2014 Boyertown Soccer Club U8 Age Group Intramural Program - Rules and Guidelines Basic Soccer Rules (Outline based on FIFA Laws of the Game; Adapted and modified for BSC-U8 Age Group) I. The Field of Play a. 35 yards wide by 55 yards long. II. The Ball a. Size 4 III. The Number of Players a. Five (5) field players and a goalkeeper (6 v 6). b. Substitutions i. Substitutions may be made by either team with the permission of the referee: 1. at a throw in by either team 2. at a goal kick for either team 3. after a goal has been scored for either team 4. at an injury for either team, after play has stopped 5. at halftime ii. Substitutions may not be made on a corner kick. IV. The Players Equipment a. Every child is expected to wear shin guards UNDER their socks at all times. No Exceptions! b. It is recommended that players wear soft cleats. No metal cleats or baseball cleats (toe spike) allowed. c. No jewelry may be worn at any time. The only exception is a Medical alert band which must be taped to the player's arm (don't cover ID). d. No plastic or metal headbands or berets. e. A goalkeeper must wear a keeper shirt of contrasting color to their team. V. The Referee a. A licensed referee will be a assigned to referee games at the U8 age group. b. The decisions of the referee are final! Please do not approach the referee. VI. The Assistant Referees a. There are no assistant referees at the U8 age group. VII. The Duration of the Match a. A match will be divided into two (2) equal twenty (20) minute halves. b. The referee is responsible for keeping the official time of the game. c. A match will be played with a running clock. The clock will only be stopped for injuries. d. A half shall end as soon as the time expires; do not wait until the next stoppage of play. e. There should be a 5 minute half-time break between the first and second halves. VIII. The Start and Restart of Play a. Preliminaries i. A coin flip should take place before the game starts. 1. The team that wins the coin toss decides which goal it will attack in the first half of the match. 2. The other team takes the kick-off to start the match. 3. In the second half of the match, the teams change ends and attack the opposite goals. http://www.boyertownsoccerclub.net Last updated 3/21/14
b. The Kick-off i. The kick-off is a way of starting or restarting play: 1. At the start of the match. 2. After a goal is scored, with the team that was scored upon getting the kickoff. 3. At the start of the second half. ii. The Procedure 1. All players must be in their own half of the field of play. 2. The opponents of the team taking the kick-off must be positioned outside of the center circle. 3. The ball must be stationary on the center mark. 4. The referee gives a signal and time is started. 5. The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves forward. 6. The kicker must not touch the ball again until it has touched another player. If the kicker touches the ball two times consecutively the play will be redone. c. Drop Ball i. If play has to be stopped for any reason (ie: injury) or if the referee cannot determine who kicked a ball out of bounds, then a drop ball is to be taken. ii. The Procedure 1. The drop ball will occur at the spot where the ball was located when play was stopped. 2. One player from each team will stand facing each other, in the direction of the goal they are attacking, with the referee standing between them. 3. The referee will drop the ball between the two players and play will resume as soon as the ball touches the ground. a. The ball will be dropped again if a player touches the ball before it touches the ground. IX. Ball In and Out of Play a. Out of Bounds i. The ball is out of play when the whole ball completely crosses over the goal line or touch line whether on the ground or in the air. When the ball goes out of bounds it is put back into play in one of three ways: a throw-in, a corner kick or a goal kick (See Laws XV, XVI, and XVII below). ii. The player that puts the ball back into play cannot touch it again until another player from either team has touched it. X. The Method of Scoring a. A goal is scored when the whole ball passes completely over the goal line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar. XI. Off-Side a. A player should be considered offside, if they have fewer than two (2) defenders (one of which may be the goalkeeper) between them and the goal when the ball is passed to them in the offensive half of the field. b. A player cannot be considered off-side: i. If they are the first player to receive the ball from a throw-in, a corner kick, a goal kick or a drop ball. c. At the U8 age group, off-side will be called when: i. A player is blatantly cherry-picking. http://www.boyertownsoccerclub.net Page 2 of 7
