7-Aside Soccer Rules

The FIFA Laws of the Game shall apply except as noted below.

Roster:

• A team may have a maximum of 14 players on their roster for 7-aside soccer
• A team may add additional players to their roster during group play for $10/player. (After first game has started)
• Once the knockout round begins (last regular game is over), players may NOT be added or dropped for any reason.
• If a player is on a roster but hasn’t registered (i.e. signed the waiver and received a wristband), a team may drop them from their roster during group play and it does not count against their drops.
• A team may have 2 drops from their roster during group play for any reason.
• Barring the above exception, players may not be dropped from a team’s roster after the first game.
• Women can play in all divisions.
• For age related divisions – the player must turn the appropriate age (30,40,50) in the same calendar year as the tournament.
  

Field:

Players/Equipment:

• Each team shall have only seven players (including the goalie) on the field at one time. Note: Southern Soccer may reserve the right to increase the number of players on the field due to the size of the field.
• Each team shall consist of a maximum of 14 players/substitutes for 7-aside soccer
• A team needs a minimum of 4 players to start/continue a match.
• All players shall be required to sign a waiver/liability form. Minimum age is 16. If a player is under the age of 19, a parent or legal guardian will need to sign the waiver for that player.
• All players are required to wear shin guards.
• Teams are required to wear uniform shirts of the same color when on the field. Each team should bring alternate uniforms.
• Teams are required to wear uniforms with numbers on the back.
• Each team must submit a roster prior to the start of the tournament.
• If a team does not follow the roster rules then that team must forfeit the game for which the violation occurred.
• All players are required to wear tournament wristbands to participate. If a player is caught without a wristband on the field of play, the offending team will play shorthanded for 2 minutes.

7-Aside Soccer Rules for Co-ed (Only for Strict Co-Ed divisions):

• For the Co-ed division, there must be two females on the field at all times. Failure to do so will award the opposing team one goal on each occurrence recorded by the referee. On the 3^rd occurrence, the team shall forfeit the game.
• In the event of an injured female player in which the team cannot field two females on the field at once, the team will be permitted to play with one (wo)man down.
• In the event of two injured female players in which the team cannot field two females on the field at once, the team will be permitted to play with two (wo)men down.
• There are no minimums for male players (i.e.- your whole team can be women if you like…)

Scoring:

• All rules on Goals follow the normal FIFA laws of the game
• Penalty Kicks shall be taken from the normal 12 yard spot (top of the penalty area on this field).

Substitutions:

• Substitutions are made on the fly at any point in a match and do not require the referee’s approval.
• A player must be off the field before the substitute can enter the field.
• All substitutions should take place near the center half on one side of the field.
• There are no limits to the number of substitutions made during the course of the game.
• A goalie change must occur during a stoppage and requires the referee’s assistance to stop the game during the change.

Referees:

• There will be one referee per match for the preliminary round of matches.
• All decisions made by the referee are final.

Duration:

• Each game shall consist of two 22-minute halves. tournament directors reserve the right to reduce the half times in order to stay on schedule….so don’t be late!
• Half time shall be 5 minutes.
• There will be no overtime in the first round matches.
• In the knock-out round there will be one 10-minute golden goal (or sudden death) period. If neither team scores during this period, the game will go to penalty kicks.
• The referee may shorten matches due to a late kickoff, but must notify the team captains before doing so.

Other Rules of the Game:

• FIGHTING will not be tolerated. A player red carded for fighting or violent conduct shall be banned from play for the remainder of the tournament for all teams they play for.
• Normal red cards, follow normal rules, you sit out the next game for the team you were red carded for.
• Goal kicks must be taken within four yards of the end line.
• There are NO OFFSIDE infractions.
• On a free kick, the opposing player must be at least 6 yards from the ball.
• Each team is responsible for the actions of its players, managers, and fans. Any team or associated members causing termination of a match by the referee shall receive no points for the terminated game and may have points deducted from the overall standings. Three points toward the standings may be awarded to the opposing team for the termination. Any further misconduct may result in expulsion from the tournament.

Weather:

• All teams should report to the fields regardless of the weather unless informed otherwise by the tournament directors (or weather is life threatening). Only referees and/or tournament director may cancel or postpone a match. If at least ten minutes of the second-half of a match has been completed and then terminated due to weather, the game is official and the score recorded.

Points:

• WIN – 3 points
• TIE – 1 points
• LOSS – 0 points
• Forfeits are recorded as a 3-0 win.
• Max Points: 3 per match
• Tie Breakers:
  • Points
  • Head to Head
  • Goal Differential
  • Goals For
  • Goals Against
  • Coin Toss

Forfeits:

• Games should start on time. A team is allowed a ten-minute window to have at least four players ready to play. After this period is up a forfeit shall be awarded to the opposing team. A forfeit is counted as a 3-0 win.

Protests:

• No protests will be allowed. All decisions by the referee and tournament directors are final

While these are 7-Aside soccer rules, they can easily be adjusted for 6-aside soccer as well. We used to have all sorts of wonky rules about kicks past half, kick-ins from the side, etc, but we felt these rules are simple and don’t confuse the refs, players, and keep us from having to consult the rule-book all the time. Feel free to use these for your own tournament.