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Sand Soccer Rules 4v4
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        Sand Soccer Rules (4v4)

(Updated 6/2020)

We want to stress the importance of safety and fair play. It is far more important that play be safe than the team wins. We will instruct referees to make a call that enforces safety even if it costs a goal or penalizes the offended team by stopping play. Advantage should be used judiciously by the referee for the more experienced players. Red cards for fouls/abusive language (even aimed at own team members), taunting, and serious foul play will be used.

  1. KEY POINTS
  1. 4v4 format including the goalie
  1. Coed: 3 M/1 F (Min 2M/1F)
  1. ALL GOALS ARE WORTH ONE POINT
  2. KICK-IN'S ARE USED FOR BALLS OUT OF BOUNDS
  3. TIES DURING POOL PLAY STAY AS A TIE
  4. NO OFFSIDES
  5. REGULATION SIZE 5 BALL WILL BE USED.
  1. EQUIPMENT
  1. Club Sport does not issue team shirts for tournaments. Teams must bring 2 sets of their own jerseys/shirts. One shirt of any color they choose and the second one being white to avoid conflicts.
  2. No shoes allowed
  3. Socks and braces are permitted  
  4. All upper extremity braces & casts must be padded or covered to use on the field.
  5. Any knee or other braces that may be an issue can be banned per the coordinator's judgment.
  1. ROSTERS AND TEAM SIZE
  1. A minimum of 3 players for 4v4 must be present or the team will forfeit the game. Anything less is up to the opposing captain and/or staff member as to what will be allowable.
  2. There is no maximum limit to the amount of females which can be on the field.
  3. Everyone must sign in on your team's roster to be eligible and players may NOT play for more than one team in each division unless approved by Club Sport Staff.
  4. To be eligible player's names must be listed on a roster prior to the start of a team's 2nd game and any player not SIGNED by the start of the 3rd game is ineligible.
  5. A forfeit win is counted as 5-0.
  1. GAME PLAY/KICKOFF
  1. COIN FLIP/BEGINNING OF GAME
  2. The team that wins the coin toss at the start of the game will have first choice to kick-off or choose a goal to defend.
  3. Consists of the ball being placed at midfield.  At the start of the game the ball does not have to travel forward.
  1. Goals cannot be scored directly from the kick-off.
  1. Play will be divided into (2) 8 minute halves separated by a 2 minute halftime.  There will be a running clock maintained by a referee who will advise both teams when there is one minute remaining in each half.  Any delay tactics, (kicking the ball out of bounds on purpose) will allow the referee (at his/her discretion) to stop the clock. If for any reason the game should be cancelled with more than half of the game played, the game and the score is considered final.
  2. RAINOUT - If all teams have completed two pool play games at the time of a rainout, the champion will be determined by record and goal differential.  Should less than two games be completed by all teams, a makeup date may be scheduled to replay or finish the tournament
  1. THE GAMES/SCORING
  1. Pool play games ending in a tie score will be recorded as tie games.  
  2. During playoffs & finals, a game tied after regulation will go into overtime.  
  3. Overtime is sudden death, first goals wins - If the score is still tied after the first 5 minute sudden death overtime each team will be required to remove one player from the field. This player removal will continue until only one goalie and one attacker remain on the field of play. 2) If the game is still tied after the 3 overtimes a winner will be determined by penalty kicks.
  1. SLIDE TACKLING
  1. There is NO slide tackling allowed in any division!
  1. SUBSTITUTIONS
  1. Substitutions may occur at ANY TIME (on the fly) however they must be made near mid field and cannot result in an advantageous play on the ball. If it results in an advantage the play can be whistled dead and a free kick will be called for the other team.
  1. FREE KICKS
  1. DIRECT KICKS
  1. All fouls will result in a direct kick.  Goals may be scored on direct kicks.
  2. Any player on the field at the time of the foul may take the kick.
  3. The ball is to be placed at the point of the infraction.
  1. The ball or feet only can be used to make a mound.
