2010

INDOOR SOCCER

1.                  RULES: This competition will be conducted under the rules as developed and approved by the Arctic Winter Games International Committee.

The rules governing the Indoor Soccer competition generally follow the guidelines recommended by the Canadian Soccer Association.  Where these rules are not sufficiently detailed to govern a situation that might arise, the officials may have regard to the Laws of the Game as set down by F.I.F.A., where adaptable.

2.                  CATEGORIES:

            If qualified coaches are available at least 2 must be female.

3.                  EVENTS:

Tournament Competition

4.                  TEAM COMPOSITION: Each team in each category will be comprised of a maximum of nine (9) players and one (1) coach.

5.                  MEDALS: Individually by team:

            GOLD             - 50

            SILVER          - 50

            BRONZE       - 50

6.      Arctic Winter Games Rule Modifications

1.      Players

The game shall be played by two teams each consisting of five (5) players on the court, one of whom shall be the goalkeeper. 

a.                  Each team is allowed up to four (4) substitutes. 

b.                  Players ejected from a game may be replaced by a substitute.  In the case of ejection, substitutes shall not enter the playing area until the referee has signalled permission to do so. 

c.                  Goalkeepers may be substituted but only after the referee has been informed and is satisfied the intended substitute is clearly distinguished as per rule #4. 

d.                  Substitutions will be unlimited.

e.                  Players cannot wear jewellery or hard casts during play.  Exemptions for jewellery can be granted for medical or religious reasons but the Head Official at must approve these before the tournament begins.  Any permitted jewellery must be taped to the body to the satisfaction of the Games referee.  Players can wear mouth braces.

2.      Field of Play

      See Chart ‘A’ for dimensions.

The field of play includes team benches.  Only the team players or the coach involved in a match are allowed to occupy a team bench at any time during a match.   The Referee shall award a direct free kick for an infraction of this rule.

3.      The Ball

FIFA approved size five outdoor ball

4.      Players’ Equipment

a.                  The equipment of a player shall consist of a shirt (numbered), shorts, stockings and appropriate soccer shoes and any mandatory equipment as detailed in FIFA Laws of the Game, i.e. shin guards.

b.                  The number on the jersey or shirt shall be from 150 to 225 millimetres (6 to 9 inches) high, clearly visible and shall be on the back of the jersey/shirt.

c.                  The goalkeeper must wear colours that distinguish him/her from the other players, who shall be dressed all the same way (jersey, shorts and stocking).  The goalkeeper may wear additional knee or elbow protectors.

d.                  See also the Arctic Winter Games Staging Manual – Contingent Uniforms policy.

5.      Referee

      A referee shall be appointed to officiate each game and shall have all the authority of a referee appointed in any soccer match under FIFA Laws of the Game.  The Host Society shall recruit referees that are experienced in officiating indoor soccer.  It is recommended that referees be certified as a Class 2 Canadian Soccer Association Referee in Canada; or a National Level referee in Greenland; or a Level 6 United States Soccer Federation Referee in Alaska; and have experience in refereeing at least 50 indoor matches.

A referee’s assistant shall also be appointed whose duties are to act as timekeeper and keep a record of the match, and to indicate when a team has made an illegal substitution. The referee’s assistant shall be positioned in the referee’s box.

6.      Duration of Games

The duration of the game shall be two (2) equal periods of twenty (20) minutes straight time with a five (5) minute intermission.  Teams switch ends at half time.  The referee may at their discretion make allowance for time lost through accident, injury or otherwise.  Time shall be extended to permit a penalty kick being taken at or after the expiration of the normal period in either half.  The referee shall be the official timekeeper.  There shall be a visible timepiece on display in the playing area, which will be stopped two minutes prior to the first half and prior to the end of the second half. The Official in charge of the match will maintain official time.

