LEAGUE RULES

REFEREES:

Each game is controlled by a referee who has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the game to which he has been appointed, from the moment he enters the locality where the playing area is situated until he leaves.

League Edstreme will always back its referees and requests that they are always treated with respect and obedience during play.

Any arguing, abuse or violence towards referees will not be tolerated and would result in the offending player being removed from play via the following methods:

BLUE CARD: Temporary dismissal for a 2-minute period.

RED CARD: Total dismissal and subject to discipline by League Edstreme under the card rules outlined below.

The above cards are at the complete discretion of the referee.

Enforces the Laws of the Game

· Allows play to continue when the team against which an offense has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalizes the original offense if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time.

·        Keeps a record of the match and provides the appropriate authorities with a game report which includes information on any disciplinary action taken against players, and/or team

·        officials and any other incidents which occur before, during or after the game.

·        Acts as timekeeper.

·        Stops, suspends or terminates the game for any infringement of the Laws or due to any kind of outside interference.

·        Takes disciplinary action against players guilty of cautionable and sending-off offences

·        Takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at their discretion, expel them from the playing area and its immediate surrounds

·        Ensures that no unauthorised persons enter the playing area.

·        Stops the game if, in his opinion, upon injury assessment, a player is seriously injured and ensures that he is removed from the playing area.

·        Ensures any player bleeding from a wound leaves the playing area.

·        Allows play to continue until there is a stoppage in play if a player is, in his opinion, only slightly injured.

·        Makes use of timed suspensions to temporarily exclude players guilty of infringements of the laws.

·        In the absence of a second official, the referee should make excluded players aware of the end of their period of suspension.

BASIC EQUIPMENT:

·        The basic compulsory equipment of a player is:

·        A matching team shirt, either colour or design.

·        Shorts or tracksuit trousers.

·        Shinguards (covered entirely by the socks).

·        Socks.

·        Footwear, which is suitable and appropriate to local conditions and surface type, must be worn.

GAME DURATION:

The duration of the game shall be played in a single 28-minute period, which is subject to the following:

·        Allowance shall be made in either period for time lost through stoppages as decided by the referee.

·        The game shall be extended to enable a penalty kick to be taken.

TYPES OF FREE KICKS:

For both direct and indirect free kicks, the ball must be stationary when the kick is taken, and the kicker may not touch the ball a second time until it has touched another player.

The Direct Free Kick:

If a direct free kick is kicked directly into the opponent’s goal, a goal is awarded.

The Indirect Free Kick:

A goal can be scored only if the ball subsequently touches another player before it enters the goal.

Position of Free Kick:

·        All opponents must be at least 3m from the ball until it is in play.

·        The ball is in play after it has been touched or played.

Infringements/Sanctions: If, when a free kick is taken, an opponent is closer to the ball than the required distance, the free kick is retaken.

If, after the ball is in play, the kicker touches the ball a second time before it has touched another player, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, taken from the place where the infringement occurred.

FOULS AND MISCONDUCT

Fouls and misconduct are penalised as follows:

Direct Free Kick:

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following seven offences in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:

·        Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent.

·        Trips or attempts to trip an opponent.

·        Jumps at an opponent.

·        Charges an opponent, even with the shoulder.

·        Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent.

·        Pushes an opponent.

·        Tackles an opponent.

A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following offences:

·        Holds an opponent.

·        Spits at an opponent.

·        Slides to play the ball when it is being played or attempted to be played by an opponent (sliding tackle).

·        Handles the ball deliberately, except for the goalkeeper in his own penalty area.

A direct free kick is taken from the place where the infringement occurred.

Penalty Kick:

A penalty kick is awarded if a player commits any of the offences inside his own penalty area, irrespective of the position of the ball, but if it is in play.

If the Competition Rules dictate that only goalkeepers are permitted inside their own penalty area, then this part of the Law does not apply.

Indirect Free Kick:

An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper commits one of the following offences:

·        Touches or controls the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate.

