Ajax FC Indoor Recreational League Rules Under 18 Division INTRODUCTION The objective of the Ajax FC Indoor Recreational League rules is to promote soccer through sportsmanship, fair play and quality competition. The rules are intended to support the objective; however, all rules have their limitations, and every participant, whether player or official is expected to act in a manner that brings credit to the game. Ajax FC reserves the right to amend the rules as needed, and the right to decide on all matters pertaining to the rules and interpretations thereof. Rule 1: The field of play The Ajax Soccer Club will use Carruther s Creek Golf and Country Club Indoor Sports Facility for all age groups. Field size, boundaries, goal size will be determined by the Facility, and the Ajax Soccer Club. Only the players, Coaches and the referee(s) are permitted on the field. Rule 2: The ball The Home Team will provide the Referee with a game ball. Rule 3: Number of Players All players must be registered with Ajax FC and be on the roster provided to the Coach. The game shall be played by two teams, each consisting of 5 players, including a goalkeeper. A team must have at least 4 players. Teams may share players if one team does not have enough players. Call Ups from the Under 12 division may be made and must be 12 years old. Unlimited Substitutions can be made. These substitutions can be done at any stoppage of play or on the fly. If done on the fly the substitution must take place within 3 meters of their own bench and neither player may touch the ball until the substitution has been completed. It is the responsibility of the coaches to ensure that every player has approximately equal playing time. Rule 4 Player s Equipment Players shall not wear anything which is dangerous to themselves or another player. The basic compulsory equipment of a player shall consist of a numbered shirt, shorts, stockings, shin guards and footwear. The footwear shall be appropriate to the Indoor game and the playing surface. Players of the same team shall not have the same uniform number. Shin guards, must be covered entirely by the stockings, shall be made of a suitable material (rubber, plastic, polyurethane or similar substance) and shall afford a reasonable degree of protection. Team colors shall not conflict with each other. The shirt must be tucked into the shorts. A player wearing a hard cast will not be allowed to play. A player wearing a protective device such as a leg/arm brace made of metal or hard plastic will not be allowed to play, unless written approval is received from the Club Head Referee or his designated official. All items of Jewelry (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings or any other piercings) are strictly forbidden and must be removed. Using tape to cover jewelry is NOT acceptable. Revised November 20, 2017 Page 1
A player who is asked to leave the field of play because of illegal, defective or dangerous equipment may not re-enter the field of play until the referee is satisfied that the equipment is permissible. Modern protective equipment such as headgear, facemasks and knee and arm protectors made of soft, lightweight padded material are not considered dangerous and are therefore permitted. In view of the new technology that has made sports glasses much safer, both for the wearer and for other players, tolerance should be shown when authorizing their use. RULE 5: The Referee Each match is controlled by a referee who has full authority to enforce the rules. Ajax FC will appoint a referee to each game. Referee decisions regarding facts connected to play are final. If a referee does not show for a game and no properly registered official is available, the team coaches shall mutually agree upon a game official assuming full authority to enforce the rules. Failure to play the game may result in both teams forfeiting the game at Club discretion. RULE 6: The Assistant Referee There are no Assistant Referees in Indoor Soccer. RULE 7: The duration of the match Each session is to last 60 minutes. This includes the change over from one group to another. The teams are encouraged to use the change rooms provided to prepare themselves for their time on the field. 2-minute warm up. A game consisting of 2 x 25-minute halves will be played. A short break (2 minutes) between halves will be scheduled. 2-minute cool down. RULE 8: The start and restart of play The home team will kick-off to start the first half, and the visiting team will kick-off to start the second half. Teams will start the game defending the half closest to their bench, and will switch ends in the second half and attack the opposite goals. Kick-Off: A kick-off is the way of starting or restarting play o at the start of the game o after a goal has been scored o at the start of the second half of the game A goal may NOT be scored directly from a kick-off. Kick-Off Procedure: After being given the signal to start, the player taking the kickoff may kick the ball in any direction (forward, sideways, or backward). It must be touched by another player, from either team before the kicker my touch the ball again. All players shall be in their own half of the field and every player of the opposing team shall remain not less than five meters from the ball until it is kicked and moves. The ball is in play when it has been kicked and moves. For any infringement, the kick-off shall be retaken, except in the case of the kicker playing the ball again before it has been touched or played by another player; for this offence, an indirect free-kick shall be taken by a player of the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred. For any stoppage not mentioned elsewhere in these rules, the Referee shall restart the game by dropping the ball at the place where it was when play was stopped, unless play was stopped in the penalty area. In this case, the ball shall be dropped on the penalty area line at the point nearest to where the ball was when play was stopped. The ball shall be in play as soon as it touches the ground. Revised November 20, 2017 Page 2
