League Rules
East Bay Over Thirty Soccer -Coed League Rules
Revision 12 - February 10, 2008
A. Safety
The primary goal of East Bay Over Thirty Soccer (EBOTS) is to provide a safe and friendly environment for its members. Strict adherence to the following safety rules is required from all league members.
A.1. Safety Equipment
Soccer safety equipment should be worn during all practices, scrimmages, and matches. Required equipment includes:
• Shin guards
• Shoes with cleats, molded soles, or appropriate soles for the grass/turf used (metal cleats are not allowed)
Recommended equipment includes:
• Mouth guards
• Sports eyewear using polycarbonate lenses
A.2. Member Safety Considerations
Members of the board of directors (board members) are responsible for the safety of all players during practices, scrimmages and matches. Under no circumstances will a game rule take precedence over this objective. All members of the league agree to defer all game-time judgments to board members.
All EBOTS league members are individually responsible for the following:
• Understanding the basic rules of soccer
• Understanding of the rules outlined in this document (EBOTS Co-Ed League Rules)
• Using safe practices and fair play on the field (see Section A.3.)
• Avoiding dangerous play (see Section A.4.)
• Respecting the decisions of the board members.
A.3. Fair Play
Observing rules of fair play will help ensure that play is clean, safe and welcoming to all members. The following behaviors are not considered fair play. The Board of Directors may review the behavior of members displaying any of the following during practices, scrimmages or matches. The Board of Directors may issue a warning to the member, which could lead ultimately to the ejection of a player from the league (see Section H).
1. Slide-tackling
2. Tackling from behind
3. Challenging the keeper after he or she has legitimately called the ball (keeper always has the right-of-way)
4. Playing the ball while you are on the ground
5. Diving headers, bicycle kicks or jumping full vollies
6. High kicks (above the waist)
7. “Cleats up” challenges
8. Jumping over people’s backs for headers – any jumps should be straight up-and-down only
In addition:
9. Display of unsporting behavior
10. Display of aggressive dissent by word or action
11. Persistent infringement of the rules
12. Delay of the restart of play
13. Failure to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick or free kick
14. Denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his or her own penalty area)
15. Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick.
A.4. Dangerous Play
The following behaviors are unacceptable and may result in the unconditional ejection of a player from the league. The offending player has seven days to provide a written explanation of his or her actions, if requested by the Board of Directors.
• Serious foul play
• Violent conduct, which includes fighting or the physical battery of another player.
• Use of verbal threats or offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
• Spitting at an opponent or any other person
• Any type of harassment, sexual or otherwise
• Sexist remarks, or any remark that demeans a player based on gender or other physical characteristics.
B. Roles and Responsibilities of Members of the Board of Directors
Board members will understand the rules of safety and fair play (see Section A.3. and Section A.4.) and have the responsibility to do the following:
B.1. Board members have the responsibility to do the following:
• Understand and enforce the basic rules of soccer.
• Understand and enforce the rules outlined in this document (EBOTS Co-Ed League Rules).
• Brief existing members at the start of each season about EBOTS Co-Ed League Rules and league expectations.
• Maintain safe practices and fair play on the field (for example, a player may be ejected for slide tackling – see Section A.3.).
• Stop any match in which he or she feels safety of players is compromised. If a match is stopped before the end of the game, it will be rescheduled pending review by the Board of Directors.
• Review any incidents of dangerous play (see Section A.4.) and/or circumstances that lead to the stopping of any matches.
• Ask any player(s) exhibiting unfair or dangerous play to leave the field of play for ten minutes (See Section H).
• End the match on time.
B.2. Conflict Resolution
A board member should be contacted immediately to report a members’ inappropriate behavior or any personal conflicts between members. Members are encouraged to contact the league Ombudsman designated by the Board of Directors and charged with representing the interests of league members. The league Ombudsman will investigate and address any complaints raised by any league member in strict confidence.
C. General Match Rules
The following rules are intended as guidelines. If circumstances warrant, board members in consultation with players, may change rules that do not relate to safety.
