RULES

Roster / Player / Attendance Highlights!

All players must be registered via Team Roster or Free Agent; no players off the street are permitted.
All players must be at least 18 years old on game day.
Rosters must have at least 11 players, and 3 of those must be women. Recommended roster is 14. Max roster is 16.
Borrowed Players and Free Agents are allowed to boost low numbers, but with many restrictions to discourage use in order to maintain the integrity of teams (see detailed rules).
Cancellations and No Shows are taken very seriously because every team has paid to play and deserves a high quality league. See detailed rules and fines.

Field Highlights!

8v8, including keeper.
Must have 2 women on field at all times or play down.
U12 field with u12 goals.
Two 25-minute halves.
Substitutions on the fly (with some limitations…see detailed rules)
No offsides (because 1 ref, and we’d argue endlessly).
No punting by GK (because of field size).
No slide tackling.

General Rules of Play

All current FIFA rules apply, except as modified per these rules.
Games consist of two 25-minute halves with a 5-minute half-time.
Opening kickoff will be made by the home team, and the home team picks their side.
The second half will be started by the “away team”, and sides switch.
All game clocks will start at the scheduled kickoff time. If a team is not ready to start on time with 6 rostered players, the referee and teams may agree to start play with less than 6 players or forfeit a 0-3 loss.
Restart from stoppage of play due to injury will be from the closest point to where the ball was played when the game was stopped and will be restarted as a drop ball to the team who had possession.
Defensive players must give 6 yards on throw ins and corner kicks.
Goal kicks shall be taken from the goal box, may cross the midfield line in the air, and do not need to exit the penalty box before being played by the kicking team. Defending players must stand outside the penalty box until the kick is taken.

Uniforms

All field players must wear a Moose FC pinnie provided on game night. In general, a team will be issued the same color each week, but may be provided an alternate color for a match if opponents’ colors are too similar.
Teams are encouraged to wear matching socks and shorts.
Shinguards are required.

Handling the Ball by Goalkeeper

No punts or drop kicks. Punts or drop kicks will result in an INDIRECT free kick just outside the top of the penalty box arc.
After a save, the goalkeeper may throw, roll, or place the ball on the ground to kick it back into play.
Goalie throws may cross the midfield line in the air.
Goalkeepers are not allowed to pick the ball up after they have deliberately played the ball to the ground. Any violation of this rule will be treated as a hand ball.

Substitutions

Unlimited substitutions will be allowed on any dead ball or on the fly (hockey style), but the oncoming player may not deliberately provide a defensive or offensive advantage during the substitution. Any violation of this rule will result in a direct free kick from the spot of the infraction.
Players must both enter and exit the field within 6 yards of the midfield line on the bench side.
Any player may substitute for the goalkeeper as long as the referee is informed beforehand.
Goalkeepers are only allowed to be subbed during a dead ball situation.
On the fly substitutions are NOT allowed during a referee stoppage of play, and must instead be authorized and managed by the referee.
Players serving carded penalties may only reenter the game upon referee invitation following the completion of their penalty.

Too Many Players Violation

Each team may have no more than 7 field players and 1 goalie on the field at any given time, with the exception of a brief moment when an incoming and outgoing player overlap while substituting on the fly (provided no benefit is derived).
If too many players enter the field of play, the referee will award a direct free kick from the spot of the infraction. Teams will need to reorganize to 7 field players and 1 goalkeeper before play will restart. If the offending team creates a delay of game situation, cards may be issued and additional stoppage time may be added.

Stoppage of Play by Referee

The referee has the right to stop play at any point during the game for injuries, fouls, or infractions. Play will resume on the referee whistle.
If a stoppage of play is required for penalties to be explained and or cards to be issued, play will resume upon the referee whistle after the penalties have been managed.
During a stoppage of play that involves a card/s being issued, the refs should stop the clock, manage the situation, remove the carded player and then allow a replacement, announce added time if needed, and restart the game.

Free kicks / Throw Ins / Direct & Indirect Fouls

During a free kick, defensive players must stand at least 6 yards from the ball until the ball has been played by the attacking team.
If a team scores on an indirect free kick the goal will not count and the defensive team will be awarded a goal kick.
Any player who intentionally impedes play in an effort to “run out the clock” and or deny an opponent a scoring opportunity will result in a direct free kick from the spot of the infraction. It will be at the referees discretion to issue a card and / or add stoppage time to the clock. The referee should also notify players as to whether or not the half will conclude on his / her whistle or horn / buzzer.

Offsides

There will be NO offside penalty calls during Moose FC 8v8 matches.