·        Touches or controls the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a kick-in taken by a team-mate

·        Touches or controls the ball with his hands or feet, in the penalty area, for more than four seconds

·        Height of ball restrictions (optional modification) – If a height restriction is introduced, the competition rules should identify the height above which an indirect free kick shall be awarded to the opposing team.

·        If a height infringement occurs within the penalty area and is committed by the defending team, an indirect free kick should be awarded on the penalty area line nearest to where the offence took place.

·        The exception to this rule shall be when the ball rises above the designated height restriction

·        resulting from a save or block performed by a goalkeeper. Play should continue in this

·        circumstance unless the ball hits the roof, when play should be restarted with a drop ball.

·        However, should another player play the ball whilst it is at a height above the designated

·        height restriction, this will result in an indirect free kick to the opposing team.

An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred, if, in the opinion of the referee, a player:

·        Plays in a dangerous manner.

·        Deliberately impedes the progress of an opponent when the ball is not being played.

·        Prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hand.

·        Commits any other offence, not previously mentioned, for which play is stopped to caution or dismiss a player.

The indirect free kick is taken from the place where the infringement occurred, unless this was in the penalty area, in which case the indirect free kick is taken from the penalty area line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred.

DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

The use of temporary time suspensions (‘sin bins) and the exclusion of a player arising from the issuing of a red card are the recommended disciplinary sanctions for use in small-sided football. Match officials should employ the use of temporary timed suspensions (blue cards) in all cases traditionally regarded as cautionable offences.

Referees shall also have the discretion to use a second ‘blue card’ and a further period of suspension for a second minor offence rather than a second blue card automatically resulting in a red card and permanent expulsion.

The options for a match official imposing disciplinary sanction are therefore;

Player shown a blue card and suspended from play.

Player issued with a discretionary second blue card and temporarily excluded from play.

Player issued with a red card and permanently excluded from play.

A blue card offence should always be accompanied by a temporary suspension from play.

The period of timed suspension in shall be two minutes. The release of players from a temporary suspension should be at the direction of the Referee or a Match Official if one is available.

Temporary Timed Suspensions – Procedures

A player temporarily suspended from play will be shown a blue card by the match official and informed that he/she shall be suspended from play for two minutes.

The player is obliged to leave the playing area and remain in a designated ‘sin bin’ area for the required suspension time. Separate ‘sin bin’ areas should be identified for each team. If no designated ‘sin bin’ areas are provided, then suspended players should remain in the area where they can be seen by the referee and adjacent to team officials and substitutes.

A player will be informed as to the end of a period of suspension by the referee or match official and invited to rejoin the game. Where barricades are used the players must use the opening onto the playing area.

Temporary Timed Suspensions:

A player is shown the blue card and temporarily excluded from play if he commits any of the following offences:

C1 is guilty of unsporting behaviour

C2 shows dissent by word or action

C3 persistently infringes the Laws of the Game

C4 delays the restart of play

C5 fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, kick-in, free kick or goal clearance.

C6 enters or re-enters the playing area without the referee’s permission or infringes the substitution procedure.

C7 deliberately leaves the playing area without the referee’s permission outside of a substitution

For any of these offences, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred. If the offence was committed within the penalty area the indirect free kick is taken from the penalty area line at the place nearest to where the infringement occurred.

Exception to the use of ‘Blue Cards’ and Temporary Timed Suspensions:

The only exception to the use of ‘Blue Cards’ and Temporary Timed Suspensions is in facilities where, if a player is excluded for two minutes, they are unable to take up a position which is still in the eye line of the Referee but outside the boundaries of the pitch. This might be the case in an enclosed sports hall or in a complex of caged pitches. In such circumstances, safety considerations require the Referee to use yellow cards, with all players remaining on the pitch unless excluded permanently. In this situation, normal disciplinary sanctions will apply after the game as per the competition rules. If 2 yellow cards are given to an individual, the player will be shown a red card and dismissed.