7.      Start of Play

a.                  The referee shall conduct a coin toss with representatives from both teams before the Game.  The winner will be the ‘home’ team and shall have choice of ends. The other team will be the ‘visiting’ team and shall kick off.

b.                  The ‘home’ and ‘visiting’ teams shall wear the appropriate uniforms as outlined in the Arctic Winter Games policy for ‘home’ and ‘away’ uniform requirements.

c.                  Every player shall be on his/her own half of the playing area.

d.                  Every player of the team receiving the kick off shall be not less than 3 meters (10 feet) from the ball until it is kicked off.

e.                  The referee will place the ball in the centre of playing area and then give a signal to start the game.

f.                    A player of the team kicking off may kick the ball in any direction.  The ball needs only to move to be in play.  The kicker shall not touch the ball a second time until another player has touched it.  The kick off is a direct kick.

g.                  After a goal is scored, a player of the team against which the goal was scored shall kick off in the same manner as above.

h.                 After the half time intermission, the teams’ switch ends (but not benches) and the kick off shall be taken by a player of the team who won the coin toss   in the same manner as above.

i.                    In the event of overtime, the winner of a coin toss shall choose which end it defends.  The other team will kick off.  In the second five-minute half of overtime the teams will switch ends but not benches.  The team that received the kick off in the first five minute half shall deliver the kick off with the other team receiving it in the same manner as described above.  

8.      Ball in and Out of Play

The ball is out of play:

a.                  When it has wholly crossed the goal line;

b.                  When it leaves the playing area;

c.                  When the referee has stopped the game; and

d.                  When it contacts the ceiling.

The ball is in play at all other times from the start of the match to the finish, including:

a.                  If it rebounds from the walls, goal posts, crossbars, or goal supports into the field of play. 

b.                  If it rebounds off the referee when s/he is in the field of play.

If the game has been stopped, but no offence occurred (i.e., due to injury), it shall be restarted by the referee dropping the ball at the place where the ball was at the time of play was stopped, but no closer than 3.7 meters (12 feet) to any goal area.

9.      Scoring

A goal is scored when the whole of the ball has passed over the goal line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar, provided it has not been thrown, carried or propelled by hand or arm by a player of the attacking side, except in the case of a goalkeeper who is within his own area.

10. Off Sides

There are no off sides in Indoor Soccer

11. Three line violation

A three-line violation occurs:

a.                  When the ball touches or is played by a defensive player from their defensive third line directly to a player on their team in the attacking third and completely crosses all three lines in the air without touching either the ground, another player, the referee, the field or the boards.

b.                  The ball completely crosses all three lines in the air without touching another player, the referee, the field or the boards.

For a three-line violation, the referee awards a free kick to the opposing team to be taken from the place where the ball crossed the first defensive line.

12. Fouls and Misconducts

a                    Direct Free Kick and Penalty Fouls:

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following offences in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using disproportionate force:

i.                  Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent;

ii.                Trips or attempts to trip an opponent, i.e. throwing or attempting to throw him by use of legs or by stooping in front or behind him/her;

iii.              Jumps at an opponent;

iv.              Charges an opponent in a violent or dangerous manner;

v.                Charges an opponent from behind;

vi.              Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent;

vii.            Pushes an opponent;

viii.            Uses the wall to impede a player of the opposing team or uses the      wall to gain an unfair advantage over an opponent.

ix.                Playing in a manner considered to be dangerous by the referee, i.e. attempting to kick the ball while held by the goalkeeper;

x.                  Charging, i.e. with the shoulder, when the ball is not within the playing distance of the players concerned and they are definitely not trying to play the ball;

A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following offences:

xi.                Holds an opponent;

xii.              Tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball;

xiii.            Slides on the floor in the vicinity of other players;

xiv.            Handles the ball deliberately, i.e. carries, strikes or propels it with his/her arm (this does not apply to the goalkeeper within his/her goal area);

xv.              Spits at an opponent;

xvi.            Substitution faults – see Rule 13

b                    Indirect Free Kick Fouls:

An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player, in the opinion of the referee commits any of the following offences:  

i.                 Playing the ball and causing it to make contact with the ceiling or any out of bounds area;

ii.               Placing his/her hand on the wall to gain unfair advantage, i.e. to push off;

iii.             When not playing the ball, intentionally obstructing an opponent, i.e. running between the opponent and the ball, or interposing the body so as to form an obstacle to an opponent;

iv.             When playing as goalkeeper, indulges in tactics which are designed merely, to hold up the game and thus waste time and so give an unfair advantage to his own team;

v.               When the goalkeeper has the ball in his/her hand or obstructing the goalkeeper from distributing the ball;

vi.             When the goalkeeper completes an illegal throw out

In the case of the first mentioned offence, the indirect free kick shall be awarded at the point on the playing court nearest to where the ball contacted the ceiling or the out of bounds area.

