Rules of the game

The complete Soccer rulebook can be found here: https://www.broomesoccer.org/documents/LOTG.pdf

NOTE: TCYSA takes exception to some of these rules for youth play.

General TCYSA Rules:

1. TCYSA plays quarters: U8-10 minutes; U10-12 minutes; U12–15 minutes; both teams may sub in players on any stoppage.

2. # of players on field – U8 – 4 vs 4(Candor, NV, SVE, Tioga/Nichols) U8 - 5 vs 5 (Apalachin, Owego), U10 – 7 vs 7, U12 – 9 vs 9.(Includes Goalie)

3. Mercy Rule – if one team gets up by 4 goals, the other team shall add another field player. To maximize playing time for as many TCYSA players as possible, if the team that is down has no players to add, the opposing team may give them a player. This is a Rec league and adding is preferred to removing a player from the team that is up. The change in field player numbers continues until there is only a one-goal deficit.

4. U10 and under, brought about by concussion policy. We will provide a hand-out of TCYSA-specific rules to give to your game referee before each game.

a. No heading - this is a national USSF standard now. Accidental hits allowed only.

b. Goalkeeper distribution: GK may NOT punt or drop kick, Only a roll or throw from hand is OK. Per FIFA rules, the ball is in play as soon as it is released . The other team may challenge the ball as soon as it is in play (As soon as it leaves GK hands.)

c. Goal Kick - Defenders MUST retreat to halfway line for a goal kick or GK distribution, with this exception: at goal keeper’s discretion, s/he may choose to make a quick release or kick, without waiting for the other team to assemble at the halfway line.

d. The other team may attack the ball (come off the halfway line, if they got that far, or turn and pressure from wherever they are) as soon as the ball is in play. Teach your kids to back-peddle (run backwards, looking at the ball, or keep looking over their shoulder if they turn their backs to the GK.)

e. Kick-in/Throw-in - For U8 the preferred method of restart after an out of bounds on the touch line is a kick in, but throw-ins are allowed. Players are allowed one retry for an incorrect throw-in.

Below is a summary of recent rule changes.

● Any person guilty of misconduct, team officials and spectators, will be shown a YC (caution) or RC (sending-off) *; if the offender cannot be identified, the senior coach who is in the technical area at the time will receive the YC/RC * Law 12 will have a list of YC/RC offenses

● The team that wins the toss can now choose to take the kick-off or which goal to attack (previously they only had the choice of which goal to attack)

● Changes to dropped ball rules:

○ If play is stopped inside the penalty area, the ball will be dropped for the goalkeeper

● If play is stopped outside the penalty area, the ball will be dropped for one player of the team that last touched the ball at the point of the last touch

● In all cases, all the other players (of both teams) must be at least 4m (4.5yds) away

● If the ball touches the referee (or another match official) and goes into the goal, team possession changes or a promising attack starts, a dropped ball is awarded

● Free Kicks - When there is a ‘wall’ of three or more defenders, the attackers are not allowed within 1m (1 yd) of the wall; an attacker less than 1m (1yd) from the ‘wall’ when the kick is taken will be penalized with an indirect free kick

● When the defending team takes a free kick in their own penalty area, the ball is in play once the kick is taken; it does not have to leave the penalty area before it can be played.

● Handball rules have been modified to allow for more ‘accidental’ touching. See the next page for a full list of changes.

○ the boundary between the shoulder and the ‘Hand’ is defined as the bottom of the armpit (on the link above see the diagram on p105)

○ • ‘accidental’ handball by an attacking player (or team-mate) is only penalized if it occurs ‘immediately’ before a goal or clear goal-scoring opportunity

● A goalkeeper can receive a YC or be sent off (RC) for ‘illegally’ touching the ball a second time after a restart (e.g. goal kick, free kick etc.) even if the touch is with the hand/arm

● Any offense (not only a foul) which ‘interferes with or stops a promising attack’ should result in a YC

● A player who fails to respect the 4m (4.5 yd) required distance at a dropped ball should receive a YC

● If the referee plays advantage or allows a ‘quick’ free kick for an offense which interfered with or stopped a promising attack, the YC is not issued

Important Handball Changes

Handling the ball

● For the purposes of determining handball offenses, the upper boundary of the ‘Hand’ is in line with the bottom of the armpit.(on the link above see the diagram on p105)

It is an offense if a player:

● deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, including moving the hand/arm towards the ball

● scores in the opponents’ goal directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper

● after the ball has touched their or a team-mate’s hand/arm, even if accidental, immediately:

○ scores in the opponents’ goal

○ creates a goal-scoring opportunity

● touches the ball with their hand/arm when:

○ the hand/arm has made their body unnaturally bigger

○ the hand/arm is above/beyond their shoulder level (unless the player deliberately plays the ball which then touches their hand/arm)

● The above offenses apply even if the ball touches a player’s hand/arm directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close.

Except for the above offenses, it is not an offense if the ball touches a player’s hand/arm:

● directly from the player’s own head or body (including the foot)

● directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close

● if the hand/arm is close to the body and does not make the body unnaturally bigger

● when a player falls and the hand/arm is between the body and the ground to support the body, but not extended laterally or vertically away from the body

● The goalkeeper has the same restrictions on handling the ball as any other player outside the penalty area. If the goalkeeper handles the ball inside their penalty area when not permitted to do so, an indirect free kick is awarded but there is no disciplinary sanction. However, if the offense is playing the ball a second time (with or without the hand/arm) after a restart before it touches another player, the goalkeeper must be sanctioned if the offense stops a promising attack or denies an opponent or the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.