Adult Women & Coed Summer 8 v 8 Soccer Rules
Updated 5/22/17

Genesee Fieldhouse Adult Soccer Leagues intend to follow the rules set forth by the USSF (FIFA), with the following stipulations.

A. Registering Your Team

1. As the Team Captain, this is your organization and you are responsible for this team and its’ conduct. You will be the contact person for all phone calls, schedules, and rules situations. As the main person, you will need to register the team either online, in person, or over the phone.
2. A team is considered registered once all contact information is received, registration form signed, as well as a deposit is paid.
3. A credit/debit card is required at the time of registration to be held on file. If a team does not have a credit/debit card to be put on file the team will need at minimum 50% of the total team fee paid at the time of registration.
4. This is a team fee, and thus every team member is responsible for the team total. If you do not want your credit card that is securely filed with us to be charged, the balance must be paid in its entirety prior to the 2nd game, or face a $50 late fee or removal from the schedule with all payments forfeited.
5. Rosters, with photo identification will be required for each player participating on your team. If you are playing at an outdoor venue we will take a picture of each player’s identification to complete the roster process. Genesee Fieldhouse will be developing the rosters based on this photo identification. Random referee checks of the roster will be conducted throughout the season.

B. Eligibility (The following rules have been brought ot our attention and we want to make sure that all rosters are properly managed)

1. Prior to taking the field, all players must completely fill out and sign the Team Waiver/Roster Form and provide photo identification. A player is assigned to your team once this process is completed.
2. A player must turn 18 years old prior to the first contest. If a player does not have a photo ID at their first game, this player will not be allowed to participate until photo identification is provided.
3. Divisioning There may be two or three divisions in 8 v 8 Adult Soccer League(s). An age appropriate player can play on two or more teams if he/she decides. However, this player cannot play on two teams within the same division. A rostered player competing for two teams within the same division will cause both teams to forfeit any and all games this player participated in. At this point after all forfeits are given, GFH will speak with each team captain to render a decision. Do not ask for the forfeits to be overturned. We are not the ones that broke the rules.
4. Maximum Roster Limit is 16 players and rosters are final at the beginning of the 3rd game. If your team has injuries, players may be added to your roster for an additional $25 registration fee per player to be paid before they take the field and subject to league administrator approval and the player having completed the team’s waiver/roster form and photo ID process.
5. No players may be added once play-offs begin. If at any time during the season you, as the Team Captain decide you would like to add a player to your roster and it is at the maximum amount, you will need to cross off a player, and pay the $25.00 transaction fee.
Roster Example: Your team registers at the Maximum Roster Limit of 16 players, and after the 1st game one of your players is injured. Your team now has 15 functional players, but your roster is still at its maximum of 16. You can add a player for the injured party for a fee of $25.00. The injured player can rejoin your team for a $25.00 transaction fee and take the roster spot of someone else on your team. Regardless, you can only have 16 players on your roster at the time of the game. If you want to use a player just for one game, that player will have to pay the $25.00 transaction fee, and when his/her time is completed, you can rotate another player into that spot for an additional $25.00 transaction fee to get your roster up to the maximum allowable roster limit.
6. Any players removed from a roster will not be allowed to switch to a different team. This rule is to protect you, the team captain. This scenario usually occurs due to players deciding to not show up. However, once assigned to your roster, they are assigned to your team for the entire season.

C. Game Day Procedures

1. Referees will identify the team captain for each team prior to the start of the game(s). Teams will use opposite touch lines for their bench area and will switch ends/direction at halftime.
2. Minimum number of players required for a game to go forward in all 8 v 8 soccer league matches is 6 players. In coed, your team must have one female player. The referees are allowed to delay the game by 5 minutes past the listed start time, at which point the clock must begin. If these minimums are not reached by one or both teams the game will be recorded as a 1-0 forfeit. The refs will be pulled from the field and the players may play a non-league scrimmage without supervision of officials. Forfeited games will not be made up.

