Soccer Rules (Updated 1/12/17)
All patrons and players must understand that participating in or spectating sports can result in bodily harm. By entering the field
house, all patrons and players do so at their own risk and agree to hold harmless in the event of injury or accident, SMCRC, dba
Gorham Sports Center (GSC), and any assigns, the organizer of the league, field officials, the manufacturer of any and all equipment
used in conjunction with the activity at GSC. Gorham Sports Center HIGHLY RECOMMENDS the use of all correct protective gear and
equipment, including mouth and shin guards.
USSF soccer rules apply unless otherwise specified here in this document.
Full Field Soccer Game Rules:
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All full field games will play with 8 field players and a goalkeeper (9v9).
Only Adult Leagues are allowed to substitute on the fly.
Indirect kicks will be used when the ball hits the ceiling, trusses, or any netting in play. The defensive team will be awarded
all indirect kicks from the spot on the field directly below where the ball struck the ceiling/cord/netting or trusses.
There will be no free kick awarded for hitting the center cable. Play will continue unstopped.
If a throw-in hits the side net the player will be given a re-throw just as would be the case if the throw never came in
bounds.
Opponents must stand ten (10) yards from the ball on all free kicks.
Slide tackles are NOT PERMITTED at any time and will result in an indirect kick.
There are NO OFFSIDES, however players are encouraged to play in the spirit of the game.
The goalkeeper may punt the ball without any limitations when playing full field.
Drop kicks, goal kicks and throws can be made without limitation.
Penalty Kicks:
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Penalty kicks for full field games will be from 12 yards away.
Play is live if the ball is missed, however, the penalty-taker cannot re-touch the ball unless another player does so first.
Half Field Modifications:
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When playing half field, keeper cannot kick or throw beyond the midfield line. Punted or thrown balls passing the midfield
line in the air will be restarted at midfield with an indirect kick. Drop kicks are allowed.
All half field games will play either with 5 field players and a goalkeeper (6v6), or 6 field players and a goalkeeper (7v7).
All free kicks are indirect except corner kicks.
Fouls in the box will be indirect from 8 yards.
Youth League Games are NOT allowed to substitute on the fly. Players must wait for the referee to call the onto the field.
Slide tackles are NOT PERMITTED at any time and will result in an indirect kick.
There are NO OFFSIDES, however players are encouraged to play in the spirit of the game.
U12 and under will use the smaller goalie box, all other ages will use the larger box.
Referee’s Discretion:
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GSC has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy against players, coaches or fans complaining about or arguing with the officials. Not
following this policy can result in immediate dismissal from the facility and/or league without refund.
All free kicks awarded by the referees are indisputable.
The referee will give a yellow card, which is a two-minute penalty and will be served immediately on the team bench.
Receiving two yellow cards will result in a red card.
If a red card is presented, the penalized player/coach will sit out for the rest of that game and the team will play short a
player for the remainder of the game. The ejected player/coach must also leave the field house immediately. The game
will not restart until the ejected player/coach is completely out of the facility. Red-carded players/coaches will be
suspended for the next game as well. Continuing offenders during the season can result in player/coach stripped from that
team’s roster and receive up to a one-year suspension. This is solely at the discretion of the facility manager and attending
referee. There will be no refunds given to any player or coach due to suspension. A player given a red card due to a
physical altercation will be immediately removed from the league and suspended for a minimum of one session up to a
permanent expulsion from all GSC Leagues.
There is NO SPITTING, NO EATING, NO BEVERAGES and NO FOUL LANGUAGE ALLOWED on the field. The referee reserves
the right to give a yellow or red card a player for any of these infractions.
League Rules:
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Game clock will start on time regardless of team readiness in order to keep a timely schedule.
All captains MUST read GSC Rules and are responsible for making sure their team understands and acknowledges ALL GSC
Rules.
Players are allowed to play on a maximum of two teams as long as they are listed on both team’s rosters, but they must
choose a team to play with during playoffs
During playoffs, ties will be settled by following normal FIFA rules, best of 5 and then sudden death.
Team fees must be paid in full BEFORE the second game of the session. No exceptions! Any team that is unpaid after the
second week will be removed from the schedule unless arrangements have been made with a GSC Manager.
All adult league players must be 18 or older to play. There will be NO exceptions
During the regular season, there may be times when a team does not have enough players show up to field a full team. In
that instance, the two opposing teams will have a discussion with the referee BEFORE the game starts which will result in
one of the following scenarios:
o 1. The team with not enough players is allowed and willing play with less players and the results will count.
o 2. The team with not enough players will forfeit the game but will be allowed to solicit un-rostered players to play
the game as a scrimmage.
o 3. With approval from the opposing team’s captain and game official, the team with not enough players will be
allowed to solicit un-rostered players to play the game and still count the results. This decision must be made
before the game begins.
Teams can only bring on additional players if:
o 1. Teams do not have the minimum number of players to field a team (4), (5), or (7), AND…
o 2. The player has signed the team roster.
Players must have played a game by week 5 in order to play in the playoffs.
Playoff seeding will be determined by total points. In the case of a tiebreaker, seeding will be determined by goal
differential, then head to head, then goals for, if necessary.
Regular season standings will be based on 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. 1 point will be
deducted for a forfeit. The playoff schedule will be posted on www.gorhamsportscenter.com after the final regular season
game, up to 24 hours prior to playoff/championship date.
U9, U10, U11 and U12 level games will use size 4 balls. Middle school and up will use Size 5.
All teams are required to forfeit AT LEAST 3 hours prior to your scheduled game.
Only Adult Leagues are allowed to substitute freely.
All games will consist of two twenty-five (25) minute halves. The clock will run continuously only stopping for emergency
injuries. Halftime will be between 2 and 5 minutes as necessary to maintain an on-time schedule. Gorham Sports Center will
make every effort to start all games promptly on the scheduled time. If time has elapsed downward past the 25 minute
mark and a team is not ready to play, the clock will continue running into their game time without notice.
GSC strives to maintain a safe, professional, and family-oriented environment. Therefore, it is critical to enforce penalties for
any violations of these policies.