all NLMC games scheduled unless otherwise 4. Season of Play: a. There will be one (1) continuous season of league play during the seasonal year. Every effort will be made to play all games on the designated fall weekends. b. Each team must commit to the designated league play weekends along with a rainout weekend. c. Fall league play should be completed no later than November 1 of each year. In the event of inclement weather, the CLC will determine if an extension is needed. d. The CLC will offer the top two (2) 13U teams in each gender the opportunity to participate in the Spring NLMC league. These teams are not required to participate in the NLMC. 5. Scheduling: approved by the NLMC Administrator. a. MSA will host a league meeting in conjunction with the MSA AGM to establish MCSL play dates and possible locations for the upcoming season. b. Teams participating in the NLMC may count their NLMC matches to meet the National Championship Series qualification games for Premier Cup. c. Reschedule Deadline - Teams participating in the MCSL will have 10 calendar days from the date MSA releases the league schedule to request a rescheduled game(s) to the League Administrator without penalty. Teams may only request 2 games to be rescheduled during a seasonal year. Both teams involved in the initial reschedule process must request the match(es) on or before the deadline. d. Any reschedule request submitted after the applicable Reschedule Deadline must still be submitted 10 days prior to the scheduled game(s). A fee of $85 per game (payable to MSA) must be paid by the team submitting the request prior to the reschedule being reviewed and/or approved. e. Any reschedule made after the applicable Reschedule Deadline will incur no fee if weather necessitates the reschedule. f. Tournament Games may not be utilized as MCSL games. Any team(s) found in violation of this rule will be denied participation in any MSA Championship event. A bond fee of $1,000 will be invoiced to the parent organization of the team and must be paid within 10 days to MSA. Only in the event of continuous inclement weather and with the approval of the CLC, may teams play each other in a MSA sanctioned tournament. Upon approval, both teams must submit written notification of agreement to count the tournament game as their MCSL game. 3
MSA 5. MCSL RULES 6. Forfeit Games: a. A team that fails to play a scheduled match (forfeits) will be withdrawn from the league. The head coach may file an appeal an appeal with the CLC. The committee's decision is final. b. A team forfeits a game when it: 1. Leaves the field of play without the referee s permission; 2. Is not ready to play at the scheduled game time; 3. Does not wear an alternate jersey upon the referee s request, 4. Is disqualified due to unsportsmanlike conduct; 5. Does not field the minimum number of field players. c. The forfeiting team's parent organization will be invoiced a fee of $1,000 payable to MSA. This fee must be paid within 10 days of the invoice. 7. Substitution Policies - a. Player substitutions for 13U 14U divisions are unlimited. b. For all other age groups, a maximum of 7 substitutions for each team shall be allowed in each game during each half of play and during overtime play. After leaving the game during a half of play, the substituted player may not re-enter the game. Substitutions must be made with the consent of the referee, at the following times: 1. Prior to your team s throw-in 2. Prior to any goal kick 3. After any goal 4. After an injury for either team when the referee stops play 5. When the referee stops play to caution a player, only the cautioned player may be substituted prior to the restart of the game 6. Half time Interval c. A coach shall not replace an ejected player during the game. Any ejected (red carded) player must sit out the next tournament match. The ejected player must remain on the team s bench for the remainder of the game and is the responsibility of the coach. Any further disciplinary actions taken on the ejected player will constitute the removal of the player to Tournament Headquarters. d. If a player is ejected in the last scheduled game of the league and his/her team qualifies for the MSA Premier Cup, the player must sit out the first game of the MSA Premier Cup. If the team does not advance to the MSA Premier Cup or USYS Regional event, the player must sit out the first game of the next MSA/USYS event e. An ejected coach must leave the game premises prior to the game official restarting the game. The coach may be present at the next scheduled game, sitting on the spectator side and may not, under any circumstance; including use of any communication devices, exercise any coaching responsibilities. 4
MSA MCSL Rules 7. 8. League Responsibilities for Coach & Team: a. To comply with all published league rules. b. To provide or have available all required documents for each rostered player at each league game: 1. Approved MSA Roster 2. Current & Completed USYS Medical Release 3. Birth Certificates or any other document recognized by USYS Rule 204. Proof of Age. 4. USYS/MSA Member Pass for rostered players, coaches, and manager(s). Digital passes will not be accepted. c. The Home team must report the game score in the league's online system within 24 hours of the game s conclusion, regardless of the outcome. d. The coach must remain in a technical area 15 yards either side of the midfield line regardless of the existence of a marked area during the play of a game. e. To occupy the same side of the playing field as the opposing team. f. To require the team s spectators to watch the game from the playing field side opposite the two teams side g. To furnish a game ball if requested and selected by the referee. h. To be responsible for its players, parents, and spectators behavior including no allowance or toleration of foul and abusive language. i. To ensure no team member, coach, nor spectator use any mechanical or artificial noise making devices, such as bullhorns, cowbells, amplifiers, or megaphones during the game. 9. Qualification Rules - a. The top six or eight teams of age/gender groups, as determined through MCSL/NLMC play will advance to the MSA Premier Cup. b. Age/Gender groups in the MCSL with seven (7) teams: the last place finishing team will be approved to participate in the MSA Elite Cup. c. Age/gender groups with six teams or less will advance all teams to the MSA Premier Cup. d. The two (2) teams in each age/gender division participating in the NLMC will be seeded into the MSA Premier Cup as the #1 and #2 teams based on their final standings in the NLMC. All scheduled games in the NLMC must be completed unless otherwise approved by the NLMC Administrator. 5