Slide Tackling

NO SLIDE TACKLING of any kind will be allowed during play.
All Slide tackles will result in a direct free kick from the spot of the infraction.
Slide tackles inside the penalty box will result in an automatic penalty kick.
Players are allowed to make a “sliding play” to maintain possession, to block a pass or shot, or to keep the ball in play, so long as there are no opposing player(s) within 2 yards of the play. Keep in mind, referees tend to call sliding plays very tight.
Goalies are allowed to "go to ground" in a "sliding manner" to perform a save inside the penalty box. If a goalie slides feet first or “studs up” it will be the decision of the referee to determine if the play is considered a "slide tackle" and penalty worthy.
Lunge or “stab” tackles are not slide tackles and are legal.
The distinction between a lunge and a slide tackle is at the referee’s discretion.
Slide tackles may result in a yellow or red card as per the referees discretion based on severity and repetition.

Yellow and Red Cards

Yellow and Red Cards follow FIFA rules with the exception of league specific rules below.
Yellow Cards
1. When a player is issued a yellow card the player must leave the field for 2 minutes. Another player will be allowed to sub in. Carded players must be welcomed back onto the field of play by the referee (not on the fly). The 2 minute sit rule does not apply to goalkeepers.
2. If a player receives a yellow card, is asked to sit out for 2 minutes and there are no substitutes available, the team will play down a man until the carded player serves the 2 minute penalty and is granted permission by the referee to re-enter.
3. 2 yellow cards = a Red card. See Red card rules below.
Red Cards
1. Any player issued two yellow cards in one game or a straight red card will be expelled for the balance of the current game, resulting in the team who was issued the red card to finish the match a player down.
2. Any player who receives a straight red card must also sit out the following match. Depending on the severity of the infraction, the player may be issued additional suspensions by the league.
3. Red cards by the same player in two or more consecutive games may result in that player receiving additional suspensions from the league, including expulsion.
4. Two yellows that result in a red are not considered automatic grounds to sit out the following game.
When a player is issued a card (yellow or red) during match play they will be asked to provide their first and last name to the referee for Vermont State Referee Association game reporting purposes.
If a team or player feels they have a valid reason to appeal a red card suspension they may do so by filing an official appeal with the league. For an appeal to be evaluated - the league, the game official, and both teams must agree that the foul or infraction was not “suspension worthy”. If the carded foul was intentional, dangerous, issued for dissent or derogatory behavior your appeal will likely not be reviewed.

Mandatory Coed

To ensure coed play, teams must have at least 2 women on the pitch at all times or play down a person for each missing woman.
Violation of this rule will result in stoppage of play, correction of the situation (substituting a woman for a man or removing a player), and an indirect free kick from the location of play when the violation was noted.

Roster / Player Eligibility Rules

All players must be registered via Team Roster or Free Agent; no players off the street are permitted.
All players must be at least 18 years old on game day.
Rosters must have at least 11 players, and 3 of those must be women.
Recommended roster is 14. Maximum roster size is 16. An additional registration fee is required for players 15 and 16.
Teams may add players to their roster prior to the 3rd game night by providing an updated roster to Moose FC.
No roster changes will be allowed after the third game night unless injuries result in a roster dropping below 10 players, and the request is made to and approved by the league.
Players are not allowed to double roster within the league on multiple teams, but may make themselves available as Free Agents.

Borrowed Players and Free Agents

Player borrowing and Free Agent rules are intended to both maintain the competitive integrity of the league and to ensure matches are not forfeited due to low numbers.
A team short on players is encouraged to contact the league for assistance.
A team may borrow players from another team or use Free Agents during regular-season games, but not during the semi- and final matches.
A team must have at least 6 of its own rostered players for the game to count.
You may only borrow enough players to give you a total of 10 players. If your rostered players show up, you must give up borrowed players until you have no more than 10 players.
No matter how many rostered players you have, you can always borrow a keeper if needed.
You may borrow no more than 2 players from the same team for a given match.
You may not use the same borrowed players or same Free Agents in two consecutive matches, including goal keepers.
A team breaking player-sharing rules will be given a 0-3 loss.

Referees

One referee will be assigned to each Moose FC 8v8 match.
Referees are required to operate the scoreboard (if available) and keep record of the game on league provided game sheets or Game Officials forms.
Referees shall record the game score and turn in game cards to the league staff at the end of each match and to their ref assigner.
Referees will include any ejections misconduct reports on their game card. Each scorecard will list the names of players ejected from the previous week.

Scoring

Win = 3 points
Tie = 1 point
Loss = 0 points
Forfeits count as a 0-3 loss for the team who forfeits.
“Unannounced No Show forfeits” will be scored as a 0-5 loss for the team who does not show.

