All teams must be registered with the Florida United Soccer Alliance and have their FYSA passes and their official FYSA team roster. All information must be current. All players must be on the single printed FYSA official roster; FYSA pass players from within a Florida United Soccer Alliance club. Players may not be handwritten onto the game day roster. FYSA passes, all from the same club, must be used for all Florida United Soccer Alliance games. No coach or player may participate if he or she is not showing on the Roster or his or her pass is not provided to the referee.
U08-U10 $195.00
U11-U12 $195.00
U13-U14 $195.00
U15-U19 $195.00
Guest players, defined as players from an outside club, are not permitted in the Florida United Soccer Alliance league play.
A club is permitted to use players from their rec. program once they have been registered and approved as a full time player with FYSA.
Eligibility is open to all youth irrespective of race, nationality, color or religious affiliation or non-affiliation. The league is limited to youth players.
Players must be registered with FYSA. Players are bound to play on only one Club in the league. Players are permitted to play on any age appropriate team, from within their own Club.
Eligibility to coach is open to all adults irrespective of race, nationality, color or religious affiliation or non-affiliation. Clubs are responsible for selecting coaches. The Clubs coaches must adhere to the rules, regulations and guidelines set forth by the league.
The league is not responsible for the selection process or for providing coaches to the Clubs.
An individual must have attained the minimum age of 18 years old in order to coach up to U14 and 21 years old in order to coach up to U19, prior to being issued a FYSA pass.
The Club must have a coach or administrator from within the same club, at all scheduled matches in which the team participates. The coach or administrator must be in possession of a valid FYSA coaching pass, from the club as the team. A Coach must be present throughout the entire match or the match will be terminated and forfeited to the opponent, 0-4. A maximum of three (3) coaches are permitted on the team’s sideline per match.
Coaches may have a FYSA pass for each team in which they coach. Coaches may only coach for a team affiliated with the same Club and USSF entity, and the pass they use must be present at the scheduled match.
All FYSA sanctioned competitions must be played in accordance with the most current FIFA laws of the Game and the modifications noted within these rules unless specifically accepted by authorization of the Florida United Soccer Alliance Board. It is the responsibility of all coaches and referees to be thoroughly familiar with and abide by the FIFA laws and these modifications. (Name of League) Rule Modifications and Substitution Recommendations:
Opposition players to retreat beyond the retention line for goal kicks and when the goalkeeper has possession of the ball in their hands.
**Offside will be played at all ages from U08-U19**
U08 - U14 Substitution Rules
U15 - U19 Substitution Rules
The host Club must provide at least 3 balls for each game, with a minimum of 1 ball placed behind each goal.
| Age Group | Duration of the Game |
|---|---|
| U08-U10 | 2 – 25 minute halves |
| U11-U12 | 2 – 30 minute halves |
| U13-U14 | 2 – 35 minute halves |
| U15-U16 | 2 – 40 minute halves |
| U17-U19 | 2 – 45 minute halves |
Halftimes are ten (10) minutes for all age groups.
There shall be no overtime periods in regular Florida United Soccer Alliance competition.
| Age Group | Format | # of Players Dressed |
|---|---|---|
| U08-U10 | 7v7 | 12 |
| U11-U12 | 9v9 | 16 |
| U13 & Older | 11v11 | 18 |
Two teams shall play a match with no more than the listed number of players on the field at one time, one of whom shall be the goalkeeper.
HOME teams will wear LIGHT uniforms. AWAY teams will wear DARK uniforms.
Shin guards are required equipment for all players and are to be worn at all matches. Shin guards are to be covered entirely by the players’ socks. Shin guards are to be made of suitable-material, rubber or plastic to provide a reasonable degree of protection.
The captain(s) of a team may wear an armband for identification purposes, which is to be displayed only on the arm.
