CREDENTIALS
At the Friday night registration, each team must submit to the Tournament Committee their credentials to include:
- Primary Team Player Passes
- Medical Release Form for each player
- An official team roster documenting affiliation with appropriate governing soccer association
- A permission to travel form signed by their state association for Non-USYS Region I sanctioned teams
COMMISSIONERS
No protests will be entertained. All penalties will be handled by the Tournament Commissioners, who will have the right to exclude a team, coach, or player(s) not acting in accordance with the Tournament rules. The decision of the commissioners is final.
RULES
1) RULES OF PLAY
All matches will be played in accordance with the F.I.F.A. Laws of the Game. Rules and/or interpretations provided by U.S.Y.S.A. for youth matches may be incorporated. The following items will further interpret these rules for purposes of this tournament and/or will provide an administrative framework for the operation of the tournament.
2) TEAM FIELD POSITION
Each team’s players and coaches will be located along the same touchline.
Spectators will be located along the opposite touchline of the field.
All players and coaches should remain near the player bench area while on the
sidelines. All spectators must remain between the 18-yard lines. No Spectators will
be permitted in the areas directly behind the goal lines. All people on the sideline
must remain at least two (2) yards behind the sideline.
Failure to provide the linesmen room to clearly see the touchline may lead to a
bench caution.
Coaches and/or other officials, players and spectators may not enter the field of
play at any time unless requested to do so by the referee. Only players and
Coaches will be permitted in the bench area. All sideline personnel must keep back
from the touchline a minimum of two (2) yards at all times.
3) PLAYER, COACH, AND SPECTATOR BEHAVIOR
All players, coaches, and spectators are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the spirit as well as the letter of the Laws of the Game. Referees have been specifically instructed to run the matches according to this spirit and will act accordingly. DISSENT FROM PLAYERS, COACHES, OR SPECTATORS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. CAUTIONS AND/OR DISMISSALS WILL RESULT. Players are encouraged to play all matches with intensity and desire. However, UNNECESSARY PHYSICAL PLAY, PARTICULARLY THAT WITH INTENT TO INJURY, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED; CAUTIONS AND/OR DISMISSALS WILL RESULT. Coaches are responsible for the actions of the team’s players and spectators as well as their own actions.
Players or coaches DISMISSED FOR FIGHTING will be banned from further tournament participation. Teams will be held responsible for adhering to this rule. Any team playing a dismissed player in violation of this rule will be disqualified from the tournament and all matches played by the team will be ruled to have been a forfeit.
THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE THE PARTICIPATION OF ANY TEAM IN THE TOURNAMENT IF THE BEHAVIOR OF THE PLAYERS, COACHES AND SPECTATORS CREATES AN ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH A MATCH OR MATCHES CANNOT BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE SPIRIT AND LETTER OF THE LAWS.
Any player receiving two cautions, whether those cautions be in the same or different matches during the tournament will be sent off and may not play the next regularly scheduled match whether that match be on the same day or the next day of the tournament. If any player is sent-off the field of play (dismissed/red carded) by a referee for any reason other than fighting, that player is ineligible to participate in the remainder of that match and may not participate in the next match. Referees are instructed to record the player’s name, number, team and reason for the caution or send-off and present the information to the tournament director. All cards issued will be reported to the team’s appropriate league and state association.
4) START AND DURATION OF PLAY
All teams must be prepared to start its matches on time. If a team is not on the
field of play and ready to start a match within five (5) minutes after the scheduled
time, the match shall be deemed a forfeit. A forfeit shall be recorded as a 1-0 win
in favor of the opposing team.
All matches in the qualification round will consist of twenty (20) minutes of
playing time. There will be no half time; however the referee may allow the teams
to change ends of the field at a stoppage of play at approximately the ten (10)
minute mark of the game if he feels there is an advantage due to wind, rain, field
conditions, etc.
All matches in the championship round will consist of forty (40) minutes of playing time divided into two (2) twenty (20) minute halves with a five- (5) minute half-time.
The official match time will be kept on the field by the referee. The match time will be kept on a running clock.
5) SUBSTITUTION
There shall be unlimited substitution with the permission ofthe referee at the following times:
A. Possession on a throw in.
B. Either team goal kick.
C. Either team scores a goal.
D. At the beginning of the second half.
E. In case of an injury, substitution for the injured player is permitted but not required; the opposingteam may also substitute one player if the injured player is substituted for.
