laws of the game for valley athletic assn (vaa) community soccer refs

The Laws of the Game

Modified for VAA Community Soccer

Laws of the Game

• 3rd-4th, 5th-7th, and HS Co-Ed divisions have refs

• FIFA Laws of the Games

• MYSA modifications

for youth soccer

• Read the rules!

Law 1 – The Field of Play

• Full-size fields for HS and 5th-7th (11 v 11)

• Smaller fields for small-sided games

• Hockey rinks for K

• No corner flags


Refs need to know:

• Make sure goals are anchored

• Make sure there is nothing dangerous on the field

• Walk the field when you first arrive

Law 2 – The Ball

• Size 3 for K, 1st-2nd

• Size 4 for 3rd-4th ,5th-7th

• Size 5 for HS

• Use VAA ball for playoffs

• Ball properly inflated

Law 3 – Number of Players

• 11v11 for HS, 5th-7th

• 9v9 for 3rd-4th

• 7v7 for K, 1st-2nd

• May be smaller per enrollment/roster size


Substitutions• Only with Ref’s permission• Own throw-in; Opponents throw-in if they are

subbing• Goal kick – either team• Injury – either team• After goal scored• Half• K, 1st-2nd – subbing only at quarters


Substitutions – New 2010 Procedure• Ceremonial restart (restart with whistle) if

the restart needs to be held up for the substitution to complete.


Refs and Coaches need to know:

• All subbing is at Ref’s discretion

• Coach must ask for sub

• No subs on corners or free kicks

• There are no “time outs”!

• If one team is short players, the other team may elect to play short or play at full strength

Law 4 – Players Equipment

• Shin guards are only mandatory gear

• Cleats– No metal– No spikes– No toe-cleats

• Soft gloves, hats allowed

• Jerseys must be visible (worn over any cold weather gear)

Law 5 - Referees

1. Safety first

2. Preserve flow of game

3. Enforce the Laws of the Game

• In charge from when you arrive at the field until you leave

Law 5 - Referees

Pre-game

• Check in both teams– Check shin guards– Check cleats– Any additional instructions

• Coin toss– Winner chooses side to defend– Other team kicks off

Law 5 - Referees

Law 5 - Referees

• Whistle to stop play

• Point (signal) to place of restart

• No whistle to start play except “ceremonial restarts” (kick-off or free kick when a delay is needed)

Law 5 - Referees

Law 5 - Referees

Advantage:• Offending team cannot benefit from

committing an offence.• Ref may delay call to see if fouled team will

benefit from a non-call• If advantage does not develop, then make

the call

Law 5 - Referees

Injuries:• Stop play for a serious injury.• Stop play for a head injury.• Continue play until out of play for minor

injury away from play.

• Use your judgment… Safety First!!!!!

Law 5 - Referees

Mistakes:• Refs make mistakes!• Ref may correct mistake before ball is put

back in play• Once the ball is in play… the call stands.

Law 5 - Referees

Refs need to know:• Loud whistles!• Use your outside voice!• Whistle, hand-signal and announce all calls• You may briefly explain any call or situation to

a player or coach• Be polite to coaches and players• Ask a coach if you need help with a fan or

(opposing) coach

Law 5 - Referees

Coaches need to know:• Don’t loudly challenge refs• Be polite to refs• If ref asks for help with fan or opposing coach,

please help them• It’s only a game!

• If you have an issue with a ref, contact your age group director.

Law 6 – Assistant Referees

In 3 ref system call:

• Ball in and out of play

• Offside

• Nearby fouls

Law 7 – Duration of Game

• Two equal halves

• HS – 35 min halves

• 5th-7th – 30 min

• 3rd-4th – 25 min

• 1st-2nd – 12 min quarters

• K – 10 min quarters

Law 7 – Duration of Game

Refs need to know:

• Shorten time for excessive heat (and/or give mid-half water breaks)

• Games must have 2 equal halves, except in extreme weather situations

• Respond if asked for amount of time remaining

Law 8 – Start of Play

• Ball on center mark

• One team on each side of half-way line

• Non-kicking team outside of center circle

• Play starts with whistle

• Ball must move forward

Law 9 – Ball In and Out of Play

• Only D is out of play

Law 10 – Method of Scoring

Law 11 - Offside

Offside position – attacking player without ball closer to goal than both the ball and 2 defensive players

Not in an offside position if – – In own half– Even with 2nd to last defender

Law 11 - Offside

Offside violation – at the moment a teammate plays the ball, player in offside position becomes actively involved in play by:– Receiving the ball;– Interfering with play or an opponent, or;– Gaining an advantage from being in the

offside position

Law 11 - Offside

Indirect free kick to other team from spot violation occurred

No violation if ball received from:– Throw-in– Corner kick– Goal kick

Law 11 - OffsideRefs and Coaches need to know:• Offside can only be judged from a position even

with the 2nd to last defender• Offside position player must be materially

involved in the play• Correct term is “offside”. There is no “offsides”

nor “onside”.• A defender deliberately leaving the field to create

an offside situation is considered to be on their goal line.