In addition to the authority granted to the referee under FIFA Law V to determine the safety of a player’s equipment as defined in FIFA Law IV, the following shall not be permitted:
In addition to the authority granted to the referee under FIFA Law V, the following shall be permitted:
If the Referee finds that a player is wearing articles not permitted by the Laws or this Rule, the Referee shall order the player to remove them. If a player fails to carry out the Referee’s instruction, the player shall not take part in the match.
In the event of severe weather conditions, players will be permitted to wear a sweat suit or similar trousers and stockings, or other type of clothing under their team uniform provided it matches the uniform color. Sweat pants must have no metallic buckle, snaps, buttons or other items that the referee considers dangerous to any player.
The Goalkeeper is permitted to wear a tracksuit or similar trousers and stockings or other type of clothing in all League sanctioned activities. The Goalkeeper is also permitted to wear a vinyl foam soft soccer helmet.
Coaching from the sidelines is permitted, so long as one is giving direction to one’s own team on points of strategy, tactics and position provided that the following conditions are complied with:
PENALTY: Disciplinary action by the Disciplinary Committee.
Standings Determined: NO Standings are kept for U08-U12 age groups. Standings are kept for all U13-U18 Florida United Soccer Alliance league games and are determined by the following point system:
| Age Group | Format |
|---|---|
| Win | 3 points |
| Tie | 1 point |
| Lose | 0 points |
In the event of a tie for first place in the standings at the completion of the season’s regular game schedule, the winning team will be decided by the following tiebreakers, in order:
*In the event that the teams are tied after all tiebreakers, the two teams will play each other to determine the winner. A Neutral Field will be provided by the Florida United Soccer Alliance.
Tie Games: If a regularly scheduled game ends in a tie score at the end of regulation playing time, the game and score shall stand as official.
Team Withdraws from Competition: If a team withdraws from competition prior to having completed half of the original schedule of games, results of these games will be deleted from the records.
Team Withdraws from Competition: Team Withdraws from Competition: After Half of the Original Schedule of Games: If a team withdraws from competition after half of the original schedule of games has been completed results of such games will be recorded as played and all remaining games as 4-0 forfeits.
Scheduling
The Florida United Soccer Alliance Schedule is created by the League Director using the dates agreed upon by Florida United Soccer Alliance member clubs. The location and time for all Florida United Soccer Alliance games is provided by the Florida United Soccer Alliance Clubs and reported to the League Director by the league deadline prior to each season.
Fields
Home Team Responsibility: The Home team is responsible for the condition of the playing area including the proper field markings, and proper equipment – Nets, goal anchors and corner flags are required. If the referee determines that the field is not playable due to improper conditions (unrelated to weather), then the home team will forfeit the match and be responsible to absorb the full cost of referee, assignor and field rental fees.
Neutral Playing Fields: Neutral playing fields are provided by the Florida United Soccer Alliance to help ease travel conditions for both teams when needed.
Position of the Team and Spectators at the Game Site: Spectators for each team will take a position on the opposite side of the field than the valid Coaches and rostered players. The Home Team shall have the choice of which side the spectator's will be positioned.
Start at the Scheduled Time: At the scheduled time for the match, the minimum number of players will constitute a team and the match will start at the scheduled time. There is no permissible waiting period to wait for additional players to arrive at the game site.
Substitutions with the consent of the Referee at any stoppage in play.
Change With The Goalkeeper: Any of the other players may change places with the goalkeeper provided that the Referee is informed before the change is made, and that the change is made during a stoppage in the game.
Substitution Procedure: When a goalkeeper or any other player is to be replaced by a substitute, the following conditions shall be observed.
The Referee shall be informed of the proposed substitution before it is made.
The substitute shall not enter the field of play until the player they are replacing has left, and then only after having received a signal from the Referee.
Enter the field during a stoppage in the game, and at the halfway line.
The referee will return all player cards at halftime to both teams for the second half.
