Tournament Rules

Houston Easter Invitational 2010

ROUND ROBIN QUALIFYING GAMES

SCORING SYSTEM

· 6 points for a win

· 3 points for a tie

· 0 points for a loss

· 1 bonus point per goal (3 max)

· 1 bonus point for shutout

· A forfeit is scored 1-0 and counts as 8 qualifying points

GAME LENGTHS

· Halftimes will be 5 minutes for all age groups

TIE-BREAKERS

Ties in qualifying games will not be broken. The following criteria will be used in the order listed below to break ties between teams that finish regular play with an equal number of qualifying points:

1. Results of Head-to-Head competition;

2. Goal Difference (total goals for minus total goals against; NO LIMIT on goals scored or allowed per game);

3. Total Goals Scored (total goals for; NO LIMIT on goals scored per game);

4. Ties between teams when only 1 team advances: FIFA shootout

5. Ties between teams when both teams advance (for seeding purposes): Coin flip with representatives of both teams present

FORFEITS

· Any team forfeiting a game after 12 Noon Friday will not be eligible for advancement to playoffs and all previous game points will not count towards group standings.

PLAYOFF (ADVANCEMENT) GAMES

TIE-BREAKERS

· Semifinals: FIFA shootout; no overtimes

· Finals: 2 regulation overtime periods for the age group with no "Golden Goal"; if still tied at the end of 2nd OT, FIFA shootout

· Participation in penalty kicks: Only players on the field at the end of regulation time, or a 2nd overtime period, may participate in the taking of penalty kicks. Players on the field at the end of regulation/2nd OT must remain on the field. All other players, spectators, etc. must remain on the sidelines. Only the coach may enter the field to join the team, with referee permission.

ROSTER LIMITS

· U9 – U11: 13 players

· U12 (8v8): 14 players

· U13 – U15: 18 players

· U16 – U18: 22 players

PLAYERS REQUIRED/SUBSTITUTIONS/WATER BREAKS

PLAYERS REQUIRED

· 11-a-side games: 7 players

· 8-a-side games: 6 players

· The above number of players is required to start and finish a game

SUBSTITUTIONS

· Substitutions must have referee permission in ALL cases

· USSF substitution rules apply, as modified by USYSA

· Substitutions for BOTH TEAMS allowed:

1. on goal kicks

2. after a goal

3. at halftime

· Substitutions for ONE TEAM allowed:

1. on throw-ins by possession team only

2. on stoppage due to injured player (injured player only)

3. For yellow cards (player who received card ONLY).

WATER BREAKS

· Water breaks may be taken during the play of all games

· Referee and both coaches should agree prior to a game on when and how long water breaks should be

· Water breaks will only be allowed with the referee's permission

· The clock WILL NOT STOP during a water break

GAME ARRIVAL AND STARTING TIMES

ARRIVAL TIMES

· Teams must be at their assigned field 15 minutes before scheduled game time

· Teams must be ready for inspection by referee and/or field commissioner

STARTING TIMES

· All games START at the time shown on the schedule

· NO GRACE PERIODS will be allowed

UNIFORMS

NUMBERS AND COLORS

· All players shall wear numbered jerseys, shorts and socks of like color which distinguish them from the opposing team and the referee

ALTERNATE JERSEYS

· Each team must have an alternate color jersey in case of color conflict

· The first team listed on the schedule is the home team and must change jersey colors if deemed necessary by the referee

PLAYER JERSEY NUMBERS

· Player numbers (for both uniforms) must be on the final roster submitted at team check-in. Players must wear their assigned jersey number in all games.

· Changes in player jersey number must be reported to the referee prior to the start of each game; no number changes will be allowed after a game has started.

HOME TEAM RIGHTS/RESPONSIBILITIES -- All Games

· Home team (1st team listed in a pairing or top team in a playoff tree) must provide the game ball for all games

· Home team has 1st choice of side of the playing field for their team.

