Laws of the Game
For our leagues, the TSC utilizes the US Indoor Soccer Rules as published by the United States Indoor Soccer Association. A copy is available at the front desk or online at https://www.indoorgoals.com. Below is a list of TSC’s House Rules, Modifications to the official laws, and laws that may commonly come into question.
The Tacoma Soccer Center does not tolerate unsporting behavior. Punishments for fighting and abusive language for any reason will be swift and unwavering.
Facility Rules:
~ NO CLEATS
~ No gum, food, or drinks besides water on playing surface or in player boxes.
~ Alcohol must remain in the bar area. No outside alcohol may be brought inside.
~ Spectators must be in spectator sections only, upstairs or behind the glass on the small field.
Game Clock:
~ The game shall be two 22.5 minute halves with a 1 minute half time.
~ The game clock will begin at the scheduled start time regardless of the readiness of the teams to play.
~ The game clock will continue running except in the case of an unusual delay, determined by the referee. An unsporting delay of game will result in the clock being stopped temporarily.
Teams and Players:
~ Every player on every team must have a TSC membership as well as an uploaded picture on their account before playing in a game.
~ League fees are due before the first game.
~ Guest players are not permitted unless they pay the sub fee. A guest player is defined as a player not rostered to the team. Any sub playing in more than one game must have an active membership. It is the team manager’s responsibility to ensure all their players are rostered to their team. Any team playing with a guest player who did not pay the sub fee will forfeit that game. This rule may be subject to alteration by the Tacoma Soccer Center manager for leagues that are unable to gather enough players for their teams. Please see the TSC manager for any questions.
~ Players may be added to a roster until the 2nd game of the session then rosters are frozen. Certain exceptions will be considered (replacing an injured player, etc) and must be approved by the TSC manager.
Equipment:
~ Flat-soled or rubber turf studded shoes are required. No cleats or bare feet allowed!
~ Home teams must change jerseys in the event of a conflict.
~Size 4 ball for U12 and under. Size 5 ball for above U12.
~ Each player is required to have shin guards covered by socks. Referees may disallow inappropriate or modified shinguards.
~ Goalkeepers or other players wearing any kind of protective gear (i.e. kneepads) must wear the soft cushion type. Hard plastic protective equipment is not allowed.
~ Knee braces are allowed on the condition that any potentially harmful edges or protrusions are adequately padded. Referees have the right to disallow any potentially dangerous knee braces.
~ Players with casts must have them wrapped in a foam wrap to the satisfaction of the referee. Players are required to present them to the referee for inspection before the start of the game. By allowing a player to play with a preexisting injury, TSC in no way accepts responsibility for any aggravation of the injury that may occur while playing.
~ Should a player return to the field after a warning, without fulfilling the referee’s equipment request, a blue card will be issued.
In-Game Rules:
~ Should any team fall behind by 5 or more goals they are permitted an extra player, male or female.
~ Punting the ball by the goalkeeper is not permitted.
~ Slide tackling by any player including goalkeepers is not permitted.
~ Forfeits will be declared for games involving non-rostered players, ineligible age players, suspended players, or players without current memberships. The score of a forfeit game will be 2 – 0.
~ For above U12, no fewer than 4 or more than 7, including the goalkeeper, are allowed on the field at one time. For under U12, no fewer than 5 or more than 6, including the goalkeeper, are allowed on the field at one time.
~ A forfeit is declared when a team is unable to put the minimum number of players on the field within 5 minutes of the game’s start time. The game clock will continue to run during this time and will not be reinstated.
~ In COED leagues, at least 2 of the 6 players on the field must be female at all times.
Time Penalties:
~ The time for a time penalty will begin once the player has exited the field and play has resumed. Players serving time penalties, serve them seated in the referee box.
~ Blue Card: 2 minute penalty (nearly always soft time)
Assessed for incidents of boarding, elbowing, spitting on the playing surface, striking, slide tackling an opponent, and for other offenses deemed severe, reckless, blatantly tactical, or blatant in nature.
Misconduct (i.e. too many players in the field, dissent, abusive or unsportsmanlike language, intentional game delay, violating penalty kick procedure after a warning, encroachment after a warning, unsporting behavior by any non-player, continued failure to meet equipment requirements, etc.)
Provoking Altercation: Making physical contact with an opponent (i.e. pushing, poking, etc), short of fighting, or using the ball in doing so.
Trickery: to deliver a ball from a player’s foot to a body part usually acceptable for passing back to a goalkeeper. It is irrelevant whether the goalkeeper subsequently touches the ball with his hands or not. The offense is committed by the act of trying to circumvent both the letter and spirit of the rule. IE no self-headers.
Endangering the goalkeeper.
Two blue cards assessed to opposing teams in the same instant are hard-time penalties.
~ Yellow Card ‘Administrative’: Used as a warning after a 2nd blue card.
Given after a second blue card to remind a player that they will be ejected with their third blue card. The player receives a 2 minute penalty for the blue card.
~ Yellow Card: ‘Straight’: 4 minute penalty (hard time)
Assessed for incidents that border ejectionable offenses yet the referee, based on their own judgment, find the offense unworthy of an ejection.
