1) The Field of Play: a) The 5-a-side field shall be a rectangle: with dimensions of 45 meters by 35 meters for Adult (18 and older) and 40 meters by 30 meters for Youth. See included diagrams of each field. 2) The Ball: a) Youth: Size 4 ball. b) Adult: Size 5 ball. 3) The Number of Players: a) Allowable roster size will be a minimum of 9 players and a maximum of 12 players. b) The game is played between two teams, each consisting of five players, one of whom shall be the goalkeeper. A minimum of three players shall be on the field at any one time. c) Substitutions are unlimited in number (players may return to the field after being substituted). Substitutions can be made any time the ball is out of bounds, between periods, after a goal is scored or during a timeout for an injury. d) The coach must signal the referee or linesman in order to make a substitution. A substituted player can only come on to the field when given a signal by the referee. 4) FORMAT & RULES FOR UNIFIED COMPETITION (Established 2017): a) The below are the changes for this season, all other rules will remain in effect. b) These rules were put in place to maximize the amount of team play and meaningful involvement for all participants. It was agreed that coaches should focus on teaching team play and tactics leading up to the midseason and fall festival to supplement these rules. An important goal is to keep the integrity of the sport in focus and encourage team play and meaningful involvement and not to find loop holes in the spirit of the rules below. c) The Athlete to Unified Partner ratio will be 4:1 during play (on the field). d) The Unified Partner cannot play goalie. e) The Unified Partner cannot be in the goal box on the offensive side of the field. It will also be discouraged on the defensive side. f) DEFENSE: The unified partner should be helping on defense from outside the goal area. Defensive players should be marking a player or area and challenging for the ball. They should not be playing the person or chasing/following the ball around the field. The Unified Partner should be positioned closer to midfield line on offense especially. g) The Unified Partner can dribble the ball from the defensive side past midfield. Once the ball crosses midfield to the offensive side the Unified Partner should not advance the ball (towards the goal) by dribbling. They can dribble side to side or backwards to avoid defensive pressure but avoid dribbling forward. h) OFFENSE: The unified partner should be running/directing the offense from outside the goal area. They should be able to direct their players in the framework of the team play and tactics while on the field. They need to be closer then midfield to do this when it comes to the strategy & tactics of the game. It is important to note the UP is not restricted to the center circle or up against the midfield. 5) Equipment & Safety: a) Shirts must be numbered. b) Shin pads are required. c) No metal studs or metal cleats are allowed. d) Mouth Guards: Mouth guards MUST be worn by any player who is wearing braces. It is strongly encouraged that ALL players wear mouth guards. e) Launching : Although all skills of soccer should be taught and developed it is encouraged to teach more passes that do not leave the ground in order to minimize face/head injuries from the impact of launched ball. 1
6) The Referee: a) Each match is controlled by one referee who has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Coach in connection with the match to which he has been appointed. b) The Assistant Referee: Two assistant referees may be appointed to each match. 7) Duration of the game a) The duration of the game shall be two equal periods of O18 Twenty minutes and 17U fifteen minutes with a halftime interval of five minutes. The referee should be responsible for keeping the playing time. b) If overtime is used to break a tie, one, five minute, sudden death period will be used (first goal wins). If the game is still tied, penalty kicks will be used to break the tie. (1) 5 players are selected from each team, the players must have been on the field when overtime ended.. (2) Each player takes a penalty kick (from the 7m line), alternating teams with each shot. (3) The highest score after 5 penalty kicks is declared the winner. (4) If the game is still tied after 5 kicks, the penalty kicks continue on a sudden death basis using the remainder of the team s players (including the goalkeeper) until a winner is decided. (5) The goalkeeper may not be substituted for unless there is an injury. 8) Start of play: a) A ball must be kicked at least one full revolution forward from the center spot before being touched by another player. 9) Ball in and out of play a) Ball over the sideline results in a THROW IN. b) Ball over the end line results in a goal clearance or a corner kick. c) The ball must be completely over the line to be considered out of play. 10) Goal Clearance/Kick a) When the ball passes over the goal line (not in the goal), having last been played by an attacking player, the goalkeeper or other player, standing within his own penalty area, shall kick (from the ground, no punting) the ball back into play beyond his own penalty area, but not further than the halfway line (i.e., the ball must touch the ground or another player before crossing the halfway line). The ball shall be deemed in play as soon as it passes outside the penalty area. The goalkeeper cannot pick-up a kicked ball on a Goal Kick b) The above rules of goal clearance also apply when a goalkeeper gains possession, with his hands, of a ball that is still in play. In this instance, a goalkeeper MUST throw the ball back into play. c) Infringement penalties on Goal Clearance/Kick: i) If the ball thrown/kicked beyond the goalkeeper s half of the field without first having been touched by a player or without having touched the ground, the referee shall award an indirect free kick for the opposing team from any point on the halfway line. ii) From the goalkeeper s throw/kick, if the ball is touched by an opposing player inside the penalty area, the throw/kick shall be retaken. 2
