1.        GENERAL RULES

The Tournament Committee and YMS will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by any team, club or individual if the Tournament is cancelled in whole or part. The Tournament Committee’s interpretation of these rules shall be final and binding. The Tournament Committee reserves the right to decide on all matters pertaining to the tournament. Each team prior to the tournament must submit a roster. These rosters will then be used at registration as part of the player checklist. It is expected that each team will participate in the customary handshake and exchange patches following the game. First and second place trophies will be awarded to winners and runners-up in each division.

2.        LAWS OF THE GAME

All games shall be played in accordance with EPYSA and USYSA laws, except as specifically modified by those rules.

3.        ELIGIBILITY

All participating teams must be currently registered with their state association. All teams from outside Pennsylvania must have proof of “Permission to Travel” duly authorized by their state association at registration. A player card with photograph, duly authorized by state registrar must be presented at time of registration. A  signed and dated medical release form (by the parent) must be presented at the time of registration for all players participating in the tournament. A maximum of 3 guest players will be allowed. These players must be registered and carded in their state association. A player can only play for one team during the tournament.

4.        INCLEMENT WEATHER

In the event of extraordinary weather conditions (i.e. heavy rain, poor playing conditions), the Tournament Committee shall have the authority to change the above format as follows:
·        Relocate and reschedule any game
·        Reduce by up to 50% the scheduled duration of any game
·        Consider a game complete that has been called by the official with 25% or less remaining unplayed
·        Cancel any preliminary game(s) having no bearing on the selection of division winners

5.        SUBSTITUTIONS

Substitutions may be made without limit, with the permission of the referee as follows:
·        After a goal is scored
·        At a goal kick
·        On your own throw-in
·        At the beginning of the half
·        At an injury
·        For a yellow carded player

·        An injured player who is bleeding must leave the match for treatment and may return after treatment only after being checked by the referee or an assistant referee

·        There will be no substitutions for a player who has received a red card and has been ordered from the field by the referee

6.        PROTESTS

There will be no protests allowed.

 

7.        GAMES AND EQUIPMENT

All uniforms must be numbered. In the event of conflicting color jerseys, home teams will change jerseys. All teams are responsible for their own insurance. In case of injury during travel or while participating in the tournament, Yardley Makefield Soccer and the Tournament Committee will not be liable. Players are REQUIRED to wear shin guards in accordance with FIFA laws of the game.

8.        CONDUCT

Players, coaches and spectators are expected to conduct themselves within the spirit of the game as well as letter of the law. Coaches are not only responsible for their conduct but also the conduct of their players and spectators.  Players, coaches or spectators ejected from a game by the referee must leave the field area. Anyone receiving a red card will be ineligible for the next scheduled game. The committee, in the event of fighting may take further action. No one will be allowed behind either end line. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE NOT PERMITTED AT GAME SITES.

9.        GAME REPORT

All field marshal game sheets must be returned to the site headquarters as soon as possible after a game. Both coaches must sign field marshal reports.

YMS Columbus Day

Tournament Competition

YMS Columbus Day

Tournament Competition

RULES OF PLAY

FIFA Laws of the Game will apply as modified by USYSA and EPYSA as described herein. Duration of games and ball size, by age group are as follows:

** Semi-final and Final games tied after regulation will play two (2) equal  overtime halves of 5 minutes each half (10 minutes total), with no break in between halves. If a tie still exists after the overtime halves, the FIFA penalty kick format will be used to determine the winner. Penalty kicks will immediately  follow  the  2^nd overtime half.

HOME TEAM

The Home Team appears first on the game schedule. The Visitor Team (the team listed second on the game schedule) will kick off at the beginning of the first half and the home team will have choice of field..

The Home Team will be required to switch to alternate jerseys to accommodate color conflicts as declared by the referee. If the Home Team cannot supply alternate jerseys, the Visitor Team will change. Teams are to be on OPPOSITE SIDES of the field.

HALF TIME

Half Time will be exactly five (5) minutes in duration.

RELIMINARY ROUNDS

 In the preliminary rounds (games within your bracket), teams will play in a round robin format.  Ties will stand during preliminary rounds. At the end of preliminary rounds, division winners will be those teams with the most win/tie points in their division. For those divisions with 12 teams, there will also be one Wildcard team that will advance to a semi-final game. The Wild Card team will be the team with the next highest point total, after the three division winners are determined. The following point system will be used to determine who advances. Forfeiture of a game makes a team ineligible to be a division winner or wild card.  

DETERMINING WINNERS

 Teams will be awarded points on the following basis:

·         Three (3) points for a win (or a game forfeited to them)

·         One (1) point for a tie

·         Zero (0) points for a loss

 At the end of the preliminary rounds, the flight winner will be the team with the most points in their flight. In the event of a tie within a flight, the following criteria will be used to determine the winner: 

1.         Head to head competition (in the event of a tie among three (3) or more teams, this criterion will not be considered), then

2.         Goal Differential (maximum of 4 per game), then

3.         Most Wins, then

4.         Fewest Goals Allowed (up to 4 per game), then

5.         Most Goals Scored (maximum of 4 per game), then

6.         FIFA penalty kicks (at least 30 minutes prior to scheduled play-off round game)

(ex. Team A defeats Team B by a score of 6-1. Team A receives a +4 for goal differential, a -1 for goals allowed, and a +4 for goals scored.  Team B receives a -4 for goal differential, a -4 for goals allowed and a +1 for goals scored.)

             ** If there are three or more teams still tied after all the above tie-breaking criteria is used, and PK's are needed  to determine which team(s) advance to the playoff round, the following rules will apply.   The three (or more)  teams will compete in a FIFA style PK round-robin competition  (ex. A vs B, A vs C, B vs C) to determine a winner (and runnerup if needed).  Each team must take the minimum of 5 kicks during the round robin competition in case the additional tie-breaker scenario below is required. .

If two or more teams are still tied after the round-robin PK competition (win=3pts-loss=0 pts), the following PK tie breakers will be used to determine the team(s) that advance:  1.  most PK goals scored for each team during the first 5 rounds of each round-robin contest    2. least PK goals allowed during the first 5 rounds of each PK round-robin contest.

In the event of a tie among three (3) or more teams, once a tie is broken by the above system, and if ties among remaining teams still must be decided, those ties would be broken by starting again from the top (i.e. head to head competition) of the tie-breaking procedure. In the event that a Wild Card team must be selected for a semi-final game, the above procedure will be used across the entire flight. 

Wild Card

If a Wild Card team must be selected, the Wild Card team will NOT be assigned to play against the winner of its own flight in the semi-final 

* For Playoff games: If there is a tie at the end of a regulation game,  teams will play 2 equal (5 minute) overtime periods. After 2 equal periods of play, and in the event of a tie score at the end of both rounds, the game would then be determined by PK's.