Tournament Rules

Check-in
Check-in will be at the field one hour prior to the scheduled start of a team’s first game of the tournament. The team manager or coach will have to sign an affirmation stating they have everything that they need for the event. Player identification cards for the Current Season only will be accepted for team check-in.Player identification cards must be available for spot inspection in case of challenge.

Where to sit?
Both team’s benches will be on the same side of the field, on opposite sides of the midfield line. Canopies and benches will be provided on all fields.

Games
U9-U10 teams must have a minimum of five players to start a game.U11 and older must have a minimum of seven players to start a game. A team will forfeit if it does not have these numbers at game time (either the scheduled game time or ten minutes after the conclusion of the prior game on the field, whichever is later).  The home team will provide three balls that are acceptable to the referee.

Game duration, by halves, and ball sizes are as follows:

Age Group Group Stage Elimination Games Ball #

U-14 30 minutes 30 5
U-13 30 minutes 30 5
U-12 30 minutes 30 4
U-11 30 minutes 30 4
U-10 25 minutes 25 4
U-9 25 minutes 25 4

Halftimes are 5 minutes.

Substitutions: each team is allowed unlimited substitutions at any stoppage in play, with the approval of the referee.
Teams should not seek an advantage by making excessive substitutions late in games, and it is within the referee’s discretion to keep substitutions in check.

All teams will be scheduled for a minimum of 3 games.

Teams shall be awarded points based on a 10 point system:

• 10 point maximum per match
• 6 points for a win
• 2 points for a tie
• 1 points for a shut out
• 0 points for a loss
• 1 point for each goal, up to a maximum of three per game
• Forfeits will be recorded as a 1-0 win (see “Forfeits” below)

Tie Breakers:

In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined as follows:

1. The winner of head to head competition
2. Fewest goals against
3. Most goals for (Maximum of 3 goals per game)
4. Most total wins
5. Most Shut outs
6. If a tie still exists after steps 1 through 4, FIFA Kicks from the Mark will be taken 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the Semi-Final game.If a 3-way tie exists within a bracket after steps 1-5, a three-way coin flip will be conducted. The teams that tie in the coin flip will compete in FIFA Kicks from the Mark to eliminate one team prior to proceeding to FIFA Kicks from the Mark with the third team. The coin flip and time of the FIFA Kicks from the Mark will be determined at the fields.

Wild Cards: For brackets with wild cards, wild cards will be selected from the second place teams who have accumulated the most points. Ties on points will be broken in accordance with the rules listed above.

Tournament staff may rearrange playoff games so a wildcard team does not play a rematch against its group winner.

A preliminary game can end in a tie.

Quarterfinals & Semi-Final Games ending in a tie will go directly to FIFA Kicks from the Mark to determine a winner.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, if tied after regulation, U11-U14 will play two (2) 10-minute overtime halves or U9-U10 will play two (5) minute overtime halves for U9-U10

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, if tied after overtime, will proceed immediately to FIFA Kicks from the Mark procedure to determine the winner. In the event of an injury, time may be added on at the option of tournament officials.

Three Way Tie Scenario:
If more than two teams are tied at the end of preliminary rounds, the tie breaker criteria list shall be used in order shown to advance or eliminate teams. Once one team advances or is eliminated and if the remaining two teams are still tied, those two teams will then be compared beginning with criterion 1 (Head to Head) to determine ultimate placement. (See different examples below).

Example 1: Three way tie:
Head to Head cancels out since all 3 teams either beat or tied each other.
Team A Goal Differential +3
Team B Goal Differential +2
Team C Goal Differential +1
In this above example Team A is first place, Team B is second place and Team C is third place.

Example 2: Three way tie:
Head to Head cancels out since all 3 teams either beat or tied each other.
Team A Goal Differential +3
Team B Goal Differential +3
Team C Goal Differential +1

In this above example Team C is Eliminated. Since Team A and Team B are tied, those two teams will then be compared beginning with criterion 1 (Head to Head) to determine ultimate placement. In this case, Team B beat Team A 1-0 in pool play. Therefore, Team B is first place, Team A is second place and Team C is third place.

Forfeits
A team which “wins by forfeit” shall be deemed to have won by a score of 1-0 and will receive 8 points (6 for the win, +1 for a goal scored, +1 for a shutout).

A team that receives an unfair advantage from a forfeit may have their final group stage bracket standing adjusted by the Tournament Director or their designee at their sole discretion. There is no financial consideration for either team involved in a forfeited game.

Shortening Games
In case of inclement weather, changing field conditions, or lack of daylight, the Tournament Director or Venue Manager may direct that games:
• be shortened, and / or
• go to FIFA penalty kicks, or
• be canceled.
The following modified rules will apply to any shortened group stage game that is going to penalty kicks:
• Each team will take five penalty kicks, unless the referee stops
the penalty kicks earlier because of worsening conditions. In
that case, the referees must give each team the same
number of penalty kicks.

• At the end of five kicks the game will be scored as a 1-0 win for
the team that has scored more penalty kicks, or a 0-0 tie if
both teams are tied in penalty kicks at the end of five kicks.

• If regular games have been played in the bracket and the
Tournament Director has determined that other games go to
penalty kicks due to inclement weather or field conditions, the
regular game’s score will revert back to a 1-0 win or a 0-0 tie.

In any shortened elimination game (play-in, quarter, semi, or final) that goes to penalty kicks, standard FIFA rules (minimum of five rounds) will apply unless the referee, Tournament Director, or Venue Manager decide that it is unsafe to proceed. Every attempt should be made to provide teams an equal number of penalty kicks.

There will be no refunds or reimbursements of tournament application fee for shortened, cancelled, or forfeited games.