League Rules

Rules for our short-sided leagues

7v7 Coed Divisions:

General FIFA rules apply with exceptions:

• 7 players per team on field including goalkeeper
• 2 women minimum on field (not including the goalkeeper)
• 46-minute games (23-minute halves)
• No offsides
• No slide tackling
• Unlimited subs on the fly
• 6 yard radius around dead balls
• Penalty spot for taking penalty kicks is at top of goal box, center of goal

7v7 Men's Division:

General FIFA rules apply with exceptions:

• 7 players per team on field including goalkeeper
• 46-minute games (23-minute halves)
• No offsides
• No slide tackling
• Unlimited subs on the fly
• 6 yard radius around dead balls
• Penalty spot for taking penalty kicks is at top of goal box, center of goal

Playoffs:

At the end of playoff or final games where a winner must be decided, play ends at full time (46 minutes). This goes straight to 5 penalty kicks by each team, not just those remaining on the field at the end of the game. For coed penalty kicks, kicker order must alternate male/female with each kicker. If still tied at the end of 5 penalty kicks, kicks will continue until the tie is broken. A player cannot take a second kick until the entire roster has shot, with the exception of with coed where the alternating of sexes requires one to take a second kick.

Slide Tackling:

Let's talk for a minute about slide tackling. Two elements have to be involved for a slide tackle, 1) the act of sliding, and 2) tackling. Going to ground is allowed, except as in full sided soccer, where it is deemed dangerous play. A slide in open space not surrounded by opponents is allowed. A tackle, even with a knee to ground, that is well executed, ball not player, and without danger to self or opponents, is allowed. It is the act of sliding with one or two feet extended that is viewed in short sided, more crowded games as being dangerous and we desire to prevent.

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

11V11 DIVISIONS

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.

STANDINGS WILL BE DETERMINED BY THESE CRITERIA IN THIS ORDER:

1. Points
2. Goal Differential
3. Head-to-Head results
4. Goals Scored

SHORT-SIDED DIVISIONS