Shorewood Soccer League: U-10 Division Rules
Law 1: The Soccer Field
The field of play must be 50 yards by 80 yards.
Law 2: The Soccer Ball
The soccer ball size will be Size 4 (25-26 inches and weighs 11-13oz.)
Law 3: Number of Soccer Players
Number of players varies depending upon registration.
Games must be played with at least 7 players per side.
Substitutions
U10 is “On-the-Fly”
1. Substitutions may be made without the referee’s permission
2. Substitutions shall be limited to maximum of 3 players per substitutions
3. Players who have been substituted may reenter the game
4. The coach calls the player’s name and number and tells him/her to come off of the field.
The player must have left the field before he/she can be replaced.
5. The departing player(s) must leave the field in front of their team’s bench.
6. The replacement player must touch hands with the departing player (high five, etc) to indicate whom he/she is replacing.
7. Failure to follow the above procedure could result in the referee awarding a five minute penalty
against the offending team (play short)
Law 4: Players Equipment
Shirt: All field players must wear their designated team shirt.goalkeeper shirts of different color than that of all field players.
Shorts: Players may choose the shorts they wear.
Shin Guards: Hard molded shin guards or shin guards with hard molded inserts are required.
Socks: Knee Length socks are required and must completely cover the player’s shin guards.
Shoes: Gym shoes or soccer shoes with round molded cleats are required, baseball, football, track, golf shoes are not allowed.
Jewelry: No jewelry of any type is allowed. Earrings on newly pierced ears may NOT be worn. Hair accessories containing metal are not allowed. Medical information tags must be taped against the body.
Glasses: Players may NOT wear unprotected glasses. Players who need to wear glasses must wear sports goggles over their glasses or wear prescription sport glasses. Straps must be used with sports goggles or sport glasses.Casts: Casts of any type, regardless of padding are illegal and will not be allowed.
Limb Braces: Are considered illegal and will not be allowed.
Recommended Equipment: For male players: an athletic supporter with cup. The referee shall be the sole judge of what constitutes ILLEGAL equipment In instances that are not covered by the preceding statements.
Law 5: The Referee
The referee is the official in charge of the game. In regulation games the referee monitors play, keeps official time, stops play, allows substitutions, and interprets and enforces all rules. The referee is in complete control of the game and all decisions made by the referee are final.
Law 6: Linesmen
Linesmen help the referee officiate soccer play. One linesman is assigned to each side of the field to determine when the ball is out of play and which team is awarded throw-ins, goal kicks, and corner kicks. Linesmen are NOT permitted to comment on play or coach players while participating. NO other calls shall be made by the linesmen. Linesmen are extensions of the referee and should be respected just as is the referee.
Law 7: Duration of Soccer Games
Regulation soccer games will be four 12 minute quarters, 2 minute between quarters, 5 minute half-time. Any regular season game ending in a tied score remains as a tied score. There is no overtime or tie-breakers.
Law 8: Start of Play
For the pre-game coin toss, the visitors shall call heads or tails. The team that wins the toss decides which goal it will attack in the first half of the match. The other team takes the kick-off to start the match. Teams alternate field sides at half time. At kickoff, the ball is in play after it has traveled in a forward motion.The player who kicks off may not touch the ball again until it has been touched by another player.
Law 9: Ball In and Out of Play
The ball is always in play as long as it is within the touchlines and goal lines or is touching the lines. The ball is out of play only when it COMPLETELY crosses playing field boundaries. Because the position of the BALL determines in and out of play. Before the thrower can play the ball (on a throw-in), another player from either team must touch it. A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in.
Law 10: Scoring Goals
The ball must completely cross the goal line, between the posts or flags and below the crossbar for a goal to be scored. A goal will also be awarded if the goalkeeper carries the ball (steps or falls back) over the goal line. A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in or indirect free kick.
Law 11: Offsides
At least two defensive players must be between an offensive player and the goal at the time the ball is played toward the goal. One of the defensive players can be the goalkeeper. Players cannot be declared offsides if they are dribbling the ball or receiving a goal kick, corner kick, throw-in, or dropped ball. A player is not penalized for offsides, if in the judgment of the referee, he/she is NOT:interfering with the play, interfering with an opponent or the goal keeper, trying to gain an advantage from being in an offside position.
Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct
Players who intentionally:
A. Kick or attempt to kick at an opponent
B. Trip an opponent
C. Jump at an opponent
D. Charge at an opponent in a dangerous manner
E. Strike, spit at, or attempt to strike or spit at an opponent
F. Hold an opponent
G. Push an opponent
H. Touch the ball with the hands(girls may use their arms for protection while doing chest traps, hands should be on shoulders, and elbows must be kept against the body)
These are penalized by awarding the opposing team a direct free kick from the spot of the foul.
Players who intentionally:
A. Play dangerously
B. Charge a player when the ball is not within playing distance
C. Charge the goalkeeper who does not have the ball
D. Goalkeeper takes more than six seconds inside the penalty area while controlling the ball with his hands before releasing it from his/her possession
E. Goalkeeper carries the ball across the penalty box line
F. Play the ball back to their own goalkeeper and keeper picks up the ball
These are penalized by awarding the opposing team an indirect free kick from the spot of the foul. In the case of a penalty due to a play back to the goalkeeper, the ball shall be placed on the goal box line or the penalty box line, depending on where the foul occurred.Slide Tackling IS NOT ALLOWED and will be penalized as dangerous play.
Disciplinary Sanctions
Cautionable Offenses
A player is cautioned and shown a YELLOW card if he/she commits any of the following seven offenses:
A. Is guilty of unsportsmanlike behavior
B. Shows dissent by word or action
C. Persistently infringes the laws of the game
D. Delays the restart of play
E. Fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick or free kick
F. Enters or reenters the field of play without referee’s permission
G. Deliberately leaves the field of play without referee’s permission
Sending off Offenses
A Player is sent off and shown the RED card if he/she commits any of the following seven offenses:
A. Is guilty of a serious foul play
B. Is guilty of violent conduct
C. Spits at an opponent or any other person
D. Denies an opponent a goal or an obvious goal scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball
E. Denies an obvious goal scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or penalty kick
F. Uses offensive, insulting or abusive language
G. Receives a second caution in the same match
Law 13: Free Kicks
Free kicks take place when players are allowed to kick the ball with defenders at least 10 yards away from the ball. Indirect free kicks must be touched by another player before crossing the goal line into the goal. The kicker must wait for the referee’s signal to kick. Failure to do so will result in an indirect free kick being awarded to the opposing team.
Direct free kicks, awarded for major fouls, can be kicked into the goal without touching another player
Indirect free kicks, awarded for minor fouls, cannot be kicked into the goal unless the ball has been touched by another player. See Law 12
Law 14: Penalty Kicks
If a player commits a foul that leads to a direct free kick (see Law 12) while inside the penalty area, the opposing team is then awarded a penalty kick from the penalty spot, 12 yards directly in front of the goal. During a penalty kick, the offensive player shoots for goal with one touch and only the goalkeeper can attempt to save the ball.
All players except the goalkeeper and the kicker must clear the penalty box when the kick is taken.
The penalty shooter must wait until the referee’s whistle before shooting.
The goalkeeper remains on his goal line, facing the kicker, between the goal posts until the ball is kicked.
No goalkeeper substitution is permitted on a penalty kick.
Law 15: The Throw-in
A team that last touched a ball that goes out of play along the side of the field loses possession to the opposing team. The opposing team must restart play from the spot the ball went out-of-bounds by throwing in the ball. Players must hold the ball with both hands and throw the ball over the head while keeping some part of each foot on the ground. Incorrect throw-ins result in the ball being awarded to the opposing team.
A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in or indirect free kick.
An opposing player may stand in front of the thrower as long as he/she remains motionless.
Law 16: Goal Kicks
Balls that go out-of-bounds beyond the goal line and are last touched by the offensive or attacking team are restarted by the defensive team. The ball is put into play by the defending team, taken from a point anywhere within the goal area. A goal can be scored from a goal kick, but only against the opposing team.
Law 17: Corner Kicks
Balls that go out-of-bounds beyond the goal line and are last touched by the defensive team are restarted by the offensive team. The offensive team restarts play with a corner kick from with-in the corner arc on the side from which the ball went out of play. The corner kick is similar to a direct free kick, so defensive players must remain at least 10 yards from the ball until it is touched and travels in a forward motion. The player taking the corner kick cannot touch the ball a second time unless it has touched by another player.
A goal may be scored from a corner kick, but only against the opposing team.
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