7v7 - Regional Tournament Rules

All Current IFAB/FIFA rules apply apart from the following exceptions:

Exception	7v7	Notes
# of Field Players	6 + GK
# of Players to avoid Forfeit	5	3 Red Cards would terminate the match
# of females required for co-ed	2	Does NOT include goalkeeper
Duration	20 Minutes + TS Period	More on the TS Period below
Offside	No
Slide Tackles Permitted	No	See below for interpretation
Substitutions	Unlimited, on fly	Player must exit field first
Opponents distance from restarts	6 yards	Free kicks, corners, kickoffs
Kick-ins	No	Not an exception, but important to note, we use throw-ins

Please refer to all Current IFAB/FIFA rules to apply to every facet of the game unless an exception is mentioned above OR below. Information below is an explanation of all exceptions or nuance to the competition as a whole that is unique to this event.

Target Scoring Period

Upon conclusion of the 20-minute period, the teams shall enter a 10 minute period during which the official winner will be determined by the first team to reach a predefined Target Score.

The Target Score will be defined as one more goal than the leading team’s goal tally after the initial period.

EX: If Team A has 5 goals and Team B has 2 goals, the TS will be set at 6 goals and the Teams will play until a team reaches 6 goals or the 10 minutes is up.
If the teams have the same score after the initial 20-minute period, the official winner will be declared by the next team to score.

During the group stage, a match that does not reach the target score, the winning team at the end of the TS period will be the winner, if tied, it will be a draw. During the knockout stage (excluding finals) the team with the most goals after the 10 minutes is up, will be the winning team. If tied, we will move to a penalty shootout. During the finals, there will be no time-limit on the Target Scoring period. First to hit the target score, wins.

During the Target Score Period, if a winner is not determined in the first five (5) minutes, two players must be removed from the field and teams will play 5v5. Cannot remove the goalkeeper. Field Marshall will be responsible for communicating with teams when they need to remove two players.

During the finals for the Target Score Period, if a winner is not determined in the first five (5) minutes, one (1) player from each team will come off the field resulting in a 6v6 game. Then, every incremental 5 minutes after that, another player will come off to result in 4v4, 3v3, 2v2, 1v1 until the Target Score is met to end the game and declare a winner.

Player Wristbands

Captains must submit rosters by 5 PM on Thursday, October 19th. No exceptions.

Players must check in before their match to receive a wristband for the event. To receive a player wristband, they must be rostered, with complete information, and proof of ID must be provided upon check in. All government IDs will be accepted. Digital copy will also be accepted, as long as the quality of the image is clear. No one will be permitted to play without a wristband. If caught playing without a band, the player will receive an immediate red card, their team will have to play down a player and the player will be removed from the event altogether.

PLEASE arrive early to check-in. Matches will not be delayed for check-ins. (Unless Gotham Soccer deems it to be their fault for any hold-up.)

Roster Requirements

Captains must submit rosters by 5 PM on Thursday, October 19th. No exceptions.

All players above the age of 18 are eligible to play.
If not rostered by the deadline above, they cannot play.
Players can play on one Men’s team and one Co-ed team. A player is permitted to play in both tournaments if they wish.
- Under no circumstances can a player play on more than one team in the same competition.
If teams are wearing uniforms with numbers, please submit these as well, as it will help us associate the numbers that will be listed on the wristbands.
Proof of government issued ID will be required upon check in.

Captains are permitted to submit rosters however they chose. Via email, send a link to a google sheet, etc. Just need the appropriate information. The information required is:

First Name
Last Name
Email or Cell phone (or both)
Date of Birth
Jersey number (if applicable)
Gender (for co-ed only - must have at least 2 females rostered to participate)

Suspensions / Discipline

Yellow Card - We will not be tracking yellow card accumulation

Red Card (Double Yellow) - 3 match suspension, player wristband will be removed by Field Marshall. Players will have to check-in again at the tournament HQ after their team has played and receive a new player wristband after the teams 3rd subsequent match has been played. Failure to comply with wristband removal will result in removal from the event for the rest of the event's entirety.

Red Card (Straight Red) - will result in removal of the event for the rest of the event's entirety. Player wristband removed. Leave premise.

Field Map

Team benches must be on the sidelines. Teams can NOT set up on the goal lines. The bench area (bags, equipment, water bottles, etc) must also be at least 3 yards away from the touchline.

Entering into the red box in the middle (displayed in the image below) where the Field Marshal area is designated, without permission, will result in immediate red card and removal from the event. Crossing into the opponent's team bench area without permission will also result in red card and removal. Stick to your designated area only.

We do not have Home or Away, so team benches will simply be designated on a first come, first serve basis.

Substitutions

Sub on the fly. BUT, before a substituting player can enter the field, the player they are coming off for must exit the field with all of their body across the touchline first. Similar to league play, but much more strict.

Field Marshall’s will be watching this closely. Sub with caution, we will be strict. First infraction will be a warning, second infraction will result in a yellow card for the player entering the field.

Weather Policy

We play rain or shine. In the event of known weather issues, Gotham Soccer 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 and field staff on the field upon arrival or thereafter. Non-attendance without word of cancellation is a forfeit. All games should be considered on unless a league official says otherwise.

In the event a game unexpectedly ends early (weather, problems with the field, problem with the lights, etc), the result will be official if at least the 20 minute period has been completed. If not, the tournament administrators will schedule a time to finish the remaining minutes of the game. It is up to Gotham to decide when a game is or is not official; only dangerous or unreasonable conditions prevent a game from going forward as scheduled. If a match is tied after the 20 minute period for a knockout round, a penalty shootout will be scheduled after it is safe to resume.

Game length may be adjusted to maintain the schedule or to compensate for bad weather. Games may be played earlier or later to accommodate needed schedule changes.

Backup date for extreme weather events is Saturday, November 4th.

Forfeits

If a team can't / doesn't show up for a game or shows up with at least the minimum number of players required for their division, the game will be ruled a forfeit (result varies by division).

Determining the winner of groups

For group stage play, the standings will be determined by the following criteria:

Points
Goal differential
Goals scored
Head-to-head

Team Uniforms

All teams must be 100% uniform unless an exception is approved by Gotham Soccer in advance of the event. Referees will be very strict.

Goalkeepers must have a unique color to distinguish themselves from their team and opponents.

Ground challenges

Sliding tackles are not permitted in any 7v7 event. Outfield players are permitted to slide to “slide” or go to ground so as there is no opponent within playing distance of the ball. A slide tackle infraction results in a Direct Free Kick (or penalty kick if committed inside the penalty area).A ground challenge is considered any slide or any action where a player commits their momentum towards the ground and at least one leg has the majority of knee and below touch the ground. Many “lunges” can be considered a ground challenge. We recommend extreme caution when making any challenge where a player is committing their body towards the ground. Assume it’s a ground challenge unless 100% certainty the player can control themself from staying upright.

Important Notes on Referees and Field Marshals

The intent is to have Field Marshals and Referees on a mic system at all times and in constant communication. The Field Marshall will be acting as a 4th official as you would see in a traditional 11v11 4 man system for high level matches. They will not be making any official decisions but will be extra eyes and ears for the referee and will be responsible for monitoring substitutions. Every field will have one of each working each game.

Finals will feature a hybrid 3 man system.

Referee abuse is something we take very seriously. We will be very strict. Any talking back to the referee will NOT be tolerated

Location

Voice of America Park - Synthetic Fields @ UC Health Fieldhouse

Tournament Rules