The rules relating to field size, ball size, and number of players apply exclusively to matches and do not need to be observed during practices or scrimmages. However, members are expected to adhere to safe practices and fair play during all EBOTS events, including practices and scrimmages.
Regular season matches canceled due to bad weather or poor field conditions will be rescheduled, if possible.
In the case of a debilitating injury, boardmembers may opt to stop a match so that it may be rescheduled to be played at a later time.
All men playing must be at least 30 years, and all women playing must be at least 21 years of age
D. The Field of Play
Matches must be played on a field resembling a full-size soccer field as defined by FIFA. The field should be approximately 100 yards long and 50 yards wide. If possible, the field should have full-sized goals with a net.
Some allowances may be made for field size if players agree. The field may be no less than 75 yards in length, and the width of the field should be approximately half its length. The field must be rectangular in shape. Board members and/or players may alter the number of players for the match in the best interests of safety if the field size is reduced.
E. The Ball
The match ball must be a size five soccer ball, spherical in shape and made of leather or some other appropriate material. The ball must be fully inflated.
F. Team Rosters
F.1. Number of Players
A match is played by two teams, each consisting of not more than 11 players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Unless the team captains agree, a match may not start if either team consists of fewer than eight players, including five men and three women. Unless the team captains agree, a team must field at least three women at any time during the match. Team captains should rely on the players on their roster, unless they are unavailable. If this is the case, team captains may ask other members to substitute.
F.2. Roster Adjustments
The Board of Directors may make adjustments to the rosters at any time for any reason.
F.3. Substitutes and Substitutions
Players of either gender can substitute at any time. A substitution is completed when a substitute enters the field of play. From that moment the substitute becomes a player, and the player he or she has replaced ceases to be in the match.
There is no limit to the number of substitutions during a match.
Substitutes cannot take penalty kicks. Only a player on the field at the time of the foul may take the penalty kick.
The goalkeeper can switch positions with a player on the field at any time a substitute is allowed.
A team MUST substitute for a player who is bleeding. Play should be stopped immediately when there is a dangerous situation/injury or for substitution of a player.
F.4. Guest Players
Only EBOTS members can play in matches. Any new or “guest” players must sign a membership application before playing in any EBOTS practice, scrimmage or match. Guest players and players from other teams may be allowed to play for a team that is short of players at the team captains’ discretion.
G. Duration of the Match
Regular-season matches consist of two 40-minute halves. Halftime is five minutes. Teams are not allotted any time-outs, but additional breaks in play are allowed if players agree (under circumstances of extreme heat, for example).
The game clock is continuous and will not stop for a ball going out of play. The match must end on time, even if the match started late.
H. Penalties
Any in-the-box foul results in a direct penalty kick by a member of the fouled team.
As a safety precaution, slide tackling is not allowed and results in an indirect penalty kick. Members who slide-tackle may go under review by the Board of Directors.
A player engaging in unfair, unsafe or dangerous play may be asked to leave the field of play for ten minutes. The offending team must play with one fewer player until the time has elapsed. The offending team then may make a substitution in order to meet the requirement of three women players on the field.
The Board of Directors may review the circumstances surrounding any unfair, unsafe or dangerous play leading to a penalty and decide if the player(s) will be allowed to return to the league. See Section A.3 and Section A.4.
I. Membership Dues
In order to participate in matches, scrimmages and practices, members must remain in good standing with the league by keeping their membership current and paying membership dues. If any member is notified by a boardmember that membership dues have not been paid, that member may not participate in any matches, scrimmages and practices even if they are listed on a roster.
New members must fill out an application before participating in any matches, scrimmages or practices.
New members receive a one day grace period, but must pay membership dues the second time they show up to play.
J. Other Provisions
In general, the matches will be played according to the FIFA “Laws of the Game.” If there is a conflict between the present document and FIFA “Laws of the Game,” this document will always take precedence. EBOTS promotes a safe and friendly environment on the soccer field.