11-on-11 Outdoor Soccer Rules – DC

SUMMARY

• 11 players on the field maximum
• 8 players required to start a game
• Full field with a goalie and regulation sized goals
• All games are RAIN or SHINE (unless dangerous conditions)
• Two 23-minuterunning halves with 2 minute half time
• Off sides is applied
• Slide tackles are illegal
• All free kicks are direct except on goalie pass back violation (indirect) and players must wait for a ref whistle or gesture
• Unsportsmanlike behavior can result in that player/team being suspended/removed from participating in all ZogSports leagues
• Game time is forfeit time

FORFEITS/GAME TIME

Please don’t forfeit. Your teammates and opponents count on you to have a full team and competitive game. Each team must have at least 8 players to start a game. Game time is forfeit time. Due to the extremely tight schedule, we strongly suggest arriving at the field a few minutes before game time for stretching, changing, etc. since the games must start on time to complete the game.

FORFEIT PENALTIES

• First Offense: Loss of game, loss of point in the standings and warning issued
• Second Offense: Loss of game, loss of point in the standings and removal from the playoffs
• Third Offense: Removal from the rest of the schedule and future ZogSports soccer leagues

CLOCK/TIME

Two 23-minute running halves with 2 minute half time. The clock stops only for official’s time-outs and injuries. Any delay tactics, such as kicking the ball far out of bounds, will enable the referee (at his/her discretion) to stop the clock.

TEAM ROSTER & GAME TIME ROSTER RULES

• 11 players at any one time – includes the goalie
• Teams may play with no less than 8 players. If a team has less than 8 players, a forfeit will be awarded. Teams MUST start at game time if the minimum numbers of players is present
• Full teams are allowed to edit their roster up until the midway point of the regular season. If you are short-handed during the season you may pick up another ZogSports player(s) not on your roster for the game. Waivers must be signed by all players and handed in before the start of the first game.

 PLAYERS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY GAME WITHOUT SIGNING THE WAIVER

PICKING UP PLAYERS

Since occasionally teams may be short players and ZogSports wants everyone to be able to play every game possible, we permit teams to pick up non-roster, ZogSports players for your game.

Game is an official forfeit when one team has:

• Fewer than 8 roster players show up

*Teams can never pick up players to have subs.

If both teams show up with an equal number of 8 or 9 players, teams are both to play with that number of players. Players may be picked up IF AND ONLY IF BOTH captains agree prior to the game to pick up an equal number of players (not exceeding 2).

Teams can never pick-up non-ZogSports players. DURING THE PLAYOFFS, ONLY PLAYERS ON YOUR ROSTER ARE ALLOWED TO PLAY.

Roster player arrives after the game has started

• Non-roster player must be replaced by the roster player
• Non-roster player may not re-enter the game

Protests in regards to non-roster players must be made to referee or field manager before the game begins. If a player arrives late a challenge must be made to that player before they start playing. Teams can only challenge specific players.

UNIFORMS/FOOTWEAR

• Team shirts provided by ZogSports
• If players do not have shirt with them, ZogSports suggests wearing similar colors to rest of team
• SHIN GUARDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED!
• Molded cleats – allowed
• Metal cleats – NOT allowed

SOCCER RULES

Referees will have a copy of the rules with them at the field. If you have any questions regarding a call that was made (which is rule-based), please ask the referee to refer to the rules if there is a disagreement. We also recommend that each team bring their own copy of the rules just in case. Only captains can discuss a rule with the referee and no judgment calls will be discussed. Players will be ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct.

START OF PLAY

• The referee will have the two captains shoot odds/evens or rock/paper/scissors. The winning captain will have the option of choosing sides or taking the kick-off
• A game is started by a kick-off in any direction from the center mark
• The opposition must be 10 yards from the ball when the kick-off begins
• A goal CAN be scored directly from the kick-off
• In the second half, teams change directions and possession

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Unlimited substitutions of players are permitted
• Any player with an open cut or wound must come off the field to bandage it up and receive treatment before re-entering the game.

OFFSIDE

• Normal off sides rules apply: An attacking player cannot be behind the second to last opponent in the offensive side of the field before the ball.