RULE 9: The ball in and out of play Under 18 Indoor Rules 2017 The ball is out of play: When the whole of the ball has crossed the touch line whether on the ground or in the air. Play will be restarted by a throw-in, taken by a member of the team opposing that of the player who last played or touched the ball. When the whole of the ball has crossed the goal line whether on the ground or in the air but does not go into the net. Play will be restarted by Goal Kick, if touched by the attacking team last or a Corner Kick if touched by the defending team last. When it comes in contact with the ceiling. Play will be restarted by an indirect free-kick take by a member of the opposing team from a point on the floor directly underneath the where the ball hit the ceiling. If that point is out of play, then the restart shall be treated as if the ball did not touch the ceiling. When play has been stopped by the Referee. RULE 10: The method of scoring A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided that no infringement of the rules has been committed by the team scoring the goal. During the course of play, should any outside agent prevent the ball from passing into the goal or assist the ball into the goal, play shall be stopped. The Referee shall restart the game with a drop ball from the place where the shot was taken if at least 5 meters from the goal or a spot 5 meters from the goal. RULE 11: Offside Offside does NOT apply to indoor soccer rules. RULE 12: Fouls and misconducts A player who commits any of the following six offences in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or with excessive force shall be penalized by awarding an indirect free kick to be taken by the opposing team from the place where the offence occurred. If a player of the defending team commits one of the following six offences within the penalty area, the defending team shall be penalized by a penalty kick. o kicks or attempts to kick an opponent o trips or attempts to trip an opponent o jumps at an opponent o charges an opponent o strikes or attempts to strike an opponent o pushes an opponent A player who commits any of the following four offences shall be penalized by awarding an indirect free kick to be taken by the opposing team from the place where the offence occurred. If a player of the defending team commits one of the following four offences within the penalty area, the defending team shall be penalized by a penalty kick. o tackling an opponent, making contact with the opponent before the ball. o holds an opponent. o handles the ball deliberately. o slide tackles an opponent. A player who commits any of the following three offences shall be penalized by awarding an indirect free kick to be taken by the opposing team from the place where the offence occurred or a minimum of 5 meters from the goal. o plays in a dangerous manner. o slides on the turf to play the ball. o impedes the progress of an opponent. A player that in the opinion of the Referee, does any of the following seven actions will be Cautioned and shown a Yellow Card. Play is restarted with an indirect kick award to the opposing team from the place Revised November 20, 2017 Page 3
where the offence occurred or a minimum of 5 meters from the goal: o is guilty of unsporting behavior. o shows dissent by word or action. o persistently infringes the Playing Rules of Indoor Soccer. o delays the restart of play. o fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a free kick or corner kick. o enters the field of play without permission other than in the act of substitution. o deliberately leaves the field of play without permission other that in the act of substitution. A player that commits one of the following six acts shall be sent off the field of play, shown a Red Card and is not permitted to take part in the remainder of the game. The restart will be an indirect free kick awarded to the opposing team. If the offense took place inside the penalty area of the player, the restart will be a penalty kick. o uses offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures. o spits at an opponent or Referee. o is guilty of serious foul play. o is guilty of violent conduct. o denies an obvious goal scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or penalty kick. o Receives a second Caution in the same match. Time Penalties: o A player committing any offence may be given, at the discretion of the referee, a two-minute time penalty. o A player who is cautioned shall serve a two-minute time penalty. o A team, one of whose players has been sent off, shall serve a five-minute time penalty. Administration of Time Penalties o Time penalties shall commence when the game is restarted. o Time penalties to goal keepers may be served