Henderson County Soccer Association
Playing Rules
Below are the
playing rules for HCSA:
Should these
rules conflict in any way with the North Texas State Soccer Association
(“NTSSA”) bylaws or rules, current or enacted by NTSSA in the future, then the
rules or bylaws of NTSSA shall supersede these rules.
Section I
1.
Playing year-HCSA playing year will be September
1 through August 31 of the current year.
2.
U4,U6 - No scoring shall be maintained (Referees
will not keep score).
Section II
1.
Team Standings-The following point system will
be used to determine a team’s standings for U8, U10, U12, U14, U16:
a. Win 6 pts
b. Draw
3 pts
c. Loss 0 pts
d. 1
pt for each goal scored in a game. Max of 3 pts.
e. Shut
Out Win 1 pt
f. Forfeit-
A forfeit shall result in a 10 point award to the team appearing as scheduled
and no points for the team forfeiting.
g. 4
team yellow cards 1 pt removed from gross pt total
h. 1
red card 2 pts removed from gross pt total
A team playing in a tournament MUST notify the referee
coordinator 2 weeks prior to the date of
the game to be missed or a forfeit shall accrue. The game shall be referred
to the Board for final determination.
2.
Gross season score will be counted at the end of
the season. All points awarded inside HCSA games will only be counted.
3.
All penalty points will also be subtracted from
that total including those awarded outside of HCSA
4.
Team with the highest end of season score will
be eligible for a scheduled championship tournament.
5.
End of season score tie procedure is as follows:
a. Head
to Head competition
b. Minimum
number of goals allowed (Max of 3 per game)
c. Maximum
numbers of goals scored (Max of 3 per game)
d. Coin
toss in a neutral location with reps from teams present and coin provided and
tossed by a neutral party (HCSA board member)
Section III
1.
Equipment Utilization
a. Fields
will be lined and nets and corner flags will be installed in accordance with
rules established or amended each year by HCSA.
b. Home
team will provide game ball.
Section IV
1.
Eligibility
a. Player
Eligibility-To be eligible a player must:
i. Submit
proper registration and have paid applicable fees to HCSA
ii. Not
be under suspension
iii. Fall
within the age limits of the following divisions:
1. U6
2. U8
3. U10
4. U12
5. U14
6. U16
7. U19
iv. Age
determined by birth year by NTX Calendar Year.
v. Players
may play in an older division, but under no circumstance may he or she play in
a younger division.
vi. Players
may change teams only with written permission for the board of directors and
both coaches have agreed to the change and submitted said change in writing.
b. Team
Eligibility-To be eligible a team must:
i. Submit
all required fees and documents to the Secretary/Registrar or other designated
HCSA officer on or before the date set by HCSA
ii. Not
be under suspension
Section V
1.
Forfeits- Grounds for forfeiture are as follows:
a. Fielding
an ineligible player
b. Coach
or designated adult replacement not present with team during game
c. Failure
to field the minimum number of players allowable within 10 minutes of game
time. Game time will be kept by referee. Forfeits will be reported by referee
to standing secretary.
i. Minimum
number of players a team may field without forfeit is as follows:
1. U6 3
2. U8 3
3. U10 5
4. U12
7
5. U14
9
In the event of extreme misconduct or interference after
the referee has cautioned a fan and fan was told to leave the field and fan
refuses to leave the field, the game will be abandoned. All abandoned games will be investigated by the Appeals and Disciplinary
Committee and will be ruled on by the Board of Directors.
Section VI
1.
Violence and Misconduct-As stated in Rule 11 of
NTSSA
Section VII
1.
Protests
a. Team
protesting a game must deliver the protest in writing to the Appeals and
Disciplinary committee within three days after the game. A fee of $100.00 will
accompany the protest. Protests based on the judgment of a referee will not be
considered. If protests are upheld the fee will be refunded and the game
replayed. If protest is disallowed, the decision may be appealed to the Board
of Directors within three days, excluding weekends, of the decision. A fee of
$15.00 fee will accompany the appeal. A decision by the Board of Directors will
be made within 5 days, excluding weekends, to determine the outcome of the game
in question. The $15.00 fee will be deposited with HCSA regardless of the
ruling of the Board. Ruling on appeals by the Board are final. Further appeals
may be made to NTSAA.
Section VIII
1.
Scoring Forms
a. All
scoring forms will be provided by each referee. Each referee will have forms
signed by each coach and will turn them in promptly to the assignor.
Section IX
1.
Fees and Rosters
a. Team
fees and rosters must be submitted to the registrar on or before the date set
by competition requirements of its age group.
b. Roster
Size will fall under the following structure
i. U6 4-8 players
ii. U8 4-8 Players
iii. U10 7-12 players
iv. U12 9-16 players
v. U14 11-18 players
vi. U16 13-22 players
In the case of U12 and above age groups the Association
has the option to change roster sizes in case of the need for small sided
games.
c. Prior
to the beginning of each game, coaches are required to notify the referee of
the number of eligible players present for the game. The following ages must be
matched player to player: U6-U12. U14 and up are not subject to this rule.
d. Coaches
may not recruit players from other teams
e. Changes
made to team rosters must be reported
immediately to the registrar.
f. Releases-A
player may opt to change teams if:
i. All
players and coaches involved consent to the change, The Board of Directors must
approve the change to validate the roster(s) and player eligibility.
ii. A
coach may request to release a player from his roster if the player is guilty
of gross insubordination, willful evasion of practice, and or other infractions.
Incidents of this nature will be reported and acted on by the Appeals and
Disciplinary Committee. Final decision will be made by Board of Directors.
iii. The
change will not violate the roster maximum number as described in this section.