An indirect kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following four offences:                 

vii.              If, as outlined in #14b, a player deliberately passes the ball back to his/her own goalkeeper by foot from any other zone of the playing field except the passer’s own zone (between his/her defensive’s zone line (blue or first line) and the goal line) and the goalkeeper handles the ball.  This includes instances where a team makes a series of passes or a player dribbles the ball back to the goalkeeper across the defensive line into the defensive zone.  However, the goalkeeper may play the ball in any other manner so long as he does not handle the ball.

viii.            Touches the ball again with his/her hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched an opponent.

ix.                Touches the ball with his hands at any time after having had the ball under control and unchallenged for more than five seconds.

x.                  Having taken the ball in his/her hands, fails to release the ball within five seconds.

xi.                Substitution faults – see Rule 13

c                    Misconducts and Cautionable offences

The referee is the sole judge of intention and may stop the game to caution a player by showing him / her a yellow card and award a direct free kick to the opposing team if the player:

i.                 Is guilty of unsporting behaviour

ii.               Shows dissent from any decision of the referee by word or action

iii.             Persistently infringes the laws of the game

iv.             Delays the restart of play

v.               Fails to respect the required distance of 3 meters (10 feet) when play is restarted with a free kick

d                    Dismissing or Sending Off Players:

The referee is the sole judge of intention and may stop the game to caution a player by showing him/her a red card and award a penalty kick to the opposing team if the player commits any of the following offences:

i.                    Is guilty of a serious foul play

ii.                  Is guilty of violent conduct

iii.                Spits at an opponent or any other person

iv.                Uses offensive, insulting or abusive language

v.                  Receives a second caution in a game

vi.                Denies an opponent an obvious goal scoring opportunity by an offence punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick

vii.              Denies an opponent an obvious goal scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (except the goalkeeper within the allowable areas)

Players receiving two yellow cards or one red card in any game are immediately suspended from further play in that game and must leave the playing court and/or spectator areas.  S/he is also suspended from the next game (including playoffs) and may be subject to further disciplinary action upon review of the situation by the Indoor Soccer sport jury.   Coaches are allowed to immediately substitute another player in this situation.

e                 Penalty Kick:

A penalty kick is awarded against a team which commits one of the eleven penal offences, inside its own penalty area and while the ball is in play. A goal may be scored directly from a penalty kick. Additional time is allowed for a penalty kick to be taken at the end of each half or at the end of periods of extra time.

f                   Free Kick Procedures:

When a player is penalized a direct free kick or indirect free kick, the opposing side will take the kick from the spot the infraction occurred, but no closer than 3.7 meters (12') to any goal area.

When awarded a direct free kick, a team may score a goal on the kick without anyone touching the ball apart from the kicker.

When awarded an indirect free kick, the ball, after being kicked, must be touched by another player before a goal can be scored.

During a free kick, defending players must stand at least 3 meters (10') from the ball.

g                 Penalty Kick Procedures:

                       The FIFA Law XIV applies with the exception that it shall be taken from the penalty mark (See Chart ‘A’).  All players, except the kicker, must be outside the goal area and at least 3 meters (10') from the penalty mark and behind the ball when the kick is taken.  The goalkeeper remains on his /her goal line, facing the kicker, between the goal posts until the ball has been kicked.  If encroachment occurs by the defending team, the following shall happen:

i.                       If a legal goal is scored, it shall stand,

ii.                     If it is a missed goal, the kick shall be retaken.

            If encroachment occurs by the attacking team, the following shall happen:

iii.                   If a goal is scored the kick shall be retaken,

iv.                   If it is missed, play shall continue.

13. Substitution:

Players may be substituted at the discretion of the coach.  An illegal substitution shall be deemed to have occurred when a player enters the game before the player that he/she is replacing leaves the game and in the opinion of the referee or assistant referee a competitive advantage was gained as a result.  The referee shall issue a caution to the player in this situation and award an indirect free kick to the opposing team.  The goalkeeper may not be substituted at a penalty kick except in the case of injury or sending off.

Substitution Procedure:  The substitute entering the field of play cannot enter “over the boards”. Should this occur a direct free kick shall be awarded to the other team from the top of their defensive line.  The substitute entering the field does not have to enter the field at the same gate that the departing player uses.

