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Rules/Regulations | |
Northwest Adult Soccer League MISSION STATEMENT The Northwest Adult Soccer League (NWASL) exists for the purpose of providing a safe, fair, and fun soccer league for the participants and their families. To this end, the NWASL requires all players to sign a Conduct Form prior to being registered in the league where they agree to act in a positive, friendly, and sporting manner. The NWASL in turn provides both a Board and Referees who understand and abide by these principles and ensure that violations of these principles are addressed and resolved. CLASSIFICATION OF TEAMS
AGE Adult Men and Women: must be 18 years of age or older before being allowed to play in a game. SPORTSMANSHIP POINTS Referees will rate teams based on behavior displayed by the players and the team. This rating system applies to all games played, including regular games, play-off games, and even scrimmage/friendly games played after a forfeit is declared. Every team begins with a “perfect” team sportsmanship score of 10 points. To the extent that a team's sportsmanship behavior deviates from model sportsmanship behavior, the referee crew deducts points from a perfect 10 according to the table shown below.
Teams are required to maintain an average of 8 or better Sportsmanship Points (SP) during a season, including playoffs. Teams that do not meet this requirement during the regular season will not participate in the season playoffs. Teams that fall below 8 SP during playoffs will not be eligible to win the playoff title for their bracket. Teams are required to maintain an average of 8 SP over all the seasons they have participated in the NWASL. Teams failing to meet this requirement may loose their place in the league and be subject to the registration rules of new teams. In addition, a returning team not meeting this requirement will be subject to a probation period of at least one season. Failure to meet the 8 SP requirement after this probation period will be grounds to dismiss the team from the league. NWASL COED RULES The latest version of the FIFA Laws of the Game (available on www.fifa.com) with the following additions: A. Fields: The NWASL uses fields all around the Tucson Metropolitan Area. The current list of fields and maps to these can be found on the league’s web site www.nwasl.org under Fields. B. Ball: Each team is required to supply at least one (1) #5 FIFA regulation soccer ball for each game. C. Players and Substitutions: Teams consists of eleven (11) players. A minimum of seven (7) players is required to start a game. Teams must maintain a minimum of three (3) female players (with the exception of the goalkeeper) on the field at all times. If a team cannot field a minimum of three (3) female players at the start of the game, the game is a forfeit. If a team starts the game with three (3) female players and loses one or more female players due to injury, sickness or absence during the game, and cannot substitute for the lost female player(s) with guest female player or female from the team roster, the game must be terminated. Teams cannot play with more than six (6) male players at any time (i.e. five male field players and one male goalkeeper maximum). The following table illustrates the player requirements on the field:
Note: A female player can play in lieu of, replace or substitute for a male player at any time. Therefore, teams may extend the above table to field 7 or more female players up to the maximum of 10 plus a Goal Keeper. C1. Team Ceck-in: All registered players must provide a valid picture ID for the team check-in. Both teams shall be checked-in prior to the game by the Referee, 4th Official, or Field Marshall. Players arriving after the start of the game MUST check in with the 4th Official or Field Marshall prior to entering the field of play. Players without a picture ID will NOT be allowed to play. NO EXCEPTIONS. Registered players are players that are listed in the pre-printed game sheets. If a player does not appear in the pre-printed game sheet, that player is NOT considered a registered player and therefore is not allowed to play. C2. Guest Players: The league permits teams short of players to recruit eligible female guest players to prevent game forfeiture. Exception: Guest players are not permitted during playoffs. Male guest players are not permitted. Exception: Elegible male guest players are permitted if the game is forfeited and the teams still want to player a scrimmage or “friendly”. Guest players must be registered with the NWASL and must check in with the 4th Official or Field Marshall prior to game. Guest players may be allowed to wear a different color uniform and may display a duplicate number with permission from the referee. C3. Substitutions: A team is allowed to substitute one or more players at the following times:
D. Player Equipment D1. Shin Guards: All players are required to wear shin-guards at all times on the field, NO EXCEPTIONS! D2. Uniforms: All players on each team must have the same color and style jersey. Uniforms must have numbers permanently affixed. No duplicate numbers, no taped or written numbers. Uniforms are the responsibility of each Team Rep/Team. All teams MUST comply with this rule by the third week of each new season. Teams NOT in compliance after the third week may lose one or more sportsmanship points per game until the team complies. D3. NO JEWELRY OR CASTS ALLOWED. Exception: Wedding bands, obvious religious items (e.g. Cross, Star of David, etc.) and medical alert bracelets are permitted provided they are taped-down with no sharp edges exposed. Wedding bands/rings with protrusions, ear rings, necklaces, watches, hard or soft bracelets, hard plastic/metal hair clips, or any other item deemed dangerous by the referee must be removed. In addition, hard casts (i.e. made of plaster, metal, plastic, etc.) or soft casts (i.e. made from tape, foam, bandages, etc.) are not allowed. Players refusing to remove prohibited items will not be allowed to play. NO EXCEPTIONS! E. Game Officials:The NWASL schedules officials for every game. If for any reason there is no official at a game site contact a Field Marshall or NWASL Board Member