Fifth Season Indoor Soccer League

League Rules
(Last updated 12/05/05 8:00 PM)

 

LAWS OF THE GAME

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

SUBSTITUTIONS

PLAYER EQUIPMENT

DURATION OF GAME

THE BALL

START OF PLAY

BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY

METHOD OF SCORING

FREE KICKS / KICK-INS

FOULS AND MISCONDUCT

PENALTY KICKS

TIME PENALTIES

CUP DIVISIONS (2 nd Session 2004-05)

 

LAWS OF THE GAME

All games will be played in accordance with the current edition of the USSF Laws of the Game with the following modifications, additions, and points of emphasis provided for the indoor game:

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

  1. Maximum team roster is 18 members.
  2. Only 12 members may play in any given game.
  3. Six players may play on the field for a team at any one time.   One player on each team must be designated the goalkeeper.
  4. Teams must have a minimum of five players to start a game.   Any team failing to field at least five players will be forced to forfeit with a 4:0 result.
  5. If at any point during the game one team is down by 5 goals, the team behind may add one player (total 7) until the goal differential is less than 5 goals.
  6. All teams U16 and below must have adult supervision in the team bench area at all times.
  7. For the Adult Coed Division (29+), all men must be 30 years of age or older, with one exception.   All females must be 25 years of age or older, with one exception.  

 

SUBSTITUTIONS

  1. Substitutes during a match are unrestricted, except in the case of a player serving a penalty, and are on the fly.
  2. All substitutions are to be made "on the fly".   Teams gaining an unfair advantage will be penalized either with a two-minute penalty or a direct free kick to the opposing team - both at the official's discretion.
  3. Substitutions are also allowed at: kick-off, game stopped for injury, and game stopped for a time penalty.   Substitutions are to be made immediately at a stoppage in play.   Goalkeeper substitution is allowed at all times.
  4. A player with a bleeding injury must be substituted for immediately.   That player may not re-enter until the bleeding has stopped and the injury is bandaged.   A player may not play with blood on the uniform.

 

PLAYER EQUIPMENT

  1. Mandatory equipment:
  2. Only medical alert jewelry may be worn and this jewelry must be taped down.   No other kind of jewelry will be allowed.
  3. No plaster casts or metal braces shall be allowed, unless safely wrapped with ½" soft padding.   It is the opinion of the referee on whether or not a cast or brace is safely wrapped.   The referee’s decision is final.
  4. Home Team will wear pennies when uniform colors of both teams make it difficult for the referee to distinguish players from each team.   It is the opinion of the referee as to whether pennies are required.
  5. Players are not allowed to chew gum, chew tobacco, or eat candy during play.

 

DURATION OF GAME

  1. A match will consist of two equal 20-minute periods.   The clock will run continuously.  
  2. In the event of serious injuries, play may be stopped at the referee's discretion, but the clock will run continuously.
  3. A game ending in a tie, will remain a tie.   There will be no “overtime” played during regular league play.
  4. There will be a halftime interval between periods of two minutes.  
  5. Games will start at the time scheduled.   Teams failing to show for a scheduled match will forfeit with a 4:0 loss.

 

THE BALL

  1. U06 and U08 will use a Size #3 ball.
  2. U10 and U12 will use a Size #4 ball.
  3. U14 and above will use a Size #5 ball.
  4. Home team provides a properly inflated ball.

 

START OF PLAY

  1. The “Home” team shall kickoff to start the game.   The “Guest” team shall kickoff to start the second half.
  2. Opponents are to be in their own half of the field and at least 3 yards from the ball for the taking of the kickoff.
  3. The referee signals for the game to start and one player takes the kickoff.   The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves in any direction.   The kicker shall not touch the ball a second time until it is has been touched by another player.   (Penalty: a direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team from the point of infraction.)
  4. A goal may be scored directly from a kickoff.
  5. After injury or play stoppage, play will start with a drop ball. (no position)

 

BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY

  1. The ball is considered out of play when the entire ball has traveled beyond the boards, when the entire ball carries into the netting above the dasher boards, when the ball touches a player/coach who is located in the bench area, or when the referee otherwise stops play.   The ball is in play at all other times.
  2. Play is restarted with a direct free kick.   The ball must be placed within one yard from the dasher board closest to the point where it went out of play.
  3. When the ball hits any part of the ceiling and the path or speed of the ball is not impeded, play will continue.   If either is altered (a judgment call by the referee) the ball will be placed on the field at a spot directly below where the ball hit the ceiling and a direct free kick will be given to the team who did not touch it last.
  4. Goal kicks may be taken anywhere from inside the goal box.

 

METHOD OF SCORING

All goals are worth one-point.

 

FREE KICKS / KICK-INS

  1. All free kicks are direct free kicks.
  2. On a free kick, the ball must be put into play within 5 seconds.   Failure to do so will result in a direct free kick for the opposing team from the same location.
  3. A player must stand three yards from all free kicks and shall not encroach (step forward) until the ball has been played.   If any part of either foot/leg encroaches and/or the defender delays game, an automatic two-minute penalty will be assessed.   The defender may, however, stand three yards from the ball and lift his/her foot to the side in an attempt to play the ball.