TEAM SUPPORTERS

· Team supporters must be located on the opposite side of the field and must not go to the team side at any time during the game.

SCHEDULES AND SCORE REPORTING

SCHEDULES

· The game schedule is final as published and no changes will be permitted without the consent of the Tournament Board of Directors

SCORE REPORTING

· The referee will be responsible for providing all game reports.

· Referees and tournament officials are free to check player cards prior to and at any time during a game.

· Games will not start without an official game report.

· The referee (AR) must bring the official game report to the score-keeping tent within 1 hour of game completion

· Game reports must be signed by both coaches.

DISCIPLINE

RED CARDS

· Player receiving a red card is banned from the game in which it was received and the following game (1 game suspension)

· 2nd red card to the same player results in that player's suspension from the tournament

YELLOW CARDS

· Player accumulating 2 yellow cards is suspended for the next game (1 game suspension)

· A player accumulating 1 red card plus 2 yellow cards will be suspended from the tournament

APPLICATION

· Above disciplinary rules apply to tournament games only, but

cases of serious misconduct will be reported to a player or team's governing association for follow-up action

REPORTING

· Referees are required to report all disciplinary actions taken before, during and after the game, on the official game report

· All cases of serious misconduct must be reported immediately following the game during which the serious misconduct occurred

PROTESTS

· All referee decisions are final during the course of a game and

protests will NOT be allowed

RAINOUTS

· The Tournament Directors have the final decision over field conditions and game cancellations

· In case of rainouts, games will be rescheduled if possible within tournament time constraints

OFFICIAL GAME LENGTH

· A full half of a game must be played to completion to be considered a complete or an official game

REGISTRATION

· Check-in will be available Thursday (April 1, 2010) from 6pm - 9pm at Bear Creek Park near the concessions. Out-of-town teams may check in at the main tent at least one hour prior to their first game on Friday morning but no later than 11am.

· Each player must have a current signed and laminated player ID card (USYSA/STYSA) available for inspection by tournament officials at the site of each game in which the player participates

· International teams must have a valid passport for each player

· Each player must have a signed (parent or guardian if under 18) medical release

· ALL players must be on your Got Soccer registration roster to be eligible to play

· GUEST PLAYERS – there are no limits on guest player, although all players need to be added to the team’s Got Soccer registration roster to be eligible to play

· GOLD flight teams need to be more competitive teams (i.e. Super II & Div I)

· SILVER flight teams need to be less competitive (i.e. DII & DIII)

· U9 and U10 RECREATIONAL teams should play in the Silver bracket

· U9 and U10 ACADEMY teams should play in the Gold bracket

INSURANCE/OTHER REQUIREMENTS

· The wearing of hard casts, whether padded or not, will not be permitted in tournament games...NO EXCEPTIONS

REFUND POLICY

A team withdrawing from the tournament after being accepted shall forfeit its entry fee. In the event of inclement weather, the Tournament Committee has the authority to restructure or cancel the tournament. It will not be rescheduled for another date and no refunds will be issued once play has begun. If the tournament is cancelled prior to the start of play, a refund less expenses will be distributed.

COMPLAINT POLICY

All complaints must undergo a 24 hour waiting period before being submitted to the Headquarters Tent. Complaints must be registered in writing and include the following:

• Date and time of occurrence
• Detailed description
• Player # and team name
• Coach's signature

BRACKET FORMATS

There is no quarter final or semi final games in this tournament. Below will explain each how the finals will be determined based on the bracket size:

• Bracket of 4: Played as a single group of four teams in a round-robin format, the two teams accumulating the highest points will play a final game for the championship.
• Bracket of 6: Played as two groups of three teams. Each team will cross over and play the three teams in the other group. The two teams accumulating the most points from all six teams will play a final game to determine which team is the champion.
• Bracket of 8: Played as two groups of four. The winner of each round-robin group will play a final game to determine which team will be champion.