BOLINGBROOK SOCCER CLUB
RULES OF PLAY
Revised April 2016
THE BOLINGBROOK SOCCER CLUB ADHERES TO THE LAWS OF THE GAME AS PRESCRIBED BY THE FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (FIFA). FIFA HAS AUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS TO LAWS FOR CLUB PLAY.
LAW I: FIELD OF PLAY
Under this law, official FIFA rules cover the dimensions and marking of "the Field"; the goal area; the penalty area; the corner area; and the goals.
BSC PROGRAM
A.The field dimensions shall be adjusted by the BSC for the different age divisions, and shall be laid out appropriately. Goals shall be provided.
B.Both benches shall be on the same side of the field. The coaching area shall extend from the midfield line to the 18-yard line, on the players side of the field. All spectators and parents shall be on the field side opposite that of the team benches.
C.All nonactive players shall remain at the team area.
LAW II: THE BALL
The ball shall be spherical with a circumference of 27"28" and weighing 1618 oz.
BSC PROGRAM
A.Game balls shall be provided by the BSC.
B.The Senior Division shall use a #5 ball. The Elementary and Mini Soccers Division shall use a #3 ball. All other divisions shall use a #4 ball.
LAW III: NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Each team consists of eleven players, one of whom shall be the Goalkeeper.
BSC PROGRAM
A.Senior Divisions: A game shall not be started with fewer than seven players on each team. The opponents of teams fielding less than eleven players may play with one player greater than their opponent. If a team has fewer than seven players, the game shall be forfeited to the opponents. When a team is playing with less than its allowed number of players, a late arriving player may enter the game when signaled onto the field by the referee.
All other divisions: Teams will field equal number of players.
B.Players may be substituted only between periods, except for medical reasons or when cautioned. A player dismissed from the game may not be substituted.
C.All players present at the coin toss are required to play or be charged with having played three quarters unless prevented from playing due to medical reasons. If an absent player arrives before the end of the halftime, that player will play at least one quarter. Of the three required quarters of play, one quarter MUST be OFFENSE; one quarter MUST be DEFENSE. For this purpose, the position of MIDFIELDER is considered an OFFENSIVE POSITION.
D.A player shall be charged with having played in any quarter in which he or she starts.
E.Only the BSC Executive Board may suspend a player. This action may be the result of automatic suspensions for red cards or for other reasons.
F.The number of players on a team will be determined by level of development. Mini Soccers and Elementary divisions play 4v4 (these are the only two levels with no goalies. Minor division plays 5v5, Junior division plays 7v7, Intermediate division plays 9v9, and Senior division plays 11v11.
LAW IV: PLAYER’S EQUIPMENT
Player equipment shall consist of a shirt, shorts, stockings, shinguards, and shoes. The Goalkeeper must wear colors that distinguish him from the other players.
BSC PROGRAM
A.Required player equipment includes the Jersey of the BSC as an outer garment; shinguards; and suitable shoes. Shorts and socks are required equipment, but may be replaced by parent option, in cold weather, with long training pants or sweat pants.
B.Caps of any kind are not recommended equipment, but may be worn in cold weather, provided they contain no hard or dangerous material (i.e., baseball caps have hard brims). Jackets with attached hoods are highly discouraged, but may be worn in cold weather, provided the hood is tucked under the jacket or tightly tied around the head.
C.All players will be required to wear either sports goggles that protect their prescription glasses or prescription sports goggles. This is a policy implemented by the BSC to protect players from injury. Players not conforming to this rule will not be allowed to practice or play in the BSC program.
Permitted vision correction devices include: soft contact lenses, sport glasses (with plastic, rounded edge frames specifically designed for contact sports) or regular framed glasses with shatter resistant sports lenses covered by approved protective sports goggles.
D.The wearing of jewelry, headbands or bandanas is not allowed. Earring must be removed during game play.
LAW V: REFEREES
Referees are appointed for each match by the Director of Officials. He/she is responsible for control of the game and his/her decisions are final.
BSC PROGRAM
A.The referee shall report in writing all red card disciplinary action on the score sheet.
B.The referee shall sign each score sheet, verifying the score.
C.The referee shall impose the rules and regulations of competition as shown herein.
D.The referee shall put great emphasis on the welfare of the players and officiate the game in a manner inducing clean competition and good sportsmanship.