GOALIES

• The goalkeeper may use their hands anywhere inside the goal area
• Goalkeeper has 6 seconds to release the ball once picked up in the goal area
• Once the goalkeeper has released control of the ball, they cannot touch it again with their hands until it has been touched by an opponent
• Goalkeepers can punt/drop kick the ball
• The goalkeeper can handle a pass only when it is delivered by a header or off the passer’s chest, or the pass is deemed accidental. If they picked up or touched the ball with their hand in any way when their teammate has kicked it to them, then it is ruled a back-pass and a free-kick is given.

CARDS/MAJOR INFRACTIONS

The following are fouls or misconducts and can result in penalties depending on the level of aggressiveness or danger of the foul committed:

Yellow Card

• Swearing, gesturing at, or arguing with any player
• Arguing with the referee
• An intentional (in the eyes of the referee) kick, trip, jump at, strike, hold, push, or charge from behind or violently charge an opponent
• Slide tackling
• If a player receives a yellow card (warning) for any reason, he/she will be required to sit out of the game for four minutes.  The team will not be able to substitute a player for the yellow card recipient.  The referee will let the player/team know when the four minute “penalty” has expired.
• If a player receives two yellow cards in one game, they will be ejected and their team will need to play one player short for the remainder of the game.
• Yellow cards will carry over within the same day in the case of playoffs. If in a 2nd or 3rd game of a day a player receives a 2nd yellow card, they will be removed for the rest of the day but the team will not have to play down a player.
• If a player accumulates 3 yellow cards in a season, they will be required to sit out one match. Yellow cards reset at the start of playoffs. 

Red Card

• Fighting, swearing, gesturing at or excessive arguing with the referee
• Two yellow card violations
• Multiple instances of excessively dangerous play as deemed by the referee
• If a player receives a red card for any reason, they will be ejected and their team will need to play one player short for the remainder of the game. The player may also be ejected from his/her next scheduled game.

FREE KICKS

Direct Kick

• All fouls are direct kicks with the exception of a pass back picked up by the goalkeeper
• The direct free kick is one where a goal can be scored without another player touching the ball.
• Direct kicks will be taken from the spot of the foul with the exception of a foul in the goal box which would result in a penalty kick.

Indirect Kick

• Goalie Pass Back violation will result in an indirect free kick
• The indirect free kick is a kick where a goal cannot be scored unless the ball is touched by another player (any player, teammate or opposition) before entering the goal.
• The indirect kick will be taken from the spot where the ball was initially passed back from.

*All free kicks – The kicking team must wait for the referee to signal that the ball is back in play. All players must be 10 yards or more from the spot of the ball.

Penalty Kick

• If any offenses occur within a team’s own goal area, a penalty kick will be awarded.
• The kick shall be taken from the penalty line (12 yards out)
• All players other than the goalkeeper must stand behind the kicker while the kick is taken
• Players may not advance past the kicker until the ball has been struck

BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY

Corner Kick

• When the entire ball passes over the goal line and was last touched by a player from the defending team
• The offensive team will put the ball back in play, when signaled to by the referee, from the corner of the field nearest to where the ball went out
• Opposing players must be at least 10 yards from the ball
• A corner kick is a direct kick. The offensive team can score without anyone else touching the ball

Goal Kick

• When the entire ball passes over the goal line and was last touched by a player from the offending team
• The defending team will put the ball back in play when signaled to by the referee
• Goal kicks must be taken from any spot on or within the goal box
• Opponents must clear the goal area
• A goal kick is a direct kick. The offensive team can score without anyone else touching the ball

Throw-Ins

• When the entire ball passes out of the field of play along the sideline a throw-in is awarded to the opposition of the team of the player who last played or touched the ball
• The ball is thrown in from the spot where the ball left the field of play
• The player throwing in the ball must have both feet touching the ground outside the field of play
• Ball must be delivered with both hands from behind and over his/her head into the field of play
• If there is an illegal throw, possession will be passed to the opposing team who will put the ball in play via throw-in
• A throw-in which goes directly into an opponent’s goal without touching any player on the field will be disallowed
• Throw will be re-taken

SCORING

• The ball must completely cross the goal line to be considered a goal
• If any part of the ball is touching the goal line, no goal will be allowed
• For balls in the air, the entire ball must have crossed the imaginary plane of a goal line to be allowed including if part of the ball hit off one or more posts

REFEREEING

• ZS will provide two referees for each field to make sure offsides calls are as accurately as possible.