Intentionally denying a goal through sliding, or a handball offense.
A straight yellow card offense equates to two blue card offenses and thus an ejection will occur for the next blue card offense should this offense be the player’s first carded offense. Should a player receive a straight yellow after having received a previous blue card, an administrative red card will be given.
~ Red Card ‘Administrative’: Used to show an ejection after a card that equates to a 3rd blue card.
Given after a player has received what equates to 3 blue cards. A 2 minute ‘team penalty’ is given for the blue card or a 4 minute ‘team penalty’ is given for a yellow card.
~ Red Card ‘Straight’: 5 minute ‘team penalty’, player is ejected (hard time)
Assessed for incidents of serious violent conduct, extreme foul play, head butting, vicious slide tackling.
Joining altercations (i.e. third man into an altercation, first man off the Bench to join an altercation, leaving the penalty box to join an altercation.)
Extreme Unsporting behavior (i.e. spitting at another person, continuing to spit on the playing surface after already being penalized, bodily contact with an official in dissent, persistent abusive language or action)
A team may not replace this player should a goal be scored against them; the full 5 minute penalty must be served.
~ Two red cards given at the same time to opposing teams cancel out the time penalties and no time is served by either team for the penalties.
Ejections and Suspensions:
~ A person receiving a red card will be ejected from the game and will receive at least a one week suspension from all league play. The Tacoma Soccer Center Staff will assess further suspensions based on the degree of the violation.
TSC has no toleration for fighting. The facility manager will determine suspensions based upon the intent and the facts of each incident. BE FOREWARNED, severe suspensions will be imposed for fighting.
Restarts:
~ All free kicks and penalty kicks are direct.
~ Goalkeeper distribution restarts must be played from the hands from inside the penalty arc. No kicking to restart. No punts or Drop Kicks for Adult Leagues and no punts for Youth Leagues.
~ Inadvertent Restart: If play is inadvertently restarted with too many players on the field after: a goal, a time penalty is given, an injury timeout, or other unusual stoppage, no penalty shall be assessed and the game shall be restarted again.
Free Kicks:
Opposing players shall yield 10 feet from the ball. Dissent or failure upon request from the official will result in a blue card.
Players will have 5 seconds to play the ball. After 5 seconds, possession is turned over to the opposing team.
Free Kicks earned in their opponent’s penalty arc will be taken from the free kick spot at the top of the arc. Free kicks are not penalty kicks and the defending team is permitted to build a wall, etc.
Cause not mentioned: In any situation where a team has clear possession of the ball when the play is stopped for any cause not in mentioned in the rules, the team with possession shall be awarded a free kick.
Penalty Kicks:
Penalty kicks will be given when any penalty occurs (with few exceptions) by the defending team within their own penalty arc. Exceptions include pass backs, 5 second infraction and trickery.
Penalty kicks are taken from the free kick spot at the top of the arc.
All players aside from the goalkeeper and player taking the kick are to be behind the nearest white ‘shootout’ line until the ball is struck.
Play shall be extended at the end of any half to allow a penalty kick.
Drop Balls:
When neither team has clear possession of the ball at a stoppage, the referee will restart play with a Drop Ball.
A Drop Ball originating inside a penalty arc will take place at the free kick spot.
Overtime and Tiebreakers: (only in the event of tournaments)
~ If the score is tied at the end of regulation in a game that requires a winner, the following procedure will be conducted:
Overtime: 5 minutes, golden goal. Home team receives kickoff.
Penalty Kick Shootout: 3 shots each. Continues until there is a winner.
Method of Scoring:
~ A goal is scored when the whole of the ball has crossed over the goal line.
Three-line Pass:
~ If any player plays the ball over the three lines in the air towards his opponent’s goal line, without it touching another player, the perimeter wall, or an official between the white ‘shootout’ lines, the referee shall award a free kick to the opposing team on the first white ‘shootout’ line that the ball crossed.
Superstructure Interference:
~ Should the ball come into contact with any part of the building superstructure above the field of play, a free kick will be awarded to the opposing team on the white ‘shootout’ line on the side of the field where the ball was last played.
~ On the small field, the half line will be used for all superstructure interferences.
Five Second Penalty:
~ Players have 5 seconds to play the ball after a restart. A free kick will be awarded to the opposing team after 5 seconds.
~ Once a goalkeeper has possession of the ball in their hands, they have 5 seconds to distribute the ball. This may be to the goalkeepers own feet. Violation of this rule will result in a free kick (not a penalty kick) from the free kick spot on the top of the arc.
Pass Backs:
~ A goalkeeper is not permitted to play the ball with their hands in the event that the ball has been deliberately kicked to or intentionally controlled by a teammate using their foot.
~ Trickery to deliver a ball from a player’s foot to a body part usually acceptable for passing back to a goalkeeper is a blue card violation. It is irrelevant whether the goalkeeper subsequently touches the ball with his hands or not. The offense is committed by the act of trying to circumvent both the letter and spirit of the rule.
~ A goalkeeper may not receive the ball outside the penalty arc then bring it into the penalty arc to handle it.
~ A free kick (not a penalty kick) will be awarded to the opposition from the free kick spot on the top of the arc for a pass back violation.