11) Throw-In: A throw-in is a method of restarting play. A throw-in is awarded to the opponents of the player who last touched the ball when the whole of the ball crosses the touch line, either on the ground or in the air. A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in. a) Procedure i) At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower: (1) faces the field of play (2) has part of each foot either on the touch line or on the ground outside the touch line (3) holds the ball with both hands (4) delivers the ball from behind and over his head (5) delivers the ball from the point where it left the field of play b) All opponents must stand no less than 2 m from the point at which the throw-in is taken. The ball is in play when it enters the field of play. After delivering the ball, the thrower must not touch the ball again until it has touched another player. c) Infringements i) Referees are reminded that opponents may be no closer than 2 m from the point at which the throw-in is taken. Where necessary, the referee must warn any player within this distance before the throw-in is taken and caution the player if he subsequently fails to retreat to the correct distance. Play is restarted with a throw-in. ii) If a player, while correctly taking a throw-in, intentionally throws the ball at an opponent in order to play the ball again but neither in a careless nor a reckless manner nor using excessive force, the referee must allow play to continue. iii) If the ball enters the opponents goal directly from a throw-in, the referee must award a goal kick. If the ball enters the thrower s own goal directly from a throw-in, the referee must award a corner kick. iv) If the ball touches the ground before entering the field of play, the throw-in is retaken by the same team from the same position provided that it was taken in line with the correct procedure. If the throw-in is not taken in line with the correct procedure, it is retaken by the opposing team. 12) Method of scoring: The whole of the ball must have completely crossed the line inside the goal to count as a goal. 13) Fouls and misconduct (except there is no offside): a) Tripping, pushing, handball or charging result in a direct free kick. b) Obstruction or dangerous play results in an indirect. c) If a player is expelled from the game (receives two yellow cards or a red card), this player may not re-enter the game. His team must play a player down for two minutes unless a goal is scored before the two minutes have elapsed. In this case, the following shall apply: i) If there are five players against four players and the team with the larger number scores a goal, the team with four players may be completed. ii) If both teams are playing with four players and a goal is scored, both teams may be completed. iii) If there are five players playing against three or four against three and the team with the larger number scores a goal, the team with three players may be increased by one more player only. 3
iv) If both teams are playing with three players and a goal is scored, both teams may add one more player. v) If the team scoring the goal is the one with fewer players, the game shall continue without changing the number of players. vi) Keeping check of the two minutes shall be the task of the Time or Fourth Official. vii) The player who enters the game as a substitute after two minutes may only do so with the consent of the referee and when the ball is out of bounds. 14) Restart exception a) Any free kick that is awarded to the defending team inside their own penalty area will be restarted with a throw from the goalkeeper. 15) Free Kick: a) Opposing players must retire at least 5 meters from the ball for all free kicks. 16) Penalty Kick: a) A penalty kick is taken from the 7-meter line. All players except the kicker and the goalkeeper must retire outside the penalty area and arc. The goalkeeper must stand on his/her goal line until the penalty kick is taken. 17) Kick In: (Equivalent to the throw in for 11-a-side) a) When the whole of the ball passes over a sideline, it shall be kicked back into the game, from the place where it crossed the line (on the sideline), by a player from the opposing team to that of the player who last touched it. The ball must be stationary before being kicked. It shall be deemed in play immediately after it has traveled the distance of its own circumference. The ball cannot be played again by the kicker until it has been touched by another player. b) The players from the opposing team must retire at least 5 meters from the spot where the kick is being taken. c) A goal cannot be scored directly from a kick in. d) A goalkeeper may not pick up a ball passed back to him from a kick in. 18) Infringement penalties a) If the player taking the kick in plays the ball for a second time before it has been touched by another player, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team from the point where the infringement occurred. 19) Corner-Kick: a) Awarded to the attacking team when a player from the defending team kicks the ball over his/her own end line. b) Opposing players must retire at least 5 meters from the ball. 20) In the case of extreme heat, the official representative from the Competition Committee (e.g., Field Manager) may signal to the referee to introduce a water break (maximum of three minutes) at a natural break in play, approximately halfway through each half. 21) Coaching from the bench area a) A team bench area will be provided for each team. b) Each bench area will be defined by a marked off rectangle, 15 meters in length, located on the sideline at least 5 meters away from the sideline and within 10 meters of the halfway line. c) A team bench should be provided within each area. d) Substitute players and coaches are expected to remain seated within the bench area at all times except when making a substitution. e) Coaches are expected to restrict their coaching to simple verbal encouragement. 4
22) Verbal abuse of players or officials, or excessive and explicit coaching from the sidelines, will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct and may result in a warning from the referee. If such behavior persists, the referee may eject the offending coach from the field. 5
ADULT (18 and older) UNIFED AND TRADITIONAL 35 M 45 M
YOUTH (17u) UNIFED AND TRADITIONAL ALL AGES PLAYER DEVELOPMENT 30 M 40 M