STANDINGS

• The standings for soccer will be based on the following point system:
• Win: 3 points
• Loss: 0 points
• Draw: 1 point
• Unnotified Forfeit: -1 points
• Regular season games ending in a tie score after the end of regulation will be recorded as a draw. Sudden death overtime and penalty kicks (if necessary) will be used in playoffs.

PLAYOFF GAMES

• Playoff games will follow the same format during regulation as the regular season. If teams are tied at the end of regulation in the playoffs, sudden death overtime will be used.

Sudden Death

• One 5 minute period
• Higher seed has the choice of side or possession
• Teams will not switch sides
• If neither team scores after the 5 minute overtime period, teams will go into a shootout

Shootout

• Each team selects 5 players and informs referee of shooters prior to the first shot being taken
• Players do not have to have been playing at the end of regulation
• The goalie may be substituted before the start of penalty kicks.
• Higher seed is allowed to choose to shoot first or second
• Both teams shoot at the same goal
• Teams will alternate taking direct penalty shots from 12 yards out from the goal line (no male/female shooting order is necessary)
• If tied after both teams have had their 5 players shoot, we will move to SUDDEN DEATH (i.e., 1st player from Team A scores and 1st player from Team B misses – Team A wins)
• Players are not eligible to shoot again until all remaining players present have shot
• If and when 1 team begins to utilize players for the second time, the other team may “recycle” players as well regardless of if everyone has shot yet. Thus, some players on the team with more people present may or may not shoot

TIE BREAKERS FOR PLAYOFFS/SEEDINGS

1. Total number of points

2. Head-to-head competition

3. Record against other teams in or tied for playoffs (winning percentage – i.e., 0-1 is same as 0-2, but 1-3 is better than 0-1)

4. Number of wins

5. Record against next best common opponent

6. If team forfeited, loses tie breaker if other tiebreaker rules don’t resolve seeding

7. Coin Toss

WAIVERS

In order to participate in the league, each participant must sign the team waiver. Waivers are provided and must be completed and handed in no later than the first night of play. Players not present the first week of play will still be required to sign a waiver with our staff before participating. Players must sign the waiver in order to be eligible for playoffs.

GAME CANCELLATION

Games may be cancelled due to dangerous weather conditions, facility constraints or other unforeseeable reasons. ZogSports will not cancel games unless absolutely necessary so you should always assume games are on unless you receive an email. If the games are cancelled, ZogSports will post it on the Weather Page of the website (https://play.zogsports.com/weather-alert-hotline) and post an alert on the ZogSports Weather Alert Hotline at (332) 213-9023. ZogSports will email all of the captains to let them know. It is then the captain’s responsibility to inform all teammates of the cancellation.

SPORTSMANSHIP

In ZogSports leagues you are playing for your cause (a charity) and for fun. This is a social league and our goal is to have a good time. We hope that everyone keeps this in mind when playing. We know that some games will become very intense, but you can still be competitive and be a good sport. Thus, any behavior deemed unacceptable by us may result in suspension and/or ejection from a game or the league. Abuse of staff and/or referees will not be tolerated. ZogSports reserves the right to remove a player from a game or a league if we think that they are bringing down the quality of the league. No fighting will be tolerated. Fighting will result in an automatic ejection from any game and in most cases ejection from the league for the rest of the season.

FORFEIT PENALTIES AND NOTIFICATION

Penalties

First Offense: Loss of match (all 3 games) and warning issued

Second Offense: Loss of game and removal from the playoffs

Third Offense: Loss of match and possible removal from the rest of the schedule

Teams will receive -1 in standings for each forfeited game

CODE OF CONDUCT: The Participant’s Code of Conduct applies to all ZogSports participants. You can access the ZogSports Participant’s Code of Conduct HERE.