D. General Gameplay Rules and Amendments

1. Substitutions will be “on the fly” from the center line and unlimited for all women’s and coed leagues.
2. The offside rule will not be enforced in any of the 8v8 adult league sessions. Instead, the poaching rule will be enforced. Poaching is defined as any pass coming from inside the top of the defensive 18 yard line extended to each touch line to a teammate with a first touch inside the top of the offensive penalty box line extended.
3. Coed leagues must have at least 3 women on the field for 8v8. A coed team may play with less women than the rule states only if a.) There is no healthy female teammate available on the bench AND b.) the team is playing down a player. A coed team may “play down” up to 2 players. There can be no more than 5 male players on the field in coed; there is no limit on the number of females.
4. There is no “premium” for female goals scored in coed.
5. If two teams have similar uniform colors, the home team (team listed 1st on the schedule) is responsible for changing their shirt color. Teams must bring alternate jerseys to games when listed as the home team.
6. All league games are running clock with two 30 minute halves. Extra time may be added in accordance with FIFA law 7 at the referee’s discretion.
7. If an object enters the field of play (another ball, person,etc.) that in the opinion of the referee results in an unfair advantage for one of the teams, play will be stopped & restarted from the point where the interruption began with a drop ball kick.
8. In all adult 8 v 8 league games, the goalkeeper is not allowed to punt or drop kick the ball past the center line. The keeper may throw the ball past the center line. If the keeper does punt or drop kick the ball past the center line, the result will be an indirect kick from the center line for the opposing team. There is no restriction on a goal kick from the goal box in 8V8 format (except poaching rule).
9. Kickoffs and corner kicks for 8V8 adult games will be indirect.
10. All free kicks outside the penalty box area in 8V8 adult league games will be indirect (2 touch).
11. The “buffer zone” for all free kicks between the kicker and defenders will be 8 yards rather than 10 for all other games.
12. Goalkeepers may NOT use their hands on ANY ball kicked or thrown directly on a throw-in into the penalty box area by a teammate.
13. No slide tackles are allowed in 8V8 adult games. The keeper will be exempt from this rule only if they slide and attempt to make a “save” on the ball. “Cleats up” is unacceptable from all players. Sliding for a ball that is going out of bounds is acceptable as long as there are no opposing players within 3 yards; ie, going after a ball last touched by your player or teammate and not sliding after a ball to steal from an opposing player.
14. Any kicked or thrown ball that touches any of the netting along the side of the playing surface, or the top of the dome, will result in a loss of possession at the closest corresponding point on the field as determined by the referee, but always outside and to the side of the penalty box, and if a free kick is awarded it will be indirect.
15. Any game may be ended early by the referees or GFH Staff for fighting, verbal abuse/threats and non-verbal (spitting for example), team spectator issues or foreseeable escalation in style of play. If a play-off game is ended early for fighting, verbal and non-verbal (spitting) abuse/threats, team supporter problems, and a tie game results, both teams will be eliminated from future participation during playoffs. The aforementioned rules will be in place in and around the competition area, before, during and after a game. Team Captains – it is up to you to control your spectators and players. It is not the job of the referee to control your team. Any retaliatory action will be considered an offense regardless of the actions leading up to the event.

E. Cards and Suspensions

1. All yellow and red cards will be reviewed by the Genesee Fieldhouse league administrators on a per case basis.
2. Anyone that is issued a red card is immediately ejected from the game & may receive an additional one game suspension. If the red card is issued for a “serious foul”, “abusive language,” or “violent conduct,” they will be suspended for two games or more. Anyone that receives 2 yellows or a straight red card at any game MUST LEAVE the competition area in a timely manner when asked to do so (The team captain will have 2 minutes to get them to comply or that team will forfeit the game). Team captains must give carded players’ names to the referee.
3. Any player who compiles three yellow cards in the same session will be suspended 1 game and may be subject to further sanctions.
4. A 2nd red card in a session will result in at least a 2 game suspension or more.
5. If a player receives a red card or a 2nd yellow card in the same game, that player’s team will play short the rest of the game. A player that receives a yellow card must sit out for 5 minutes before reentering the game (substitution allowed).
6. Suspended individual(s) are allowed to attend game(s) for which they are suspended, but cannot play. Any problems, distractions, or issues that occur involving a suspended player will cause their team to forfeit and the player to receive additional sanctions.
7. A referee’s judgment call made on the field will stand and cannot be protested! 
8. If one of your team members is required to sit out a game or multiple games, these suspensions are not chosen by you of when a player must sit. The player is suspended for the next game(s) listed on the schedules.