F. If a player receives a dismissal (red card), that player must leave the field of play. The team may not substitute for them at any time during that match. The team may field a full team in its next scheduled match.
G. All substitutions must enter the playing field from the halfway line with the permission of the referee. The referee may disallow a request for substitution if, in the referee’s judgment, that request is intended to delay the play of the game.
6) PRE GAME ACTIVITY
Team captains must report to the field marshal at least 15 minutes before the start of the game. The home team is listed first on the qualification round schedule and listed as the top team in the brackets on the championship round. Home team is responsible for changing jerseys if there is color conflict with the visiting team. Teams may warm up in practice areas away from the playing fields. There will be no warm up on the field between games.
7) START OF PLAY
Regardless of weather conditions players and coaches must be on the field at the scheduled playing time, ready to play. Forfeits will be awarded if play has not started within five (5) minutes of starting time as determined by thereferee; a minimum of 7 players (U-13 and up) or 5 players (U-9 through U12) must be prepared to play before a team will be allowed to start a match. A forfeited match will be recorded as a 1-0 score. The tournament director may modify a scheduled start time for any match or reduce scheduled match length prior to the start of the match; all such matches will be considered to be official. Only a referee may restart a match already stopped due to weather conditions, all such matches which have been played for a minimum of 50% of the scheduled match time will be considered official. Matches not considered official would be replayed in their entirety when rescheduled.
8) NUMBER OF PLAYERS AND GAME BALL SIZE
A. U-09 through U-12 age groups will play 8v8 (including the keeper).
Maximum roster (14)
B. U-12 through U-14 age groups will play 11v11 (including the keeper).
Maximum roster (18)
C. U-09 through U-12 age groups will use a #4 ball.
U13 & U14 age groups will use a #5 ball.
D. A player may play for one team and one team only during the tournament.
E. Each U-09 to U-12 8v8 teams are allowed two guest players. Each U-12 to U-14 11v11 teams are allowed three guest players.
9) PROTESTS
No protests will be entertained concerning the interpretation of the Laws of the Game by a referee.
10) SCORE REPORTING
The field marshal will fill out a game report for each game played. The report will include game related information as required by the tournament committee. The field marshal will give the referee the game report information. The referee will record all game related information such as goals scored, cautions, and dismissals. At the conclusion of each match, the field marshal will collect the game report after the referee and both coaches have signed it. The field marshal will verify the information on the game report and then relay the match results to the site coordinator. If’ there is a question on the score of a match, the coach and coach only, can contact the site coordinator. The site coordinator will take whatever action may be necessary to verify the score.
11) DRAWN MATCHES
A. There will be no overtime periods for drawn matches (matches with tie scores at
the end of regulation play) in any of the three qualification games or any of the
championship rounds.
B. Drawn matches in the qualification round, (20 minute games) will not have a
shootout. They will end as a tie.
C. Drawn matches in the championship round, (40-minute games); the winner will
be determined by the Shootout.
12) TIEBREAKER PROCEDURE/THE SHOOTOUT
Championship round games which are tied at the end of regulation play will go directly into a SHOOTOUT, involving players on each team challenging the opposing goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation.
Each team will then have five chances in alternate order, with the home team kicking first. The shooters will start with the ball 35 yards (U12 and older) or 25 yards (U9 – U11), from the goal and will have, at the one referee’s whistle, five seconds in which to get the shot off. The ball does not have to cross the goal line within those five seconds. The goalkeepers have no movement restrictions within the five-second period in accordance with normal rules of play. However, the goalkeeper must start each shootout attempt on his goal line.
The kicks shall end when one team has achieved an insurmountable advantage, such as scoring on its first three kicks while their opponents miss their first three. If the teams remained tied after the prescribed five attempts, they shall continue to take alternate single kicks until one team has scored more than the other team after an equal number of attempts. The remaining players on the field must be used as kickers until all players have taken a shot. After all players on the field have taken a shot the rotation starts over with the players on the field. Only players in the game at the end of the match shall be eligible to take such kicks. Any of those players may be the goalkeeper. Goalkeepers must take their turn to kick. No player shall take a second kick until 11 kicks (for 11v11 age groups and up) or 8 kicks (for 8v8 age groups) have been taken. The shooter is not allowed to play rebounds off the goalkeeper, crossbar, or goal posts, i.e., the shooter receives only one shot within the five seconds. If the goalkeeper handles the ball outside the penalty box, or fouls the shooter, a penalty kick will be awarded.
