Some Important Rules to Note
· Tackling – Absolutely no slide tackling. Slide tackling will be considered a bookable offense. Slide tackling includes any player, including the goalie, who leaves the ground in a foot or feet-forward motion. The goalie may dive head-forward or on his/her side to make a save, but may not dive feet-forward. At the referee’s discretion, a slide tackle could result in anything from a warning to a booking, and the showing of a card and possible ejection from the game.
· Timeouts – There are no timeouts as the clock continues to run. All stoppages in play are dealt with quickly as time will be added, at the end of each half, to make up for this lost time. The referee decides when play is to stop and commence.
· Substitutions –
o Substitutions can only be made during a stoppage in play for the team making the substitution (i.e. if your team has been awarded a free kick, your team can sub but the defending team cannot). The referee will need to be notified of a planned substitution. You may be substituted by your team coach during the game, as all possible subs will be used (everyone gets a chance to play). If you wish to be substituted, signal to your coach during play. You may come back on when someone else is subbed.
o Maximum of 1 sub per stoppage of play.
o Positioning can be changed on the fly, during game play, for all positions except goalkeeper. If someone, on the field, wishes to take over as goalkeeper it must be done during a stoppage in play - just like a substitution.
· Back pass (esp. GK) – If a player passes a ball back to their goalkeeper, with their foot, the goalkeeper is not permitted to handle the ball. In other words he can’t pick it up. So, goalkeepers - don’t pick up the ball in this scenario, outfield players - if you feel the need to pass it to the goalkeeper use your head (literally), or your knee, or your chest, etc.; or make sure no opposing player is near your goalkeeper to cause him to slip up.
· Also for goalkeepers – A goalkeeper cannot handle the ball after releasing it. In other words don’t put the ball down and pick it back up.
· Off-side rule
o If you pass the ball forward within, or into, the opponents half, the attacking player you are passing to must have two opposition players between him and the opposition goal. Either a defending player and the goalkeeper, or two defending outfield players. They do not need to be near the attacking player, but they do need to be in line or ahead of the player, on the field, in reference to the goal line.
o There can be no offside rule called for corner kicks, throw-ins, or goal kicks.
· Do not argue with the ref – arguing with the ref could be viewed as dissent – a bookable offense. It could be punished with anywhere from a warning, to a yellow card, to a red card and sending off. FYI: 2 yellow cards, for any one player, results in a red card and sending off.