Tiebreakers for Playoff Seeding & or Table Results

Winner of Head to Head Result
Goal Differential
Most Goals Scored
Fewest Goals Allowed
Flip a Coin

Ties and Penalty Kicks

Regular season matches may conclude with tied scores.
If a playoff match remains tied at the conclusion of regulation time, teams will go to penalty kicks.
1. Preliminary Playoff Games. A 3-shooter format will be used to break the tie. Should the score remain tied after 3 shots, a new player from each team will shoot in a single elimination format until the tie is broken. Players are not allowed to shoot again until every player on the team, including goalie, has shot. Only players on the field at the conclusion of regulation time will be allowed to shoot.
2. Championship Game. An initial 5-shooter format will be used, and then all other rules remain the same.

Facility Rules

League participants and any associates must follow the rules of Randolph Union High School, including prohibition on alcohol and tobacco on the premises.

Cancellations / Reschedules & No Shows

Cancellations and No Shows are taken very seriously because they greatly diminish the quality of the league and are financially unfair to opponents, all of whom have paid with the expectation of playing.

Cancellation / Reschedule Requests. If a team cannot field at least 6 rostered players, the team must request a reschedule at least 48 hours in advance, and the league will work diligently to try to reschedule.
1. The requesting team must propose two alternate make up dates / times.
2. Field space and officials must be available at no additional cost to the league.
3. All reschedule arrangements must be finalized prior to the originally scheduled kick off time / date.
4. If a reschedule cannot be agreed upon, the requesting team will be booked a 0-3 loss, and the league will reimburse the opponent $100 for the missed game.
5. If a rescheduled game itself must later be cancelled or rescheduled again, for any reason, the league will attempt to make the game happen, but if unsuccessful, the game will be scored a 0-3 loss for the team who originally requested the reschedule.
Last-Minute No Shows
1. Defined as arriving with less than 6 players and failing to notify the league 48 hours in advance.
2. The match will be booked as a 0-5 forfeit loss, and the offending team will be ineligible for post-season play and ineligible for post-season prizes.
3. The offending team will be fined a penalty of $150, with $100 of that distributed to the opposing team, and the other toward referee fees.
4. The offending team cannot play until the fine is paid, and if not paid within 2 weeks off the No Show, the team may, at Moose FC’s sole discretion, be expelled from the league with no refund given.

Misconduct & Zero Tolerance Policy

Moose FC values respect and safety between players, officials, spectators, and league management, and has a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for deliberate, intentional unsportsmanlike, racially charged behavior, physical violence, threats, and/or derogatory comments, mistreatment of officials and / or players, spectators and coaches.
This policy applies to actions both on and off the field of play (including match facilities both on field, around fields, parking lots, etc.)
Derogatory, Racist, Threatening or Offensive comments, gestures or actions made by any player, official, referee, team manager, league official, spectator, or anyone in any way associated with the Moose FC 8v8 league are strictly prohibited. If a player commits such an act, the referee will issue an immediate red card and submit a report to the league. Disciplinary action will be taken with the offending player. At a minimum, if found guilty of "verbal abuse" a two (2) game minimum suspension will be administered. The referee report in these situations may be looked to as the sole deciding report if a league representative did not witness the incident. The league will do its best to take all parties’ feedback into account prior to making a decision.
Zero tolerance rules apply to spectators as well. Referees and league officials have the right to ask spectators to leave the field and surrounding areas. If a spectator refuses to leave, the game will be suspended until the infracting spectator exits.
"Excessive physical violence" is defined as any form of physical attack or action outside that of "standard game play" and will be penalized by league management on a case by case basis. Under no circumstance will any act of violence be tolerated. If a player, team manager or person associated with the league is found guilty of excessive physical violence during league play they will be immediately issued a red card. A suspension will be issued for a minimum of 2 games. The league maintains the sole discretion to issue penalties and suspensions for infractions related to the ZERO TOLERANCE rule.
In the case of a “Zero Tolerance” infraction the league will issue a formal written notice of suspension to the player(s) before the next match on their schedule. In order to come to a conclusion on how the situation will be handled, the league may turn to the officials game / incident report(s), other league players in attendance, as well as spectators if needed. Written reports may be requested from witnesses, to be taken into consideration.
Following the completion of a suspension, the guilty party may be allowed back into the league but will remain on a "no exceptions" / "no strikes" policy for the balance of the season. A season is defined as “all indoor games” or “all outdoor games” remaining that year. If the player commits another similar infraction they will be banned from the league for at least 6 months based on the leagues judgment of their offense or may be banned indefinitely.