Rules

Updated: Fall 2018

  1. All team members must have same color jersey to play. Different shades of the same color will be acceptable.
  2. All jerseys must have at least one number on the back or front of the jersey. No two numbers may be the same. Goal-keepers need not have a number.
  3. All players must wear shin guards and socks covering the entire shin guard.
  4. No jewelry (except conforming to the body i.E. Wedding ring, ear rings) can be worn. Dangling earrings, necklaces and bracelets must be removed.
  5. There is no off-side (refer to #24)
  6. All league play is governed by the application of the current FIFA laws that have been adopted by the league with the exceptions listed below.
  7. Penalty kicks will be taken two steps in from the top of the penalty box.
  8. All goal kicks will be taken from the goal line within 10 yards of either side of the goal post. OMSA will follow the FIFA rule which does not require an offensive player to touch the ball outside of the penalty area. Defenders are not allowed to enter the penalty area until the ball has been successfully passed and touched by the offense player.
  9. Substitutions can be performed at any time during the game. You do not need the referee’’s attention or permission to substitute. However, players being substituted must be out of the play when substitute enters the playing field at the mid-field line.
  10. Teams will consist of seven field players and one goal-keeper.
  11. Teams need a minimum of five players to start the game or a forfeit is declared. Should a team start with five and lose a player to injury or ejection, the game will be considered abandoned (the team with at least five players will be awarded 1 goal and the team with four players with be awarded 0). If one team is playing with less than eight players the other team can field a full eight and is not required to play down in numbers.
    Note: upon agreement of both managers, one team may loan up to two players to the other team and that game will be considered official. The loan player(s) is available for any current OMSA team. The loan player(s) must leave the game once the team’s regular players arrive.
  12. All teams have a ten minute grace period after the designated starting time to field a minimum five players. If both teams have a minimum of five players by the designated start time, the referee will start the game.
  13. A game will comprise of four (4) twenty (20) minute quarters. The breaks between quarters will be two (2) minutes and the break at half-time will be five (5) minutes. There are no overtime games during the regular season.
  14. Players are encouraged to use gentlemen’’s rules on out-of-bounds calls. All disputed calls will be left to the center referee’s decision.
  15. Policing/eliminating the use of offensive language is the responsibility of the team captain. Intimidation of the referee, in verbal or physical form, must be controlled by the team captain. The captains are the only individuals allowed to discuss any game situations with the referee.
  16. There will be a 5 minute mandatory break for anyone receiving a yellow card.
  17. A RED card will cause an automatic ejection from that game and player(s) must leave the soccer complex immediately. The game will not resume play and game clock will continue running until player(s) are in parking lot of soccer complex. Ejected player(s) are not allowed back to complex for the remainder of that day. NO EXCEPTIONS. A red card will cause an automatic ejection from that game. The ejected player’’s team may not substitute for that player. Players receiving a red card must sit out the next league or league sponsored tournament game, unless the red card is over-ruled by the OMSA board. Two (2) yellow cards in one game will result in a red card being issued.
  18. Red cards will be issued for intentional hand balls in the penalty area (except the goal-keeper). Referee’s will use their judgment to assess player skill level and the use of the hand. A yellow card may be issued to lower level skilled players.
  19. Any accumulation of 18 penalty points in a season will result in a player disqualification for the remainder of the season (this includes post season tournament) unless overruled by league review board. Maximum number of points assessed during any one game will be limited to nine (9). Red card is nine (9) penalty points and a yellow card is (3) penalty points.
  20. Red cards (along with Rule #17) will be a $20 per incident fine. Yellow cards will be assessed at the team level. Each team is allowed up to 5 yellow cards without a penalty fee. Yellow cards number 6 through 10 (at the team level) will be assessed a $10 per incident fee. Each yellow card (at the team level) above number 10, will be assessed a $20 per incident fine. A double yellow resulting in a red will only be treated as a red (not 2 yellows and a red). Payment is due upon start of the following game for red carder player. Payment is a mandatory requirement in order to play the following season if not paid up in full for yellow card fines.
  21. All teams must be registered and have their entry fees paid in-full prior to the second game of the regular season.
  22. Players will be eligible to play the day they turn 30 years of age.
  23. If no referee is present at scheduled game time and no replacement by mutual consent by the two (2) team captains can be found, the game will be canceled and rescheduled.
  24. All teams are instructed not to have players standing in the opponent’s penalty area (goal camping), when the ball is on the other side of the field and is not being kicked forward by the offense. This is defined as a line formed by the top of the penalty area. No player should be within that line unless at least one player of the opposing team, other than the goalie, is with him. This is a gentlemen’’s rule. If the team does not abide by the rule, it will be enforced by the referee in the form of an indirect kick for the opposing team from the top of the penalty area.
  25. No slide tackles are allowed in this league. An intentional slide tackle with result in a red card being issued.
  26. Sliding (without any tackling) is allowed. This is defined as no opponent player is near the player sliding.
  27. No opposing player may charge the keeper once the ball is in control.
  28. Any knee braces must have all hard surfaces covered in such a way as to not cause injury to any players. (protection of players)
  29. On a corner kick, no offensive players are to be in the goal area until the kick has been taken. (protection of the keeper) Penalty: indirect free kick from point of infraction for other team.
  30. If there is a jersey color conflict, the home team will change colors.
  31. A player may only be registered on one team. Per rule #11, upon agreement by the other team’s manager. That player may play on another team for only as long as the team is under staffed and has opponent’s manager’s agreement.
  32. If a game is stopped by the referee based on disruptive play, the game results will be either:
    1. a no score if both teams are disruptive as determined by the referee
    2. a win for the nondisruptive team regardless of the score at the time of the termination
  33. Striking a referee will result in expulsion from the league (along with a red card penalty for that game)
  34. In the event of weather causing disruption, once a game reaches half-time, it is considered complete. If the game has not reached half time, it will be suspended and the captains will determine how to make up the unfinished game from the point it was suspended.
  35. All player’s must have a signed waiver turned into league commissioner prior to stepping onto field of play. NO EXCEPTIONS.
  36. A referee may not ref in the same bracket in which he plays.
  37. Player(s) must have played on a team for two seasons before a player(s) can switch to another team. NO EXCEPTIONS. Unless Captain agrees to let player(s) play with another league team and are in agreement.
  38. Determining winner of overall season and tournament brackets in the case of a tie of wins and losses. Is as follows in this order:
    1. Points
    2. Head-to-Head
    3. Goals Against