immediately. E1. Rain- Out / Cancellation Procedure: Please check the web site at www.nwasl.org for any cancellations. If nothing is posted, please proceed to the playing field. After arriving for the first scheduled game, referees are required to stay at the field until the start of the last scheduled game even if the weather does not permit the games to start or finish. Referees are permitted to leave the field only after the last scheduled game is played to full time or terminated early for weather or other cause. E2. Lightning Policy: Games will be played unless one of the following occurs: 1. There is lightning close to the field. If you see the flash and hear the thunder less than 30 seconds after the flash the match will be suspended until it is safe to play. You must wait a minimum of 10 minutes from the LAST event where the light to sound is less than 30 seconds. The Referee may wait longer if he/she decides it is still dangerous to play. 2. If you are surrounded by lightning on 3 or more sides, the match MUST be suspended even if the light to sound is greater than 30 seconds. You must wait at least 10 minutes after lightning no longer appears to surround the field. E3. Score and Time Keeping: Score keeping and Timekeeping will be performed on the field by the referee, or by an assistant referee or 4th Official at the referee’s direction. F. Game Duration: Two 35 minute halves with running time. The exact duration of halves will be specified for each season depending on field availability and time constraints. Officials may stop the clock for injury if excessive time is required to attend to the injured player, provided schedule constraints permit. The game clock starts at the scheduled game time without exception. F1. Forfeit Time: A 5 minute grace period will be given to a team not able to meet the minimum player requirements of paragraph A at game time. A forfeit will result in a 1-0 loss for the forfeiting team. After forfeiture, the game can still be played as a scrimmage or “friendly”. Even if it is a forfeit, Referees are required to stay and officiate the game if both teams still want to play. Teams can share players or pick up registered guest players (male or female) if the game is a forfeit. 1. Forfeit Sportsmanship Points: If a team forfeits and the game can NOT be played as a friendly, the Forfeiting team gets 0 sportsmanship points. If a team forfeits but a friendly is played, both teams get the Sportsmanship points they actually earn by the referee's judgment. 2. Multiple Forfeits: If a team forfeits more than one game in a season, they will be required to roster more players the next season to be eligible to submit a team at all. If, after adding players they still forfeit games the consecutive season, they will not be eligible to return as a team to the league the next season. 3. Advanced Notice: If a team expects to forfeit a game and can make arrangements with the board and their opposing team in advance, the game will be awarded to the oposing team but the sportsmanship points for that week will not count towards the running total of either team. F2. Half-Time: Half-time period is 5 minutes long. Teams should be ready to restart play when half-time is over. The clock will start at the end of half-time even if the teams are not ready to start. G. Scoring: 2 points are awarded for female goals and 1 point is awarded for male goals. One point is awarded for either a female or male penalty kick. G1. Mercy Rule: If one team goes up by 5 goals they must remove (1) male player. For every additional goal over 5 goals, the team in the lead must remove (1) player of either gender down to the minimum required number of players of (7). During this reduction of players, the player requirements of paragraph A above must be maintained. H. Fouls and Misconduct H1. NO SLIDE TACKLING: Whether accidental or not, slide tackling is not allowed and will result in an indirect free kick for the opposing team, and may result in a misconduct (yellow or red card, depending upon the degree of danger to or contact with the opponent) for the player who committed the slide tackle. Sliding in open field space with no other players in the active area of play is allowed. The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to slide tackle near an opponent provided it is performed within the penalty area and is performed only in a manner that does not pose a danger to the opponent or to him/herself. H2. Cautions (Yellow Cards) and Sendoffs (Red Cards): Cautions and sendoffs are administered in accordance with Law 12, Fouls and Misconduct The NWASL Discipline and Rules (D & R) Committee will review these incidents to determine if further disciplinary action is necessary. A player guilty of Violent Conduct, as defined by the FIFA Laws of the Game, will be subject to termination from the league following a review by the D&R Committee. H3. Four Card Supension: Any player accumulating 4 cards during one season of play will be suspended for the remainder of that season. Individual players receiving any combination of cards that equals 4 cards will be suspended upon receiving the final card. That player will remain suspend from the league for the remainder of the current season. A yellow card counts as “1” card and a red card counts as “2” cards. The following are examples of how cards could be acquired that would require a player to be suspended for the remainder of the season (but not limited to the following); 2 straight reds, 2 yellows +1 red, 3 yellows + 1 red, 4 yellows, etc.). Players receiving cards during the season will still be required to fulfill game suspensions as outlined in the player handbook. All players that are suspended for the season by accumulating 4 cards in one season will not receive a refund of their registration fees. H4. Field Conduct: In order for the referee to keep better control of the game, all teams must observe the following:
