TOURNAMENT RULES – 2024

RULES: This competition will run under the Shamrock Soccer Tournament laws of the game as set by the tournament director, CCSL, and by FIFA Laws of the Game 2022/2023. FIFA laws will apply for anything not specified herein.

Tournament Management

1. CCSL’s objective is to foster, develop, and promote adult soccer in Juneau, Alaska. To that end, CCSL sponsors Southeast Alaska’s Annual Shamrock Soccer Invitational as a coed, indoor 7v7 adult soccer tournament around the weekend of (or the weekend after) Saint Patrick’s Day in mid-March. The tourney takes place at the Dimond Park Field House in Juneau, Alaska.
2. Coach and/or Manager must physically sit with their team during play. Player-Coaches and/or Player-Managers are acceptable. Coaches/Managers are responsible for the sportsmanship of their teams on and off the playing field.
3. Coaches/Managers are responsible for making sure that trash is removed from their bench area at the end of each game. If a team arrives to find a trashed-out area left by the previous game, report this offense to the tournament director immediately. The offending team will have one point deducted from their total round-robin points.
4. Maximum 12 players per team. Players may not play for two teams; they must commit to their assigned team or be suspended for the balance of the tournament.
5. The Tournament Director shall assemble Juneau teams based on adults who have registered by a date set by the Tournament Director. To facilitate maximum participation by adult teams from visiting communities, the Tournament Director may assign Juneau players to visit teams to round out a roster in the spirit of fair and equitable play. To facilitate a competitive tournament with sufficient teams, the Tournament Director may, on a case-by-case basis and after consultation with the CCSL board: 1) allow for variations to the minimum age requirements, 2) allow for visiting teams to have more players on their roster, 3) allow for additions to team rosters after a date set by the Tournament Director. Visiting team managers are encouraged to coordinate with the Tournament Director to distribute excess player(s) to a team(s) with lesser roster numbers.
6. There must be a minimum of 2 women on the field at all times. A third is optional. Minimum # to begin the game: 5 players.

• In the event that a team has no substitutes for one or both genders and one player is injured during play and cannot continue; or has been dismissed; the team will be allowed to continue the match shorthanded but with no less than 5 players. The opposing team will have the option to reduce to equate.
• First Infraction of the Opposite Gender Rule: whistle blown when offending team regains possession of the ball. The ball is moved to center and an indirect kick for the non-offending team resumes play. Second and Subsequent Infractions: indirect kick 5 yards outside the Penalty Area.

1. A player and/or coach-manager may be removed and suspended from the tournament if their conduct warrants ejection. This action will be at the sole discretion of the tournament director in consultation with the Referee’s Assignor.
2. Yellow Cards: Mandatory one-minute minimum sit and chill upon receiving a yellow card. A player may re-enter at the discretion of the coach/manager.
3. Traveling yellow cards are in use throughout the round-robin portion of the tournament. A player must sit out the next game after receiving a second tournament yellow card. A third tournament yellow card or a straight red card would have a player suspended for two (2) games and may not be allowed to return for the balance of the tournament. Two traveling yellow cards might not eliminate a player from participating in playoff games on Sunday; however, no such leniency will be considered for a red card or a third tournament yellow disqualification. The Tournament Directors’ decision on player eligibility in accordance with these rules, after consultation with the Referee Assignor, is final.
4. Game balls shall be size 5. The team designated as the home team must wear pennies in case of a conflict of color. Goalkeepers shall be in a color that is sufficiently distinguishable from the field players of both teams. Pennies will be available at the tournament table. Shin guards are mandatory for all players and must be covered with a sock. A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including jewelry such as necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, leather bands, rubber bands, etc.).
5. Team benches will be located on the right side of the field house. The next teams on deck will stage their players behind the net (to the right of the entryway).
6. The referee shall keep the official game time in accordance with the game schedule set by the tournament director. Each game has a one-hour time slot during the round-robin seeding portion of the tournament. This includes warm-up and time between halves. Each half is 25 minutes with a 5-minute warm-up period. Game time is forfeit time, unless, in the opinion of the referee, the game has a likelihood of commencing with sufficient players at the conclusion of the 5-minute warm-up period. To keep the tournament on track, the referee may start the clock if both teams are sufficiently present but not ready to immediately start play after the 5-minute warm-up period. In case of a stoppage of play, the clock will not be stopped. For those playoff/bracket games allocated with a 90-minute timeframe, the referee has the option to add stoppage time as appropriate.
7. The winning team coach/manager or designee must confirm the winning game score at the tournament director’s table with the referee right after the game. Referees will be responsible for filing the game score as soon as the game is concluded.

