8 V 8 Soccer Rules (FIFA Rules)

Equipment

         The Intramural Sports Department will provide shin guards, colored pennies, and game balls for each contest. 

          The IM ball will be the official ball of play.  Teams will be allowed to warm up with these balls.

          Clothing

o         Athletic attire is required.  NO jeans, or jean shorts, button shirts, hard soled shoes or CLEATS!

o         Headgear is not allowed to be worn by any participant during an Intramural event, except for one piece head/sweat bands that do not have to be tied or do not have any form of knot(s).  Illegal headgear consists of any hats, bandannas, baseball caps, winter/wool hats, and any other such similar headgear.

o         Players must REMOVE ALL JEWELRY prior to participating, including any viewable body piercing.

Game time is forfeit time!!                   

Players

          A team will consist of 8 players

          A team may start the game with as few as 7 players

          Substitutions can be made when play has been stopped and the referee is aware of it.  To substitute, the player must be completely off the playing field before the substitute may enter the field.

          If a team member leaves the game before the finish, the position they hold in the penalty shot line-up will be considered a missed penalty shot.

The Game

          There will be two 15 minute halves with a continuous running clock.

          5 minute half time

          Each team will have one time out each half of the game.

Goal Area

          The goal area is 6 yards from the goal posts.

Penalty Area

          The penalty area is 18 yards from the goal posts.  Within each penalty area, a penalty mark is made 12 yards from the goal line. 

Goalie Play

          Goalies may use their hands anywhere inside their goal box.

          Goalies have 5 seconds until they are required to release a controlled held ball

          Once a goalie has controlled and then released the ball he/she may not touch the ball again using their hands until another player has touched the ball.

          Goalies may play the ball from being on the ground within their goal box.  Once a goalie is outside of his/her goal box, and they are on the ground, it will be considered a foul (penalty shot for the other team).  The ball or any part of the goalie?s body must be touching the goalie box.

          To change goalies, the relief goalie must enter the field and previous goalie must exit the field immediately.  Once off the field this person may sub in for teammates, but they must leave the field first.

          Prior to the last minute of the game, if a team wants to exchange goalies they must do so because after the one (1) minute mark the goalie will not be allowed to change positions.  Therefore, the goalie that is in the last minute of the game will be the goalie that defends against penalty shots.

Fouls

          Handball:  a ball touched with a hand or arm by any player other than the goalie.

          Any roughness:  tripping, pushing, holding

          Slide Tackling:  NO players are allowed to slide tackle and are subject to ejection!

          Illegal substitution (substitute entering the court before the player he/she is replacing is off).

          If play has to be stopped by officials, the play is restarted by each of the goalies putting a ball into play.

Penalties

          Goalies must keep their heels on the goal line.  Once the kicker has begun his/her attempt the goalie may move laterally, but not until then.

          Once a kicker has kicked a penalty shot then a goalie may move forward/backward, but not until the ball has been kicked.

          The kicker has only one attempt to score.  The attempt must be in one motion. If the kicker stops the penalty shot it is considered a missed shot.

          The goalie may not move from the end line until a ball is kicked.

          Goalies may not be exchanged during penalty shots

Direct Free Kick

          A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits 1 or the 6 offences

          Kick or attempts to kick an opponent

          Trips of attempts to trip an opponent

          Jumps at an opponent

          Charges an opponent

          Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent

          Pushes an opponent

A direct kick is also awarded if a player commits any of the following four offences

          Tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball

          Holds the opponent

          Spits at an opponent

          Handles the ball deliberately

A direct free kick is taking from where the offence occurred

Penalty Kicks

         A penalty kick is awarded if any of the above offences is committed by a player inside his own penalty area, irrespective of the position of the ball, provided it is in play.

Indirect Free Kick

          An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following four offences

          Takes more than 6 seconds while controlling the ball with his hands before releasing it.

          Touches the ball again with his hands it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other palyer

          Touched the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate.

          Touches the ball with his hands after he has received if directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate.

An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player in the opinion of the referee

          Plays in a dangerous manner

          Impedes the progress of an opponent

          Prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands

          Commits any other offence, not previously mentioned

          The referee signals when the shot is taken and can only be a goal if the ball touches another player before it enters the goal.

The indirect free kick is taken from where the offence occurred 

Throw-In

          A Goal can not be scored from a throw in

          Ball must pass over the player head

          Both feet must remain on the ground

Corner Kick

                  A goal may be scored off a corner kick

          A corner kick is awarded when the whole ball, having last touched a player of the defending team, passes over the goal line either on the ground or in the air, and a goal is not scored.

          The ball is placed inside the corner arc at the nearest corner flag

          The ball is kicked by the player of the attacking team

Tie Breaker

          If at the end of a match the score is tied there will be a penalty style shoot out.

          5 shots will be taken on the goal that was in the goal the last 5 minutes of the game

          The first five players on the sign up card will be the shooting order

          The 5 shots will be taken from 12 yards out.

Player and coach conduct

          Captains are responsible for the conduct of their players and fans

          Only the captain is allowed to address an official during play

          Acts of unsportsmanlike conduct including unnecessary roughness, arguing with officials, fighting, abusive language directed towards officials/opponents will result in player(s) involved being ejected from the game.

          Any player ejected from the game will automatically be suspended for one contest and will be ineligible to participate in any intramural sport until she/he meets with Tiffany Martinelli, intramural coordinator.