  1. No opposing player is allowed to be within 5 paces of the ball prior to kick.
  2. Penalties incurred inside the goal box by the defense will result in a penalty kick 8 paces/yards out.  Penalties incurred outside but within close proximity to the goal box will be kicked from the point of infraction.  The defense must stand 5 paces/yards away from the point of infraction (where the ball is being kicked from).
  1. GOAL KICKS
  1. GOAL KICKS must be taken within 3 paces from the touch line. The ball is in play as soon as the ball is touched and does not need to exit the “goal box”.  
  1. GOALKEEPERS        
  1. GOALKEEPERS MAY NOT DIRECTLY CATCH A THROW-IN or KICK-IN FROM THEIR OWN TEAM…  
  2. GOALKEEPERS MAY NOT THROW THE BALL DIRECTLY INTO THE OPPOSING GOAL.
  1. Which means that if the goalkeeper throws the ball directly into the opposing goal, a goal clearance is awarded to the opponent. If the ball touches any player, a goal is awarded
  1. GOALKEEPERS MAY NOT PUNT OR DROP KICK THE BALL… Keepers must throw the ball or play it to the ground.
  2. GOALKEEPERS MAY NOT HOLD THE BALL FOR LONGER THAN 6 SECONDS.
  1. If a goalkeeper delays the game (6 second rule), the opposing team is awarded a direct kick from the center halfway line.
  1. OFFSIDES
  1. There are no offsides rules in this competition.
  1. OUT OF BOUNDS
  1. Anytime the ball goes over either sideline it is out of bounds.
  1. Because of the size of the field there will be no corner kicks taken from the corner.  
  1. When a team is issued a corner kick the ball will be brought to where the goalie box meets the out of bounds line, 8 yards out. This is an indirect kick.
  1. Re-starts should be from the field of play within 1 yard of the point where the ball left the field.
  2. If the ball goes out of bounds in favor of the attacking team and is inside the goalie box the ball will be brought back to where the goalie box meets the out of bounds line.
  3. A goal cannot be scored directly from a kick-in..
  4. There should be a five yard buffer from where the ball is to the opposing team on a kick in.
  5. If the ball never makes it in play or hits out of bounds before landing in play the possession is lost. The other team now takes the kick-in from the same spot.
  1. REFEREES
  1. Referees enforce the rules and maintain safety. They will have the last word along with the league coordinator.
  2. Excessive arguing will result in a yellow card being issued. Cursing at or disparaging the official can result in a red card.
  1. PLAYER CONDUCT
  1. Club Sport issues yellow cards as a warning and "cooling" off for players. If a yellow card is issued, the player must be subbed out and remain out of the game for at least 1 minute. The team does not have to play down if it has subs.
  1. If the team does not have a sub for the carded player the team would need to play down for 1 minute until the player can return.  
  1. If the referee deems a player's repeated misconduct to warrant a red card, it will be issued. If a red card is issued the team has to play a man down for the remainder of the game (in coed the team must play down a player of the same gender that was red carded).
  2. Should a player off the field receive a red card, the team will have to play down a player of that sex for the remainder of the game.
  3. DURING THE TOURNAMENT, Any player or fan is encouraged to rout for their own team but routing against teams or use of disparaging language is discouraged and could result in penalties of players or dismissals of fans. Any fans of teams may be asked to leave by Club Sport staff. Refusal to leave could result in forfeiture of games.
  4. A RED CARDED PLAYER WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO PLAY FOR THE FOLLOWING GAME (or longer based on staff review. Red cards resulting in fighting, extreme abuse, or rough play will result in dismissal from the tournament).
  1. PLAYOFFS & FINALS: 
  1. Top 2 teams from each coed division will advance to a single elimination playoff bracket.
  2. Tournament seeding is based on the following criteria:
  1. 1) most total points (with 3 for win and 1 for tie)
  2. 2) highest goal differential (The maximum goal differential for a single game will be capped at +5)  
  3. 3) head-to-head play (if any)
  4. 4) fewest goals allowed
  5. 5) most goals scored
  6. 6) coin toss.