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LEAGUE RULES

 

ALL PLAYERS AT ANY GOTHAM SOCCER LEAGUE EVENT AGREE TO PARTICIPATE UNDER THE TERMS OUTLINED IN OUR PLAYER WAIVER.

 

11V11 DIVISIONS

(Division 1 & Division 2)

 

We follow FIFA rules with only a few exceptions and distinctions:

  • Unlimited substitutions are allowed on dead balls. Substituted players are allowed to sub back into the game.

  • The league will reserve all fields, handle all scheduling, and acquire all necessary field permits.

  • The league strives to build competitive, evenly-matched divisions in which no team has an unfair advantage over another. In order to achieve this, we will promote champions from Division 2 to Division 1, and when the number of teams allows it, we will relegate last place teams from Division 1 to Division 2.

  • The league will provide each game with one certified referee (+ two linesmen for championship games).

  • Games are 90 minutes long plus stoppage time.

  • Shin guards are mandatory.

  • All teams must supply their own league approved uniforms. If teams have the same primary uniform, the away team is responsible for bringing an alternate color.

  • We require each captain to bring two game balls to each game. 

  • In the event of known weather issues, league commissioners will notify team captains of game cancellations by two hours before game time. If word has not been received by that time, the decision is left in the hands of the referee on the field. Non-attendance without word of cancellation is a forfeit.

  • In the event a game unexpectedly ends early (due to weather, problems with the field, problem with the lights, etc), the result will be official if 60 minutes of the game have been played. If 60 minutes have not been played, the league will schedule a time to finish the remaining minutes of the game.

  • It is up to the league to decide when a game is or is not official. We do everything possible to stick to the schedule, and only dangerous or unreasonable conditions prevent a game from going forward as scheduled.

  • For uniform purposes, the team listed first on the website is considered the “home” team. 

 

LEAGUE DISCIPLINE: 

 

  • Depending on the severity of the action being disciplined, Gotham Soccer League reserves the right to impose match bans, up to banned for life, for poor behavior before, during, or after any matches conducted in the league. For infractions resulting from honest, hard play the following guidelines will apply: 

    • 2 Yellow Cards in one game = 1 game suspension. 

    • 3 Yellow Cards in any 3 games during the season = 1 game suspension. 

    • 1 Red Card = 1 game suspension. 

 

TEAM FORFEIT BONDS:

 

  • We require all teams to pay a bond upon entry into the league. This bond will be returned to the captain when the team leaves the league dependent the team has not forfeited a game. The bond is held to attach a monetary value to forfeits in our effort to prevent them from occurring and to ameliorate the loss of a game to the team being forfeited to. A team forfeits their bond to the team being forfeited to which is paid as a credit for the next season. If a team forfeits more than one game over the course of a season, the bond will be divided between the teams forfeited to and each will receive equal amounts of credit towards the next season. This is dependent on the league having received payment for the season from the forfeiting team. If payment of the bond or the league fees has not been received, unfortunately a credit would not be able to be applied to the next season's dues. The team that has forfeit will then be required to pay the bond again at the start of the new season to remain in the league.

 

STANDINGS WILL BE DETERMINED BY THESE CRITERIA IN THIS ORDER:

 

  1. Points

  2. Goal Differential

  3. Head-to-Head results

  4. Goals Scored

 

PLAYOFFS:

 

  • The top 2 teams will play a championship playoff game.

  • Playoff games have 3 officials (1 referee and 2 linesmen). If the game is tied after 90 minutes, an additional 5 minutes will be added to the second half. If still tied after 95 minutes, the game goes to penalties.

 

SHORT-SIDED DIVISIONS

(7v7 AND 8v8 MEN, WOMEN, & COED)

 

General FIFA rules apply with exceptions:

  • 8v8 = 8 players per team including goalkeeper

  • Coed divisions: 2 women minimum on field (not including the goalkeeper)

  • 48-minute games (24-minute halves)

  • No offsides

  • No slide tackling

  • Unlimited substitutions on the fly

 

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