E.In the event that a referee fails to appear, then a substitute referee may be chosen by the consensus of the opposing coaches. Failure to select a referee will result in a rescheduled game.
F.The referee cannot forfeit a game. Games are considered complete after the first half of the game has been played.
G.For the Elementary division, it may be required that two coaches act as the referees, with one assigned to each playing field. There will be no assigned referees. Coaches/referees should stay out of the way of the players (never be between ball and goal) and make sure the flow of the game is constant instead of moving players around like chess pieces.
LAW VI: Assistant Referee
Two assistant referees assist the referee by indicating offside; when the ball is out of play; fouls on the field and which team is entitled to the cornerkick or throwin.
BSC PROGRAM
Whenever possible and practical, the Director of Officials will assign USSF Certified Assistant referees with the powers as indicated in the FIFA Rules. Club assistant referees (not certified) will determine ball in and out of touch and direction the ball is to be awarded. A two person referee system may be implemented in games as deemed necessary. There will be no assigned assistant referees for the Elementary division games.
LAW VII: DURATION OF THE GAME
BSC PROGRAM
Four equal quarters shall be played. Elementary division shall play 8-minute quarters, Minor division shall play 10-minute quarters, Junior division shall play 12-minute quarters, Intermediate division shall play 14-minute quarters,and Senior division shall play 16 minute quarters. The halftime interval shall be five minutes. The intervals between the first/second quarters and third/fourth quarters shall be two minutes. Weather conditions may require changing quarter times and interval times.
LAW VIII: THE START OF PLAY
The visiting team will have the honor of calling the flip. A coin is tossed and the team that wins the toss decides which goal it will attack in the first half of the match. The other team takes the kick-off to start the match. At the kick-off each team must stay on its own half of the field and the defending players must be at least ten yards from the ball until it is kicked.
BSC PROGRAM
A.The team awarded the ball at the beginning of each half shall take the kickoff for both quarters in that half.
B.In the event that play has been stopped (for reasons other than fouls), with the ball in the penalty area, the game shall resume with a drop ball at the closest point outside the penalty area.
LAW IX: BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY
The ball is out of play when it has gone entirely beyond the goal line or touch line, whether on the ground or in the air, or when the game has been stopped by the referee.
LAW X: METHOD OF SCORING
A goal is scored when the ball has passed completely beyond the goal line, between the goal posts and under the cross bar.
LAW XI: OFFSIDE
A.A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponent's goal line than the ball, unless:
1.he is in his own half of the field of play, or
2.there are at least two of his opponents nearer their own goal line
than he is.
B.A player shall only be declared offside and penalized for being in an offside position, if, at the moment the ball touches, or is played by, one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee
1.interfering with play or with an opponent, or
2.realizes an advantage by being in that position.
C.A player shall not be declared offside by the referee
1.merely because of his being in an offside position, or
2.if he receives the ball, direct, from a goalkick, corner-kick, a
throw-in, or when it has been dropped by the referee.
D.If a player is declared offside, the referee shall award an indirect freekick, which shall be taken by a player of the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred, unless the offense is committed by a player in his opponents' goal area, in which case, the freekick shall be taken from a point anywhere within that half of the goal area in which the offense occurred.
BSC PROGRAM
In the Elementary and Minor Divisions there will be no offside penalties declared.
LAW XII: FOULS AND MISCONDUCT
A.A player shall be penalized by a DIRECT free kick if he or she intentionally attempts to or actually:
1.kicks
2.trips
3.jumps at
4.charges violently
5.charges from behind
6.strikes (or spits)
7.holds
8.pushes
9.handles the ball (with the exception of the goalkeeper).
Any one of these nine offenses committed in the penalty area by a defender will result in a penalty kick to the offensive team.
B.A player shall be penalized by an INDIRECT free kick for committing less flagrant violations including:
1.leaving the field of play during the game without permission from the referee
2.illegal entry into the field of play
3.failure to inform the referee he or she is the goalkeeper prior to the handling of the ball within the penalty area
4.playing of the ball next, by the kicker, following a kickoff, a free kick, a penalty kick, a goal kick, a corner kick, or, by the thrower following a throwin
5.being declared offside
6.kicking or attempting to kick the ball while it is in the possession of the goalkeeper
7.charging into an opponent when neither player is within playing distance of the ball
8.when not in possession of the ball, obstructing an opponent who is attempting to play the ball
9.dangerous play
10.the goalkeeper taking more than 6 seconds before releasing the ball
11.a delay in clearing the ball from the penalty area by the goalkeeper
12.unsportsmanlike conduct
13.The goalkeeper handling the ball after an intentional pass from a player on his team
C.If, in the opinion of the referee, any PLAYER or COACH persistently infringes the laws of the game, or is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct, that person shall be cautioned (YELLOW CARD) or EJECTED from the game (RED CARD). A player receiving two cautions (YELLOW CARDS) or a RED CARD in one game shall be EJECTED from the game and not be replaced.