XII. Fouls and Misconduct (Law 12) a. When a player performs certain actions, which are considered fouls, the opposing team is awarded a free kick from the spot where the foul occurred. These fouls fall into two categories based on severity: i. Direct Kick (more severe) 1. kicks or attempts to kick an opponent 2. trips or attempts to trip an opponent 3. jumps at an opponent 4. charges an opponent 5. strikes or attempts to strike an opponent 6. pushes an opponent 7. tackles an opponent 8. holds an opponent 9. spits at an opponent 10. handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area) ii. Indirect Kick (less severe) 1. plays in a dangerous manner 2. impedes the progress of an opponent 3. prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands 4. commits any other offense, not previously mentioned in Law 12, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player XIII. Free Kicks a. Procedure for any free kick. i. The ball is placed at the spot of the foul. ii. The ball must be stationary before it is kicked. iii. The player that kicks the ball may not touch the ball again until another player (on either team) has touched the ball. iv. No player from the opposing team may be closer than eight (8) yards from the ball when the free kick is taken. b. The Direct Kick i. The player taking the direct kick can score on this type of kick. 1. If a direct free kick is kicked directly into the opposing team s goal, then a goal is awarded. 2. If a direct free kick is kicked directly into the team s own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team. c. The Indirect Kick i. A goal can be scored only if the ball touches another player (from either team) after the kick has been taken and before the ball goes in the goal. ii. The player taking the indirect kick cannot directly score on this type of kick. 1. If an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the opposing team s goal, then a goal kick is awarded for the opposing team. 2. If an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the team s own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team. XIV. The Penalty Kick a. There are no penalty kicks at the U8 age group. b. If a team commits any offense inside of its own penalty area, an indirect free kick is to be awarded to the opposing team at the spot of the foul. http://www.boyertownsoccerclub.net Page 3 of 7
XV. XVI. XVII. The Throw-in a. When a ball is sent over a sideline, the team that last touched it loses possession and the other team takes a throw-in from the point where the ball went out of bounds. b. All opposing players must be at least 2 yards away from the spot of the throw-in. c. The player taking the throw-in must throw the ball, starting from behind their head, over their head with both hands, with both feet touching the ground on or behind the sidelines. d. The player that puts the ball back into play cannot touch it again until another player from either team has touched it. e. The player s feet do not have to be pointing in the direction that the throw-in is made. f. The player is not allowed to throw the ball directly into the goal. The Goal Kick a. When the ball is sent over the goal line by the attacking team (and does not result in a goal), it loses possession and the defending team takes a goal kick from anywhere on or inside the goal box (smaller box). b. All opposing players must be outside the penalty area when the goal kick is taken. c. The player that puts the ball back into play cannot touch it again until another player from either team has touched it. d. The ball must completely leave the penalty area (larger box) unassisted to be considered in play. If the ball does not leave the penalty area, the kick is retaken. The Corner Kick a. When the ball is sent over the goal line by the defending team (and does not result in a goal), they lose possession and the attacking team takes a corner kick from anywhere on or inside the corner arc closest to the point where the ball went out of bounds. b. All opposing players must be at least 8 yards away from the ball when the corner kick is taken. c. The player that puts the ball back into play cannot touch it again until another player from either team has touched it. d. The player is allowed to kick the ball directly into the goal but this is difficult. http://www.boyertownsoccerclub.net Page 4 of 7
Guidelines As coaches and parents, we are here to provide a safe and fun environment when it comes to playing soccer. We need to teach the children the game properly so they have a better understanding of the game as they move to the next level. We need to teach and model good sportsmanship in every aspect of the game. Our children will model their behavior based on what they see from us through our behavior. Below are the guidelines set forth by Boyertown Soccer Club to promote good sportsmanship. 1. Three (3) Goal Rule a. No team will be permitted to run up a match score. Please follow these guidelines for games that have a goal differential of three (3) or more goals: i. If the goal differential is three (3) goals: 1. The trailing team will be permitted to add a player to the field of play until the score of the game has a goal differential of two (2). a. Once the goal differential is two (2) goals or less, the trailing team will remove a player. 2. If the trailing team does not have any available players to be added to the field, then the leading team shall remove one (1) player from the field of play until the score of the game has a goal differential of two (2). a. Once the goal differential is two (2) goals or less, the leading team may add a player back to the field of play. ii. If the goal differential is four (4) goals: 1. The trailing team will be permitted to add a second additional player to the field of play until the score of the game has a goal differential of three (3) a. Once the goal differential is three (3), please follow the guidelines above. 2. If the trailing team does not have any available players to be added to the field, then the leading team shall remove one (1) player from the field of play until the score of the game has a goal differential of three (3). a. If the leading team as already removed one player, then they will not be required to remove any more players. b. Once the goal differential is three (3), the leading team may add a player back to the field of play. iii. If the goal differential is five (5) goals or more: 1. The team with the lead will be asked to remove one (1) player from the field of play until the score of the game has a goal differential of four (4) a. If the leading team has already removed one player, then they will not be required to remove any more players. 