I. Penalty Kicks: The goalkeeper is determined at the time of the penalty kick. Kicks from the mark to determine the winner of a tournament match may be either male or female without regards to the gender of the goalkeeper. A penalty kick is only worth 1 point no matter who takes it. SCHEDULES A. Schedules will be posted on the web site under Schedules and Standings throughout the season. Please check regularly for updates or field changes. B. Make sure the league has a correct e-mail address for your team at all times. C. Game times are not guaranteed. Games will be scheduled around field and Referee availability. In some cases, teams may be required to play on a day/night not normally scheduled due to holidays, rain-outs, cancellations, etc. ROSTER A PLAYER MUST BE A REGISTERED PLAYER AND ON A TEAM'S ROSTER TO PLAY IN ANY GAME. The team representative, coach, or manager must submit a team roster when registering. Roster size is 15 players minimum. A player may be added or deleted from a roster with the permission of the League Registrar. The team representative must contact the League Registrar using the Contact Form. The league generates Match Reports each week with the complete, up to date roster for each team. IF A PLAYER DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE PRINTED ROSTER, THAT PLAYER IS NOT OFFICIALLY REGISTERED AND CANNOT PLAY. Exception: female guest players are allowed during the regular season. Guest female players must be registered league players. NWASL will provide a maximum of 21 player prizes or recognition awards at the end of any one season. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY Players are not permitted to play on more than one team in the same season. ANY PERSON CAUGHT PLAYING FOR TWO TEAMS IN THE SAME SEASON MAY RESULT IN A SUSPENSION OF THAT PLAYER FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON AND TOURNAMENT. Exception: Female players assisting teams as guest players to prevent game forfeiture. A. Any violation of these rules could lead to forfeiture of the game. The League D&R Committee has the final decision as to the extent of any punishment. B. A Field Marshal, 4th Official or NWASL Board Member may check your team roster at any time. A violation could cause a game forfeiture. C. For protest purposes, a player may be asked by the 4th Official, Field Marshal or an NWASL Board Member to fill out the information on the game report. D. If an illegal player is suspected, the 4th Official, Field Marshal or a NWASL Board Member has the right to take appropriate action. The League reserves the right to accept or reject a player's registration. PLAYERS SUSPENDED FROM OTHER LEAGUES BECAUSE OF HABITUAL OR EXTREME VIOLENT CONDUCT OR SERIOUS FOUL PLAY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NORTHWEST ADULT SOCCER LEAGUE. (NWASL). CONDUCT ALL FORMS OF VIOLENT CONDUCT AND SERIOUS FOUL PLAY WILL WARRANT AUTOMATIC EJECTION WITH NO WARNINGS GIVEN. Sendoffs (receiving a red card or two yellow cards in one game) will warrant automatic ejection of said player from the playing field. Spectator violent conduct will warrant automatic ejection of said person from the vicinity of the playing field. The match will be SUSPENDED while the player or spectator leaves the premises. If an ejected player or spectator does not leave the premises within two (2) minutes, the match will be TERMINATED. A. Any player or coach/manager ejected from a game will automatically be suspended for a minimum of one (1) game, in addition to the game in which player or coach/manager was suspended. B. A second offense will be reviewed by the D & R Committee for any further disciplinary action. C. No coach/manger, player, or spectator shall:
D. Any player removed from a game must leave the playing field immediately. E. Field Marshals and 4th Officials have the authority to give warnings to players, substitutes, and spectators and suspend/eject if necessary. The Field Marshal or 4th Official reserves the right to make the final decision in all matters if the referee is incapacitated. F. Players guilty of Violent Conduct are subject to termination from the NWASL upon review by the D&R Committee. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products are NOT allowed at any playing field at any time. Teams are responsible for their spectators. Drinking or use of tobacco products is not allowed in recreation programs.
REPORTING PROCEDURES A Player Feedback Form is available on this web site and should be used by players or team representatives to report incidents of behavior not meeting the league's conduct requirements. The fact that a player is not cautioned or sent off by the referee is not validation that the player in question is meeting the conduct requirements of the NWASL. Players whose conduct is in violation of these requirements, as witnessed by the Player Feedback Forms, will be reviewed by the D&R committee in the same manner as players receiving cautions or sendoffs (yellow or red cards). The League reserves the right to suspend or terminate a player who, in the opinion of the board, is a detriment to the League's objective of providing a fun, fair, and safe environment for its players. LEAGUE STANDINGS Total points will determine standings at the end of the season. Scoring for games is 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. In the event two teams are tied in points at the end of the playoffs, the following will determine the team's placement in their division or bracket:
League standings and scores will be updated and available at www.nwasl.org. PROTESTS A. Protests will be accepted for rules interpretations and suspected ineligible players only. Protests of a Referee’s judgment or decision rendered before, during or after a game will not be accepted or considered. B. Teams must advise officials of the protest; protests will not be accepted once the game is completed. C. Protests must be written and submitted the next business day via the Contact Form. After reviewing the facts of the protest, the NWASL Board will render a decision that is final. INSURANCE Injuries or loss occurring directly from playing in North West Adult Soccer League, AYSO Region 5019, is provided through USASA. This insurance covers the player for the whole year and payment is due every Fall season. REFUNDS 100% refund before the 1st scheduled game. 50% refund with a written request from player within 3 days after second game is played. Requests for refund must be received via the Contact Form.
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