by another player who was on the field at the time of the offence. o Two-minute time penalties shall be served until the time has expired. o Five-minute time penalties shall be served until the time has expired. o When a player has been sent off another player on the same team shall serve the 5-minute time penalty. o If a team has two players serving time penalties and another player on the same team receives a time penalty, that player must go into the penalty box. The team must substitute players not serving time penalties to maintain the minimum number. The time penalty of the third player shall not commence until the time penalty of the first player has expired. o The referee shall inform the player when their time is up. RULE 13: Free kicks All free kicks are indirect. A goal cannot be scored unless the ball has been played or touched by another player, other than the kicker, before entering the goal. At the taking of a free kick, the ball shall be stationary and all opponents shall be not less than 5 meters from the ball until it has been kicked, unless they are standing on their own goal line, between the goal posts. The ball shall be in play when it has been kicked and moves in any direction. A free kick awarded to the defending team in its own goal area, may be taken anywhere within the goal area. A player taking a free kick within his own goal area shall kick the ball into play beyond the penalty area. The ball shall be in play when it has traveled directly beyond the penalty area. All opponents shall remain outside the penalty area and not less than 5 meters from the ball until it has been kicked into play beyond the penalty area. For any infringement of this rule, the free kick shall be retaken. A player taking a free kick shall not play or touch the ball a second time until it has been played or touched by another player. For any infringement of this rule, an indirect free kick shall be awarded to the opposing team. If a player of the opposing team encroaches into the penalty area, or within five meters of the ball before a free kick is taken, the Referee shall delay the taking of the kick, until the player moves back the Revised November 20, 2017 Page 4
required distance. RULE 14: The Penalty Kick A penalty kick shall be taken from the penalty mark. All players, with the exception of the defending goalkeeper and the player taking the kick shall be outside the penalty area but within the field of play, not less than 5.0 meters from the ball and behind the penalty mark until the ball has been kicked. The goalkeeper must remain on his own goal line facing the kicker, and between the goal posts, until the ball has been kicked. The player taking the penalty kick must be properly identified. The ball must be kicked forward, and will be in play when it moves forward. If the player taking the penalty kick plays or touches, the ball a second time before it has been played or touched by another player, an indirect free kick shall be awarded to the opposing team. A penalty kick is a direct kick, and a goal MAY be scored directly from a penalty kick. If necessary, the time of play shall be extended to allow a penalty kick to be taken. For any infringement of these rules: o By a member of the defending team, the kick shall be retaken if a goal has not been scored. o By a member of the attacking team, if a goal is scored it shall be disallowed and the penalty kick is retaken. o By a member of both teams, the kick shall be retaken whether a goal has been scored or not. RULE 15: The Throw-In When the whole of the ball has crossed the touch line, either on the ground or in the air, the ball shall be thrown in from the point where it left the field of play, by a member of the opposing team of the player who last played or touched it. If the player taking the throw-in plays or touches, the ball a second time before it has been played or touched by another player, an indirect free kick shall be awarded to the opposing team. A goal may NOT be scored directly from a throw-in. RULE 16: The Goal Kick. When the whole of the ball passes over the goal-line excluding that portion between the goal-posts and under the crossbar, either in the air or on the ground, having last been played by a member of the attacking team, the restart will be a goal kick. The ball shall be kicked into play from any point within the penalty area by the defending team. At the taking of a goal kick, all opponents shall be outside of the penalty area and a minimum of 5 meters from the ball. The ball shall be in play when it has traveled directly beyond the penalty area. If the ball is not kicked directly beyond the penalty area, the kick shall be retaken. If the player taking the goal kick plays or touches the ball a second time before it has been played or touched by another player, an indirect free kick shall be awarded to the opposing team. A goal may NOT be scored directly from a goal kick. RULE 17: Corner Kicks When the whole of the ball passes over the goal-line but does not enter the net, either in the air or on the ground, having last been played by a member of the defending team, the restart will be a corner kick. The whole of the ball is to be placed inside the corner arc (i.e. a quarter circle 1 meter from the corner flag). All opponents shall be not less than 5 meters from the ball until it has been kicked. The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves. If the player taking the corner kick plays or touches the ball a second time before it has been played or touched by another player, a free kick shall be awarded to the opposing team. A goal may NOT be scored directly from a corner kick. Revised November 20, 2017 Page 5
