SCSOA San Diego – Important High School Soccer Rule Differences from FIFA, 2007-2008 season.

High School Rules Differences

1-5-3           Substitutes, coaches and all other bench personnel must stay in their team area.  Caution the person outside the area.

1-6-1 Spectators must be at least 10 feet from the touchline and team area. If stands or bleachers are present, all spectators will be in them before the game. No one, including photographers, shall be permitted directly behind either goal unless seated in bleachers.

1-7-1       Before the game starts, the school decides whether the field is playable. After the game starts, the referee decides whether the field is safe to continue playing (same as CIF Green Book rule). Use common sense.

3-1-1     Team captains may ask about rules and to obtain information, but may not dissent or delay the game.

3-1-2       If a team temporarily drops below 7 players due to equipment violation, minor injury, or blood on body or uniform, the referee may wait for the 7th player to return to the field and then restart the game. If an injured player was attended to on the field, he may return to play after treatment if he is the 7th player. If a team cannot field 7 players because a player is required to leave the field due to a caution, the game must be terminated.

3-1-3           The coach of each team must submit a line-up sheet to the referee 5 minutes before game time, including players’ names and numbers, and names of all coaches and bench personnel.  Players, coaches and bench personnel may be added at anytime after the game starts..

3-3-1/2    Both teams may substitute an unlimited number of players on/at:
A) halftime, B) goal kick, C) goal, D) injury, E) caution, F) ejection, G) when a player is required to leave for blood.
Penalty kick: only injured or cautioned players may be substituted, and a substitute may not take the penalty kick.

3-3-2b     If an injured player becomes unconscious, he may not return to play without written authorization from a physician (medical doctor). Injured players and cautioned players must leave the field but do not have to be substituted for. If an injured player is not substituted for, they may return to play at the next stoppage of play.  Should a team with the injured player elect not to substitute at that time, the team may not replace the injured player until the next legal substitution opportunity.  If not substituted, a cautioned player may return to play or be substituted at their team’s next opportunity.

3-3-3           The team in possession may substitute an unlimited number of players on their A) throw-in, B) corner kick,

3-3-4           The team not in possession may substitute an unlimited number of players when the team in possession substitutes on a throw-in or corner kick..

3-5-1       A goalkeeper may change places with a field player whenever the clock is stopped or either team substitutes. The referee shall be notified. The first time a goalkeeper and field player change without notifying the referee, they shall be warned and not cautioned.

4-1 Uniforms - Varsity teams will follow the rules in the rulebook. JV and freshman teams are not required to do so.

4-1-1b     Home team wears white or light jerseys and stockings, visiting team wears dark jerseys and stockings. Both stockings are  of same color with a single dominant color.  When an illegally uniformed team is unable to correct the situation or cannot verify state association approval of the uniform, the game shall be played.  The referee must notify the CIF.

4-1-1f      Visible apparel worn under the uniform shorts doesn’t have to be the same color as the shorts but must be the same color for all players on that team..

4-2-1           Other illegal equipment: Casts, splints or body braces made of hard material, unless covered with no less than 1/2-inch thick padding; Spectacle guards. Helmets, hats, caps or visors. EXCEPTIONS: goalkeeper may wear a soft helmet, if it meets rules specifications (4-2-1f) and/or soft-billed non-dangerous baseball-type cap/visor. Hard knee braces with exposed metal must be covered with a manufacturer’s recommended covering.  Ankle braces must be covered by a sock or other suitable material.  Players with appropriately covered casts, splints and body braces must a medical release signed by a licensed medical physician at the field.

4-2-3           Sweatbands may be worn on the head or wrist, but bandanas, rolled or otherwise, shall not be worn.

4-2-4           No jewelry, including earrings, even if taped, no strings or bracelets.  Medical medals and medical bracelets may be worn, but must be taped to the body, with the medical data visible.  Religious medals must be tapped to the body under the shirt.

4-2-6/7    Players may wear non-dangerous hearing aids and non-dangerous mouth protectors.

4-2-8       A player with facial injuries may wear a protective face mask.  It may be made of hard material, but must be molded to the face with no protrusions.  A medical release for the injured player signed by a physician (medical doctor) must be available at the field.

4-3-1       A player with illegal equipment shall leave the field at the next dead ball. There shall be no substitution until the first opportunity to substitute. However, the removed player may re-enter during any dead ball after the referee checks that the equipment is corrected.  The head coach shall be cautioned for players with illegal equipment sent from the field.

5-1-2       The referees’ jurisdiction starts 15 minutes before game time, when they arrive at the field, and ends when they leave the field of play and its immediate surroundings.  Referees that observe misconduct before their jurisdiction begins or after it ends will not issue cards, but instead file a written report.  (p. 71 5-1-2).

