Area 5C Guidelines

Part I: General

The purpose of these guidelines is to establish the policies for inter-regional play within Area 5C and with surrounding AYSO Areas. These guidelines consist of two parts. The first part is concerned with team formation, game scheduling and disciplinary matters. The second part provides guidelines for the conduct of games and is intended to be a rule book supplement.

a. Regional Game -- A game conducted between two teams from the same region.

b. Area Game -- A game between two teams from different regions within the same area.

c. Section Game -- A game between two teams from different regions and different areas.

d. National Game -- A game between two teams from different regions, different areas, and different sections.

e. External Game -- A game between a team from Area 5C and another soccer program, e.g. North Alabama Soccer League

f. National Guidelines -- Guidance put forward by the AYSO National Organization to include National Bylaws, National Policies, National Rules and Regulations and the FIFA Laws of the GAme as amended by AYSO.

Part II: Team Formation and Scheduling

Teams shall be formed per National Guidelines and National Rules and Regulations. Regions are encouraged to adopt AYSO short sided game program. The standard program for Divisions U10, U8 and U6 within Area 5C are per the short sided program guidance.

a. Divisions U8 and U6. Area 5C strongly discourages the playing of Area gaems between regions for these age divisions. Unless closely monitored, the parents immediately turn these games into competitive games since their town can not possibly lose to another town. When a region does not have enough players to form teams for internal play, regions are encouraged to adopt alternate programs such as soccerfests, K-Kickers, etc. which involves the children from both communities. Note that the adoption of short-sided games allows a program with 28 children to form 4 teams in Division U8.

b. Division U10. Area 5C will use the AYSO Short Sided Games Program. Teams will consist of a maximum of 10 players; games will be played 7 versus 7.

c. Divisions U19 and U16. Area 5C will use an 11 versus 11 format for Divisions U19, U16, U14, and U12. U19 and U16 teams will consist of a maximum of 18 players. U14 and U12 teams will consist of a maximum of 15 players.

Regions that want to participate in Area games will need to declare their intent and attend the area scheduling meeting normally held on the Sunday before the Labor Day weekend. Area scheduling will not be conducted for Divisions U6 and U8. Division U10 will be restricted to scheduling only those regions that play short-sided games. Prior to the Area scheduling workshop, regions need to provide the number of teams by division and the dates the region fields are available. At the workshop, the regions will be given a schedule of opponents, date and home teams. Each region will schedule their home games based upon field availability and provide the field and game time information to the appropriate visiting region. Regions should consider the distance the visiting team must travel. Games should not be scheduled which require the home team to depart prior to 7 a.m. or will not allow the visiting team to return by 9 p.m. unless agreed to by the visiting team. For purposes of this guideline, the normal travel time should include an additional 30 minutes for warm-up, parking, etc. For example, a team from Town A must drive 75 minutes to Town B. The earliest game time for this game would be 8:45 a.m. If played in the evening the game should end by 7:45 p.m.

Teams must play at least two non-regional games to be eligible for tournament play. Teams that do not form teams per these guidelines may be excluded from the tournament.

Inevitably during a season a game will occur when one team shows up full strength and the other team barely has enough to play. Part III contains guidelines for referees in deciding what to do. The philosophy is to look for a "win-win" situation. Ruling forfeits or forcing a game of 7 vs. 11 (with 7 substitutes) does not normally result in a winning situation for either team.

The standards of conduct at AYSO games are clearly stated in National Guidelines and in publications such as the ABCs of Soccer. Since we are dealing with sports that are inherently emotional and players in various states of maturation, there will inevitably be incidents of improper conduct during Area games.

Coaches are considered responsible for insuring that players, spectators and coaches behave properly. Referees have the authority to suspend or terminate games in the event of severe misconduct by players, coaches or spectators. Referees have the authority to request the removal of coaches or spectators that are not conforming to standards of conduct defined by AYSO.

The Area Director has the authority to suspend players and coaches for severe breaches of misconduct. The suspension can be for one or two games or indefinitely pending a Due Process Hearing. Suspension of a game does not require that the referee award a caution (yellow card) or eject (red card) the player. Suspension shall be invoked against scheduled games to include makeup games and games added during the season. Suspended players and coaches are not allowed at or on fields when their team is playing.

Any player that receives a second ejection or any coach that is removed from a second game shall be suspended for at least two games.

Referees will be required to submit a report in event of serious misconduct during a game. Serious misconduct includes ejection of players (red card), removal of coaches, removal of spectators, removal of any game official, and any other misconduct that results in the referee suspending or terminating the game. Games suspended or terminated for other reasons, e.g., weather or darkness, do not require a report.

The referee's report should describe the incident in full detail to include who was involved and what happened. The report may also contain a recommendation for further action and the reason for doing so, e.g., a player from the game began to swear loudly and profusely and refused to leave the field resulting in suspension of the game for 20 minutes. The report may also indicate the referee's recommendation for no further action.

These reports should be written and mailed to the Area Referee Administrator with copies to the home team's Regional Referee Administrator. The referee should verbally notify the home team's Regional Referee Administrator who in turn should notify the Area Referee Administrator.

The Regional Commissioners for each team involved will notify the Area Director. The Area Director will discuss the report with the Area Referee Administrator and decide whether on action to take.

