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MYA Soccer handbook

Basic Rules of Soccer

The Game Of Soccer
Soccer is a free-flowing game involving two teams of players who try to kick the ball into the opponents' goal. Each goal counts for 1 point; there is no other way to score points. The team that has more points when time expires is the winner.

Length of game:
A regulation adult soccer game is 90 minutes long, divided into two 45-minute halves. The clock does not stop except for halftime. However, the referee keeps track of time that the ball is out of play for delays, substitutions or injuries. At the end of the 90 minutes of regulation time, this extra time is added on without a break in the action. So the actual game may be longer than 90 minutes.

Youth games often are shorter than 90 minutes, and may be divided into quarters to give younger players a chance to rest. In MYA recreational soccer, the length of games is as follows: four 15-minute quarters in CU10 and GU11; two 30-minute halves in CU13; two 35-minute halves in GU14 and CU16; and four 15-minute quarters in BU19 and GU19

Field and goal dimensions:
The regulation soccer field can vary in size, but is usually at least as large as a football field (100 yards long by 50 yards wide). The goal is 8' x 24'; the front of the goal is on the goal line. (See diagram.)

At the youth level, the size of the field and the goals may be reduced. In the MYA, youth teams play half-field until U13. Youth teams also may play with a smaller goal. Up to U8, the goal is 3' x 5' ; in U10 and U11, the goal is 6' x 12'. In U13 and above, the regulation 8' x 24' goal is used.

Player equipment:
Referees are responsible for the safety of the players, and will check all players' equipment prior to the game.

Players must wear shinguards in soccer. Cleated soccer shoes are optional but recommended. If cleated shoes are worn, the referee will determine if they are safe for the game. Shoes with a cleat at the very front are no longer absolutely prohibited but still may pose an unacceptable risk to other players. Shoes designed for soccer are recommended.

Mouthguards are recommended but optional. For players with braces, mouthguards are strongly recommended (see your orthodontist for information). For boys, athletic supporter or soft cup is optional.

For children who wear eyeglasses, a retaining strap is recommended.

In MYA recreational soccer, players will be given a tee shirt or jersey and matching soccer socks. Players must provide their own soccer shorts, which do not have to match team colors.

During the warmup and during game, players are prohibited from wearing jewelry or necklaces (except for medical identification bracelets or necklaces). This includes any visible body piercings such as pierced ears, eyebrows or lips. Putting athletic tape or bandages over the body jewelry is not sufficient; the jewelry must be removed.

Soft hair ties and headbands are permitted. Caps with brims are prohibited, but in cold weather some players wear knitted caps. Hoods on sweatshirts may be worn in cold weather as long as there are no straps; if the hood is not being worn, it must be tucked into the jersey.

Players wearing hard casts for broken bones may play at the discretion of the referee. Hard casts must be wrapped or covered. Safety of other players is the primary concern, and the referee has the final word.

Number of players:
A regulation adult game has 11 players on the field for each team, including the "keeper" (the goalie).

In youth soccer, the number of players often is less than 11. Teams can field as few as 5 or 6 players for U8 and below, 8 players for U10 and U11, finally moving up to the full 11 players in U13 and older.

Sometimes a team finds itself shorthanded due to player absences at game time. In recreational soccer, the opposing team may "lend" players to the shorthanded team, or the coaches may agree to play with fewer than the normal number of players on the field. MYA rec coaches should follow the "even-sided" policy, which means that both teams will field the same number of players, whatever number is agreed upon by the coaches.

At the rec level, forcing another team to forfeit is strongly discouraged because it hurts all the kids on both teams who showed up to play.

Player positions
The player positions in soccer can vary, depending on the arrangement the coach wishes to use. Most commonly, there are three lines of players, plus a keeper. The three lines are the forwards, the midfielders, and the defenders (sometimes referred to as strikers, halfbacks and fullbacks).

The coach decides how many players to put on each line, and may change the set-up during the game. One common set-up in an 11-on-11 game is 3 forwards, 4 midfielders and 3 defenders.

Regardless of the position she is playing, any player is permitted to go anywhere on the field, as long as she does not violate the offside rule (see below).

Whenever a team has possession of the ball, it is referred to as the attacking team, and the other team is the defending team, regardless of the position of the player with the ball or the location on the field. Whether a team is the attacker or defender at a given moment affects such things as penalties for fouls and also restarts for a ball out-of-bounds.

Special rules for the keeper
The keeper is the only position on the team that has special rules. For this reason, the keeper must be identified by a jersey that is a different color from either team's jerseys. (A colored pinny over the regular jersey will suffice).

The keeper is the only player who can touch the ball with his hands. As long as he is within his penalty area, he can use his hands to stop a shot by blocking it or catching it. He can pick up a loose ball with his hands and can throw it to a teammate. Once the ball is in his hands, he has to get rid of it within 6 seconds.

The keeper cannot pick up a ball in the penalty area is if one of his teammates has deliberately kicked the ball to him, nor can he pick up a throw-in from his own team. If the keeper releases a ball from his hands, he cannot pick it up again.

Player substitutions
In youth soccer, teams can freely substitute players in and out of the game, at the referee's discretion during a stoppage of play. Players who are "subbing in" should stand along the touch line near the middle of the field and wait for the referee to signal permission for the substitution.

Substitutions are permitted by either team after a goal or prior to a goal kick. During a throw-in, the team doing the throw-in (the attacking team) may substitute; the defending team may only substitute if the attacking team has chosen to substitute.

