Broward Women's Soccer League
Game Rules and Regulations
(Revised as of 09/14/09)
RULE 1. PLAYER STATUS: (AMATEUR or PROFESSIONAL)
Players are either amateur or professional as defined in this section.
Amateur: An amateur player is any person other than a professional player. An amateur player may not receive and retain any remuneration for playing except expenses directly related to games, which have been actually incurred by the player.
Professional: A professional
player is a person who receives or who has received payment for playing, or who
signs a professional form of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
No professional players
may participate in the league. Amateur
players may participate, provided they are duly registered as follows:
Registration
Period: The League Registrar
processes the online registration of amateur players during the
pre-registration dates established by the Board of Directors. Teams that do not meet the established
registration deadlines will incur a Late Registration fee (as determined by the
Board of Directors prior to start of season) that must be paid prior to start
of season. If not, team will under no
circumstances be eligible to play until fee has been paid.
Registration must be
completed online using the approved League Excel registration sheet, 1 picture which MUST be in .JPG format with an EXACT width of
144 pixels and a file size of 75k or less.(Word
docs not accepted), 1 copy of driver’s license and appropriate State fees. Online submissions are emailed to the League
at contactbwsl@yahoo.com
in compliance with the League’s registration deadline date. State fees and driver’s license
documentation are to be submitted to the League’s Registrar in compliance with
the League’s registration deadline date.
Teams that have
approved membership applications may continue to register players after league
games have commenced, however, under NO circumstances will registrations be
accepted after the fourth game of the season.
The Board of Directors must approve exceptions being season-ending
injury/pregnancy or player abandonment. The
documentation listed below must be submitted to the league registrar no later
than 9pm, the Thursday prior to Sunday’s game.
If not, new player will under no circumstances be eligible for that
Sunday’s game.
The following documentation must be submitted to drop a player who has suffered a season-ending injury or pregnancy:
1)
A formal signed letter from the
Team Manager/Coach stating the name of the injured/pregnant player, date and
time of injury, and location.
2) Completed Drop form
3) Drop fee ($3.00)
4) Injured/pregnant
player’s pass
5) New player registration
information (online Excel registration sheet, 1 copy of driver’s license, 1 picture which MUST be in .JPG format with an EXACT width of
144 pixels and a file size of 75k or less, appropriate State fees)
There will under no circumstances be any players added or dropped prior
to the weekend of league playoffs.
Player Abandonment: Should a player miss three (3) consecutive games and
the team has had no success in getting in touch with that player, the team may
petition the Board of Directors to drop player.
The following documentation must be submitted to drop a player who has abandoned their team:
1. Team Game Sheets for
three games in question
2. A formal letter from the Team Manager/ Coach
that states the reason the player is being dropped. Either
the team coach or manager must sign this letter.
3. Completed Drop form
4. Drop fee ($3.00)
5. Player’s pass
6. New player registration
information (online Excel registration sheet, 1 copy of driver’s license, 1 picture which MUST be in .JPG format with an EXACT width of 144 pixels and a file size
of 75k or less,
appropriate State fees)
There will under no circumstances be any players added or dropped prior
to the weekend of league playoffs.
Dissolution of a Club: Players who change
affiliation as a result of dissolution of the club with whom they played are
subject to a waiting period of seven days from the date of dissolution before
being eligible to play for a different club in any league competition.
Merger of Clubs: In the event of a merger of clubs, players on each of
the clubs may participate as a player on the newly formed club without the
necessity of re-registration.
Maximum Players: A member club
may have a maximum of twenty (20)-registered players on its roster at any time
and a minimum of thirteen (13). Under no
circumstances shall the total number of registered players exceed 20.
Age status is defined as follows:
·
18 and over – A player must be at least 18
years of age, turning 18 before the first game of the participating season.
Season Champion: The season champions shall be determined by a
cumulative point system. All regular
season games count towards a team’s final standings. The team with the most points at the end of
the regular season will be deemed Season Champion, and awarded a prize decided
by the Board of Directors.
Division Champion: The divisional
championship participants shall be determined by a cumulative point
system. All regular season games count
towards a team’s final standings. Teams,
who finish first in their division playoffs, will be deemed the Division
Champion and awarded a prize decided by the Board of Directors.
