7 on 7 Outdoor Small Field Soccer League

There will be seven players on the field (four males/three females). You will play two twenty-five-minute halves with a running clock. Ties during regular season stay as a tie. Playoff ties decided by overtime and sudden death shootout.

Coin Flip/Beginning of Game

The beginning of the game will start with the PSSC staff using an odd/even, or coin flip. The winning team will then have one of two options, choose to kick-off or choose a goal to defend.

Referees

Referee Fees are paid before the game starts. Refs reserve the right to cancel any game due to non-payment. Referee fees per team is $15 per game. If a team does forfeit, the team that forfeits is responsible for payment of both teams referee fee ($30). Referees will have final say in any judgment call or issue regarding rules. Refs have the power to remove any player(s) from a game and/or the league, if deemed necessary. Any rules clarification must be brought to the attention of PSSC staff member prior to the continuance of the game.

Kickoff

Consists of the ball being placed at midfield. The ball must complete 1 forward rotation before touched by another player.

Coed Rules & Team Size

Each team shall field7 players on the field at one time ( no more than4 men). PSSC rules allow a team to play a legal game shorthanded with as few as5 players, with at least 2 female. If a team has 2 females it may field a team of no more than6 players, (4 males, 2 females). Teams may have as many players on their roster as they want. There is no maximum limit on the amount of females on the field at one time. All rosters must be finalized by the second week of the regular season. Players added after the second week that are not on the team roster or waiver will not be eligible for playoffs.

Forfeits

Any team causing a forfeit without at least 48 hours notice to the PSSC will be responsible for both teams Referee fees. Referees are to be paid at the start of the game, as game play will not be permitted until fees are paid. Team who forfeits will not be permitted to play its next game until forfeited games fees are received.

Teams will have until 10 minutes past the designated start time to field a legal team. Shorthanded teams may play a legal game with a minimum of5 players, with at least 2 of them being females. Teams fielding less than5 players or without at least 2 women will receive a forfeit. Exception: Teams may play a legal game with less than5 players or less than 2 females with the opposing teams consent. Teams who agree to play under these conditions will loose the option of receiving a forfeit win. Teams may pick up non-roster players during the regular season in order to field a full team. Non-roster players will not be allowed during playoffs.

Substitutions

Teams may not substitute on the fly. All substitute players must notify the ref before entering the game. Substitutions may occur during any stoppage of play. During stoppages such as:

Throw-ins
Scoring of goals
Goalkicks

Teams will be allowed to substitute players if they choose.There is no limit on the amount of substitutions per team/per game.

Time

Play will be divided into (2) 25 minute halves separated by a very brief halftime. There will be a running clock maintained by the referee. The clock will stop only during time-outs and injury time-outs. Any delay tactics, (kicking the ball far out of bounds) will allow the referee (at his/her discretion) to stop the clock.

Tie Games/Scoring

Regular season games ending in a tie score will be recorded as tie games. Sudden death will be used in the playoffs.

Rules

The Goal Box - A goal box will be marked off in front of each goal. The goal box will extend 4 paces/yards out and 4 paces/yards from each side of the goal posts. All goal kicks will be taken from the goalline.
The Penalty Box - A penalty box will be marked off in front of each goal. The penalty box will extend 10.5 paces/yards out and 10.5 paces/yards form each side of the goal posts. This is the designated area where the goalkeeper will be allowed to play the ball with his/her hands.
DIRECT KICKS - A direct kick will occur for any penalty unless the penalty has been specified as an indirect kick by the referee. The ball is to be placed at the point of the infraction and to be put in play by any player on the affected team. No opposing player is allowed to be within 10 paces/yards of ball prior to kick. Goals may be scored on direct kicks. A direct kick is to follow these infractions: (1) Charging (2) Roughness (3)Handball (4) Dangerous play/kick (5) Slide-tackles. Penalties incurred inside the goal box by the defense will result in a penalty kick 12 paces/yards out. Penalties incurred outside but within close proximity to the goal box will be kicked from the point of infraction. The defense must stand 10 paces/yards away from the point of infraction (where the ball is being kicked from).
INDIRECT KICKS - Indirect kicks will occur when: 1.) offsides occurs. The indirect kick will be taken by the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred.
SLIDE TACKLING - Slide tackling will not be allowed. Intentional slide tackles will result in a direct kick being awarded to the opposing team at the point of the infraction. Multiple violations will result in a two minute penalty awarded to the opposing team at the referees discretion and possible ejection from the game.
OFFSIDES - A player is in an offsides position if he/she is closer to the opponents goal line than the ball, unless:
He or she is in his/her own half of the field of play
He/she is not nearer to his/her opponents goal line than at least two of his/her opponents
He/she is even with the ball or the second defender

*A player shall not be declared offsides by the referee if he/she receives the ball directly from goal kick, corner kick, or a throw in.

OUT OF BOUNDS - Anytime the ball goes over either sideline, out of bounds, a throw- in will ensue. The person throwing in the ball must throw the ball overhead with both hands and keep both feet remaining on the ground out-of-bounds until the ball is released.

Anytime the ball crosses an endline, a corner kick or goal kick will ensue.

Last touched by a defender - a corner kick. Ball is placed on nearest corner and kicked in by offensive team. Goals may be scored on corner kicks. All players must be outside the goal box until the ball enters the goal box and the defense must be at least 4 paces from the corner.
Last touched by attacker. A goal kick by the defense.

Fighting

Fighting is not allowed and will NOT be tolerated. All parties involved in fighting will be subject to ejection from the game at the referees discretion and subject to ejection from the league at CSSC staff discretion.

Standings

Standings will be posted out at the league and on-line beginning the second week of the season.

Playoffs

Playoffs will follow the last week of regular season and will be single elimination.

SEEDING

Teams will be seeded based upon a points system. Teams will be awarded 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. In most cases all teams will advance to playoffs as long as they are not in violation of the forfeit policy. *Note: In some situations the last ranked team in the league may not be eligible for playoffs. This will be decided on a league by league basis.

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, a sudden death will be used. A sudden death overtime will involve4 men and3 women from each team for a five-minute period. If neither team scores during the sudden death overtime period, there will be a shootout.

Shootout Specifics

Each team selects 5 players (3 males, 2 females)- players dont have to have been playing at the end of regulation. A coin toss will decide which team shoots first. The referee will decide which goal to shoot at. Shots will be placed and not dribbled.
Teams will alternate taking direct penalty shots from25 paces off the goal line. (No guy/ girl shooting order is necessary)
If tied after the 1st round, he 2nd round will be SUDDEN DEATH i.e. 1st player from Team A scores & 1st player from Team B misses - Team A wins. Players who shot in the 1st shootout 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. Thus, some players on the team with more people present, may or may not shoot.