Soccer

Soccer Rules

SPIRIT POINTS: An integral part of all the sports that the Ottawa Sport & Social Club offers. It is based on the primary focus of the OSSC, which is sportsmanship and to have FUN...NOT on competitive and aggressive sport.

1. Equipment/Field Set-Up: Team captains are responsible for bringing a Wilson soccer ball, two field markers, two flags for goals, as well as copies of the field permits (if necessary) to all of their game sites. All equipment will be provided. Captains must pace out the field so it is approximately 35 paces wide and 45 to 50 paces long. Nets are set up using the goal flags, measuring 3 full flag lengths apart. (revised Spring 2006)

2. Game Time/Default:

• Please arrive 15 minutes early to set up fields and start your games on time. Games are 1 1/2 hour (unless otherwise indicated ie. double headers) with a 5-minute half time taken midway through game
• Please agree on one person to act as timekeeper. Teams are comprised of six (6) players with a minimum of two (2) of each gender. A default will occur if any team cannot field a squad by 15 minutes after the official start time. A team can play with a minimum of 5 people, as long as two (2) of the players are women and two (2) are men. Women may play any position on the field.

3. General Rules:

In general, standard soccer rules apply to all OSSC games.Notable exceptions are listed below:

1. Each half and after each goal starts with one team initiating play by making a forward pass from the centre of the field.
2. If a ball is kicked out of bounds along the sidelines, a kick-in is awarded to the opposite team.
3. If a ball is kicked out of bounds along the goal line by the offence, a goal kick is awarded to the defending team
4. If a ball is kicked out of bounds along the goal line by the defense, a corner kick is awarded to the attacking team. Offensive players, please be in control of your bodies when going for balls on corner kicks. Crashing the goalie can result in a dangerous play.
5. Substitutions should be made only when a stoppage in play has occurred i.e. no changing on the fly
6. A handball infraction occurs when the ball hits a player's arm from the ELBOW down (as opposed to the shoulder). In addition players may use their arms to block the ball from hitting their groin area, and women can also use their arms to block the ball from hitting their chest. This rule will reduce the number of stoppages in play. Please don't abuse this rule.
7. All free kicks are indirect. To score off an indirect kick, the ball must be touched by another player (offense or defense, but not the goalie).
8. Defensive players cannot be within 8 feet of the ball when an indirect kick is being taken.
9. The offending player should call their own infractions, however any players involved with the incident can also make a call.
10. When a foul is called, play must stop as there is no "advantage" in OSSC soccer.
11. Teams may call a one (1) minute time-out per half if needed
12. Each team should bring both light and dark coloured shirts to each and every game.
13. A game can end in a tie during the regular season. In the playoffs, a game that is tied at the end of regulation time is decided by a five-minute sudden death overtime period. If still tied, a shoot-out will commence. Teams should extend their nets to 4 full length goal posts for the shoot-out. This is for the safety of goalies as shooters are encouraged to aim the ball, rather then blast it as hard as they can. Also shots will be taken at a distance of 12 paces (approx. 25 feet).
14. Each of the five players on the field takes one shot each
15. Only the players on the field at the end of the game can participate and the goalie that finished the game remains the goalie for the shoot-out. After five shots, if still tied, teams continue taking single shots until one team has scored (and the other team does not). The order of shooters must be maintained.
16. Metal cleats are not allowed.

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Please note

in the event of foul weather (Deschatelets only) or severe weather (i.e. electrical storms etc) games should immediately be stopped and players should take cover away from open spaces. Wait 15 minutes; if the severe weather passes, continue play. If it does not and the game was in the first half, the game must be re-played. If it was in the 2nd half, then the score at that time of when the game is stopped will count as the final score.

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4. Off-sides: There are NO off-sides. However, a strategy of consistently "cherry-picking" is considered to be unsportsmanlike.No players (with the exception of the goalie) can slide to block a shot or pass at any time.

7. Goalies: Goalies can use their hands ONLY when they are within a "reasonable" distance from their goal (approx 10 foot semi-circle around the net). Due to the format of the field, there will not likely be a lined goal crease - please use your best judgment.

• A goalie CANNOT pick up a ball with his/her hands if the ball has been played back on purpose to the goalie by a player on his/her team. This includes all forms of passing and kick-ins. The only exceptions are if a player directs the ball back to their goalie with their head or if it deflects off a teammate - in this case the goalie CAN pick the ball up with his/her hands. A violation of this rule results in an indirect free kick for the other team at the spot where the goalie inappropriately used their hands.
• A goalie can "roam" as far from their goal as they want, but once outside of their "crease", the goalie CANNOT use their hands at any time.
• If a goalie makes a save by catching the ball with their hands, they can do one of three things; (a) throw the ball out, (b) kick the ball (out of their hands), or (c) put the ball down on the ground (at which point it becomes a live ball). Please note that if a goalie elects to put the ball on the ground, the goalie cannot choose to immediately pick the ball up again.

8. Rough Play: ANY ROUGH OR PHYSICAL PLAY WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE EXPULSION FROM FURTHER LEAGUE PLAY AND MAY RESULT IN LIFETIME LEAGUE EXPULSION. PLEASE SEE THE OSSC POLICY SHEET FOR OUR OFFICIAL POLICY ON THIS SUBJECT.

It is recognized that incidental contact between players is inevitable – however, all players should go out of their way to avoid creating an unsafe play. This rule supersedes all others.

Please remember that you are playing in a self-officiated, co-ed, social league, so any arguments or disputes should be kept to a minimum.

9. Discrepancies/Disputes:

• If an infraction is disputed, a kick-in from the sideline is awarded to the offensive team.
• If a goal is disputed, an indirect kick is awarded to the offensive team from where the original shot was taken.

5. Slide Tackling: Even if contact is made with the ball first, slide tackling is not allowed under any circumstances (even if an opponent is not in the vicinity).

6. Scoring: To score a goal, the ball must pass through the flag posts at a height lower than the top of the flag. If the ball hits any part of the flag post and goes in, it is NOT A GOAL. This includes going off the goalie first then hitting a flag post. The flag posts include the entire length of the post AND the flag portion on the top of the post. (even if the ball only touches the flag portion and goes in, it is NOT A GOAL).