Incomplete Games: In the event a game cannot be completed, the game counts if half the game was completed. If there is no result and the match is suspended prior to the expiration of one half, the games shall be repeated at a time agreed upon by the competing teams in consultation with the Florida United Soccer Alliance League Director.
Any team directly responsible for the termination of the game due to poor sportsmanship toward referee, opposing fans or opposing players will result in that team forfeiting the match. This could also lead to other possible penalties set by the Florida United Soccer Alliance Disciplinary Committee.
No-Shows/Forfeits: A no-show occurs when a team willfully does not show up to a game agreed to by the teams. Penalties for no-shows are as follows:
A team unable to attend a scheduled game because of an accident, weather or act of god should immediately notify the opponent and the league office. Each situation shall be reviewed by the Florida United Soccer Alliance League Director, who shall enter a decision.
If BOTH Teams Fail to Appear: In the event both teams do not appear for a scheduled match, and the Referee rules the ground playable, both teams will be assessed a forfeit.
FINES: $250 fine will be assessed upon 1st Florida United Soccer Alliance team forfeit. Club President MUST write a formal letter to Florida United Soccer Alliance Board of Directors regarding forfeit. Club President will present Florida United Soccer Alliance with a $250 check within fourteen (14) business days. If the Florida United Soccer Alliance does not have the check within the required timeframe, then that team’s succeeding week’s match will NOT be played and the team will be issued a 4-0 loss. Should a second forfeit occur within a Club in the same seasonal year, by same or different Florida United Soccer Alliance team, then the matter will be sent to the Florida United Soccer Alliance Disciplinary Committee to determine sanctions.
Team Uses Illegal Player: An illegal player shall mean any player who does not have a valid, expired and age appropriate FYSA soccer player pass presented to the referees officiating the match. The FYSA soccer player pass must specifically display the players’ date of birth and membership to the participating club. Club is assessed a $500 fine. Florida United Soccer Alliance team will forfeit any/all games where an illegal player has been played.
If the Referee Fails to Appear: If a Referee should fail to appear for a scheduled match, the Coaches of the competing teams must agree upon a person to substitute for the Referee. If one of the AR’s assigned to the game is a grade 8 level referee they will become the center referee with the other AR doing one sideline and a volunteer AR the other sideline. If the AR’s assigned are grade 9 they can only work the lines and both coaches must agree on a substitute volunteer referee. The substitute need not be a certified Referee. The substitute must officiate the complete match. The substitute Referee shall have those prerogatives granted to him/her by the ‘Laws of the Game’, as published by FIFA and amended by the Florida United Soccer Alliance.
Inspection of Playing Site: It shall be the home team Coach or team manager with the Club’s designated governing authority’s responsibility to inspect the game field prior to the match. In the event of bad weather, the Home Team’s Club Official, after inspection of the field, must notify the League no later than two (2) hours prior to the scheduled starting time of the match that field conditions may require postponement of the match. ONLY a Club Official can cancel a match, not the coach.
Clubs that do not own their own facility: Clubs that rent fields from local Cities and/or Town’s are at the mercy of those precincts. If a City and/or Town close their facility it is the home teams responsibility to notify the League no later than two (2) hours prior to the scheduled starting time of the match that the facility has been closed.
Both Teams Must Appear: Should any part of the two (2) hour notification period lapse, regardless of weather and/or field conditions, Coaches and their teams must appear at the match site, ready to play at the scheduled time of the match, or forfeit the match. Once any part of the two (2) hour notification period has lapsed, the Referee is the only person authorized to cancel the match. In the event that weather and/or field conditions are questionable for playing the match and the Referee fails to appear, the decision to play or cancel is granted to the Home team. All (Name of League) weather notifications will be communicated to (Name of the League) clubs the day BEFORE scheduled Florida United Soccer Alliance matches.
Game Terminated by the Referee: Should the match be terminated by the Referee prior to the time specified in the rules, for reasons of bad weather, poor field conditions, or darkness, the entire game must be replayed. (FIFA Law VII).