Rule 18: Schedules, game sheets, scores and standings Under 18 Indoor Rules 2017 The home team is listed first on the schedule, in the left-hand column. Teams are not allowed to postpone or reschedule games. The club reserves the right to reschedule games as necessary. Game sheets must be completed and given to the Referee 5 minutes before the scheduled start time. Game sheets must include the uniform number and the first and last name of all players. A game sheet must be handed in whether or not a game is played in its entirety. Any discipline is to be indicated on the game sheet (player number, name, team name, time and offence). Formal discipline reports (cautions, ejections, special incident, or referee assault reports) are to be handed into the club within 48 hours of the game. The recorded score of a game shall not exceed a 5-goal differential. The winning team will be granted a maximum of 5 goals more than the losing team. Note: The game does not end if the difference in score is greater than 5 goals. The score of any game forfeited, defaulted, or abandoned shall be 3-0 in favor of the team not at fault. If both teams are at fault, then both teams are assessed a loss by a 0-3 score. The score of a bye game will be 2-0. The score of any game terminated before full time will stand, if more than 50% of the game has been played. Standings: Points for regular season games will be awarded as follows: o Win or Bye = 3 points o Draw = 1 point o Loss = 0 points Tie-breaking procedures for standings: o Most wins. o Head-to-head record o Goal differential o Fewest goals against o Kicks from the penalty mark (to take place before playoffs commence) RULE 19: General rules Code of Conduct Gross disregard of the Rules or Codes of Conduct whether committed by players, coaches or parents will not be tolerated. If, after having issued warnings, this type of misconduct persists, the Referee shall request that the coach remove the offenders from the vicinity of the field of play. Failure to obey the Referee s request may result in the abandonment of the game and subsequent disciplinary action. Team equalization Team equalization may take place prior to the 4th game only with the approval of league directors. Coaches, parents and players need to remember that at any time throughout the year a player can be asked to move teams. This is done to ensure that all teams in the age group have an equal number of players. As coaches and players participate in practices and club development days each team develops their skills individually. To assist us, we ask that coaches complete a player evaluation form at the end of the season to help us balance the teams. Revised November 20, 2017 Page 6
Playoff Rules Playoff games will be played as per Ajax FC Indoor House League rules with the following modifications: Ajax FC reserves the right to decide on all matters pertaining to the playoffs. Call-ups are not allowed for playoff games. Playoff games if tied after regulation time proceed to kicks from the penalty mark (to determine the winner of a match). Kicks from the penalty mark (to determine the winner of a match) All dressed players (excluding any players who were dismissed) shall be "eligible players" to take part in the "taking of kicks from the penalty mark". When a team finishes the match with a greater number of players than it s opposing team, that team shall reduce its numbers to equal that of its opposing team. Before the start of "kicks from the penalty mark", the referee shall ensure that only an equal number of players from each team remain within the centre circle and they shall take the kicks. The referee shall choose the goal at which all of the kicks shall be taken. The referee tosses a coin and the team whose captain wins the toss decides whether to take the first or the second kick. The referee keeps a record of the kicks being taken. Subject to the conditions explained below, both teams will take five kicks which will be taken alternately by the teams. If, before both teams have taken five kicks, one has scored more goals than the other could score, even if it were to complete its five kicks, no more kicks are taken. If, after both teams have taken five kicks, both have scored the same number of goals, or have not scored any goals, kicks continue to be taken in the same order until one team has scored a goal more than the other from the same number of kicks. Each kick is taken by a different player and all eligible players must take a kick before any player can take a second kick. An eligible player may change places with the goalkeeper at any time when kicks from the penalty mark are being taken. Only the eligible players and match officials are permitted to remain on the field of play when kicks from the penalty mark are being taken. All players, except the player taking the kick and the two goalkeepers, must remain at or behind the centre line. The goalkeeper who is the teammate of the kicker must remain on the field of play, outside the penalty area in which the kicks are being taken, on the goal line where it meets the penalty area boundary line. Revised November 20, 2017 Page 7