Point System:
·
WIN 6 Points Awarded
for each game that is won
·
TIE 3 Points Awarded
for each game that ends in a tie
·
LOSS 0 Points Awarded for each game that is lost
·
GOALS* 1 Point Awarded for each goal that is scored
* A maximum of three (3) goals
·
SHUT-OUT* 1 Point Awarded
if you do not allow any
goals scored against you
*The opposing team score must = 0
·
FORFEIT 10 Points Awarded
to opposing team of cancelled game
The team with the most cumulative points (deemed season champion) from
Division II will automatically move up into Division I. The team with the least cumulative points in
Division I will automatically be moved to Division II. Depending on the total number of teams
registered in the League during each season will determine whether more than
one (1) team will be moved up or down in each Division.
Tie Breakers: If there is a tie in the total number of team accumulated points at the
end of the scheduled season in each group, or after playoff competition, the
final positions will be determined as follows:
1.) Head to Head
Competition
2.) Goal Differential
3.) Aggregate Score Between the Teams
4.) Points Earned (within
each group)
Play-off Games: If a play-off game ends in a tie at the end of
regulation time, two overtime periods of seven and one-half minutes each shall
be played. In the event the tie is not
broken during the overtime periods, the game result shall be determined by
penalty kicks.
Championship Awards: These awards
are to be determined by the Board of Directors.
Withdrawal: If a team does not complete its
regular season championship schedule and has not completed one-half of its
scheduled games, the results of all games played shall be nullified and all
accumulated points withdrawn. If
one-half or more of the scheduled games have been completed, the results of all
games played up to the date of termination shall stand. Any remaining games shall be awarded to the
opposing team on the basis of a “1-0” WIN, for a total of eight (8) points.
Dissolution: Any team which dissolves or
wishes to withdraw from the league, shall do so in accordance with the
applicable provisions of the approved by-laws.
Failure to do so shall subject such a team to a $50.00 fine.
Forfeits: Any team not appearing or
otherwise failing to play two consecutive scheduled league games or four (4)
cumulative games shall forfeit the right to participate in any further league
games and shall be subject to a $50.00 fine.
Any team forfeiting a game shall be deducted a total of 3 points from
their accumulative season points.
Approval &
Fees: The Board of Directors
shall approve ALL officials assigned to the league games prior to
scheduling. The amount of compensation
to be paid to the referees shall be a fixed amount and agreed upon at the
annual meeting.
Cancellation: It is the responsibility of the President
to give sufficient notice of any game cancellation to the Referee Liaison. The Referee Liaison will give sufficient
notice to the Referee Assignor. With the
exception of unpredictable weather-related conditions, if such notice is not
given and the assigned referees appear on the field, they shall be entitled to
their fees as outlined in the ref assignor contract.
Game Reports: Upon completion of a scheduled game, it
will be the responsibility of the Center Referee to complete a Game Report on
an official form and submit to the Vice President of Technology,
Statistics and Scheduling or another Board Member if the VP is not available immediately following the completion of the
game. This report must be clear and
legible and include player jersey number, player pass number, first and last
names. In addition, the first and last
names of all 3 officials must be clearly noted.
Referee fees will be paid after Vice President of Technology,
Statistics and Scheduling or another Board Member if the VP is not available is in receipt of completed Game Report and
has determined all required information is included.
1)
Signed Game Sheets of both competing
teams
2) First
and last names clearly printed for all 3 game officials
3)
Game Location, Field Number,
Date, and Time
4)
Final Score
5)
Indicate goal scorer
6)
Player Infractions
7)
Ejections should include the
following:
· name of player (s)
· detailed description of cause for ejection
· aggressor/defender, if applicable
8) Description of accidents, injuries or
unusual incidents
Except as modified herein, all games within the league shall be played under the rules of the Federated International Football Association (FIFA).
Playing Field: Specifications as to the size of the field,
height of corner flags, goal measurements, and the required markings of the
field shall be according to the laws of the game as defined by FIFA.
Field Maintenance: The playing field shall be protected
against infringements made by spectators.
Each team is responsible for maintaining order and shall provide
sufficient supervision and crowd control.
Should the crowd for either team exhibit harassing or negative behavior
the referee will provide a warning. If
behavior persists and warning has been given, team responsible will be subject
to penalties indicated under Infractions section.
Infractions:
Failure of any team to comply with playing field requirements herein
shall be subject to a fine of $25.00 and forfeiture of the game.
FIFA Rules Modifications:
Slide Tackling: Slide
tackling is not permitted and will result in an automatic yellow card. The opposing team will receive an indirect
free kick. A player sliding to maintain
control of the ball in effort to keep the ball in play from the sideline or
goal line, and is no where within the vicinity of any opposing player, is not
deemed a “slide” tackle. As in all
other Game Rules, the referee is the final law of the game.
