Soccer Rules

Five players are allowed on the court at any given time. A minimum of three players are required to start and finish a legal game. All participants must sign their team’s Waiver of Liability before participating in their first game.

Note: at least two female players (not including the goalkeeper) are required on the court at all times. The goalkeeper can be of any gender.

A participant shall not wear anything that is deemed by the Referee to be dangerous to another player. All forms of jewelry are prohibited – whether or not it may be removed or not.

See the main IM Sports rules page for footwear guidelines. Bare feet are prohibited. The Referee has the ultimate decision as to whether or not a particular shoe may be used. Although not required, the use of shinguards is strongly recommended.

Dark and light shirts shall be determined by the league schedule. The first team listed should be prepared to wear dark colors.

Footwear with rubber soles.

Ball out of play: When it has wholly crossed the goal line or touchline; when the game has been stopped by a referee; when the ball hits the ceiling (restart: kick-in at the place closest to where the ball touched the ceiling).

Lines: Touchlines and goal lines are considered inside the playing area.

When the whole of the ball has passed over the goal line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar (except by illegal means).

Direct free kick is awarded when a player intentionally commits any of the following 11 offenses (penalty kick awarded when infringement takes place in penalty area):

• Kicking or attempting to kick an opponent
• Tripping an opponent
• Jumping at an opponent
• Charging an opponent in a violent or dangerous manner
• Charging an opponent from behind
• Striking, attempting to strike, or spitting at an opponent
• Holding an opponent
• Pushing an opponent
• Charging an opponent with shoulder (i.e., shoulder charge)
• Sliding at an opponent (i.e., sliding tackle)
• Handling the ball (except goalkeeper)

Indirect free kick is awarded when a player intentionally commits any of the following 11 offenses (penalty kick awarded when infringement takes place in penalty area):

• Dangerous play (e.g. attempting to kick ball held by goalkeeper)
• Obstruction
• Charging the goalkeeper in the penalty area (i.e., goalkeeper charge)
• Goalkeeper throws ball directly over the halfway-line (without it first touching his own side of the pitch or any player)
• Goalkeeper picks up or touches with his hands a back pass
• Goalkeeper picks up or touches with his hands a kick-in from a teammate
• Goalkeeper controls the ball with any part of his body for more than 4 seconds
• Goalkeeper touches with any part of his body a back pass that has been played back to him before the ball has (1) crossed the halfway-line or (2) been touched by an opponent

Players shall be cautioned (i.e., shown yellow card) when:

• A substituting player enters the pitch from an incorrect position or before the player he is substituting has entirely left the pitch
• A player persistently infringes the Laws of the Game
• A player shows dissent with any decision of the referee
• A player is guilty of ungentlemanly conduct

These 4 yellow-card offenses are punishable by an indirect free kick taken from the point of infringement (or from the 6-meter line when the infringement takes place in penalty area).

Players shall be sent off (i.e., shown the red card) for:

• (a) Serious foul play
• (b) Violent conduct
• (c) Foul or abusive language
• (d) Second instance of cautionable offense (i.e., second yellow card)
• (e) Intentionally impeding a clear goal opportunity (e.g. through a "professional foul")
• (f) Intentionally impeding a clear goal opportunity in the penalty area by handling the ball

Direct free kicks (or penalty kicks) accompany the expulsion for (a), (b), (e) and (f); indirect free kicks, for (c) and (d) (from the 6-meter line when the infringement takes place in the penalty area).

Rules of Expulsion:

• The player sent off (shown a red card) is out for the rest of the game and is not even permitted to sit on the reserves' bench.
• The team of the player sent off can substitute for that player after 2 minutes of playing time or after the opposing team scores -- which ever comes first.
• The 2-minute punishment shall be checked by the timekeeper (or by the assistant referee, if there is no timekeeper).
• The substitute cannot come on until the ball is out of play and he has a referee's consent.

• Types: Direct free kicks and indirect free kicks
• Wall: At least 5 meters away until the ball is in play
• Ball in Play: After it has traveled the distance of its own circumference
• Time Limit: Kick must be taken within 4 seconds
• Restriction: Kicker cannot touch the ball again until it has been touched by another player

Accumulated fouls refer only to all the fouls mentioned in Law XII (a through k(1 to 11).