Start of play
First possession is determined by a coin flip. The team winning the coin flip chooses which goal they wish to defend for the first half of the game. Teams will switch ends in the second half. The team that lost the coin flip gets to kick off.

One player on the kicking team kicks the ball to begin play. Opponents must stand at least 10 yards away from the ball. The player doing the kickoff cannot be the first player to touch it once it has been kicked.

To be a valid kickoff, the ball must move into the opposing team's side of the field. It cannot be kicked directly sideways along the centerline or backward into the kicking team's defending area.

Ball out of bounds
For all out-of-bounds rules, and also for scoring goals, the ball is considered to have crossed one of the boundary lines of the field when the entire ball has crossed the far side of the line. Play stops when the ball goes out of bounds. How play is resumed depends on which line the ball crossed, and which team last touched the ball.

Throw-ins: If the ball crosses the touch line, the team that was not the last to touch the ball is given a throw-in. One player on the throwing team takes the ball in her hands outside the field near where the ball crossed the touch line. She can run along the side of the field no more than 3 yards before throwing the ball. She must throw the ball with both hands, and the throw must go directly over her head. At the time of the throw, both feet must be on the ground.
If the throw-in is done incorrectly, the referee may have the player try again, or may give the ball to the opposing team for a throw-in, depending on the age group.
Goal kicks: If the ball crosses the goal line of the field and was last touched by a player on the attacking team, the defending team restarts with a goal kick. The ball is placed anywhere in the goal area, and any player on the defending team may be selected to kick the ball. The ball is not in play until it travels out of the penalty area.
Corner kicks: If the ball crosses the goal line and was last touched by a member of the defending team, the attacking team is awarded a corner kick. The ball is placed in the corner arc at the corner of the field, and one player on the attacking team kicks the ball into the field. Often, the attacking players will gather near the goal and attempt to redirect the kick into the goal. For this reason, corner kicks are good scoring opportunities.

Penalties
There are two types of fouls (major and minor) and three types of penalties that may be awarded for a foul: penalty kicks, direct free kicks and indirect free kicks. For major fouls, the penalty that is awarded depends upon where it took place on the field.

The referee has discretion whether to call a foul or not. For example, a foul for handling the ball (often incorrectly referred to as a "hand ball") will not be called automatically every time a player's hand or arm touches the ball. The referee will decide whether the handling was inadvertent (no foul) or deliberate (foul).

At the youth level, referees will often stop play and explain a rule to the player when they have committed a foul to help teach them about the proper way to play.

Indirect free kick: The ball is placed where the penalty occurred, and one player on the team that was fouled is allowed to kick the ball. Defenders must stand at least 10 yards away. An indirect free kick that goes into the opponent's goal without being touched by any other player does not count as a score.

Indirect free kicks are awarded for minor fouls:

when a goalkeeper handles the ball a after releasing it from his hands, handles the ball if it is deliberately kicked to him by a teammate, or holds the ball more than 6 seconds before releasing it;
when an attacking player is called for an offsides violation;
when a player plays in a dangerous manner or obstructs an opponent.

Direct free kick: A direct free kick is similar to an indirect free kick, except that the kicker's shot will count as a score if it goes into the goal without being touched by anyone else. The defending players must remain at least 10 yards away from the ball, but are permitted to line up between the ball and the goal. If the kicker is kicking out of his own penalty area, the defenders must stand outside the penalty area.

Direct free kicks are awarded for major fouls occurring outside the penalty area. Major fouls include:

Kicking, striking, tripping or pushing an opponent;
Tackling an opponent (making contact with the opposing player before making contact with the ball) to gain possession of the ball;
Deliberate handling of the ball with the hands or the arms. This includes when a goalkeeper handles the ball outside his penalty area.
The only time players other than the keeper are permitted to touch the ball with their hands or arms is when they are protecting themselves from a hard shot, such as when they are in a wall and blocking a direct free kick. However, they cannot move the arms to deflect the ball in a specific direction.

Penalty kick: A penalty kick is awarded if a defending player commits a major foul within his own penalty area. The ball is placed on the penalty mark which is directly in front of the middle of the goal and 12 yards from the goal line. All players must stand behind the kicker and outside the penalty area and the penalty arc. The keeper must remain on the goal line until the kicker kicks the ball. If the keeper blocks the shot and the ball remains inbounds, the ball is still in play and the game continues without a break in the action.

Yellow cards and red cards: A referee can show a yellow card to a player for persistent violation of the rules or unsportsmanlike play . A second yellow card to the same player in the same game results in a red card, which means ejection from the game. The ejected player cannot be replaced, so the team must play short-handed for the rest of the game.

A red card can be shown to a player immediately without first issuing a yellow card. Red cards are ishown for serious foul play or violent conduct, or several other specific serious violations.

Yellow and red cards are rarely seen in MYA recreational soccer.

Offsides: This is a rule that many new players and coaches find confusing. A player on the attacking team who does not have the ball will be in an offside position if he is closer to the opponent's goal than the second-to-last defender (including the keeper). In most cases, the second-to-last defender means the defending player closest to the keeper.

A player in an offside position will not automatically be called for an offside penalty. The offside player will be called for an offside penalty if he touches the ball, is involved with the play or influences the play in some way.

The key for staying onside is for the attacking players to know where the second-to-last defender is, and not advance farther upfield than that defender. The determination of whether a player is in an offside position is made at the moment the teammate kicks the ball.

If a player is called for an offside penalty, the other team will be given an indirect free kick.

Offside rules do not apply if the player receives the ball directly from a throw-in, goal kick or corner kick. Also, a player cannot be offside in her own half of the field.

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