TIDEWATER WOMEN'S SOCCER LEAGUE RULES



1. LEAGUE PARTICIPATION:

A. To participate in the league a player must present a league form and registration fee. The registration fee amount will be determined prior to player registration and will be no greater than to allow for the purchase and repair of necessary equipment and cost of operation of the league including field maintenance, insurance, league affiliation and game officials.
B. The soccer year runs from September 1st to August 31st.
C. Refunds cannot be approved after games have started. Prior to the beginning of the season games, refunds will be made less a $10.00 service fee. A $25.00 service fee will be imposed on all returned checks.

2. TEAMS

A. Team size and the number of teams will be determined at the conclusion of registration by the Board of Directors.
B. Teams will be assembled by division coordinators.
C. The minimum age for players will be 18 years old as of August 1. Any exceptions will be considered case by case by the Board.
D. The Board reserves the right to alter team rosters if necessary.
E. Late registered players will be added to teams at the Board's discretion.

3. TOURNAMENTS

Each player will be considered a carded player with MDCSVA. This allows players to participate in area tournaments.

4. PRACTICES

Teams can practice at any time they so choose. Individual teams may select coaches.

5. STANDINGS

Standings will be officially kept during the season play for 4 or more teams.

6. SCHEDULE

Games shall be played in accordance with the schedule set up by the league officials with each team playing as close to ten games as possible. There will be no postponements except in the case of extreme emergency and/or weather conditions. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, games will be canceled and rescheduled.

7. LENGTH OF GAMES

Games out of doors will consist of two 35-minute halves and with a 5-minute halftime. The official will keep the official game time and will not stop the time except for injury or other lengthy delay. Games ending in a tie will remain a tied contest.

8. OFFICIALS

A. There will be at least one U.S.S.F. certified referee per game. If certified referees are not available, uncertified referees will be used.
B. The official shall have the authority to call off any games on the field that he/she deems unsafe due to extreme weather conditions. The games may be rescheduled at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
C. No game will be repeated because of dispute of an official's call.
D. The league shall pay officials at the end of each game, or as decided between the league and the official.
E. Referee will be handed a copy of these rules before the game.

9. EQUIPMENT

A. Footwear: Players may wear molded rubber cleats or tennis shoes. NO SOFTBALL CLEATS OR STEEL CLEATS!
B. Shinguards: use of shinguards is mandatory.
C. Field equipment: equipment will be furnished for league competition.
D. Soccer balls: size 5 game balls are furnished by the league. Practice balls must be provided by players.

10. LEAGUE PLAY

A. League play will be governed by the current U.S. Soccer Federation Rules (FIFA) rules as amended by these by-laws or by agreement in meeting by league officials.

B. Substitutions can be made AT ANY TIME.

C. Slaughter Rule - when the winning team gets ahead by five goals, one of it's players must come off the field. If the losing team scores, a player from the winning team may return to the field. If the winning team gets ahead by seven goals they must remove a second player.

D. NO sliding or slide tackling is allowed. Any field player who slide tackles will be warned verbally by the referee the first time that it occurs. A yellow card will be issued the second time. This does not pertain to the goalkeeper making low slides to the ball.

E. Offsides WILL be called.

F. Fouls that will result in a DIRECT KICK are the following: handling, kicking, tripping, jumping, charging, striking, pushing, holding, or spitting at an opponent.
Fa. ALL fouls that take place inside the penalty box will be awarded by a PENALTY KICK. The penalty kick shall only be taken by the player who was fouled. In the case of handling, the player in closest proximity to the offense will take the kick - in unclear cases it is the ref's discretion as to who takes the kick. Because of the reduced size of the field, the ball will be placed at the center top of the penalty box, aka the "18 yard line". All players must remain outside the penalty area and the penalty arc until the ball is kicked. The goalkeeper must have both feet on the goal line until the ball is kicked. If, after the ball is kicked, it rebounds off of the goal or the keeper and stays on the field, the ball is “live” and anyone can play it.
Fb. All fouls that take place OUTSIDE the penalty box will be awarded by a DIRECT kick where the foul occurred if the foul is determined by the referee to be careless, reckless, with excessive force, or a deliberate hand ball.

