2024 Competition Structure

The designated HOME team shall wear light colored uniforms. The designated AWAY team shall wear dark colored uniforms. Teams are required to bring both sets of uniforms to all games.

· If there is a conflict between the uniforms provided, the home team is responsible for changing their jerseys.

· The home team is listed 1st on the schedule, and the visiting team is listed 2nd.

· It will be the referee’s discretion to determine the safety and suitability of player equipment including the wearing of a brace. Casts are allowed if a note is provided by the doctor clearing the player to play. Non-resilient foam should be wrapped around the cast, and then covered by an ace bandage. Please check with the officials prior to the game!

U13-U18/19 – Inside the designated bench area, only the (18) players participating in the game, along with two non-playing personnel are allowed. The (2) non-playing personnel (coaches & Team managers) must be listed on roster in MOD 11 and have the proper credential, otherwise they will be asked to leave.

· U12 – Inside the designated bench area, only the (16) players participating in the game, along with two non-playing personnel are allowed. The (2) non-playing personnel (coaches & Team managers) must be listed on the roster in MOD 11 and have the proper credential, otherwise they will be asked to leave.

· Any other team personnel or players shall remain on the spectator sidelines.

Any player/coach that is sent off in a match is required to be escorted from the field. A USL Youth Staff Member will escort the player or coach from the sidelines to outside of the designated field area and taken to the Player’s Village.

· Players serving a suspension are permitted to be on the bench in street clothes if they do not exceed the 18-player limit. If a suspended player/coach participates in a match in which they are suspended, their team is to forfeit that match.

· Suspended coaches are not allowed to be on the sidelines for the following match. They are only allowed to communicate with their team pre- and post-game outside of the Hillsborough Tournament Sports Complex. They cannot be in close proximity of the playing field during warm

up, the duration of the match, and during half time of the match. This includes any written, verbal, or electronic communication to players or staff members. Failure to abide by these rules will result in forfeiture of the match.

· For this event, “close proximity” will be defined as two (2) tournament regulated soccer fields or more from the location of the match that the coach is serving his or her suspension.

Coaches must be dressed appropriately. No flip flops or bare feet.

In the event of any inclement weather that could delay or postpone a game, USL Youth staff will inform all participants and coaches to immediately evacuate the field and take shelter in an appropriate area.

· Updates regarding delays, reschedules and any other important info will be made via email, social media and on the League Website.

Each team will be checked in by the referee crew via MOD 11 before each game. Games will not kick off until this process is completed. If there are any issues the officials or coaching staff should notify the field marshal.

· If there is a player that shows up after kickoff, they must be checked-in by an USL Youth Staff member before entering the field of play. Failure to do so will result in a forfeit.

· Each team will be allotted a minimum of 20 minutes to warm-up on the game fields, if available.

· Teams should return all USL Youth warm up gear (balls, pennies, and cones) to the field marshal prior to the start of the match.

Manager/coach of both teams will ensure their respective sideline areas are clean and that all trash is in containers.

· Teams need to make sure all USL Youth warm up gear (balls, pennies, and cones)and game balls are returned to the field marshal prior to leaving the field.

· A completed game report will be submitted to the tournament staff via MOD 11, complete with scores and a supplemental report for send offs, injuries or special circumstances that need explanation by the officials or field marshal.

For all age groups unlimited substitutions are permitted throughout regulation and overtime play.

· Substitutes must wait at half field before entering the field of play.

· He or she must state to the referee what number he or she is replacing.

· The player may not enter the field without the permission of the referee.

· A team may have no more than (16) players for U-12 and (18) players for U13-U18/19 eligible for games.

Overtime will be used in the semi-final and final matches only.

· If a match continues into overtime, the overtime period must start with the players that completed the second half of the match.

· Overtime will consist of two (2), ten (10) minute overtime periods. * No Golden Goal or sudden death.

· Penalty kicks (best of 5) will determine the winner if the match remains tied at the completion of overtime. If tied after the 5 penalties from each team, then there will be sudden death penalty kicks.

· Only the players who finished the overtime period can take a penalty kick.

Win is 3 points, Tie is 1 point, Loss is 0 points

If two or more teams tie with the same number of points, the following tiebreakers will be used:

1. Head-to-Head

2. Total Wins

3. Goal Differential

4. Goals Scored

5. FIFA Fair Play

6. FIFA Kicks from the mark

· The Goal Differential Rule shall be put into effect if the winning team has a score differential of seven or more goals. The differential will be capped at seven goals. In the final standings the goal differential will be capped at seven goals per game for all games.