2. The trailing team will be permitted to keep two additional players on the field of play until the score of the game has a goal differential of four (4). b. It is the responsibility of the coach(es) to maintain a proper level of sportsmanship and not allow the score of the game to become lopsided to the point as to embarrass the opposing team. In addition to the above rules, the coach of the leading team shall do one or more of the following to discourage running up the score': i. Have a stronger player(s) move to defense instead of offense ii. Encourage more passing among the players instead of going right to the goal. iii. Encourage shooting with the non-dominant foot only. http://www.boyertownsoccerclub.net Page 5 of 7
iv. Require that a ball won in the attacking half of the field must first be taken back to the defending half before being brought forward again (changing point of attack). v. Require two-touch passing. vi. Ask players to complete three consecutive passes before attempting to shoot. vii. Tell players they cannot shoot from inside the other team's penalty area (larger box). 2. Playing Time a. Every child, boys and girls, shall play approximately equal time during each match. b. There shall be no preferential treatment for a coach s child(ren) as it relates to playing time. c. At no time shall any player be playing the entire game, unless limited substitutes are available. Often there are limited substitutes available, so a coach should mix up their lineups so that the same players are not playing the whole game all the time. d. At NO TIME are non-rostered and/or non-registered players permitted to play for your team, even if no substitutes are available. 3. Player Positions a. Players shall be given the opportunity to play different positions during the course of the game and season. i. No player shall play the same position, or same type of position for more than one half (½) of that player s playing time, unless an effort is being made to limit the goal differential of the game. ii. Any player requesting to play a specific position is to be given the opportunity to play that position, regardless of their skill or ability. 4. Slide Tackling a. For safety reasons, there will be NO SLIDE TACKLING during any match. i. At the U8 age group, players will be issued a warning on a first offense and the opposing team will be awarded a direct free kick. ii. If a player is charged with a second offense, the player is to be substituted (removed from the field of play) by the coach for a 5 minute timeout. 5. Re-do s a. At the U8 age group, players should be allowed to re-try a start or restart of play if a mistake is made. This is to correct the mistake and teach the players how to do the start/restart properly. i. Only one re-try for each start or restart of play will be allowed during the game. b. If a mistake is made after a re-try has already been granted, then the opposing team will be awarded an indirect free kick or a throw-in from the spot of the infraction. 6. Coaches on the Field During Games a. Coaches are NOT permitted on the field during play at the U8 age group for the purpose of coaching. b. Coaches are not permitted within 10 feet of the goal line during active play. 7. Parent and Team Seating a. At BSC club games each team shall take opposite sides of the field. i. The team arriving first may select the side that they want. The team arriving second shall take the other side. Parents will sit on the same side of the field as their child's team. ii. No person or spectator is permitted to sit or stand within 10 feet of the goal lines during a match. http://www.boyertownsoccerclub.net Page 6 of 7
8. Sideline Control a. Responsibility of the Coach i. It is the responsibility of the head coach to control players and parents on their respective sides. If a head coach is not present, this duty falls to the assistant coach(s). ii. If necessary, head coaches have the authority to bench a player if that player or the player's parents cannot behave in an acceptable fashion. iii. Coaches may ask players or parents to leave the field area if necessary to maintain order. b. Responsibility of the Referee i. Referees are authorized to stop a match at any time if in their judgment; coach, parent or player conduct on either team cannot be maintained in an acceptable manner. ii. Referees shall stop the match by blowing their whistle and picking up the ball. Coaches will be advised by the referee that they have 3 minutes to restore order with the clock running or the match will be abandoned. 9. Parents on the Field During Games a. Parents are NOT permitted to enter the field of play during a match at the U8 age group, with one possible exception: i. The parent is attending to an injured child, with permission of the referee. They may attend only to their own child unless they can show EMT or other such credentials. However, common sense shall apply. b. This policy extends not only to natural parents or guardians but also to stepparents, grandparents, relatives, friends, etc. c. Parents must also stay 10 feet or more from the goal line for photography purposes only, but http://www.boyertownsoccerclub.net Page 7 of 7