For extreme cases of misconduct or when an individual has repeatedly been guilty of misconduct, the Area Director may decide to hold a Due Process hearing. The Area Director shall appoint a panel of disinterested individuals to investigate the matter and provide a recommendation. The panel shall consist of at least two individuals that have served as Executive Members in AYSO. The hearing shall be conducted per National Guidelines.

In the event of a game cancellation, the visiting team should be notified as soon as possible. Regions should provide a clear policy on cancellations and provide to visiting teams. If possible, a phone number at the field should be given to allow verification of games during inclement weather.

Regions are encouraged to not use Area games in computing regional standings. Area games will not be made up solely due to the need of one region to compute standings.

Part III: Team Formation and Scheduling

Part III is the game day portion of the guidelines. All game officials and coaches should be familiar with these guidelines.

a. All U10, U12, and U14 games will be played by "quarter" with substitution allowed at "quarter breaks" and halftime or for injured players per the FIFA Laws of the Game and the AYSO National Rules and Regulations.

b. For U16 and U19 divisions, Area 5C is participating on a trial basis in the experimental program established by the AYSO National Board for these age groups. Free substitution will be permitted in the U-16/U-19 Experimental Program, but only if it is handled in a manner which will ensure that every participant plays at least one half of every game by requiring a separate time monitor, independent of either team or coach, who checks each player in or out of the game.

Free substitution must be used in any Area U16 or U19 game, as long as the home region provides a time monitor. The time monitor must be a trained fourth official or any AYSO adult volunteer (18 years or age or older), and may be an adult whose child is playing in the game. The time monitor may not be a coach, assistant coach, or player who is involved in the game.

In the event that the home region is unwilling or unable to provide a time monitor, the game will be played with substitution at "quarter breaks," halftime, or for injured players. In the event that the home team provides a time monitor, but the visiting team does not wish to use free substitution, the visiting team should make substitutions approximately at the mid-point of each half, at halftime, and as needed for injury.

If desired, both teams may provide a time monitor, but if the home team does not provide a team monitor, free substitution shall not be used. All monitors should report to the Center Referee and are subject to his/her guidance and instructions.

If there is no time monitor provided by the home region, referees are not to allow free substitution.

The time monitor must complete a worksheet for each team documenting the playing time for each player. The worksheets and game cards must be submitted to the appropriate regions after the completion of the game. It is the responsibility of the regional commissioner or the area director, as the case may be, to monitor the experimental program during the season. For Area games, both regions must examine the worksheets afterwards to insure compliance with the playing time requirements.

In accordance with the Laws of the Game, either team may request to substitute a player or players at any stoppage of play. Either team may substitute on a kickoff, goal kick, corner kick, drop ball, direct or indirect free kick, throwin, or stoppage for an injury. Substitutions may be allowed prior to a penalty kick, but the player entering the game cannot take the penalty kick or replace the goalkeeper.

The substitution procedure is as follows.

1. The substitute(s) should line up at the halfway line.
2. At the next stoppage of play, the referee will give permission for the substitition to take place.
3. The players being replaced leave the field.
4. The substitutes enter the field.

Referees should avoid unnecessary delays in the substitution process. If a substitute is not ready to enter the game at a stoppage, the referee may elect to defer the substitution until the next opportunity. Requests for substitution at the time the ball is being put into play may also be deferred until the next opportunity.

2. Equal playing strength

Area games will be played with equal numbers of players. If one team is short players, there are several options available. The referee's role is an honest arbitrator between the two coaches. The solution should be in the best interest of the players which is usually to maximize the playing time for all players present and to avoid discouraging the team that does not have enough players. Note that the referee does not have the power to forfeit a game, but may suspend a game and report to the home Regional Commissioner what action was taken. The following options are provided to equal the number of players when one of the teams is short by 2 players or more of the maximum number of players allowed per team on the field of play for the teams' division.

a. The team with the most players loans the short team players.

b. Scramble the two teams and play the game.

c. At the option of the short-sided coach, play the game regularly.

3. Misconduct

In addition to the authority granted by the Laws of the Game to the referee, they shall also have the power to have spectators and coaches removed from the playing area in the event of severe misconduct. In the event of spectator misconduct, the coaches of the teams will be notified. Coaches will be held responsible for their team's spectators. In the event the offending spectator cannot be identified with either team, the home team has the responsibility of getting the spectator to leave. Referees have the authority to suspend or terminate a game for player, coach, or spectator misconduct. Referees do not have the authority to forfeit a game. See Part I for administrative actions in the event of a game suspension or termination.

4. Conflict of game jerseys

The home team is responsible for providing a method to distinguish teams in the event of jersey conflict. Regions are encouraged to have a dark and light set of pullover mesh jerseys on hand for this occasion.

5. Caution

When a player in Divisions U19, U16, or U14 receives a caution (Yellow Card), the coach may request to substitute another player. The cautioned player shall be given credit for playing in the quarter in which the caution was awarded. The cautioned player may not return to the game until the next substitution opportunity. The referee may recommend that the coach substitute the player if, in the referee's opinion, this is needed to allow the player to "cool off." Such substitution shall be done during the stoppage of play when the caution is awarded.

6. Cold weather playing uniforms

In the event of cold weather, participants will be allowed to wear appropriate clothing. Clothing worn must not pose a hazard to any player to include the player wearing the clothing. Referees should not prohibit clothing solely because it does not match that worn by other team members, but have authority to prohibit dangerous clothing or clothing that might result in confusion or inability to distinguish the teams.