· Example: a 10-0 win will result in a 7-0 win on the standings.

One-Group Division (U16 Girls) – Teams will play each team in their group once. The top two teams in the group will play each other the final. There will be no semi-final or 3rd place game for teams that are in this group set up.

· Two-Group Divisions (U15 Girls, U16 Boys, U17 Boys, U18/19 Boys) – The first and second placed teams in each group will advance to the knockout stages. For each division, the winner of Group A will play the runner-up from Group B, and the winner of Group B will play the runner-up from Group A.

· Three-Group Divisions (U13 Boys, U13 Girls, U14 Girls, U15 Boys) – The first placed team from each group will automatically advance to the knockout rounds. The runner-up with the most points from group play will also advance (see tiebreakers below if teams are tied on points). The three group winners will receive the top three seeds in knockout play, with the best runner-up automatically receiving the #4 seed (even if they finish with more points than one of the group winners). Additional tiebreakers will be applied as necessary in seeding.

Four-Group Divisions (U12 Boys, U12 Girls, U14 Boys) – The first placed team from each group will advance to the knockout rounds. Teams will be seeded #1 to #4 based on total points obtained in group play. Additional tiebreakers will be applied as necessary.

· Two-Group Three-Team Division (U17/19 Girls) – Each team will play two (2) group matches and one (1) cross group match (Group A v Group B). The cross-play match will be selected to ensure teams are playing a different opponent that they did not play during the regular season. The top four (4) teams out of the 6 total teams will advance based on PPG. If PPG are equal, the tiebreaker rules will be used to determine the top 4 teams. Teams advancing to the knockout stage will be ranked 1-4 based on PPG. If PPG are equal, the tiebreaker rules will be used to determine seeding for knockout stage matches. Tiebreakers will be the same that are listed in the 2024 USL Youth Competition Manual. In the case that the teams involved in a tiebreaker do not all play each other in the group stage, the head-to-head tiebreaker will be skipped, and the first tiebreaker will be total wins.

A minimum of seven (7) players constitutes a team for U12.

· A minimum of nine (9) players constitutes a team for U13‐U19.

· Games should start at given starting times. In case the team does not have the minimum number of players present, it should be allowed a maximum of fifteen (15) minutes grace period, before awarding the game to the opponent. At that time, the Tournament Director may extend the wait time based on unforeseen circumstances or make the decision to declare a forfeit and award the victory to the other team.

· Playing an illegal/suspended/ineligible player will result in a forfeit. A forfeit will be scored 3‐0.

· An abandoned game is recorded as a forfeit and will be scored 3‐0.

Three (3) yellow cards to an individual player during group play will result in a one game suspension.

· Two cautions followed by red will result in player suspension for the remainder of the match as well as for the following match.

· The league staff will review straight send offs. Pending the reason for the send-off, a player shall serve the minimum of a one game suspension. In the event of serious foul play, violent conduct, referee assault or referee abuse, a player/coach may be suspended for more than one match by the league.

· Yellow cards are erased after group play and players start clean in the next round. Should a player receive his/her third yellow card on the last game of group play and advance to the next round, the player will have to serve the suspension on the next game.

There will be NO PROTESTS. Decisions by referees may not be appealed. All disputes will be resolved immediately by the Site Director. These decisions will be final.

· Abusive language towards officials and league staff will not be tolerated and will result in a fine, suspension and/or removal from the facility for any club staff members, players, or parents that violate this rule.

Area for spectators will include the opposite sideline from the teams.

· No spectators will be allowed on the same side as the team benches, end lines or behind the goals.

· Spectators should be aware of the officials on their sideline and should not be in a position that will affect the official from doing their job. Spectators are required to stay behind the respect line for the duration of the match. Failure to abide by these rules will result in being removed from the match.

· Coaches & Team managers are responsible for the actions of their fans.

· Coaches will be subject to receive a yellow or red card if they are not able to control their sidelines. This includes the bench area and the spectator sideline.

Should any player be suspected of sustaining a head injury they must be immediately removed from the match and seen by appropriate medical staff on-site.

· Only properly trained medical staff can clear a player to resume play.