Metro Soccer League Indoor Soccer Rules
Revised February 19 2012
These rules have been revised by myself, Mike Howlett referee of 90% of the Metro Soccer League games the past 4 seasons. This league formed by Roger Power and a few others is meant for men and women to get out for a kick and have a good time, I do the same as a referee and I will continue to do so. If you don’t want to have fun and get a run in while having fun perhaps you should reconsider the league you have entered. I can’t stress enough that everyone makes the playoffs so have FUN and enjoy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Players: Each team shall field seven (7) players. There must be 1 goalkeeper. Teams must have at least a minimum of six (6) players at the designated time of the contest or the game will be forfeited. Teams are only allowed at most 2 pickup players. Teams using pick-up players are allowed a maximum of 7 players to play and can not out number the other team.
2. Game time is Start time: Game time is the time scheduled to kick off, if a team cannot field 6 players at kick off time they will be given a 4 minute grace period, after such time has passed the team without the sufficient 6 players will forfeit the match. The team with an adequate number of players to start the match shall win the match by default with a score of 3-0.
3. Roster: There is no maximum number of players that a team can have for a game (from their own roster) maximum of 2 pick ups if the team starts short handed.
4. Substitutes: There is no limit on the number of substitutes. Substitutes may be made at any time. A substitute may not enter the field until the player substituting is completely off the end line. All substitutes MUST ENTER from the END LINE. Penalty: Failure to substitute from the correct area and signaled by official may result in a Yellow Card being issued and indirect kick will be taken at the point of the infraction.
5. Equipment: A player shall not wear anything that is dangerous to another player on the floor (i.e. loose chains, rings, watches, headwear that contains any hard, stiff material including billed hats or items containing exposed knots). ALL JEWELRY MUST BE REMOVED. Participants wearing illegal equipment will be required to sub off (whether a sub is available or not) until the next substitution opportunity after the jewelry is removed. Any type of cast is considered illegal equipment. Braces must be covered and padded. All shin guards made of hard substances (plastic etc.) must be covered entirely by stockings. Players must wear athletic type shoes that cover the foot completely. The referee will have final judgment on legal footwear. For safety reasons, shin guards are highly recommended but not required.
6. The Game: The game shall consist of two (2) equal halves; with a two (2) minute half-time.
7. Crease: The Crease rule does not exist anymore!!!!
8. Goalkeeper: Same rules that apply to FIFA sanctioned matches apply to the keepers in the Metro Soccer League.
9. Sliding: NO SLIDE TACKLING is allowed. Players may not leave their feet or slide when executing a tackle. If a player is unable to play the ball from standing position, they must cease play to opposing team. Any infraction of this rule will result in a free kick for the opposing team. Penalty: The player who is called for sliding may receive further sanction if the referee deems the guilty player was careless, reckless or used excessive force.
HOWEVER: A player may slide to save a ball from entering the goal or leaving the field as long as there is no opponent playing the ball or in playing distance of the ball. This is a slide for a ball NOT a slide tackle.
10. Boards: Doesn’t exist anymore!!
11. Foul Language: excessive foul language will result in an automatic Yellow or red card (discretion of Referee, and League committee). The odd swear in the heat of the moment is common and won’t be punished, unless abused.
12. Fighting will not be tolerated! It will result in an automatic Red card. Automatic season suspension with possible league suspension (discretion of Referee, and League committee)
13. Free Kicks: Free kicks in the Metro Soccer League fall under the same category as FIFA sanctioned games i.e. DIRECT and INDIRECT.
Indirect Free Kicks
An indirect free kick, also taken at the spot of the foul, is awarded for more general reasons such as dangerous play, or impeding the progress of an opponent. It is also awarded against a team if their goalkeeper: controls the ball with his hands for more than six seconds, touches the ball with his hands after a teammate deliberately kicks the ball back to him (same goes for a throw-in), or touches the ball after he had already handled it and put it on the ground.
MSL SPECIAL INDIRECT FREE KICK FOR BALL HITTING THE CEILING!!!!!!!
Direct Free Kicks
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits one of the following ten offenses: 1-9) Kicking (or attempt), tripping (or attempt), jumping at, charging, striking (or attempt), pushing, tackling, holding, or spitting at an opponent
10) Deliberately handling the soccer ball
14. Yellow and Red cards:
Cautionable offences
- unsporting behaviour
- dissent by word or action
- persistent infringement of the Laws of the Game
- delaying the restart of play
- failure to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, free kick or throw-in
- entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee's permission
- deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee's permission
A substitute or substituted player is cautioned if he commits any of the following three offences:
- unsporting behaviour
- dissent by word or action
- delaying the restart of play
Sending-off offences
A player, substitute or substituted player is sent off if he commits any of the following seven offences:
- serious foul play
- violent conduct
- spitting at an opponent or any other person
- denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
- denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player's goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick
- using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
- receiving a second caution in the same match
A player, substitute or substituted player who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the field of play and the technical area.
Cautions accumulate and after a player receives 2 cautions whether it be in one match or 2 separate matches the player receiving the cautions has to sit out the following game!! Every caution received after that (3 and higher) the player sits out the following match as well. Every caution after 2 is a game suspension.
Any dismissal (red card) issued will be reviewed by myself to determine the severity and from that I will determine the length of suspension. Every send off offense is different, denying a goal by catching a shot is not as severe as Violent Conduct!!!
15. Kickoff: A goal may not be scored directly from kickoff. Ball must be passed back from kickoff. Players from opposing team must stay in their own half until ball is pass off.
16. Offside: In the Metro Soccer League offside is a called offense and is called solely by the referee using judgement from his position on the field, just because a defender raises his/her hand to say someone is offside doesn’t mean the play will be called offside, so keep playing until you hear the whistle. A little known fact about offside is you CANNOT be offside directly from a goal kick!!!
RULE UPDATES:
I continue to update the rules because the MSL is slowly going from “fun” to very serious!! This is my fourth consecutive year refereeing the MSL and this is the first year I have had any issues that I need to keep addressing. From this point forward I will continue to referee the people that want to play soccer and have fun the way I have been doing it, to the people that want to trash talk, bitch, complain, argue, basically not enjoy the game and disrespect the fun league that Roger and few others created, I will deal with these issues every game and more cards will be given!!! So here is a heads up to you players that like to complain, trash talk opponents, not enjoy what this league is meant for. I like soccer and lately the MSL has not been enjoyable or fun!!! This is not only my opinion, players that have been here for 3 or 4 years have approached me on this as well.
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