Availability of Home Field: Should a Home team find itself without a match site due to circumstances beyond the control of the team and/or Club, the Home team’s Primary Contact must notify the League no later than three (3) hours prior to the scheduled time of the match.
Change A Scheduled Match: Under no circumstances will a Coach, team manager or any other Club representative change a scheduled match or reschedule a match without permission from the League. Should this occur, both teams will forfeit the match and will be responsible for their share of the referee and associated assignor fees.
Change of Game Location: Should there be a last minute change to a match site; the Home Team must provide a person at the original site to escort the Referee and the Visiting team to the new site.
Reporting the Score - Home Team Responsibility: It is the responsibility of the Home team to report the score of each match using the call in number or/link provided by the Florida United Soccer Alliance prior to each season. The scores from Florida United Soccer Alliance matches played at a NEUTRAL site need to be reported by the team listed as the HOME team in the Florida United Soccer Alliance schedules.
Ejection from a Match: In instances where the designated Coach has been ejected from a game, or has failed to control the activities at the match site to the detriment of the match, the Referee will not hold the Coach’s card, but will provide a supplementary report to the League. The League’s Disciplinary Committee, at its discretion, will implement disciplinary action.
Referees Fees
| Age Group | Cost per Team | Referee Split |
|---|---|---|
| U08-U10 | $40.00 | Center: $40.00, Assistants: $20.00 each |
| U11-U12 | $46.00 | Center: $46.00, Assistants: $23.00 each |
| U13-U14 | $55.00 | Center: $55.00, Assistants: $27.50 each |
| U15 & Older | $70.00 | Center: $70.00, Assistants: $35.00 each |
A - Player Verification
B - Referee Reports
C – Caution(s)
Disciplinary Committee
The Disciplinary Committee, at its discretion, will determine the length of the suspension and any other punishments, fines, and/or assessments.
D – Ejection(s)
Eligibility Protest: Protests on questions of eligibility must be filed in writing, with substantiating facts to the Disciplinary Committee, anytime within the current season.
The Disciplinary Committee shall manage all matters requiring arbitration that pertain to League sponsored competition(s). The Disciplinary Committee will administer Game Protests and Behavioral Incidents. The Disciplinary Committee has the authority to suspend or fine any Player, Coach, Team, Team Official, Club Official, Team and/or Club Supporter. The Disciplinary Committee has the authority to fine any Member Club
The Disciplinary Committee will notify the Coach of the date, time and location of the hearing. Protests and Disputes: All questions relating to the qualifications of competitors or interpretation of the rules or any dispute or protest whatever, shall be referred to the Disciplinary Committee of the Florida United Soccer Alliance. Protests and disputes are filed by the Member Clubs who will bear responsibility for adherence to the rules regarding disputes and protests and guarantee all fees and fines. Decisions of the Disciplinary Committee shall be final and binding unless and until overturned under appeal.
Valid and Eligible for Consideration: To be valid and eligible for consideration, each protest or dispute must:
Include all information necessary to allow a fair and just decision. E-mail to (enter email address here), addressed to the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, no less than 24 hours following the incident giving rise to the protest or dispute. A business day, as used throughout this Part, is defined as any weekday excluding legal holidays. A business day shall not include Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays.
Lawyer Shall Not Represent: An Disciplinary Committee hearing is not a legal proceeding, thus, legal counsel may not represent involved parties. Attorneys may appear before the Board only as involved parties in an individual capacity and not as legal counsel.
Ignorance of the Rules: A plea of ignorance of the rules and regulations of the League is not sufficient grounds for the filing of a protest or dispute.
Conflicts of Interest: The members of the Disciplinary Committee shall avoid both apparent and actual conflicts of interest. In the event that a member of the Board may be considered on any basis by a reasonable individual to have a bias for or against any interested party in a protest or dispute, that member shall excuse himself/herself from the deliberations concerning that protest or dispute.