Coaches may be on the field but may not coach their players or shout instructions when they are taking the shot.
13) QUALIFICATION ROUND PLAY/SEEDING FOR CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
All teams participating in the qualification round of play will be guaranteed a minimum of three (3) mini-games. At the end of each game the winning and losing teams will be awarded game points based on the following criteria:
A. Regulation win = 3 game points
B. Drawn Match (both teams scoring i.e. 1-1) = 2 game points
C. Drawn Match (neither team scoring i.e. 0-0) = 1 game point
D. Regulation loss = 0 game points
At the conclusion of all qualification matches in an age group the game points will be totaled. The team with the highest game points will be seeded in the highest position. The team with the next highest game points will be seeded in the next position. This will continue until all teams have been seeded. Should two teams have the same number of game points; tiebreakers as specified in 14 will take effect.
14) TIEBREAKERS FOR SEEDING
The tiebreakers used in determining the seeding into the championship round
will be as follows:
A. Bonus points will be added or subtracted based on a +(-) goal differential. The
differential will be the difference between the goals scored and goals allowed by
each team in regulation play with the maximum differential points allowed for a
single match being +(-) 4. The +(-) difference will be summed. The team with
the highest number of differential points will be seeded in the higher position.
B. If two or more teams have the same number of differential points, the team that
has allowed the fewest goals in the qualification round of play will be seeded in
the higher position.
C. If after (B) above two or more teams have the same number of goals allowed,
then the team that has scored the highest number of goals in the qualification
round shall be seeded the higher position.
D. If after (C) above, two or more teams have the same number of goals scored,
the higher seed shall be determined by the winner of a coin toss.
15) CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND OF PLAY
After all the teams in each age group have been ranked according to the seeding procedure, the teams will be divided into eight team divisions. The teams will start the series of elimination championship games on Saturday afternoon. The four winning teams will advance into the winners’ bracket and the four losing teams will move into the losers’ bracket. In Sunday’s Championship Round’s elimination format; one team will advance from the losers’ bracket to challenge the team from the winners’ bracket for the division championship.
16) DISCLAIMER
The tournament director, members of the tournament committee, the host soccer club and its members, and board of directors, any participating associations colleges, advertisers, school districts and recreation departments and related municipalities will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by any team, player or spectator nor will they be held liable for any injury of any player, coach or spectator that may result from the participation in, or travel to and from the tournament.
The tournament director reserves the right to decide on all matters pertaining to the conduct and administration of the tournament and their judgment shall be deemed as final even if it is contrary to the rules and regulations as set forth above.
TOURNAMENT CANCELLATION
Regardless of weather conditions, coaches and their teams must appear on the field of play as scheduled, ready to play unless notified by a member of the Tournament Committee. Failure to appear will result in the forfeiture of the match. In the event the Tournament Committee due to inclement weather cancels a match, a recorded message will appear on the HMMS tournament line. The number is 717-763-0788. If no message appears, then the match will be played. In the event of inclement weather, the Tournament committee will have the authority to change games as follows:
- Inclement weather prior to a match - Referees and /or the Tournament Committee may reduce the length of a match, and subsequent matches by 50%; however, the halves of the match must be of equal duration. If a match is canceled, the Tournament Committee will award a 0-0 tie.
- Inclement weather prior to a match - Championship - If the Championship Round cannot begin, a shoot-out will take place to determine the winner. If a shoot-out cannot take place, the match will be decided by a toss of the coin conducted by a Tournament Official.
- Inclement weather during the match - Championship - The match will be considered completed and the score will stand if 20 minutes of the match have been completed. If a tie exists at the stoppage of play, a shoot-out will take place to determine the winner. If the shoot-out cannot take place, the match will be decided by toss of the coin conducted by a Tournament Official.
In the event of inclement weather or any other Act of God, which would prevent the commencement of the tournament or the continuation of the tournament, once started, the tournament will be canceled. The Tournament Director, Committee, or the HMMS Youth Soccer Association will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by any team, club, or family if the tournament is canceled in whole or part, nor will any refunds be made. The Tournament Committee reserves the right to decide all matters pertaining to the tournament and its judgment is final.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND PETS
The use and presence of alcoholic beverages is prohibited near at all game sites, including parking areas. Pets are not permitted on or near any field.