Playing
Ten (10) or Less Players:
Teams must start a game with a minimum of seven (7) players. The
opposing team may play 2 players up (not to exceed the maximum of 11 players)
against a team that begins a game with less than the standard eleven (11)
players. Opposing team may add a player
appropriately as the other team adds a player, not to exceed more than 2 players up.
Duration: League games shall be of ninety (90) minutes total duration, consisting of two equal halves with a 15 minute half-time. In the event that a game is terminated by the referee prior to its completion due to weather or other conditions beyond control, and less than ˝ the game was played, the game will be rescheduled and started over.
Starting Time: The weekly schedule of games and kick-off
time set by the Vice President of Technology, Statistics and Scheduling shall be strictly followed. Players must be on the playing field by the
appointed starting time. There will be a
ten (10) minute leeway period given. The
clock will automatically begin upon the 10 minutes of leeway. Failure to comply with this rule will result
in forfeiture of the game, imposition of a $25.00 fine and additional referee’s
fees against the offending team. Exceptions: 1.) In the situation where a team has
communicated to the opposing team they will have 7 players available to start
upon the 10 minutes of leeway, and the opposing team does not elect to take the
forfeit but would rather commence game play, the game clock will still begin on
the 10 minute mark no matter when the players are on the field and ready for
play. Game duration will be marked at 90
minutes from the 10 minute commencement.
2.) In the event a game cannot start on time, both teams in agreement
with the consent of the referees may agree to play shortened halves (i.e.,
30-minute halves) for a friendly game (which does not qualify as a regular
league game).
Postponements: NO scheduled game may be postponed unless
the Vice President of Technology, Statistics and Scheduling and the opposing team have been contacted at
least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the scheduled game and total consent
has been given by all three parties. Exceptions being a postponement due to weather or other condition
beyond control with the approval of the Board of Directors.
Team Rosters: All players participating in game play
shall complete an online Excel official Roster form which will include their
first and last name, address, date of birth, phone number (home, work and
cell), email address, Region and Team Name. No
player number shall be alike on any given team and players must use the same
jersey number for each game. Failure to
comply with these rules will result in a $25.00 fine to be paid prior to the
next scheduled game.
Team Game Sheets:
Players must print and sign the Game Sheet with their full first and
last name, jersey number and player pass number prior to the start of a
game. No player number shall be alike on
any given team and players must use the same jersey number for each game. Failure to comply with these rules will
result in a $25.00 fine to be paid prior to the next scheduled game.
Player Passes: An official valid player pass must be
delivered to the assigned referee prior to the commencement of play. All passes must bear the player’s photograph
and date of birth to be considered valid.
Any player arriving after the start of the game MUST present their
player pass to the referee or closest official, prior to entering the
game. Failure to comply with these rules
will result in player ineligibility for the next game and a $25.00 Team fine to
be paid prior to the next scheduled game.
Requirements: All
players shall appear in coordinated, clean uniforms at all league games. Shirts must be of the same color with unique
numbers printed on the backside. Each team must be prepared with a set of light
and dark color socks; both teams cannot wear the same color socks. The goalkeeper must have a contrasting
uniform to her teammates and the opposing team.
A referee may prohibit a player from participating in a game if, in
his/her opinion, the dress of the player leads to error in team identification.
Uniform Changes: If
the uniform color of competing teams is the same or nearly the same, as to
cause difficulty in identification, it will be the responsibility of the Home
team to change uniform shirts and socks, or provide a means for team
differentiation satisfactory to the referee, (i.e. – pennies / shin guard
sleeves to cover socks).
RULE 11. JEWELRY:
No player is allowed
to wear jewelry during a game. This is a
USSFC and FIFA rule and will be strictly enforced by the referees. Jewelry includes piercing in ears and face,
earrings, protruding rings, watches or any form of jewelry considered dangerous
by the referee.
RULE 12. ADVERSE WEATHER or FIELD CONDITIONS
Rescheduled Games: The referee shall have the authority to determine whether a game is playable or not in the event of adverse weather or field conditions. In the event that a game is called off and less than ˝ the game was played, the game will be rescheduled and started over. The referee shall notify the Vice President of Technology, Statistics and Scheduling, so that the game may be rescheduled. Team managers or coaches are responsible for notifying their team when a game is cancelled.