II. Laws of the Game

1. Before kick-off at the start of the match or extra time, a coin is tossed and the team that wins decides which goal it will attack in the first half of the match or the extra time. The other team takes the kick-off to start the match or the extra time. A goal can be scored directly from the kick-off. During the kick-off, opposing players must be at least 5 yards away from the ball. The ball is in play when it moves in any direction.

The referee is responsible for signaling the start and end of games, including half and overtime periods. Before starting the game, second half, and overtime periods, the referee signals to the tournament table to start the clock simultaneously with the referee’s whistle. The referee will signal the end of the half and end of the game.

1. Referee decisions regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final.
2. Free substitution is allowed throughout the game. The player being removed from the game must leave the field of play at or near the halfway line and shall be off the field before the new player enters the game. Infractions of this rule shall result in an indirect kick. Substitutes must enter the field at or near the halfway line between the team benches.
3. Unless specified in these rules, all free kicks follow FIFA Laws of the Game. Players on the non-kicking team should not be closer than 10 yards from the ball. For all infractions occurring within the Penalty Area and resulting in an indirect kick, the ball must be moved 5 yards outside the Penalty Area.
4. A ball that hits the ceiling or structure above the field of play is considered out of bounds and an indirect kick is awarded directly below the point where the ball contacted the structure unless it hits the structure above the Penalty Area, then the indirect kick is taken 5 yards outside the Penalty Area from the area nearest to where it had hit the structure.
5. For goal kicks or when the goalkeeper releases the ball in a throw or punt/drop kick, the ball must first bounce or be touched by a player before or by the halfway line. A goalkeeper may choose to roll the ball and play it like a field player as long as the ball is not bouncing by the time it is kicked. If an infraction occurs, an indirect kick is taken from mid-field.
6. Intentional passes and throw-ins to the goalkeeper will not be allowed unless the keeper plays the ball with his/her feet. Violation of this rule will result in an indirect kick taken 5 yards outside the Penalty Area.
7. Field players are strictly prohibited from sliding against an opponent and or slide tackling. Infractions of this rule will result in a direct free kick (PK if in the penalty area), and a yellow/red card if warranted based on the referee’s opinion. A goalkeeper is allowed to slide within the Penalty Area; however a goalkeeper may not slide tackle. Slide tackling by the goalkeeper inside the Penalty Area will result in a penalty kick being awarded to the attacking team.
8. Tie/Won Games and Overtimes: Ties will stand in the round-robin seeding portion of the tournament; teams are awarded 1 point for a game-ending in a tie and 3 points for a win.

• Overtime periods will occur in the playoff portion of the tournament as follows:

Five-minute overtime—if still tied…

Three-minute sudden-death overtime, no switching sides—if still tied…

Kicks from the Penalty Mark (KFPM): The team that wins the coin toss decides to kick or defend first.

• Only players on the field at the end of the second OT are eligible to participate in KFPM.
• Because of time constraints, goalkeepers may not be substituted after the start of the final overtime. The goalkeeper of the last sudden death overtime must be the keeper during the PKs.
• If the teams are of unequal numbers, the team with more eligible players must “reduce to equate” on a gender-by-gender basis.
• Both teams take five initial kicks alternately.
• A different player takes each kick and all eligible players (including goalkeepers) must take a kick before any player can take a second kick.
• If, before both teams have taken 5 kicks, one has scored more goals than the other could score, a winner has been determined and no more kicks need be taken.
• Kicks from the mark proceed past the initial round of five if the score is still tied after five kicks by each team. At this point, a winner has been determined if one team has scored in its pair but the other team has not.
• If kicks from the mark proceed beyond all eligible players into a second or subsequent round, players are not required to kick in the same order as in any previous round, however, all eligible players must take a kick before any player can take a subsequent kick.

1. The penalty mark is at 10 yards from the mid-point of the goal posts, coinciding with the penalty area boundary.
2. There is no offside in this tournament.

The referee indicates an indirect free kick by raising his arm above the head, maintaining the arm in that position until the kick has been taken and the ball has touched another player or goes out of play.

More Tournament Rules

• Tournament management flexibility afforded to the Tournament Director – Section 5
• Opposite gender injury or dismissal, see new reduce to equate rule – Section 6
• A third tournament yellow card or a red card would have a player suspended for two (2) games and may not be allowed to return for the balance of the tournament – Section 9
• Shin guards are required. No jewelry (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, leather bands, rubber bands, etc.) is allowed. – Section 10
• Substituted players must be off the field at or near midfield but do not have to be on their benches as previously required – Section 16
• Walls will be no closer than 10 yards from the ball for free kicks – Section 17
• Sliding against opponent added and treated as slide tackling; goalkeeper can slide but can’t slide tackle – Section 21
• See changes to Kick from the Penalty Mark procedure to determine the winner of a playoff game – Section 22