Once a team has accumulated 5 fouls during a half (those accumulated in the second half continue to accumulate into extra time), from the 6th foul:

• That team shall not be allowed a defensive wall
• All free kicks shall be direct (no indirect free kicks)
• infringements committed within 12 meters of the goal line shall be punished with a direct free taken from the point of infringement or from the second penalty spot; infringements committed from 12 meters or further from the goal line shall be punished with a direct free kick from the Second Penalty Spot

Procedure:

• Until the ball is kicked into play, all players other than the goalkeeper and kicker shall remain behind an imaginary line that is in line with the ball and parallel to the goal line.
• The goalkeeper shall remain in his penalty area at least 5 meters away from the ball.
• The kicker must aim at the goal, with the intention of scoring.
• No other player may touch the ball until it has been touched by the pitch, rebounded from the goal post or crossbar, or has left the pitch.
• If the infringement took place in penalty area (and does not merit a penalty kick), the free kick is to be taken from the 6-m-line on the spot nearest to where the infringement occurred.

• To be taken from the penalty mark on the mid-point of the 6-meter line.
• The kicker is to aim at goal, with the intention of scoring.
• All players must be out of the penalty area, and the players of the opposing team must also be at least 5 meters from the penalty spot.
• The kicker shall not play the ball a second time until it has been touched by another player.

• To be taken in place of the throw-in
• The ball is placed on the touch line before kicking
• The kicker's foot not kicking the ball must be outside or at least on the touchline; if it crosses the touchline all of the way, into the pitch, the kick-in is given to the opposing team
• The kick-in must be taken within 4 seconds; if it is not, the kick-in is given to the opposing team
• The kicker cannot play the ball a second time until it has been played by another player; infringement of this rule entail an indirect free kick to the opposing from the point of infringement
• Players on opposing team must be at least 5 m away from point of kick-in
• Cannot score directly from a kick-in

• To be taken in place of goal kick
• From inside the penalty area, the goalkeeper throws the ball into play
• The ball is not in play until it has passed outside of the penalty area. If the goal clearance is received inside of the penalty area, the goal clearance shall be taken over.

• Ball placed on the corner (no corner-kick arc). If ball is misplaced, the corner kick is taken over
• Must be taken within 4 seconds; failure to do so entails indirect free kick to the opposing team from the corner mark
• The kicker cannot play the ball a second time until it has been played by another player; infringement of this rule entail an indirect free kick to the opposing from the point of infringement
• Players on opposing team must be at least 5 m away from point of the corner kick
• Can score goal directly from a corner kick

• Main referee decides goal to be used
• Coin tossed to decide order
• Five kicks to be taken by 5 different players selected from the 12 suited players. Captain of each team announces these 5 to the main referee before the kicks are taken
• If two teams are still tied after 5 kicks, the additional kicks will be taken on a sudden-death basis by the rest of the players who have not kicked yet
• Players sent off during the match are not eligible to take these kicks
• Any eligible player may change places with his goalkeeper
• While the penalty shoot-out is in progress, players will remain on the opposite half of the pitch. The assistant referee shall control this area

Eleven players are allowed on the field at any given time. A minimum of seven players is required to start and finish a legal game. All participants must sign their team’s Waiver of Liability before participating in their first game.

• A participant shall not wear anything that is deemed by the Referee to be dangerous to another player. All forms of jewelry are prohibited – whether or not it may be removed or not.
• See the main IM Sports rules page for footwear guidelines. Bare feet are prohibited. The Referee has the ultimate decision as to whether or not a particular shoe may be used.
• Although not required, the use of shinguards is strongly recommended.
• Dark and light shirts shall be determined by the league schedule. The first team listed should be prepared to wear dark colors.

Underhill Field: Only turf shoes, running shoes, court shoes and other flats are acceptable. Plastic soccer and football cleats are not allowed.

The game shall consist of two equal halves of 20 minutes. The interval at halftime shall not exceed five minutes.

Teams must bring their own ball. IM Sports does not provide game balls.

The offside law is in effect. Please be advised of the ruling that requires that the player who is in an offside position has to participate in the play in order for an offside violation to be called. Merely being in an offside position is not a violation.

There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, corner kick, throw-in or drop ball. For further clarification on the offside law refer to Law 11 of the FIFA Laws of the Game at Fifa.com.

Cautions will accumulate throughout the summer season. A third (3rd) caution will result in that player being ineligible for his or her next game.

A player who is sent off for serious foul play, violent conduct or for receiving a second caution during the same game must sit out a minimum one-game suspension. Suspensions may exceed one game depending on the severity of the incident.

Either team may substitute any number of players during goal kicks, after a goal, and during halftime. Teams may also substitute any number of players when awarded a throw-in. Teams may not substitute players when the opponent is awarded a throw-in, unless the opponent chooses to substitute as well. A team may also substitute for an injured player once the official has stopped play for the injury. If a substitution is made in this situation, the opponent may also substitute a like number of players.

Substitutes must notify the nearest Referee or Assistant Referee of their intention to substitute before the ball is out of play. All substitutes must be beckoned onto the field of play by the Referee before stepping onto the field. If a goalkeeper change is made, the Referee must be notified. Making any substitutions without notifying the Referee or Assistant Referee will result in a caution for the player(s) who came onto the field.