Sending-Off Offence:

A player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following offences:

1. S1 is guilty of serious foul play

2. S2 is guilty of violent conduct

3. S3 spits at an opponent or any other person

4. S4 denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)

5. S5 denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick

6. S6 uses offensive, insulting or abusive language

7. S7receives a second blue/yellow card in the same match

If play is stopped for a player to be sent from the playing area without having committed any additional infringement of the Laws, the game is restarted by an indirect free kick, awarded to the opposing team, to be taken at the place where the infringement occurred. However, if the offence is committed in the penalty area, the indirect free kick is taken from the penalty area line at the place nearest to where the infringement occurred.

Decisions:

A player who has been sent off may not take any further part in the game nor may he sit on the

substitutes’ bench, where provided.

THE KICK-IN:

A kick-in is a method of restarting play.

A goal cannot be scored directly from a kick-in.

A kick-in is awarded:

when the whole of the ball passes over a touch line, either on the ground or in the air, from the place where it crossed the touch line or 2m into the playing area adjacent to where the ball left the playing area.

Position of the Ball and the Players:

The ball:

·        has to be stationary on the touch line; or 2m into the playing area from the barrier where barricades are in use

·        is kicked into play in any direction

The player taking the kick-in:

·        has part of each foot either on the touch line or on the ground outside the touch line at the moment of kicking the ball; or must stand between the ball and the barricade where in use

The players of the defending team:

·        are at least 3m from the place where the kick-in is taken

Procedure:

·        the player taking the kick-in may not play the ball a second time until it has touched another player

·        the ball is in play immediately after it is kicked or touched.

Infringements/Sanctions:

The kick-in is retaken by a player of the opposing team if:

·        the kick-in is taken incorrectly

·        the kick-in is taken from a position other than the place where the ball passed over the touch line or where indicated by the referee where barricades are in use

·        An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposition if the player taking the kick-in plays the ball a second time before it has been played by another player

THE CORNER KICK:

A corner kick is a method of restarting play.

A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick, but only against the opposing team.

A corner kick is awarded when:

The whole of the ball, having last touched a player of the defending team, passes over the goal line, either on the ground or in the air, and a goal is not scored

Procedure:

The ball is placed inside the corner arc at the nearest corner

Opponents remain at least 3m from the ball until it is in play

The ball is kicked by a player of the attacking team

The ball is in play when it is kicked or touched

The kicker does not play the ball a second time until it has been played by or touched another player

Infringements/Sanctions:

An indirect free kick is taken by the opposing team if:

The player taking the corner kick plays the ball a second time before it has been played by or touched another player. The indirect free kick is taken from the place where the infringement occurred

For any other infringement:

The corner kick is retaken

Kicks From the Penalty Mark Procedure:

Taking kicks from the penalty mark is a method of determining the winning team where competition rules require there to be a winning team after a match has been drawn

Procedure:

·        The referee chooses the goal at which the kicks will be taken

·        The referee tosses a coin, and the team whose captain wins the toss decides whether to take the first or second kick.

·        The referee keeps a record of the kicks being taken

·        In principle, each team takes five kicks, depending on the circumstances described hereafter

·        The kicks are taken alternately

·        The names of the players taking the kicks are announced to the referee by the captains of each team before the kicks from the penalty mark are taken and must be among those included on the list of players submitted before the match. Only those players on the pitch at the completion of the game are eligible to take part in Kicks from the Penalty Mark

·        Where a player(s) has been sent off by the referee the opposing team must reduce the number of players to equalise the participants in each team prior to the Kicks from the Penalty Mark commencing

·        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, kicks continue to be taken in the same order, until one team has scored one goal more than the other from the same number of kicks

·        Any player who has been sent off may not take part in the kicks from the penalty mark

·        Any eligible player may change places with his goalkeeper

·        Only the eligible players and match officials are permitted to remain on the pitch when kicks from the penalty mark are taken

·        All players, except the player taking the kick and the two goalkeepers, must remain in the opposite half to that where the kicks are being taken

·        If a goalkeeper is injured during the kicks from the penalty mark procedure, he may be replaced by a substitute.