Section X
1.
Team Alignment
a. Players
will return each season to the teams which they are assigned the previous
season provided they meet the requirements for that division in the Spring.
b. Coaches
may have their children assigned to their team provided they meet the
requirement for that division.
c. Siblings
may be placed on the same team provided they meet the requirements for that
division.
d. Teams
will be filled at the beginning of each season as follows:
i. New
players will be assigned at random to existing teams until team rosters are
full, with equal numbers respective to age gender and experience for U12 &
up. When full, selected as a new team and assigned a coach.
ii. U6,
U8, & U10 will create new teams each Fall.
e. No
player may be added to a roster after the second week of HCSA games unless the
roster has dropped below the minimum levels described in section IX. Players
added after this time will be added by random draw.
f. Special
requests due to special circumstances will be considered on a case by case
basis.
Section XI
1.
Laws of the Game (Except as described in the
following: FIFA, USYSA and NTSSA rules apply)
a. Field
Size
i. U6/U8 25 x 15 yds
ii. U10 65 x 35 yds
iii. U12 80 x 55 yds
iv. U14/U16 120 x 75 yds
b. Goal
Size
i. U6/U8 4 ft x 6 ft
ii. U10 6.5 ft x 18.5 ft
iii. U12 7 ft x 21 ft
iv. U14/U16 8 ft x 24 ft
c. Duration
of the Game
i. U6 (4) 6 Minute Quarters
ii. U8 (4) 8 Minute Quarters
iii. U10 25 Minute Halves
iv. U12 30 Minute Halves
v. U14 35 Minute Halves
vi. U16 40 Minute Halves
vii. U19 45 Minute Halves
d. Technical
area and the appropriate FIFA laws regarding conduct and allowances within the
technical area will be enforced for all U8 and above. Additionally, parents and
fans may voice encouragement and supportive comments from the sidelines.
Coaching from the sidelines by fans and/or parents is not allowed. Referee and
assistant referees will decide the appropriateness of comments from the fans.
e. Number
of Players on field during the game:
i. U6/U8 4 v 4
ii. U10 7 v 7
iii. U12 9 v 9
iv. U14 11 v 11
v. U16 11 v 11
f. Practices
i. Coaches
will follow the limits below for practice times
1. 3
hours per week
2. Non-registered
players may not practice with a registered team. A 5 game suspension will be assessed to the coach for failure to comply
with this rule.
g.
Play
Time-Each coach is required to play every player 50% of the game time.
Section XII
1.
Play Of Game
a. U6-Dead
Zone
i. No
player is to be standing still in the dead zone. If this occurs the referee may
award a Penalty Kick to the other team. Penalty kick is to be awarded from the edge
of the circle.
b. U8-Dead
Zone
i. No
player is to be standing still in the dead zone. If this occurs the referee may
award a Penalty Kick to the other team. Penalty kick is to be awarded at the
half field mark.
Section XIII
1.
Coach Selection
a. All
coaches will be approved by the board of directors
b. Coaches
qualify by:
i. Passing a background check & any NTX
certification requirements.
ii. Be
willing to attend a coach’s clinic
iii. Not
be on suspension or probation from this or any other youth sport organization.
c. If
more than one person applies to be a coach for the same team the Board of
directors will select the coach by the following criteria:
i. Coach
is staying with team that continues to play consecutively.
ii. Coach
has child playing on the team.
d. Assistant
coaches must pass background check and be free of any suspensions or probations
to be considered.
e. Coaches
will not smoke during any soccer activities of HCSA.
f. Coaches
will not use any kind of alcoholic beverage immediately prior to or during any
soccer activities of HCSA.
g. Failure
to comply with sections E & F will result in said person being asked to
leave the premises. Continued failure to comply will result in expulsion of the
coach or coaches in question.
h. Specific
coaching violations and penalties:
i. Improperly
dismissing player
1. Five
(5) game suspension minimum
ii. Falsifies
number of players on roster
1. One
(1) year suspension
iii. Unregistered
player plays in a game
1. One
(1) year suspension
iv. Holds
try-outs prior to draft to establish team
1. One
(1) year suspension
Section XIV
1.
Player Equipment/Uniform
a. Basic
Compulsory uniform will consist of the following:
i. Short
ii. Socks
iii. Jersey
(tucked into shorts)
iv. Shin
Guards
v. Appropriate
footwear
b. Items
deemed dangerous to themselves or other players are but not limited to:
i. Jewelry
ii. Hats
iii. Barrettes
iv. Metal
Cleats
v. Shoe
with Toe Cleat
Section XV
1.
Weather
a. Weather-As
defined in this context is a meteorological condition or conditions which may
pose a serious threat to persons or property. Conditions include but are not
limited to the following:
i. Thunderstorms
ii. Tornadoes
iii. Lightning
iv. Hail
v. Heavy
Rain
vi. Sleet
vii. Freezing
Rain
viii. Excessive
Cold or Heat
ix. High
Winds
b. Referees
and league officials have the sole authority to determine game/game day
playability.
c. Cancellations
i. Games
will be canceled if weather conditions pose a threat to the safety of HCSA
participants or when play would produce damage to playing fields.
ii. Canceled
games will be rescheduled as soon as possible. Double headers are possible when
weather canceled games are scheduled.
d. Game
status as a result of weather cancellation
i. Games
called due to weather that are called during the first half of play will not be
considered a game and will be rescheduled when possible.
ii. Games
that are called due to weather and have started play of the second half will be
considered a game with the score as of the time cancellation applied as the
result of a normal game.