D.The referee should refrain from penalizing a player if the resultant penalty results in a disadvantage for the fouled team.
E.All players must be 10 yards from the ball during a free kick in the Intermediate and Senior divisions. A safe distance form the free kick will be determined by the referee based on the field size.
BSC PROGRAM
A.Charging the goalkeeper shall not be permitted in the penalty area, nor shall the goalkeeper be harassed or interfered with while attempting to put the ball into play. Violating this rule will be punished by an indirect free kick to the fouled team, and may result in a caution to the fouling player at the discretion of the referee.
B.From the moment the ball comes under the goalkeeper's control, he takes more than 6 seconds without releasing the ball into play and having released it, he touches the ball again before it has been touched or played by another player, he shall be penalized by the award of an indirect free kick.
1.The goalkeeper is in control of the ball if he:
a.catches the ball
b.has an outstretched finger on the ball that is stationary on the ground, or
c.deflects a catchable ball
2.After the goalkeeper has control he may not:
a.take more than 6 seconds to
b.put the ball on the ground and pick it up
c.roll the ball with his hands
d.delay putting the ball into play
3.The restrictions in 1. and 2. above last until the ball has been touched by another player.
C.Slide tackling is not allowed in the any division.
LAW XIII: FREE KICKS
There are two categories of free kicks:
1.DIRECT from which a goal can be scored directly against the offending side
2.INDIRECT from which a goal cannot be scored unless the ball has been touched by a player other than the kicker before entering the goal
A free kick by the defense in its own penalty area is not in play until it is kicked out of the penalty area. Kicking it to the goalkeeper is not permitted.
A team cannot score directly on itself from a free kick.
LAW XIV: PENALTY KICK
A penalty kick is a free kick taken at the penalty mark. All players except the player taking the kick and the goalkeeper must stay OUTSIDE the penalty area and at least ten yards from the ball (hence the ARC at the edge of the penalty area).
BSC PROGRAM
There will be NO penalty kick situations in the Elementary or Minor Divisions. In these divisions all restarts will be indirect kicks.
LAW XV: THROW-IN
When the ball passes over the touch line, either on the ground or in the air, it shall be thrown in from the point where it crossed the line, in any direction, by a player of the team opposite to that of the player who last touched it. The thrower at the moment of delivering the ball must face the field of play and part of each foot shall be either on the touch line or on the ground outside the touch line. The thrower shall use both hands and shall deliver the ball from behind and over his head. The ball shall be in play immediately upon entering the field of play, but the thrower shall not again play the ball until it has been touched or played by another player. A goal shall not be scored direct from a throwin.
1.If the ball is improperly thrown in, the throwin shall be taken by a player of the opposing team.
2.If the thrower plays the ball a second time before it has been touched or played by another player, an indirect free kick shall be taken by a player of the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred, subject to the overriding conditions imposed in Law XIII.
3.All opponents must stand no less than 2 meters from the point at which the throw-in is taken
BSC PROGRAM
A.During throwin, ANY part of the body must face the field of play, twisting of the body during the throwin is permissible.
B.At the delivery of the ball, player taking the throwin must be within one yard radius (half circle) from where the ball exited the field of play, with both feet on or behind the touch line.
LAY XVI: GOAL KICK
When the ball has gone completely beyond the goal line, after being last touched by a player from the attacking team, it is put back into play by a kick from the goal area by the defending team. A goal kick is a direct kick.
LAW XVII: CORNER KICK
When the ball has gone completely beyond the goal line after being last touched by a player of the defending team, it is put back into play by a kick from the corner, on the side the ball exited the field of play, by the attacking team.
BSC PROGRAM
In the Elementary and Minor divisions, all free kicks are indirect kicks.
Any of the rules listed here may be changed based on coaching philosophy, or directives from USYSA, IYSA or FIFA.