5-1-2 Referees, players, coaches and bench personnel shall not use tobacco products during the game. This is a cautionable offense. The referees’ authority ends when they leave the field after the game.

5-2-2      Winner of coin toss has a choice of ball or side

5-2-2f    Pre-game instruction to “coaches” as well as players concerning good sportsmanship. 

5-3-1       In the 2-person system one referee cannot overrule the other referee’s decisions. Inform both coaches and the other referee when you caution or send off a player/substitute/coach.

6-1-1      Home team provides 3 balls and at least two ball holders.  If they cannot provide ball holder, the visiting team may do so.

7-1           Halves are 40 minutes long. Halftime is 10 minutes. The referee or the opposing coaches by agreement can decide to shorten each half before the game or the second half before it begins. The opposing coaches can agree to change the halftime length without getting the referee’s permission.

7-3-1       Overtime will not be played unless adopted by league/tournament rule.

7-3-2       For games with overtime periods, interval between the end of the game and first overtime is 5 minutes; interval between first and second overtime periods is 2 minutes.

7-4-1       The clock is stopped for a penalty kick, caution, ejection, goal and at the referee’s discretion.

9-1-3       A whistle is required to restart play for a penalty kick or after a substitution, caution, ejection, injury or encroachment.

9-2-2       If two opposing players touch the ball simultaneously before it goes out of bounds, the drop ball is 5 yards inside the boundary line, unless this is in the goal area.  This does not happen in San Diego Section, we make a decision.

9-2-3       Only one player from each team may participate in a drop ball.

9-3-1       If one team has clear possession of the ball when the referee suspends play for an injury or unusual situation, that team receives an indirect free kick where the ball was when play was stopped.     (Also 13-3-3b)

12-1 thru 12-4   A foul occurs where the player committing the foul is, not where contact is or would have be made.

12-4-2a Disqualify, without caution, any player who flagrantly fouls the goalkeeper in possession of the ball..

12-6-1    Dangerous play can be committed against a teammate.

12-7-3        Trickery to avoid the pass back rule to the goalkeeper is not a caution.  Only a technical foul if the goalkeeper actually picks up the ball with their hands.

12-8       Show cards to coaches.

12-8-1 Incidental use of foul language (to yourself) is a cautionable offense. Unsporting conduct includes coaching outside the team area and using cell phones, video replays, headphones, or megaphones while coaching. A cautioned player shall leave the field and may be replaced.

12-8-2   Excessive celebration (delayed/prolonged act[s] to focus attention upon themselves and/or prohibit[s] a timely restart or receiving a subsequent (2nd) yellow card shall result in disqualification (simultaneous yellow/red card). The number of field players is not reduced.   When an ejected player may be substituted for, display the red and yellow cards in one hand simultaneously. Per SCSOA rule interpretation, when a player has already received a yellow card in the game and commits further misconduct involving hard contact with an opponent, that misconduct will be considered serious foul play and the red card displayed.  Coaches, bench personnel and substitutes that receive a second caution will be disqualified under Rule 12-8-4, and shown a RED Card only.

12-8-3    A team does not play short for a team member disqualified during an interval between periods. (Ruling 12-8-3F).

12-8-3        A substitute leaving the team area to enter the field where a fight or altercation is taking place, unless summoned by an official, will be disqualified.  See below if three or more players leave the team area.                                           Restart with an indirect free kick where the ball was for misconduct off the field.

12-8-4        A coach may be cautioned or disqualified either for team misconduct or for bench misconduct that cannot be attributed to a specific individual. A coach who is disqualified shall leave the vicinity of the playing area immediately and is prohibited from any contact, direct or indirect, with the team during the remainder of the game.  Failure to comply shall result in termination of the game.  Restart under this rule is an indirect free kick from where the ball was on the field should this be the reason for stoppage.

13-2-2k,m   If  a player, coach or bench personnel enters or leaves the field without permission, or if a person in team area commits misconduct, restart with an indirect for the opponents where the ball was when play was stopped.

14-1-4   Once the kicker starts the penalty kick approach the kicker may not interrupt (no feinting) their movement. 

15-1-5   If the ball fails to enter the field of play on a throw-in, the ball is awarded to the opponent.

 

CIF Regulations

If a player is ejected, the player may remain in the team area with the coach (the coach is legally responsible for the player). If the player continues to engage in misconduct and the coach cannot or will not stop him/her, the game is terminated.

If more than two bench personnel leave the team area to begin a confrontation or to join an altercation the game must be terminated. 

The grace period for the start of the game is up to the home team coach (no longer than 30 minutes).