MSA MCSL Rules 9. USYS/MSA Official Passes The game official will review all 18 player passes along with the coach(es) and manager passes prior to the beginning of each game. For 15U & Older: prior to each half, the center official or assistant referee (AR) will receive the player passes from a team official for the starting 11 players. When a substitute player enters the game, they will hand their pass to the AR. Player passes will be returned to the team official after each half. It will be the responsibility of the team official to obtain the passes at the end of the game. If teams USYS/MSA passes cannot be produced at the start of a game, the team will not be allowed to play - no exceptions. 10. Club Pass Players a. Club Pass players (intra-club) are allowed in MCSL games. Club Pass players MUST have an approved MSA/USYS player pass and be noted as a Club Pass player on the game card. b. Guest players (inter-club) are NOT allowed in MCSL games. c. An eligible club pass player is any youth player currently registered/ rostered within the team's current club. d. USYouth Soccer Rule 101 defines a club as an organization providing soccer to youth players that is a member of a state association. Soccer clubs that have operations in multiple states are considered different clubs for application of the club pass rule because the soccer club in each state is registered with a different state association. e. A player may b a Club Pass player on a team playing in the same league to which the player is rostered. For example: a player rostered on a competitive team may be a club pass player on another competitive team within its club. f. Each team will be limited to three (3) Club Pass players per weekend or event and the team's game roster maximum must still comply with the rules of the competition and state association. g. A player shall not play for teh team they are rostered to in another MCSL/NLMC game while playing as a Club Pass player with another team during teh same weekend of same day. Weekend is defined as Friday through Sunday (Labor Day weekend is the exception). h. There is no limit to the amount of MCSL games a team may use Club Pass players. i. A team may list players on the club pass roster at any time during the MCSL season but must do so no later than 4 pm 2 days prior to the scheduled match in order for the players to be eligible. Once a player is listed on the club pass roster, he/she may not be removed until the conclusion of MCSL play. 6
MSA MCSL Rules 11. Game conduct and uniform policies - a. The MSA policy regarding the use of directed or non-directed foul or abusive language on the field of play will be enforced by the Game Referee. b. All participating players must meet the following uniform standards to play in a tournament game: 1. All players must wear the same uniform including shirts, shorts, and socks except the goalkeeper. 2. Home team must wear a white/light jersey, shorts, socks. Away team must wear dark jersey, shorts, socks. It is the Home team's responsibility to change should a conflict arise, as determined by the game official. 3. All players must wear commercially manufactured shin guards under their pulled up socks. 4. Shirts must be tucked in. 5. Warm ups will be allowed under the shorts in cold weather. 6. Sliding or bicycle shorts may be worn under shorts if they are the same color as the predominant color of the team shorts and not extend farther than the top of the knee. c. The Game Referee will determine if a player s uniform complies with this uniform standard. 12. Yellow and Red Card Suspensions: -Suspensions (red cards) earned during a MCSL game shall be served in the next scheduled MCSL game unless it is the last scheduled MCSL game. In this case, the suspension must be served in the first game of the MSA Premier Cup or, in the case of those teams advancing directly to a USYS Regional event, during the first game of said event. Player(s) must be present to serve suspension. 13. Regional Tournament Participation - Competitive teams participating in the MSA Premier Cup and qualifying for the Southern Regional Tournament (Champion)OR the Southern Regional Presidents Cup (Finalist) in their respective age/gender group, will be required to attend the appropriate event. Qualifying teams refusing to attend these events will be invoiced a $2,000 bond fee to their parent organization. The fee must be paid prior to any MS team being allowed to move forward to a Regional event. $1,000 of this fee will be donated to the team filling the slot of the next team offered to fill the vacant slot to help with expenses. If no team fills the slot, the $1,000 will be moved to the Soccer Across America fund providing soccer opportunities to other players in MS. In addition, should USYS South Region fine MSA for not filling a slot due to actions taken by the original qualifying team(s), the team's parent organization must reimburse MSA for any fine levied by the USYS South Region. 14. Saving Clause: Any instance or situation not covered by these rules shall be remanded to the CLC for review. 7