14. Restart after the ball has left the Playing Area along the sideline:

This rule applies only for a competition venue where one or more points along the sidewalls have been determined out of play for reasons of safety.  If a player plays the ball causing it to go out of play, an indirect free kick shall be awarded to the opposing team, to be taken at the spot closest to where the ball left the play court.

15. Goalkeeper Putting Ball Back Into Play:

a.                  After the goalkeeper has gathered the ball into his/her hands, either as a result of a save or gathering the ball from behind the net, the goalkeeper will put the ball back into play within five (5) seconds by either:

                                               i.                     Throwing the ball into play outside the goal area.  The ball must be thrown in such a manner as to either be played by any other player or bounce before crossing the opponents’ defensive third line.

                                             ii.                     Dropping the ball to the floor and using his/her feet to play it to outside the goal area in such a manner as to either be played by any other player or bounce before crossing the defensive third line.  The ball must contact the floor before the goalkeeper puts it into play.

b.                  When a member of the goalkeeper’s team passes the ball to him/her using a deliberate foot pass the goalkeeper can only use their feet to put the ball back into play.  If the ball is headed back, chested back or kneed back, the keeper can use his hands to catch the ball.  If either case, the ball must be put back into play as described in Rule 15(a).

If a player deliberately passes the ball back to his own goalkeeper from any other zone of the playing field except the passer’s own zone (between his defensive’s zone line (blue or first line) and the goal line) and the goalkeeper handles the ball.  This includes instances where a team makes a series of passes or a player dribbles the ball back to the goalkeeper across the defensive line into the defensive zone.  However, the goalkeeper may play the ball in any other manner so long as he does not handle the ball. 

For any infraction of this rule, an indirect free kick will be awarded against the goalkeeper.  This free kick is taken from a spot 3.7 meters (12') outside the goal area in line with the spot of the infraction.

16. Defending Team Playing Ball Above Out of Bounds Height: 

a.                  If the ball, upon rebounding off the goalkeeper, leaves the goal area and makes contact with the end or side walls above the out of bounds height or the ceiling, an indirect kick shall be awarded to the attacking team from a point 3.7 meters (12') from the edge of the goal area, 1 meter (3'3") from the end wall.

b.                  If the ball is played by a defender and makes contact with the end wall above the out of bounds height, an indirect free kick shall be awarded to the attacking team from a point 3.7 meters (12') from the edge of the goal crease, and 1 meter (3'3") from the end wall.

17. Tie Breaking Procedure for Round Robin Play

In the round robin competition teams shall be awarded 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and 0 points for a loss.  If two or more teams have the same numbers of points at the end of the round robin, standings shall be determined as follows:

a.                  The team that won the greatest number of matches between the two tied teams shall be awarded the higher position;

b.                  If two (2) teams tied have an equal number of wins and losses against each other, the team with the greatest difference between the goals scored and goals conceded in the entire round robin competition shall be awarded the higher position;

c.                  If still tied, the team which has allowed the fewest goals against them during the round robin will be awarded the higher position;

d.                  If still tied, a penalty kick off, as per FIFA Laws of the Game shall be held to determine the team finishing in the higher position.

            If three or more teams are tied after the round robin, a mini round robin shall be held where each team competes against the other in a series of 5 penalty kicks each, to be continued until a winner of each mini game is determined.  The standings after this mini round robin shall determine the standings of the round robin.

18. Medal Round

If four (4) or more teams are competing, the first four (4) teams will enter the medal round, with the first place team playing the fourth place team in one semi-final and the second and third place teams playing in the other semi-final.  Semi-final losers will play for the bronze medal; semi-final winners will play for the gold and silver medals.

19. Overtime in Medal Round:

If a game played during the medal round ends in a tie, a three (3) minute break will occur before the overtime.  Overtime shall consist of two (2) five (5) minute periods.   The team to score the first goal will be declared the winner.  If a tie exists at the end of the overtime periods, penalty kicks shall decide the winner in the following manner:

a.                  Each team will take five (5) penalty kicks, alternating turns, at the same end of the playing area.  A different player will take each kick.  Players may be selected from those eligible to play at the end of the overtime period.

b.                  If the game is tied after five (5) penalty kicks, the penalty kicks will continue until one team is ahead after an equal number of penalty kicks.  As above, coaches may choose any player who is eligible to play at the end of the first penalty shot tiebreaker.  A different player will take each kick.

c.                  A coin toss will be used to determine the team that takes the first penalty kick.