Soccer Lowers

CONSAT Soccer Rules

Downloadable Version: Soccer Rules

What is a Swiss Tournament style?

A Swiss Style tournament allows all participants to play in each round of a tournament, no team or players are ever eliminated from the tournament. This is somewhat similar to a Round Robin style, except in a swiss tournament the pairings in subsequent rounds are determined by a team’s record. The swiss tournament style is very popular in chess, but can be used for just about any sport. It ensures a level of fairness and competitiveness throughout the duration of the tournament.

Why this model for us?

• Easily adapted for more/less teams
• Able to adapt to more/less venues
• Able to use for other sports/seasons in future
• Allows for closer level of competition every week
• No referee fees – spring tournament showed it works with teacher as referee in the spare game.

Example by numbers:

10 teams in all:

1) [host] Nord Anglia International School New York: Craig Halsall

2) Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan: Brian Loomis and Brooke Reinfeld

3) Greene Hill School – Laurie Baum

4) The Ecole: Alain Haspil

5) Academy of St Joseph: Coach George

6) Fusion Academy: Joisiah Steinle; Randall Klein; Richard Joseph

7) Cathedral School: Kathy Ames

8) British International School: Thomas Hunt

9) Brooklyn Heights Montessori – Ayana Crawford

10) [host] Blue School: Val D

 

Weekly Schedule

• 2 groups of 4 teams per venue each week – with two teams per week “not playing” (total 10 teams)
• 1 group – 4 teams occupying top 4 positions (excluding the non-playing teams)
• 1 group – 4 teams occupying lowest 4 positions (excluding the non-playing teams)
• 3 games per team per week (based on 4 schools per venue)
• Approx 9-minute games (based on one-hour game slots per week)
• Host teams to take turns playing at each other’s venue when drawn in the same group

Week by week:

• After the Thursday game, scores must be submitted by the host school to Soccer Secretary by Friday morning.
• Soccer Committee member will update standings, and by Monday morning, 10am, schools will receive an email with the schedule of games and venues for the upcoming Thursday. This will repeat each week and needs to be adhered to in order for it to be a success.

 

Field of Play & Goal Sizes (Recommended)

Uppers: 8ft x 6ft

Lowers: 6ft x 4ft

It is understood that in some cases this may not be possible. However, in case an exception may be necessary, the Chairman must be notified in advance and the participating schools must approve the exception.

Team and Squad Sizes: 5-a-side (4 outfielders + 1 goalkeeper). Maximum squad size of 12.

In some cases, perhaps where the field of play is deemed by both coaches to be too small for 5 players, it may be agreed before the games commence, that each team will consist of 4 players.

Substitutions: Unlimited substitutions for all age groups. Players who are subbed off can still return to the fixture. Either team may substitute on goal / corner kicks while the team in possession may substitute on a throw-in.

Penalty Area: The penalty area will be agreed with both coaches and the referee before the start of each fixture, but should be approximately 7 meters by 9 meters

Free Kicks: All free kicks will be indirect.

Game Starts: The referee will oversee a coin toss between both teams with the team winning the coin toss and will decide whether to kick off in the first or second half. A kick off from the team winning the toss from the centre of the field of play that must go backwards towards the team’s own goal.

Offside Rule: There will be no offside rule

Back Pass Rule:

Uppers: The goalkeeper may not pick up the ball from a back pass or throw in from a teammate. An indirect kick is awarded to the opposing team from the position where the offence occurred where a back pass originated from outside the penalty area. A penalty kick will be awarded when a back pass originated from inside the penalty area.

Lowers: The goalkeeper may pick the ball up from a back pass at anytime. The goalkeeper may roll the ball out under arm.

Corner Kicks: Will be awarded to the opposition if the ball crosses the goal line having last touched by a player whose goal line the ball crosses.

Goalkeepers: Goalkeepers will return the ball to the field of play by underarm throw only.

Throw ins: The game will be re-started with a kick in from the position the ball left the field of play. Opposition players must stand at least six feet away from the point the ball will re-enter the field of play.

Discipline: In the event of foul play (i.e. player tripped up, poor challenge etc) then an indirect free kick will be awarded. Such a foul committed in the penalty area will result in a penalty kick. The referee reserves the right in the event of any serious fouls or poor behaviour to ask a player to sit out of the game for 5 minutes on the first offence; increasing by 5 minutes for each subsequent serious foul. In exceptional circumstances a referee may ask a player to sit out the remainder of the half or fixture.

Spectators: No adults besides the referee may enter the field of play at anytime, except for if a player is injured. In such cases the coach of the team whose players is injured is responsible for ensuring only appropriate adults enter the field of play. All spectators must stand as far away as possible from the field of play, ensuring that no obstructions are present or risk injury to players.

Referees: It is expected that CONSAT will organize officials for the CONSAT League games and events. There is a need to ensure sportsmanship, fair play and respect at all times both through competitive behaviour and refereeing decisions at all times. Where an official referee is not available for any reason, opposition coaches should discuss and agree a solution for the fixture.

Mercy Rule: The maximum recorded score for any fixture will be a difference of 6 goals. Games can continue until the end of the allocated time period, but on the recorded final score, the maximum difference between the teams will be 6 goals (e.g. 6-0, 7-1 etc)

Specialist Clothing / Equipment

• Goalkeeper: Must wear appropriate goalkeeping gloves
• Jewelry: No jewelry may be worn at any time whilst on the field of play including, but not limited to, watches, bracelets, necklaces and watches. Only flat rings may be worn. For those unwilling (perhaps for religious reasons) to take jewelry off, the these should be fully covered by sports tape.
• Foot wear: All players must wear sneakers. No other type of shoe is allowed and neither are players allowed to participate without wearing appropriate sneakers.
• Shin Pads: It is an expectation that ALL players will wear shin pads for the entirety of all games played.
• Footballs: Will be futsal balls (Uppers – size 4)

 

League Structure

• Teams winning games will be allocated 3 points; a draw results in both teams being awarded 1 point (this may be amended accordingly before the start of any season if required to ensure all teams may win the same number of points over the course of a season in the event of a swiss chess league model being operated)
• League positions will be determined after the outcome of all games are known.
• League positions will be determined as follows: Points / Goal Difference / Goals Scored / score between the two teams in the event of a tie / a special play off fixture if necessary
• The top 4 teams will compete in end-of-season play off finals as follows: 1^st v 4^th and 2^nd v 3^rd; winning teams from each fixture will compete for 1^st and 2^nd place in the final and the losing teams will compete for 3^rd and 4^th
• In the event of finals games ending in a draw, there will be extra time of two halves of 5 additional minutes i.e. 10 minutes in total extra time; in the event of a continued draw then the outcomes of the fixture will be determined on penalties with both teams being allocated three penalties (any three different plenty takers from a penalty team of up to 5 players) followed by sudden death as required with each subsequent penalty taken on rotation once all five players have taken a penalty.