Rules - Sporting CT 2025 Spring Shootout

General

1. The use of Veo’s, HI-Pods (or similar) video camera equipment is permitted as long as tripods are secure and operators do not interfere with the games. 
2. NO DOGS are allowed at any complex, this includes all common areas and parking lots. Properly identified and leashed service dogs are permitted, but are not allowed within 15 yards of any field.
3. Pop-up tents or chairs are not allowed on the turf.
4. Consumption of alcoholic beverages, smoking, or the use of tobacco products is not allowed on-site or in the parking lot. 
5. Sporting CT reserves the right to take and webpost team, player, and action photographs for promotional usage.

Team Check-In
All teams must Check-In on site 45 minutes before their first game at the Site Coordinator tent. There is no online check-in.

Check-in Requirements:

• Original 2024/2025 Player Passes - either USYS State Association or US Club Soccer passes
• Original 2024/2025 Official Roster - either USYS State Association or US Club Soccer
• Guest Player(s) identified - written on front or back of COPIES of Rosters
• Player Passes for Guest Player(s)
• Individual Player Medical Release Forms - you should use your club’s medical release forms
• Permission to Travel Paperwork is not Required for US Club Soccer Teams nor Region I USYS State Association teams

Roster Sizes

• 2017-2015 (U8 - U10) 7v7 teams are limited to 12 players
• 2014-2013 (U11 - U12) 9v9 teams are limited to 15 players
• 2012-2006/07 (U13 - U14/15) Teams can have 20 players on their rosters
  • However, only 18 players are allowed to dress/play each game.
  • Teams with 18 or more players must identify which 18 are playing in that game, before each game, with the referees.  

Four guest players per team will be permitted for all age groups.
Players can only play for 1 team per division throughout the tournament.

Game Duration

• 70 min. 2010-2011 (U14/15, U13) 5 min halftime
• 60 min. 2012-2013 (U12, U11) (9v9) 5 min halftime  
• 60 min. 2014-2015 (U10, U9, U8) (7v7) 5 min halftime

*All games have a running clock. Extended time due to injuries or other stoppages will not occur unless decided by the referee and/or Tournament Director.

Substitutions

• Substitutions shall be unlimited, and either team can make a substitution at any stoppage, at the referee’s allowance
• Coaches should not use more than 5 substitution moments per half
• Referees will be advised to add 2nd half stoppage time if a coach makes late subs in an attempt to waste time

Home Team
Team listed first on the schedule is the Home Team and must change jerseys when the referee determines a color conflict.

Forfeits
Teams not at the field ready to play at the scheduled game time will forfeit the match at the discretion of the tournament director. Forfeited scores will be recorded as 3–0.  Teams forfeiting games are not eligible to win the tournament.

Officials

• 7 & 9-a-side/U8-U12; 1 referee, offside will be called.
• 11-a-side/U13-U14-15; 3-official system will be used

Heading Rule at Age Group Divisions U11 & Younger

When the ball makes contact with a player's head, the referee will determine if it was intentional or unintentional.

• If deemed deliberate, the proper restart is an indirect free kick to the opposing team. 
• If the play by the head is deemed inadvertent, and there is no safety concern, there is no stoppage nor restart, and play will continue.
• If the play by the head is deemed inadvertent and there is a safety concern, play is stopped and the proper restart is a drop ball to the team in possession (the team that had the ball when play was stopped).

Build Out Lines at Age Groups U10 & Younger

Build out lines will be used for the U8, U9 & U10 age groups. Build out lines promote playing the ball out of the back in a less pressured setting. When the goalkeeper has the ball, either during play (from the opponent) or from a goal kick, the opposing team must move behind the build out line until the ball is put into play. Once the opposing team is behind the build out line, the goalkeeper can pass, throw or roll the ball into play (punting is not allowed). After the ball is put into play by the goalkeeper, the opposing team can cross the build out line and play resumes as normal. The ball is considered “in play” when the goalkeeper’s intended recipient has received the ball. Not the moment that the goalkeeper releases the ball. 

If a goalkeeper punts the ball, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team from the spot of offense. If the punt occurs within the goal area, the indirect free kick will be awarded at the spot the goalkeeper punted from.

The build out line will also be used to denote where the offside offenses can be called. Players cannot be penalized for an offside offense between the halfway line and the build out line. Players can be penalized for an offside offense between the build out line and the goal line.

Inclement Weather

Regardless of weather conditions, coaches and their teams must appear at their respective field site, ready to play as scheduled. Failure to appear will result in forfeiture of the match. Only the Tournament Director(s) may cancel or postpone a match. Referees may suspend a match only in case of severe weather, at her/his discretion. The Tournament Director reserves the right to make the following changes in the event of inclement weather:

• Relocate and/or reschedule a match.
• Reduce scheduled duration of a match.
• Cancel a match.

In the event of inclement weather, forcing play to be stopped and preventing the match from being completed during the scheduled time, the score shall stand if at least one-half of the match has been completed.

Player’s Equipment

• All players must wear shin guards.
• No metal-rimmed glasses of any kind will be allowed.
• No jewelry of any kind will be allowed.
• Casts, splints or body braces made of a hard substance must be covered with a thick, soft material such as a towel or bubble wrap. Players may not play with these casts without the approval of the Referee.

Rules for Advancement

Protests

There will be no protests. All officiating decisions are final.

Sideline Behavior

• Both teams will sit on the same side of the field. Only coaches may be on the player’s sideline. Players from the same club not participating in the current match are not allowed in the team bench area
• Spectators are only allowed on the opposite side of the field from the coaches and players
• No spectators are allowed behind the goals.
• Harassment of the officials from coaches, spectators or players will not be tolerated.

Send-offs

Players:

• If a player receives a red card or two yellow cards during a match, that player will sit out the rest of that match and also their next match.
• Players serving Red card suspensions are allowed to sit on the bench during their team’s next game but are not allowed to be in uniform. 

Coaches (Any Age Group):

• A coach or other authorized bench personnel sent off during a match must leave the field immediately upon being sent off
• They must remain away from the field during the team’s next match.