U16 Open Cup Rules

Seven a-side (7 v 7)

· Maximum roster size is 12 players

· Teams are made up of one goalie and six field players.

· Every player participating in any District 5 tournament must play at least 50% of the game as monitored by the team, participating league officials, or match officials.  Teams that violate the 50% rule will forfeit the game and may be subject to additional disciplinary action.

· Games: Team must have 5 players in order for it to be a legal game.

· Games are played in two 25 minute halves (five minute halftime).

· Goalies can touch the ball with any part of the body including their arms and hands while inside the penalty area, which extends the width of the field for the distance of twelve yards in front of the goal.

Usual soccer rules are followed for penalties and infractions, with some exceptions:

• Only indirect kicks will be taken outside the penalty area. Any fouls inside the penalty area will follow the normal indirect, direct kick rules. The kick will be taken on the referee’s signal.
• Throw-in’s cannot be served into the opponent’s penalty area, the ball must touch the ground or a player outside the penalty area before it is in play. A throw-in will be taken from the point at which the ball went out of bounds except in the defensive team’s penalty area. In this case the attacking team will throw-in at the penalty line.
• Goal kicks can be taken either by a field player or the goalie. However, it cannot be thrown or kicked passed the midfield line (the ball must either touch a player or the ground on the goalie’s half of the field, before it goes past the midfield line). Violation of this rule results in an indirect free kick at the midfield line.
• There is no offside rule.
• U16 Open Cup will have free substitutions. These may take place at the following occurrences.

a) Any dead ball situation, at the discretion of the center referee

b) No subs on fouls, except for Yellow carded players and an injury to a player.

Ten point system: 6- Points for a win, 1 point for each goal up to 3, 1 point for a shut out = (10)

3- Points for a tie, 1 point for each goal up to 3.

0- Points for a loss, 1 point for each goal up to 3.

Forfeits, (1-0) 1 for the shut out (2)

In the event that teams are tied in points at the end of the preliminary round, the tie-breakers shall be as follows:

Tie breaker

• Head to head (exception: does not apply if more than two teams are tied or if the teams have not played each other)
• Goals allowed
• Goals scored
• FIFA shoot out

Championship Game Overtime Procedures: When ending in a tie the following will apply:

U16 Division: 2 12-minute overtime periods ‘Golden Goal’. 1^st and 2^nd quarters played with 7 players, 3^rd quarter played with 6 players, 4^th quarter played with 5 players. Players picked to play in overtime will not be substituted for except for injury. Any red cards issued will result in team playing short for remainder of the game. 50% rule does not apply to overtime. If still tied: FIFA Shoot Out.