During the regular season, there is no overtime. The overtime procedure for all playoff games will be announced prior to the start of playoffs.

Teams will receive three points for a win, one point for a tie, and no points for a loss. In the event two or more teams end the season tied in points, head-to-head competition will break the tie. If teams are still tied, goal differential, then goals in favor, and finally a coin toss will break the tie.

CoRec teams must always have an equal or greater number of women in the field than men. The goalkeeper does not count as a field player, and can be either gender.

A match is played by two teams, each consisting of no more than six players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. A match may not start if either team consists of fewer than four players. Not including the goalkeeper, CoRec teams must always have an equal or greater number of women on the field than men.

NOTE: A CoRec team which fields enough players (regardless of gender) to start a game but not enough female players will be issued an auto-loss as opposed to a forfeit.

Each team is allowed a maximum of twelve players on their Team Roster.

A player must not use equipment or clothing that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewelery). The only cleated shoes allowed are those with one piece molded rubber soles. All cleats must be at least half an inch across at the bottom, and no shoes with hard toes may be worn. The Referees have the ultimate decision as to whether or not a particular shoe may be used and whether or not any equipment is considered dangeous. No cleats may be worn on any grass-playing surface.

An auto-loss is awarded if the opposing team is not ready to play at game time. A forfeit is awarded if a team fails to produce the minimum number of players 15 minutes after the scheduled start time. If the team arrives with the minimum number of players necessary to play, within fifteen minutes of the scheduled game time or if they notified the IM Sports Office at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled game time, informing the Office of an inability to field a team for their game, an auto-loss shall be awarded. Without exception, any team that forfeits during the regular season will be ineligible for playoffs. Any team that forfeits during the first week of the regular season may be removed from the league and forfeit their team entry fee.

Each team member should bring two different colored shirts to every game – one light (white or yellow) and one dark (blue or black). Each team should bring a different colored shirt for their goalkeeper (red or green).

The game shall consist of two halves of twenty minutes each. The interval at half time shall not exceed five minutes. Time outs are only called in case of injury to players or temporary loss of the ball. The Referees shall have discretion in adding any extra time to each period and may decrease the duration of each half in extenuating circumstances.

A match is considered a completed if at least one complete half has been played.

Teams must provide their own ball.

At the beginning of the game the ball must be kicked forward and the kicker cannot play the ball a second time until it has touched another player. At the kickoff, the opposing team must remain 10 yards from the ball until it is kicked and moves.

If the game is temporarily suspended for any reason, the Referee will restart the game by dropping the ball at the point closest to where play was suspended or the closest point outside the penalty area if the ball was in the penalty area at the time of the stoppage. No player may play the ball until the ball has touched the ground.

The ball is out of play when:

• It has completely crossed the goal line or touchline, whether on the ground or in the air
• The referee has stopped the game

The ball is in play at all other times, including:

• If it rebounds from a goalpost, crossbar or corner flag post into the field of play
• If it rebounds off the Referee while he is in the field of play
• Until a decision is rendered in the event of a supposed infringement

A goal is scored when the whole ball has passed over the goal line, between the goalposts, and under the crossbar, provided it has not been thrown or carried by a player of the attacking side. A game shall be decided by whichever team has the greater number of goals at the end of the game.

The removal of a jersey after a goal has been scored is unnecessary and players must avoid excessive displays of celebration. The removal of a jersey is a mandatory caution.

There is no offside in Speed Soccer.

The goalkeeper is considered to be guilty of time-wasting if he holds the ball in his hands or arms for more than 5-6 seconds. The goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with any part of his hands or arms. Possession of the ball includes the goalkeeper deliberately parrying the ball but does not include the circumstance where, in the opinion of the Referee, the ball rebounds accidentally from the goalkeeper (e.g. after he has made a save).

Any delivery (kick, throw, punch, etc) of a ball in play by the goalkeeper from inside the penalty area must be touched by a player or touch the ground on the goalkeeper’s half of the field. An indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposing team at the point where the ball crossed the mid-field line. EXCEPTION: Goal kicks may travel past midfield in the air without being played on the defensive side of the field.

Free Kicks are either direct or indirect. For both direct and indirect free kicks, the ball must be stationary when the kick is taken and the kicker does not touch the ball a second time until it has touched another player. If a direct free kick is kicked directly into the opponent’s goal, a goal is awarded; if a direct free kick is kicked directly into the team’s own goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team. The Referee indicates an indirect free kick by raising his arm above his head. On an indirect free kick, a goal can be scored only if the ball subsequently touches another player before it enters the goal.

