Rules

REGISTRATION AND CREDENTIALS

REGISTRATION:  Teams must check in at the MANDATORY REGISTRATION.  Check in 7.30am-10am Saturday on the fields. Failure to check in will result in automatic disqualification (without a refund of the fee) from the Tournament. 

CREDENTIALS: At the Mandatory Registration, teams must provide the required credentials. All teams must provide laminated USYSA or US Soccer Club laminated Player I.D. Cards with photographs, and signed Medical Release Forms. Teams from CYSA-South must list on the team’s tournament roster a League Program Administrator holding a Cal South Level “A” risk management badge. Teams from outside CYSA-South must also provide approved Travel Papers, which must include a roster listing all players authorized to travel by that Teams State Association. All Travel Papers must be submitted to the Tournament Director prior to check-in. Any player not listed on the Travel Papers, including any amendments, properly executed by that teams State Association will not be allowed to play in the tournament. Proper Player Loan Forms will be required at Registration along with other required credentials, as required by the team’s State Association. All teams must provide the USYSA or US Soccer Club Player I.D. Cards from the State Association listed on the original Tournament Application. Player I.D. Cards from any other Association will not be accepted.

ROSTERS: Teams may register a maximum of eighteen (18) players. A team may use up to eight (8) guest players but any team utilizing guest players is still limited to the eighteen player maximum.

ENTRY DEADLINE AND REFUNDS: All credit card information or checks must be received by the application deadline of April 24th. Once acceptance emails have been sent out, team credit card payments ( credit card payments will be charged an additional 3% convenience fee) will be processed and checks will be deposited. All other payments will be voided or returned. Teams withdrawing after being accepted will not receive a refund. If the tournament is cancelled due to an act of God or inclement weather, a $100 processing fee will be withheld from each teams refund in order to cover fixed costs occurred prior to the cancellation date.

TOURNAMENT COMPETITION

TOURNAMENT FORMAT: There will be one pool for each age bracket. Each team will play a total of only three (3) games. Each game will consist of forty (40) minute halves, with a ten (10) minute half time. Total points will determine the overall champion for each age group. Champion awards will be given only to the champions of an age bracket.

DETERMINING WINNERS: Teams will be awarded points on the following basis:

• Six (6) points for each Win
• Three (3) points for each Tie
• Zero (0) points for each Loss
• One (1) point for each goal scored up to a maximum of three (3) per game.
• One (1) point for each shutout

MINUS ONE (-1) FOR EACH PLAYER OR COACH EJECTED

A 0-0 tie will be scored as 4 points for each team (3 for tie, 1 for shutout)

In the event of a tie in points at the end of play the champion will be determined by first eliminating the loser(s) in head to head competition.

If two or more teams remain tied at this point then the champion will be determined in the order as follows:

• Goal differential (goals scored versus goals against with a maximum of 4 goals scored per game).
• Fewest goals against.
• Most goals scored.
• Most shut outs.
• Lowest number of Red Cards.

RULES OF PLAY

FIFA LAWS of the Game will apply as modified by USYSA and CYSA-South as described herein.

GAME CHECK-IN CONDUCT: At least fifteen minutes prior to the start of each scheduled game, a team representative must present to the Field Marshall the team’s player cards and game card so the team may be checked in to play and the game started as scheduled. The Field Marshall will retain the game card and the team’s player cards until completion of the game. Each team manager or representative will be required to initial the game card area for that game before the player cards will be returned. A team who fails to properly check in with the Field Marshall will forfeit that game.

START OF GAME: The game clock will start at the time defined in the Tournament Schedule regardless of whether the teams have taken the field. No additional time will be added to the clock if actual play subsequently starts.

PLAYERS’ EQUIPMENT: It will be at the Referee’s discretion to determine the safety and suitability of player equipment including the wearing of a hard brace. Hard casts are not allowed per CYSA-South rules. Shin guards are mandatory for all players.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Free substitution will be allowed in all age groups. However, teams may substitute only with the referee’s permission on any dead ball.

CAUTIONS AND EJECTIONS: A player or coach receiving two cautions (yellow cards) in a single game is considered to have been given an Ejection (red card) for the purposes of awarding points for the Tournament competition. A player who has been ejected (sent off), will not be replaced. A player or coach who has been ejected will not return for that game and will not be allowed to participate in the next scheduled game. A player or coach who is ejected for violent conduct or serious foul play will not be allowed to participate in the next TWO scheduled games. Any player or coach who assaults a referee will be expelled from the Tournament. For the purpose of this Tournament a coach can be carded. A team will be disqualified from the Tournament if any player or coach fails to comply with the provisions of this section.

SUSPENDED AND TERMINATED GAMES: If in the opinion of tournament officials a game must be suspended (for reason); the game may be resumed, but is subject to being ended not less than five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled start of the next game. If in the opinion of tournament officials, a game must be terminated for misconduct of players, bench coaches, or spectators, the offending team could be suspended from further play and forfeits that game and all remaining games. All previous points earned remain as played. Additionally, the home league and State Association will be contacted as appropriate.

If a game is terminated due to problems associated with the fields, including lighting for a night game, or due to the serious injury of a player (see the next section entitled “ INJURY”) the resumption of play for that game will be at the discretion of the tournament officials. Tournament officials may at their option conclude the game, require completion of the game or utilize penalty kicks to determine the winner of the game depending upon the circumstance and taking into account the potential effect of the game results on the standings of the teams.

INJURY: Delays of the game will only be allowed for an injury requiring professional medical attention and the inability to remove the injured player from the field until and while the medical attention is being provided to the player. The delay will result in appropriate time being added to the full game time, based on the judgment of the referee. Otherwise, each game will be played with a running clock and no suspension of the clock time. However, all preliminary games will be terminated not less than five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled start of the next game. The failure to complete any game due to a serious injury requiring suspension of the game play shall be controlled by the preceding section, “ SUSPENDED AND TERMINATED GAMES.”

HOME TEAM: The Home Team will be the team, which appears first on the game schedule. The Home Team will supply the game ball, unless supplied by the Tournament. The game ball will be subject to Referee approval. The Home Team will be required to switch to alternate jerseys to accommodate a color conflict as declared by the referee. If the Home Team cannot supply alternate jerseys, the Home Team will forfeit the game. The Home Team will have the selection of the side of the field they wish to defend and the visiting team will start with the kick off. No two teams will play from the same side of the field, with the Home Team selecting the side from which they will play.

FORFEITS AND BYES: All teams who forfeit will have the game(s) scored a 0-1 loss. The winner will be awarded eight tournament points (six for the win, one for a goal, and one for a shutout). Teams failing to report ready to play within five minutes of the scheduled kick off time will forfeit. Home Teams unable to supply alternate jerseys, or teams failing to check in at the Mandatory Registration or for taking actions which cause a game to be terminated will forfeit. Byes will be scored and tournament points awarded the same as a forfeit.

PROTESTS: NO PROTESTS WILL BE ALLOWED.

DISPUTES: Game conduct is under the jurisdiction of the referee and the tournament will not overrule a referee’s decision.

INCLEMENT WEATHER OR ACT OF GOD: In the event of inclement weather, or act of god, once the games have begun, winners will be decided based on points earned up to that point.