August Cup Tournament Rules


View the rules in a PDF document

Team and Player Eligibility Requirements

All participating teams must be properly registered and in good standing with their US Soccer affiliate and sanctioned by their state soccer association.

USYS Region one teams (Exception state of NJ teams) are not required to present permission-to-travel forms. All other teams must present permission-to-travel forms approved by their state/national association at Registration. All teams must also present a medical release form for each player at registration.

US Club Soccer Teams - May participate in the August Cup with properly validated 2010 - 2011 US Club Soccer team rosters.

Properly validated USYS 2010 - 2011 Player Passes will be required for all rostered players. 2009 - 2010 season credentials will not be accepted for rostered players. 

Guest players must have credentials from either the 2009 - 2010 or 2010 - 2011 seasonal years. 

Players may only play on one team during the tournament. No player is allowed to be registered with more than one team or to transfer from one team to another during the Tournament.

A properly validated team roster containing player names and dates of birth must be present at all games (i.e., "goldenrod" copy of MSYSA roster, USYS travel roster, etc.).  The registered 2010 - 2011 season team roster must be presented at check-in.

Teams must receive tournament approval before submission of the tournament application to play up, play down or play in an age group of the opposite gender. Teams found to have violated this rule after the application deadline date may be disqualified without refund.

Team representatives will present credentials at the mandatory check-in held before the tournament. The check-in is scheduled for Thursday August 26th in Virginia OR Friday, August 27th in Maryland.

Twenty-five (25) minutes prior to each team's scheduled game time, the team must check in with the field marshals at the site of the game.

TOURNAMENT RULES

THIS TOURNAMENT SHALL BE PLAYED IN ACCORDANCE WITH MSYSA AND FIFA RULES AS MODIFIED BY THE FOLLOWING CHANGES AND ADDITIONS:

FIELD SIZE (Law 1)

U9 - U12 games will be played on small sided fields measuring approximately 75x50. All other age groups will play on a regulation sized fields. 

THE BALL (Law 2)

U9-U12 games will be played with a size 4 soccer ball. All other age groups will play with a regulation size 5 ball.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

Properly validated 2010 - 2011 USYS or US Club Player Passes will be required for all players. 

The maximum roster size and guest players:
 
Age Group Playing Format Minimum # to Start Game Maximum Roster Size Maximum #
Guest Players
U9-U10 7v7 6 15 3
U11-U12 8v8 7 15 3
U13-U19 11v11 7 18 3
U16-U19 11v11 7 18/22 (a) 3
(a) U16-U19 teams may have 22 players on their tournament roster. U16-U19 teams may field no more than 18 players from the team roster for each match. Team members not participating as players in a match may sit in the team area but must be clearly out of uniform as compared to uniforms worn by players during the match.

SUBSTITUTION RULES (Law 3)

A. Unlimited substitution will be allowed with referee approval in the following situations:

  1. prior to throw-in by your team or prior to a throw-in bythe other team if the other team is making substitutions
  2. prior to goal kick by either team
  3. prior to the restart of the game after a goal scored by either team
  4. at the start of the 2nd half of play
  5. prior to a restart of the game after an injured player is removed from the field (either team may sub 1 for 1; not unlimited substitutes)

B. NO substitution is allowed for ejected (red carded) players.

PLAYERS' EQUIPMENT (Law 4)

A. Players wearing orthopedic casts, braces (metal. carbon fiber, hard plastic, and like devices), or splints (air or metal) shall not be eligible to participate in any game without the approval of the referee.

B. The equipment of teams and players, including team banners, flags, uniforms, warm-ups, and equipment bags may not display logos, trademarks, or insignia expressing or symbolizing alcohol, tobacco, or controlled substances.

ASSISTANT REFEREES (Law 6)

U9 - U12 round robin games games will not have assistant referees. The championship match will have three officials.

DURATION OF THE GAME (Law 7)

The duration of all games will be:
 
Age Group Each Half Half Time Total Game Time
U9-U10 25  5 55
U11-U19 30 5 65

NOTE: Injury time will NOT be added to the length of the game, except under the most extenuating circumstances and at the discretion of the referee. 
 
Extra Time - If the score is tied at the end of regular time in Championship games only, the teams will play two equal periods of five minutes each. If the game is still tied at the end of the second period, kicks from the penalty spot will be taken per FIFA rules to determine the winner.

FORFEITURES

A. Any team not ready to play eight (8) minutes after the scheduled starting time will forfeit the game. The official score will be 1-0 and 3 points will be awarded to the forfeit winner (not considered a shutout). No points will be awarded to either team if neither team is ready to play eight (8) minutes after the scheduled starting time.

