Ellis Cougar Classic Indoor Soccer
Tournament Rules
(01/17/2024)
NEW CHANGES
NEW CHANGES
U11 and below no Heading
In the last minute of a game at the referee discretion may stop the clock when a Yellow/Red card is given.
Cautions for illegal Substitutions will not be a card for the specific player but the team must play short for one minute and it will count against the total team fouls.
Ball hitting the ceiling the kicker must serve a one minute penalty except in the event of a
deflection off another player, the kicker will not serve a one minute penalty.
Penalty Kicks are now Dead Balls. When a player takes the penalty kick it will be either a Score or a save by the Keeper. This is to keep from multiple players entering the lane and an injury happening.
FIFA rules apply unless otherwise specified.
Boys and Girls Age Groups (Birth Year)
U9 (2015) through U15 (2009)
High School: U16 (2008) through U19 (2005)
Adult Open: 2004 & Older
Players must be properly registered with a member organization of the United States Soccer Federation (TSSA, US Club Soccer, etc.) and have valid proof of registration and medical release. Use of an improperly registered player will result in a forfeit of the game and may result in the ejection of the team from the tournament. Players may play on only one team per division. Coaches are responsible for the players’ conduct at all times.
Teams may roster a maximum of 10 players. U9-U12 will play 6v6. U13+ will play 5v5. Rosters are frozen at check-in.
Forfeits give the winning team 10 points and the forfeiting team zero points.
Equipment of the players must include shin guards worn at all times. Players may not wear shoes that mark the gym floor. The safety of any medical equipment such as casts or braces must be approved by the referee. All field players must wear the same color shirts with individual numbers on the shirts. If two teams have similar colored shirts, the home team must change to an alternate color. Goalkeepers must wear a shirt of a different color from either team.
Prior to Play, teams must enter through the designated team entrance. Teams may practice only in designated warm-up areas. Any balls coming onto the field of play from warm-up areas will be held at the scorer’s table until the end of the team’s last game of the tournament.
The home team will be the team listed first on the schedule. The home team will defend the goal closest to the gym lobby unless designated otherwise. Teams must be ready and in the staging area five minutes before game time. Teams must immediately take the field at the conclusion of the preceding game unless a break is scheduled. Teams not on the floor within two minutes after the conclusion of the preceding game will forfeit their game.
Duration of Play will be one 18-minute period with no half-time. Game length may be adjusted to maintain the schedule or to compensate for inclement weather. Games may be played either earlier or later to accommodate needed schedule changes.
Start of Play will be with a kick-off by the visiting team. Restart of Play After a Goal will be with a kick-off by the non-scoring team. Kick-offs are indirect. The entire ball must cross the goal line prior to the buzzer sounding to count as a goal.
Free Substitution will be allowed at any time from the team’s side of the field of play in the area between the team’s bench and the halfway line. Substitutes must wait behind the line for the players that are leaving the game to touch the substitute’s hand before the substitute may enter the pitch.
Instead of a throw-in, the restart will be a kick-in with the ball placed on the touchline. Kick-ins are indirect.
Kick-ins, free kicks, corner kicks and Goal Clearances must be taken within four seconds. Any time a Goal Kick is required, the goalkeeper will execute a Goal Clearance: The ball is thrown, from any point inside the penalty area by the goalkeeper and it must hit the floor before crossing the halfway line. It may not be punted, kicked, dropkicked or dribbled out of the penalty area by the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper must play the ball to another player before the goalkeeper is allowed free play with the ball. A goal may not be scored directly from a Goal Clearance. Any other time the ball is in play and in the hands of the goalkeeper, it may be dribbled or thrown but cannot be punted or dropkicked and the ball must leave the goalkeeper’s possession within four seconds and hit the floor before crossing the halfway line.
Corner Kicks are direct and are taken from on or behind the appropriately designated positions.
Direct Free Kicks are direct and Indirect Free Kicks are indirect. Players on the defending team must remain a minimum of 10 feet from the spot of the kick. Free kicks will be taken from the spot of the foul except for fouls committed by a team inside its own penalty area (the “three- point” line) when:
-indirect free kicks will be taken from a spot closest to the point at which the foul occurred, but no closer than 10 feet from the goal.
-direct free kicks will be penalty kicks. Penalty kicks will be taken from the top of the key closest to the goal with the goalkeeper defending and the game clock stopped.