 

FOULS AND MISCONDUCT

  1. All fouls are punishable by the referee awarding a direct free kick against the offending team to be taken at the spot of the infraction unless specified differently below.
  2. A boarding foulshall also result in a two or five minute penalty, depending on the severity of the foul.
  3. There is no four-step rule for goalkeepers.   However, the goalkeeper must release the ball from their hands within five seconds.   Failure to do so will result in the opposing team receiving a direct free kick from the top of the penalty area.
  4. Goalkeepers in the U12 division and below may punt, throw or roll the ball after a legally controlled stop.
  5. Goalkeepers in the U14 division and up are allowed to throw or roll the ball after a legally controlled stop.   They are not permitted to punt the ball.
  6. A goalkeeper is allowed to bring the ball into the penalty area with their own feet and then pick it up, as long as it was not a pass back.  
  7. A goalkeeper is not allowed to receive the ball directly into his or her hands having received it from a kickoff, free kick, kick-in, or back pass with the foot, from their own teammate.   (Penalty: the ball is placed at the top of the 18 yard mark and the opposing team gets a direct free kick.)
  8. A goalkeeper, having had control of the ball in his own hands, and having released it from his hands to be played either by himself or a teammate, shall not handle the ball again until it has been touched or played by an opponent.   (Penalty: the ball is placed at the top of the penalty area and the opposing team gets a direct free kick.)
  9. A yellow card is issued for a 2nd offense or possibly for a serious first offense.   The time penalty is two minutes.
  10. A red card is issued for a 3rd offense, a 2nd offense if the 1st offense was a yellow card, or for serious foul play.   The time penalty is five minutes.   The player with the red card must immediately leave the facility.   The offending player's team will play short for five minutes.   After five minutes, a bench player may enter in the ejected player's place.
  11. Persistent infringement of the laws may result in ejection.  
  12. Any player or coach who leaves his/her team bench area and enters the field during an altercation on the field will be automatically ejected from the game and must serve a minimum one game suspension.
  13. Any player or Coach who receives an ejection or red card will sit out a minimum of one game.
  14. No player will be allowed to use the wall for support or to gain advantage. Any player doing so will award the ball to the opposing team as a direct free kick.

PENALTY KICKS

  1. A two-minute penalty (at least) must be assessed against the offending team when a penalty kick is awarded.
  2. A penalty kick must be taken even if time has run out in a period.   Players are NOT allowed to stand outside the penalty area during the taking of a penalty kick in this situation.   All players except the kicker and the goalkeeper must be positioned behind the 18 yard mark.
  3. If, when calling a penalty kick, the team penalized already had a player in the penalty box, the referee must still place the guilty player in the penalty box prior to the taking of the penalty kick.   If the penalty kick is successful, the player who was guilty of the foul resulting in the penalty kick shall complete his/her time in the penalty box.

 

TIME PENALTIES

  1. Blue Card: Player must sit for two minutes. During this time his team shall play short-handed for the two minutes or until opposing team scores, which ever is first.  
  2. Yellow Card: player must sit a mandatory five minutes.   Team may not replace player if opposing team scores.   Only after the five-minute penalty has been served, can the player be replaced.
  3. Infractions that may result in a Blue or Yellow Card include but are not limited to:
    1. a field player slide tackling or sliding to play the ball.
    2. boarding, the deliberate act of checking an opponent into the wall.
    3. goalkeeper sliding to play a ball outside the penalty area.
    4. spitting on the floor.

      It is up to the referee’s discretion on when to apply a direct free kick, a Blue Card or a Yellow Card for the infraction and will be dependant on the severity of the infraction.
  4. Red Card: player is ejected and must leave the soccer arena. Team must play short handed for the mandatory five minutes.
  5. Teams may ONLY play 2 down on accumulative infractions. Any more will be served consecutively.
  6. The player serving a two-minute (blue) or 5 minute (yellow) penalty must remain in the penalty box until released by the referee.   The penalty begins when play restarts, and/or when the player enters the penalty box.   The penalty ends after two-minutes or if the opponent scores (power play).   The player is not released following the goal if there are an equal number of players from both teams on the field.   (In the event that one player from each team is penalized, one player will be placed in the penalty box and the other will stand outside the entrance to the field.)
  7. The player assessed a two-minute penalty shall proceed immediately to the penalty box.   Any delay by that player shall result in that player being assessed an additional two-minute penalty for delay of game.   The penalty does not begin until the penalized player is in the penalty box.   Play does not resume until signaled by the referee.
  8. For coincidental time penalties, both teams must play one man down for the duration of the time penalty.
  9. The following offenses will result in the offending player being ejected and his team playing short for five minutes: fighting, attempting to injure, abusive foul language or gesture.   Ejected players will also receive a minimum one game or session suspension.   Any player ejected for fighting a second time will be suspended indefinitely pending an investigation with the Fifth Season Indoor Soccer League Disciplinary Committee.
  10. All five-minute penalties for ejections must be served in full.
  11. At no time can a player accumulate more than five minutes in time penalties.

 

CUP DIVISIONS (2nd Session 2004-05)

  1. The High School and Open Divisions will participate as Cup Divisions.
  2. All results from these matches will be recorded and displayed on the FSISL bulletin board. This will include both scores and standings.
  3. The results of the first 6 (six) games will be used to seed teams for a single elimination tournament on the final day(s) of the indoor session.
  4. For standings, the results of the regular season matches will be recorded using the following point system.
    1. Win: +3 points
    2. Tie: +1 point
    3. Loss: 0 point
    4. Red Cards: -2 points
  5. The top eight teams will be seeded based on their total points.   The team with the most points being number 1, the team with the second highest points as number 2, etc.
  6. The number one seed will either receive a buy or meet the number 8 seed in the first round of the single elimination tournament.   The number two seed a buy or against the number 7 seed, etc (see diagram below).   The objective will be to provide the possibility that the number one and two seeds can meet in the final match.
  7. In the event there are less than eight teams in a given division, buys may be used to protect the integrity of the final match.
  8. The tie breaker for inclusion and seeding are as follows:
    1. Head-to-head competition between teams that are tied
    2. Fewest goals allowed during session.
    3. Penalty kick shoot out
  9. Awards:
    10.