Convening the Board and Notifying Involved Parties: The Disciplinary Committee shall be convened by the Chairman at his/her discretion. Notice shall be given to involved parties and those others invited to aid in the Board’s deliberations and/or to present relevant information, no later than five business days prior to the scheduled meeting.
Forfeiture of Appeal Rights: An involved party failing to appear before the Disciplinary Committee after having received notice as required in the section headed Convening the Board and Notifying Involved Parties shall forfeit all rights to appeal.
Basis of Decision The Disciplinary Committee shall render a decision on any protest or dispute on the basis of any information, from any source, that it deems appropriate under the circumstances.
Timeliness of Decision: The Disciplinary Committee shall render a decision within five (5) days of receipt by the Board of a protest or dispute. Failure to render a decision within this period shall entitle the party filing the protest or dispute to submit the protest or dispute to the Appeals Committee without determination and the protest fee submitted shall be applied to the appeal fee.
Notification of Decision: All parties to a protest or dispute shall be notified in writing within (5) days of a hearing of the decision rendered by the Disciplinary Committee.
Rejection of Protests or Disputes: Any protest or dispute not submitted to the Disciplinary Committee in full compliance shall be returned, along with all submitted documents and fees, without consideration.
Appeal of Disciplinary Committee Decision: A Club may appeal a decision of the Disciplinary Committee only to the Appeals Committee of the League in accordance with Rules contained within this Protests.
Part 1: Appeals Committee
The Florida United Soccer Alliance Appeals Committee shall be responsible for hearing appeals pertaining to a decision rendered by the League’s Disciplinary Committee, Standing or Ad Hoc Committees. All avenues of appeal must be exhausted at all levels below this body before the Appeals Committee will consider hearing an appeal.
Part 2: Appeals
All appeals of a decision rendered by the Disciplinary Committee, a League Standing Committee, or a Special (Ad Hoc) Committee shall be referred to the Appeals Committee of the Florida United Soccer Alliance. Appeals are filed by the member Clubs who will bear responsibility for adherence to the rules regarding appeals and guarantee all fees and fines. Decisions of the Appeals Committee shall be final and binding unless and until overturned under appeal as provided within this document.
Entry onto Field of Play: No Club official, Club member, team manager, player, or spectator may enter the field of play regardless of the circumstances, unless the Referee has given them permission. If this is disregarded, they shall become subject to disciplinary action by the Disciplinary Committee.
Accidents or Unusual Incidents: The Referee must report any accident or unusual incident to the league.
Suspended Coach: Any Coach who has been placed on suspension is not permitted to participate in any manner whatsoever in the activities of the League during the suspension. The suspended person is not permitted to be present at the site of a match or areas immediately adjacent. PENALTY: Disciplinary action by the Disciplinary Committee.
Suspended Player: A player who has been placed on suspension is not permitted to dress for any match during the time period of his/her suspension, nor be present at the site of a match or areas immediately adjacent.
Part 3: Matters Not Provided
Any matters not provided for in these rules shall be determined by the Florida United Soccer Alliance Executive Board and decisions so made shall be final and binding.
Part 4: Penalties
No Florida United Soccer Alliance official, club, league, team, coach, referee, player, or other representative may invoke the aid of the Courts of any State or of the United States without first exhausting all available remedies within the appropriate soccer organizations.
For violation of this rule the offending party shall be subject to the sanctions of suspension and fines and shall be liable to the Florida United Soccer Alliance for all expenses incurred by the Florida United Soccer Alliance and its officers in defending any court action, including but not limited to the following:
Part 5: Line of Authority for an Appeal
The line of authority for an appeal of a decision rendered by the Florida United Soccer Alliance League’s Executive Board or Appeals Committee shall be:
Appeals following the line of authority listed above are made directly to each level. The fee for an appeal is prescribed by each level of appeal and are made payable to each level.