F. Injuries and Emergencies

1. For any major injury please use a cell phone to call for proper medical attention. Genesee Fieldhouse is not responsible for any injuries that may occur during a sporting event. Teams should keep a first aid kit on hand for any games played outside. Genesee Fieldhouse will not be responsible for supplying first aid products at the outdoor venue.
2. Any injury must be reported to us in detail the day of the occurrence so that an accurate incident report may be written.

G. Inclement Weather Policy (for outdoor games)

1.An outdoor game MUST be stopped in the event of thunder, lightning, tornado warning or similar extreme dangerous weather conditions per MHSAA Rules.
2. In the event of lightning or thunder, the game cannot be resumed until there is no lightning or thunder for at least 30 consecutive minutes.
3. A tornado warning will result in the immediate suspension of play.
4. If any game has completed at least the 1st half when play is suspended due to weather and it is determined that the game cannot continue, the score at the time the game is stopped will stand as the final score and the game as a completed game. If the game is stopped at any point prior to the end of the 1st half, and the game cannot continue that day, then a make-up half (30 minutes) will be added to the schedule, which will be combined with the game results accrued up to the point the game had to be suspended in order to determine the final outcome. All prior rulings (cards, suspensions, etc.) and any scoring will carry over to the rescheduled 2nd half of the game.
5. Note: Genesee Fieldhouse will attempt to make any reschedules convenient for both teams. However, it may be necessary to reschedule on a different day of the week, time, or venue than the original scheduled game.

H.  Summer League Playoffs & Champion Awards

1. The regular league schedule is used to determine the play-off seedings. Teams will receive 3 points for a win and 1 point for a tie.
2. There may be a number of league games scheduled where a team plays vs. a team from another division. Only games played vs. teams in the same division will apply toward determining a team’s playoff seeding and the regular season team champion.
3. If there are at least 4 teams in each division, then there will be an independent playoff schedule for both divisions. In this case, the over-all summer league playoff champion of both divisions will win the league trophy and a $100 team voucher good toward any Genesee Fieldhouse winter league session. The regular season team champion will also will also receive a $100 team voucher good for any winter league session. Vouchers may only be redeemed in the same category of winter league (i.e. coed voucher for coed league).
4. If 2 or more teams are tied, the following tie breakers will be used:
    - Winner of head to head competition
    - Least goals allowed
    - Largest positive goal differential
    - Most goals scored
    - Coin toss
5. In the event of a tie score in a playoff game at the end of regulation play, the following resolution will be used:
The two teams will play up to an additional 10 minutes under “golden goal” rules. If a team scores a valid goal as determined by the referees, the game will be over and the scoring team is the winner. If after the 10 minute extra period the score remains tied, then the standard 5 (different) man shootout will be used. If after this process the score is still tied, a sudden death shootout will be used. Each team will choose 1 player to shoot, and this will be considered a “round”. As many rounds needed will be used until 1 team makes and the other team misses. During sudden death a different player will shoot in each round until all players (goalie on field may be exempt) have been used.

I.  Facility Rules

1. Any player or spectator that consumes alcohol before an athletic activity will not be allowed to play or enter the dome or be in the outdoor “competition area” as determined by a referee or league administrator. SMOKING is NOT allowed inside the facility. Also, be aware that alcohol, smoking, and other items may be prohibited at some or all of the outside venues rented for use by the league. Facility rules at all venues must be observed.
2. Teams on the field are responsible for the field equipment. If you or your team members break, ruin, destroy any field equipment at Genesee Fieldhouse or at any outdoor venue GFH rented, you will be responsible for purchasing/repairing/reimbursing Genesee Fieldhouse for any expenses incurred.

THESE RULES WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORED! Genesee Fieldhouse reserves the right to change or modify any league rule at any time in the best interests of our customers. In the event of a rules change, this information will be provided to all team captains & will be posted on our website www.geneseefieldhouse.com