Non-Appearance of
Referee: If the referee
assigned to officiate a game fails to appear, the team
managers or coaches of the opposing teams may agree upon another person to
referee the game. Such a person need not
be a State Certified referee. A game
played with an agreed substitute referee shall be considered official in ALL
respects. If the teams cannot agree upon
a substitute referee, the game shall be canceled and the home team must notify
the Vice President of Technology, Statistics and Scheduling to have the game rescheduled.
Completion of
Game: Upon completion of the
game, the home team shall furnish the Vice President of Technology,
Statistics and Scheduling with the official Game Sheet for each team and a report of the
referee’s non-appearance, including the name of the substitute referee.
RULE 14. SUBSTITUTIONS
Substitutions:
Substitutions shall be unlimited and can be made during either team’s
throw-ins. No substitution shall be made
during corner kicks or free kicks.
Substitutions shall be made at the discretion of the referee.
RULE 15. GAME RESULTS
Reporting
of Scores: It shall be the
duty of each team to notify the League by email (contactbwsl@yahoo.com) of the
game results, including Stats. Scores and Stats must be
reported no later than the Wednesday evening after the previous Sunday’s
game. Any Scores or Stats that have not
been reported will be left as “Not Reported”, and shall not be factored into
the accumulative game points or season ending Stats.
League Misrepresentation: The relationship with any coach or team manager that has misrepresented the league or negatively impacted the league in any way may be terminated with the approval of the Board of Directors.
Fraudulent Acts: Any fraudulent acts committed with the
intent to undermine the league rules will result in immediate league
expulsion. This includes, but is not
limited to, player registration and team roster forms.
RULE 17. MISCELLANEOUS
League Meetings: League meetings are held on a monthly
basis. All teams MUST have at least one
representative in attendance at all meetings.
Acceptable forms of representation include players, coaches, team
managers or team-affiliated member listed on the team roster. No other form of representation will be
accepted. Failure to comply with these
rules will result in a $25.00 fine to be paid prior to the next scheduled game.
Arbitration and
Appeals: All appeals for
review and decision must be submitted to the Arbitration Chairperson within
72 hours from the completion of the game to be reviewed. Due to the extensive research that is
involved with an appeal brought forward to the Arbitration Committee, a $50
bond fee will be assessed and if the appeal is lost, the league retains the
fee. However, if the appeal is won, the
fee is then relinquished.
Discipline:
If a player, coach,
or person affiliated with a team is removed from the field by the referee for
any reason, the case must be reported by the referee to the Vice
President of Technology, Statistics and Scheduling and the Board of Directors. A player so
removed three times in one season will be automatically suspended until the
Board of Directors has reviewed the player’s case. Coaches may also be required
to sit out games as a result of foul and abusive language or other misconduct.
A coach so removed three times in one season will also be automatically
suspended until the Board of Directors has reviewed the coach’s case. All board decisions will be made on a case
per case basis.
RULE 18. SPECIFIC INFRACTIONS
Cautions (Yellow Cards):
a.)
Any player upon receiving two
consecutive Yellow Cards within the same scheduled game, which is equivalent to
one Red Card, shall be suspended from the next scheduled game. Player’s pass will be held until completion
of penalty.
b.)
Any player who has been
Cautioned (Yellow Carded) during five (5) separate matches within one season
shall be suspended for one (1) game.
Player’s team will be deducted 1 point from total accumulated points at
time of infraction, and will be posted on the web site standings. Team Representative shall be notified when a
player has reached (4) Yellow Cards as a reminder. It is the responsibility of
the Team Representative to notify the Player.
Player’s pass will be held until completion of penalty.
Sendings-Off
(Red Cards):
a.)
Serious Foul Play. Any
player who has been ordered off the field by the Referee by committing any of
the offenses punishable by a direct free kick or a penalty kick and uses
disproportionate and unnecessary strength in a manner likely to injure an
opponent, or uses intentional violence while challenging for the ball against
an opponent, or spits on or at an opponent or any other person will be
suspended for (2) two games. The team
will be fined $25.00 to be paid prior to the next scheduled game, and will be
deducted 3 points from total accumulated points at time of infraction. Player’s pass will be held until completion
of penalty.
b.)
Offensive or Abusive
Language. Any player who has been ordered off the field
by the Referee for insulting opposing players or officials, or using foul and
abusive language shall be suspended for (2) two games. Player’s team will be fined $25.00 to be
paid prior to next scheduled game, and will be deducted 3 points from total
accumulated points at time of infraction.
Player’s pass will be held until completion of penalty.