The ball is out of play when it strikes any part of a basketball goal that has not been raised and which hangs in the vicinity of a soccer goal. The restart will be a goal clearance or a corner kick. The ball is out of play when it strikes any other object suspended from the ceiling or the ceiling itself. The kicker must serve a one minute penalty except in the event of a deflection off another player the kicker will not serve a one minute penalty. There is no offsides. Players may play the ball off the walls. There is no out of bounds. The ball may travel directly behind both goals. No player is allowed to touch the ball while it is directly behind the goal. In the event that the ball stops in the “no touch” zone, the ball will be given to the closest goalie for a Goal clearance.
Five team fouls in one game will result in a penalty kick for the fouled team. For each additional three fouls the team accumulates, an additional penalty kick will be awarded to the fouled team. Referees may apply “advantage” but should still signal the scoreboard with an upheld index finger (as the referee should for all fouls) to add the foul. If advantage is applied on a foul that would normally result in a penalty kick and a goal is subsequently scored, no penalty kick is awarded. In this case a penalty kick would be awarded on the next foul against the offending team. Any foul or misconduct covered in Law 12 will count towards foul accumulation.
Any other violation of the Sumner County Soccer Indoor Tournament rules will result in the restart, but not count towards foul accumulation.
Sent-off (red carded) players may not play in the remainder of the current game and the team’s next game in this or any other Sumner County tournament. Players ejected in two games or players damaging school property will be ejected from the tournament.
Cautions (yellow cards) result in a one-minute penalty served by the offending player in the penalty box (see “Penalty Time”).
A Mandatory Caution (yellow card) will be issued for delaying the restart of play by deliberately kicking or throwing the ball out of bounds, slide tackling (if the slide tackle included a foul, the foul will count; otherwise, just the caution (yellow card) and the one minute penalty will apply).
Penalty Time is served in the penalty box between the players’ benches. The scorer is responsible for keeping penalty time. Penalty time given to a goalkeeper may be served by another player. Players serving penalty time may not be substituted for; teams must play a player down. A goal scored by the other team cancels the remaining penalty time. If the game goes into overtime, penalty time does carry over to the “play down”.
Point System results in a maximum of 10 points per game: Win = 6 points
Tie = 3 points
Loss = 0 points
Shut Out = 1 bonus point
Each goal scored = 1 bonus pt. (max of 3 per game)
Tiebreakers will be used if, after calculation of the above, a tie still exists between two or more teams:
1. Head-to-head
2. Goal differential (max. of 3 per game)
3. Fewest total goals allowed
4. Most shutouts
5. Most total goals scored (max. of 3 per game) 6. Golden goal “play down”
Tied Finals or Semifinals will, after a two-minute break, go directly to a golden goal “play down” where an active (not in the penalty box) field player (non-goal- keeper) from each team leaves the floor at one-minute increments until the game is 2v2. The first team to score
a goal is the winner, no matter how long it takes. There are no substitutions except for injury. The referees will determine if a player can be substituted due to injury. If a player is subbed due to injury, the opposing team will have the option to substitute a player.
Protests will not be allowed.
Referee and Officials Our tournament will only use certified referees and referee assignors by the TSSA who have passed the state’s background and certification process valid through 7/31/2022. Also, all out-of-area referees must show photo identification to verify identity.
Concussion Policy All TSSA coaches must be able to provide their CDC Heads-Up Concussion Certification. Teams must be able to provide the CDC Parent and Athlete Concussion Information Sheet for each player attending the tournament.
Officials’ (two game referees, scorekeeper, timekeeper, head referee) decisions are final regarding interpretation of facts or rules. Any official has the right to remove any unruly player, coach or spectator from the premises
Tournament/Game Cancellation In the event the tournament is cancelled due to inclement weather or other pertinent circumstances; the following refund policy will be given.
No Games Played = 100% refund
1 Game Played = 70% refund
2 Games Played = 25% Refund
3 or More Games Played = No Refund
Spectator Conduct and Location during the match The Tournament Director/Committee will make every effort to ensure this tournament is an enjoyable experience for the players, coaches and fans. Spectators will sit in the stands above the field. Any fan, coach or player who distracts from the competition by abusive, derogatory, vulgar or profane language or actions will be ordered to leave the game site for the remainder of the game. Refusing an order to leave by a referee, field marshal or tournament official will result in the termination of the game and forfeiture by the team with which the offender is affiliated. Neither the Tournament Director/Committee, nor anyone connected with the tournament, assumes any responsibility or liability if the tournament is cancelled in whole or in part for any reason. The Tournament Director’s/Committee’s interpretation of application information, procedures, rules, regulations and all matters pertaining to the tournament is final.
Subject to Change These rules, in whole or in part, may be changed up until the time the first game of the tournament begins.