Referee Notes

Referee Notes

1) All soccer goals must be weighted down or anchored. If they are not, inform the home team coach to do so. DO NOT START THEGAME UNTIL THEY ARE, NO EXCEPTION.

2) You are to inspect all players, they must have shirt, shorts, socks (that cover the shin guards) shin guards, shoes(they cannot have cleats on the front of the shoe)

3) No jewelry(except medical alert jewelry which must be wrapped with tape)NO TAPING OF EARRINGS. If a player will not remove their earrings they cannot play, NO EXCEPTION. Nothing hard can be in the hair.

4) At kick-off ball must move, the player who takes the kick-off can't touch the ball again until the ball has been touched by another player from either team(indirect free kick for the other team).A goal can be scored directly from a kick-off.

5) Substitutions, a team may substitute on their own throw-in, corner-kick, also on the opposing team throw-in and corner kick if the opposing team is also substituting. Both teams may substitute on any goal kick and any goal, and at half time. Also, both teams may substitute on fouls and for injury. With the Referee permission. All substitutes must be at the halfway line, except for injury.

6) A player who is being substituted must leave the field at the nearest point on the boundary line, unless otherwise directed by the ref.

7) Throw-in, all 8 v 8 players will be allowed a re-throw for any throw-in infractions(but only one).

8) Yellow cards, any player who is issued a yellow card must leave the game until their team next substitution. that team will be able to send in a substitute for the yellow carded player.(if they do not have enough players to send in a sub that team will play down until their next substitution chance.

9) Red card, any player who is issued a red card must leave the game and will not be allowed back in for the rest of the game (the team of the red carded player will play down and will not be able to substitute that player).

10) Showing a coach, a card, if any coach commits misconduct, you are to show that coach either a yellow or a red card depending on the misconduct. If you issue a coach a red card that coach must leave soccer complex before allowing the game to continue.

11) Heading for players in 4th Grade division and under, a deliberate head ball will result in an indirect free kick.

12) Indirect free kick,(IFK) must touch another player before it can go into the goal. The signal for an IFK is the ref will have one arm straight up until the ball is touch by another player.

13) Drop ball, if the ball touches the official and a goal is scored, team possession changes, or stops a promising attack. The ref will stop play and issue a drop ball to the team that was in possession before touched the official. If it happened in the penalty area the goalkeeper is to take the dropped ball kick, Outside the penalty area one player from the team that had possession will take the drop ball kick. All other players must be 4.5 yards away from the spot. Also, if you stop play for an injury and the ball is still in play the team that had possession at the time that the ref blew the whistle takes the drop ball kick. A drop ball is like an indirect free kick. It must touch another player before it can go into the goal.

14) Direct free kick can score a goal directly from a kick. The signal for a DK is the refs arm pointing forwards.

15) All free kicks, the opposing players are to be 10 yards away from the kicker. The player may take the kick even if the opposing players are not 10 yards away.

16) Goal kick, the ball may be placed anywhere inside the 6-yard area, and the ball is in play when the ball is kicked and clearly moves. It does not have to leave the penalty area to be played by another player. The attacking players should be out of the penalty area before the ball is kicked, but if the defending team wishes to take a quick kick and the attacking team is still in the penalty as long as they don't interfere with the kick leave play continue.

17) Corner kick, the opposing team must be 10 yards away from the player taking the kick.

18) Any kicks in the penalty area giving to the defenders is in play as soon as the ball is kicked and clearly in play and does not have to leave the penalty area. All opposing team players must be 10 yards away from the player taking the kick, except when the team taking the kick wishes to do a quick kick and opposing team does not have time to get 10 yards away if they are moving away and not going towards the kicker.

19) Offsides, an attacker is in an offside position if ,when a teammate has the ball, the attacker is closer to the other team's goal than the ball AND closer to the other team's goal than the second to last defender AND in the other team's side of the field. It is not illegal to be in an offside position until that player becomes actively involved in play.

20) There are no offside for a throw-in, corner kick, and a goal kick.

21) Handling is a deliberate action to gain advantage with either the hand or arm.

22) The ball is in play until it wholly crosses the goal line. end line, or the touch lines.

23) Throw-ins. Both feet must be on the ground, and on or behind the touch line. Both hands on the ball starts behind the head and over his head. All opponents must stay at least two yards from the touch line.(yellow card).

24) Penalty kicks, only the keeper and the attacker taking the kick may be in the penalty area. The keeper must have at least one foot on the goal line at time that the ball is kicked, they may move side to side if they stay on the line. The kicker must wait for the Referee whistle to kick.

a. If the ball hits either the cross bar, or post without touching the keeper the kicker can't kick the ball again until it is touched by another player.(IDK for the other team).

b. Re-kicks, When the Referee gives the signal for the kick and, before the ball is kicked if any of the following happens the Ref will issue a re-kick, the keeper comes off his line, a defender crosses the penalty line, or both a defender and an attacker crosses the line. If a goal is scored it will stand and no re-kick will be needed.

c. If the attacking team crosses the line before the kick, and a goal is scored a re-kick will be giving. If a goal isn't scored a goal kick will be giving to the defending team.

25) All free kicks(Kick-off, IDK, DK, Penalty kick, Corner kick, and Goal kick) and throw-ins may not be played twice by the player taking them before being played by another player. (IDK).

26)  ALL CALLS MADE BY THE REFEREE ARE JUDGEMENTAL AND ARE NOT SUBJECT TO DEBATE.

27) There is no pass back to the keeper offences, if the keeper has clearly kicked or attempted to kick the ball that is played back to them by a kick or a throw-in. Then the keeper may play the ball with their hands.

28) If the goalkeeper throws directly into the opponent's goal, NO GOAL, a goal kick is then awarded.

29) When there are more than 3 defending players in a defending wall all attacking team players must remain at least 1 yard from the wall until the ball is in play.

30) During hot weather, stoppages for drink breaks should not exceed 1 min. and cooling breaks should be between 90 secs. and 3 mins. Try to have them around the middle of each half, but wait for a stoppage (e.g., fouls, injury.

31) NO slide tackling allowed for 3rd & 4th Grade