When a free-kick is being taken, either direct or indirect, no player of the opposing side may be within 10 yards of the ball until it is kicked, unless he/she is standing on his/her own goal line, between the goal posts. In the case of a free kick being awarded to the defending side in the penalty area, the ball must be kicked out of the area before it can be touched for a second time.

When a kick-in is being taken, no player of the opposing side may be within 5 yards of the ball until it is kicked. A kick-in is classified as an indirect free kick and must touch another player before a goal may be scored.

Fouls and misconduct are penalized as follows:

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following six offences in a manner considered by the Referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force

• Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
• Trips or attempts to trip an opponent
• Jumps at an opponent
• Charges an opponent
• Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
• Pushes an opponent

A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following four offenses

• Tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball
• Holds an opponent
• Spits at an opponent
• Handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area).

An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following five offenses

• It takes more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his hands before releasing it from his possession
• Touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player
• Touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a teammate
• Touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a teammate

An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player, in the opinion of the Referee

• Plays in a dangerous manner
• Impedes the progress of an opponent
• Prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands
• Commits any other offense, not previously mentioned in Rule 15, for which play is stopped to
• Caution or dismiss a player

A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following seven offenses

• Is guilty of unsporting behavior
• Shows dissent by word or action (including gestures)
• Persistently infringes the Laws of The Game
• Delays the restart of play
• Fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick or free kick
• Enters or re-enters the field of play without the Referee’s permission
• Deliberately leaves the field of play without the Referee’s permission

A player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following seven offenses:

• Is guilty of serious foul play
• Is guilty of violent conduct
• Spits at an opponent or any other person
• Denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling
• The ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
• Denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or penalty kick
• Uses offensive, or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
• Receives a second caution in the same match

If a player is sent off, another player cannot replace him; his team will have to finish the match with one less player.

All players sent off will be suspended a minimum of one match. The player sent off will be notified of the length of suspension by email within five business days. All send offs involving violent conduct or fighting carry an automatic, minimum 365-day suspension. All suspensions may be appealed. Instructions for filing an appeal will be included in the suspension notice.

When one of the fouls that is normally punished by a direct free-kick is committed in the penalty area, a penalty kick shall be awarded. A penalty kick is taken from the penalty mark, and, when it is taken, all players, with the exception of the player taking the kick and the opposing goaltender, shall be within the field of play but outside the penalty area, and at least 10 yards from the ball. The opposing goaltender must stand on the goal line and may move laterally along the line but may not move toward the ball until it is touched. The player taking the kick must kick the ball forward, and may only kick the ball once. If the ball rebounds from the goalkeeper’s body, the player can kick the ball again. If the ball rebounds from the goal post or crossbar, the player may not touch the ball again until another player does.

There is free substitution in Speed Soccer but a player may only enter the field of play when the player he is replacing is completely off the field. The new player must stand at the half-line outside the field until the other player is completely off the field. Infringements of this requirement are punished with cautions.

During the regular season, there is no overtime or Kicks from the Penalty Mark for games ending in draws. During the playoffs, if the score is tied after regulation, one “golden goal” five-minute overtime will be played. If the game is still tied after five minutes, Kicks from the Penalty Mark shall ensue.

The Referee tosses a coin and the team whose captain wins the toss decides whether to take the first or the second kick. The Referee chooses the goal at which the kicks will be taken. All players besides the kicker and the goalkeepers are to remain within the center circle (with the goalkeeper who is the teammate of the kicker standing outside the penalty area on the goal line where it meets the penalty area boundary line.

Both teams take four kicks. The kicks are taken alternately by the teams. If, before both teams have taken four kicks, one has scored more goals than the other could score, even if it were to complete its four kicks, no more kicks are taken. If, after both teams have taken four kicks, both have scored the same number of goals or have not scored any goals, kicks continue to be taken in the same (team) order until one team has scored a goal more than the other from the same number of kicks. Each kick is taken by a different player and all eligible players must take a kick before any player can take a second kick. Only players who are on the field of play at the end of the match are allowed to take kicks from the penalty mark. An eligible player may change places with the goalkeeper at any time when kicks form the penalty mark are taken. A goalkeeper who is injured and is unable to continue as goalkeeper may be replaced by a substitute.

In CoRec games, two of the four kickers must be female; the other two kickers may be either male or female. Kicks do not have to alternate female/male.

When a team finishes the match with a greater number of players than their opponents, they shall reduce their numbers to equate with that of their opponents, and inform the referee of each player excluded. When possible, teams must reduce to equate male for male and female for female.

If a game is to be played under protest, the Captain of the protesting team must inform the Referee and Captain of the opposing team of the protest at the time the incident in question occurs and file a written protest in the IM Sports Office by 4:00 p.m. of the next business day.