Indoor Invitational Rulebook

By participating in the Indoor Invitational, you agree to the following rules and guidelines:

Attire

• Pinnies will be provided and must be worn at all times, as they display your player number.
• A sport shirt and shorts are recommended, but you may wear a jumper/long sleeves and track pants if preferred.
• Shin pads are mandatory. Soccer socks or another method to secure shin pads is strongly recommended.

Match Rules

1. Offsides:

   • No offsides are enforced.

2. Tackling:

   • No slide tackles are allowed. A slide tackle will result in a free kick for the opposing team.
   • Lunges to block the ball are acceptable.

3. Goalkeeper Rules:

   • Goalkeepers cannot pick up the ball from a backpass. Doing so results in an indirect free kick from the spot where the ball was picked up.
   • Goalkeepers are not restricted to staying within the penalty area but may only use their hands within the penalty box.

4. Penalties:

   • Penalties are taken from just inside the blue line of the penalty box.

5. Out-of-Play Balls:

   • If the ball goes out of play, it results in a throw-in or a corner kick.

6. Disciplinary Actions:

   • Yellow card: 2-minute sin bin.
   • Red card: Player is sent off for the remainder of the game.
   • Violent or aggressive behavior, unsporting conduct, or abusive language will not be tolerated. Such behavior will result in penalties as determined by the referee.

7. Free Kicks:

   • Players must retreat at least 2 meters from the ball for all free kicks.
   • Free kicks awarded within 2 meters of the penalty area edge will be moved back to allow a defensive wall to form.

General Information

1. Kickoff:

   • The team designated as "Home" chooses either the side of the field or possession of the ball to start the game. The opposing team selects the other option.

2. Team Readiness:

   • Captains must ensure their teams are at the waiting area (red benches downstairs) 5 minutes before the game begins.

3. Game Duration:

   • Regular season games last 15-16 continuous minutes. The referee has the discretion to extend slightly for injury stoppages or final attacks.
   • No halftime or switching sides during regular games.
   • Playoff matches are 16 minutes if time allows. Finals may be longer. If running late, matches may be shortened.

4. Referees:

   • Referees will signal the end of games using the horn only after both games on adjacent fields have concluded.
   • There is a 5-minute switchover period between games. Teams ready to play may begin immediately with referee approval.

5. Points System:

   • Win: 3 points
   • Draw: 1 point
   • Bonus points:
     • 1 point for a clean sheet.
     • 1 point for scoring the first three goals of the match (both teams can achieve this bonus).

6. Refereeing Duties:

   • Players will referee games based on the referee schedule. It is the team captain’s responsibility to ensure their team provides a referee when scheduled.

7. Playoff Format:

   • All teams advance to the playoffs, playing three games each. The tournament then splits into Winners and Consolation brackets.

8. Player Absences and Replacements:

   • If a player cannot continue due to absence, injury, or other reasons, a replacement will be called up.
   • If no replacement is available, John will select a player or two of comparable skill to play for both teams.

9. Goal Tally:

   • Goals scored by a player count only when playing for their assigned team. Goals scored while filling in for another team do not count toward individual goal tallies.