G. Fouls that will result in an INDIRECT KICK are the following: dangerous play, obstruction, preventing the keeper from releasing the ball, keeper handling the ball after it has been deliberately passed back from her own player, keeper taking more than 6 seconds before releasing the ball, keeper touching the ball on a throw in from her own teammate. Ga. A goal may not be scored directly from an INDIRECT kick, rather it must be touched by a second player before a goal can be scored. If the ball goes in goal directly from an indirect free kick, a goal kick is awarded to the defending team. If the ball goes in own goal from an indirect free kick, a corner kick is awarded.

H. Misconduct: A player, coach, or bench personnel shall be cautioned (YELLOW CARD) for:
(a) entering or leaving the field without permission of the official (unless make a substitution).
(b) PERSISTENT INFRINGEMENT of any rules of the game.
(c) objecting to by words or action to any decision by an official.
(d) Unsportsmanlike conduct including use of vulgar or profane language.
(e) sliding or slide tackling (after a verbal warning - see 'D' above).

A cautioned player may be substituted. She may return at the next substitution opportunity.

I. A player, coach, or bench personnel shall be disqualified (RED CARD) for:
(a) exhibiting violent conduct or serious foul play.
(b) using foul or abusive language.
(c) any subsequent act of misconduct after having been cautioned (CAUTION MAY BE VERBAL OR YELLOW CARD)

Anyone who is disqualified must leave the vicinity of the playing area for the remainder of the game. There will be no replacement of the disqualified player. The referee may stop the game until the disqualified person leaves and may end a game if the disqualified person refuses, with the offending team forfeiting.

Referees will "officially" yellow card players who continue to commit fouls after being verbally cautioned. After being yellow carded, the player will be "officially" red carded and suspended for the remainder of the game and the following game.

Players, coaches, and spectators who disrupt play or create an incident before, during, or after a game may receive a personal/team game suspension, followed by a suspension of the next scheduled game. This suspension will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

The Tidewater Women's Soccer League will not tolerate abusive behavior towards players, coaches, staff, or referees under ANY circumstances. ANYONE who acts in a violent physical manner or threatens ANYONE will forfeit the refund of all registration fees paid and is disqualified from participation in the Tidewater Women's Soccer League for a period of not less than 6 months. Disqualification decisions shall be made by the Board and any Board Member involved in any such incident shall be prohibited from voting on such decision.

11. FAILURE TO FIELD A TEAM

(a) If a team cannot field 5 players, a forfeit will occur. If a team forfeits before the game, the opposing team receives 3 points. If the two teams are interested in a scrimmage game, the forfeiting team MUST obtain players for the game by asking the opposing team to provide players from it's team. If the opposing team declines to provide players, any other REGISTERED player may be used.
(b) If a team chooses to forfeit after the start of the game, the opposing team receives 3 points for the win and 3 goals or the sum of their own goals scored, whichever is greater, at the time of the forfeit.

12. PLAYER REPSONSIBLITIES

Player participation in Tidewater Women’s Soccer League sponsored matches may be disallowed if a player’s actions result in an accumulation of excess cards. Absolutely no fighting will be tolerated. Any fight, serious foul play or violent conduct may result in an immediate one year suspension from TWSL dated from time of incident. Participation within the TWSL is dependent upon the number of cards one receives:

2 Yellow Cards (1 match) = RED CARD = 1 game suspension*
4 Yellow Cards in a season = 1 year suspension
2 Red Cards in a season = 1 year suspension
Any combination of 2 red cards or equivalent of 2 red cards = 1 year suspension

*Minimum

APPEAL POLICY: any appeal made will be made in wirting to the TWSL Board within 3 days of the action under protest. The Board will review, along with the Ajudication Committee, the relevant facts and render a determination to the protestor within 7 days receipt of written protest.