B. Any U9-U12 team falling below (5) players during the game will immediately forfeit.  Any U13-U19 team falling below seven (7) players during the game will immediately forfeit. The final game score will be recorded as of the time of the forfeit unless the forfeiting team was winning or the score was tied. In this case the official score will be 1-0 and 3 points will be awarded to the forfeit winner (not considered a shutout).

C. Any team found to have played with roster violations will forfeit the games or games in which the violation occured. The official score will be 1-0 and points will be awarded to the forfeit winner (not considered a shutout).

ABANDONED GAMES

The referee, at his/her discretion, may abandon a game under the following conditions:

A. A team leaves the field during play without the approval of the referee.

B. A team is sent from the field by the referee for frequent and/or violent misconduct.

C. Extreme "sideline area" misconduct (by player, coach, or spectators) that causes interruption of play.

D. Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited at any of the fields. Any person (including coaches, parents, or spectators) violating this rule will be immediately expelled from the tournament!!

Abandonment forfeiture will result in 3 points being awarded to the forfeit winner (not considered a shutout). A forfeiting team will receive zero (0) points regardless of the score at the time of forfeiture. Additional penalties may be imposed by the Tournament Committee.
 
Abandoned games will not be replayed.

GAME POINTS

Game points will be used to rank teams at the end of round robin play. The teams with the most game points will advance. 

3 point will be awardedfor each win.
1 point will be awarded for each tie.
0 points will be awarded for each loss.
 


TIEBREAKERS
If a tie exists in game points between two teams at the conclusion of the round robin games, the following tiebreaker procedures will be used in sequence to determine which team advances to the next game:
A. The team which won head to head competition between the teams that are tied advances
B. The team with the highest goal differential, capped at a maximum differential of 4 goals per game, advances. Example: Game scores of 4-0 and 11-0 will both have a goal differential of 4.
C. The team with fewest goals against advances
D. The team with the most shutout games advances(A 0-0 tie, forfeit or abandoned game is not a shutout).
E. The team with fewest red cards advances
F. The team with fewest yellow cards advances
G. The team with most successful kicks from the penalty spot as per FIFA rules will advance

If three teams are tied in points, the first tiebreaker will be goal differential "B", followed by C-G.

RED AND YELLOW CARDS

A red-carded player or coach will receive a suspension consistent with the MSYSA "Tournament Accumulated Yellow Card Policy". The policy states "any player who accumulates two yellow cards during the tournament will sit out the very next game that the team is to play. For example, if a player receives a card in game #1 and then another card in game #2, the player will have to sit out game #3.  This policy is in addition to the existing rule that a player who receives two yellow cards (resulting in a 'red card' being given) during any one game will be forced to sit out the very next game. 

A player ejected for violent conduct or serious foul play will not be allowed to participate in the next two (2) scheduled games. All ejections and yellow cards will be reported to MSYSA or the team's state association.  The state association will have the responsibility for imposing, should circumstances warrant, additional penalties within their respective jurisdictions with regard to any matters arising from the tournament or games. 

SPORTSMANSHIP AND CONDUCT

A. Good sportsmanship will prevail. Coaches are responsible for the conduct of their players, parents, and spectators.

B. The teams  will occupy one side of the field with spectators on the opposite side of the field or as determined by SoccerPlex regulations. PLAYERS, COACHES AND SPECTATORS MUST REMAIN IN DESIGNATED AREAS.

C. Coaching shall be done only between the top of the penalty area to the mid-field line on a team's respective half of the shared sideline.

D. A Coach may not make derogatory remarks or gestures to the referees, other coaches, or players nor behave in an inciteful or disruptive manner.

HOME TEAM

A. The team listed first on the schedule will be designated the home team. The home team will be responsible for change of jerseys when conflicts of colors occur as determined by the referee. If the home team cannot supply alternate jerseys, the home team will forfeit the game. For semi-finals and championship games, the home team will be the team with the best record in the tournament.

B. The game ball will be provided by the tournament.

AWARDS

There will be individual trophies for players of 1st and 2nd place teams. All players will receive an August Cup patch. Team patch exchanges are encouraged.

PROTESTS

All games will be considered final; no protests will be accepted.

OTHER SITUATIONS

All situations not covered by these rules will be resolved by the Tournament Committee. The Tournament Committee may make alterations to these rules as necessary and such changes will be final and no appeal will be accepted. The tournament staff will attempt to provide sufficient notification of rule changes to all those concerned.