Law 11 - Offside

#10 is in offside position when#11 sends pass and is materiallyInvolved in the play by receiving,Or being the only offensive playerWho can receive, the ball.

Law 11 - Offside

Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct

7 Direct free kick fouls:

• kicks or attempts to kick,

• trips or attempts to trip,

• jumps at,

• charges at,

• strikes or attempts to strike,

• Pushes, or;

• Tackles …an opponent


But only if:

• Careless (foul)

• Reckless (caution - Yellow)

• with Excessive Force (send off - Red)


3 more direct free kick fouls:

• holds an opponent

• spits at an opponent

• handles the ball intentionally (except keeper in own penalty area)

Taken where offence occurred.

Penalty kick - if any of the 10 fouls occur in the penalty area.


4 Indirect free kick fouls - if keeper, in penalty area, commits any of four offences:

• holds ball (hands) more than six seconds

• handles ball again after releasing it, before it touched another player

• handles ball intentionally kicked to him by team-mate

• handles ball directly from teammate’s throw-in


4 more Indirect free kick fouls for all players:

• dangerous play

• Impedes opponent’s progress

• Prevents keeper from releasing ball from his hands

• commits any other offence, not previously mentioned in Law 12, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player


• Yellow card for a caution

• Red card for a send-off


7 & 7 – 7 cautions• unsporting behavior• dissent• persistent infringement of Laws• delaying the restart of play• failure to respect the required distance on restart

(corner kick, free kick or throw-in)• entering field without referee’s permission• deliberately leaving field without ref’s permission


7 & 7 – 7 send-offs• serious foul play• violent conduct• spitting at opponent or any other person• denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by

deliberately handling ball• denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a free

kick or a penalty kick offence• using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or

gestures• receiving a second caution in same match


Refs need to know:• 10 direct-kick, 8 indirect-kick fouls

• Use caution/send-off (yellow/red) sparingly, but as needed

Refs and Coaches need to know:• Foul calls at the discretion of ref (and caution/send-

off)

• Foul call delayed (or not made) if fouled team maintains an advantage (Advantage Rule)

Law 13 – Free Kicks

• The kicker may score goal from a direct free kick (Major infraction).

• Goal may not be scored from an indirect free kick (All other infractions).

– Unless the ball is played or touched by another player of either team.

Law 14 – Penalty Kick

Direct Free Kick resulting from a player inside own penalty area intentionally committing any of the ten major (direct free kick) offenses



• Any on-field player may kick or be keeper

• All players except kicker outside of penalty area and penalty arc

• Keeper on goal line until ball is kicked (may jump or move side-to-side)

• Ball is live after kick



• Offense infraction– If score – retake kick– If miss – IFK

• Defense infraction– If score – goal– If miss – retake kick

Law 15 – Throw-In

• Restart after ball has passed entirely over the touchline

• All or part of both feet off field

• Ball brought back behind head, then released in front of body

• Both feet on ground when released

• Violations:– Foot lifted – throw-in to other team– Thrower plays ball again – IFK to other team

Law 15 – Throw-In


• In 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th grade divisions may allow a retake during first 3 games only

Coaches need to know:

• The thrower is always open after the throw

Law 16 – Goal Kick

• Restart after ball passed entirely over goal line, last touched by the attacking team

• Ball placed inside goal area

• Defending team outside of goal area

• Ball must be kicked out of penalty area

• Violation:– Played before leaving penalty area - rekick

Law 16 – Goal Kick

Refs and Coaches need to know:• Any number of offensive players may be in

the penalty area• Younger players may have trouble kicking out

of the PA

Coaches need to know:• Unless your keeper has a strong leg, keep

extra players back• Keepers should learn to take goal kicks

Law 17 – Corner Kick

• Restart play after ball has passed entirely over the goal line and was last touched by the defending team.

• Ball placed inside the corner arc, or within 1 yd of the corner

Law 17 – Corner Kick

Refs need to know:

• Watch for pushing in the PA before the kick

• No offside violation on ball received directly from CK

Coaches need to know:

• Practice corner kicks!

Laws 13-17 – Restarts


• Cannot score an own goal directly from any restart

• If ball goes in own goal, restart as if the goal was not there

Law 18 – Common Sense!

Soccer is a GAME!

Rules for Overtime

• Regular season games do not have overtime

• Playoffs: Teams tied after regulation – two 5-min periods of overtime.

• For darkness or weather, referee may before the overtime starts:– Reduce overtime to one 5-min period, or:– go directly to a Shoot-Out.

Rules for Overtime

• 2 5-min periods

• Both are played – not “sudden death”

• Start with coin toss

• Switch sides between periods

• Subbing only between periods except for subbing an injured player

• If tied after 10 min, go to shoot-out

Rules for Shoot-Out

• Ref chooses goal to shoot on.• Teams must have the same number of

players on the field (if one team has more players on the field, they must remove players to equalize).

• Coin toss – winner takes the first kick.• Each team provides 5 kickers.• Teams alternate kicking.• Keepers may kick.

Rules for Shoot-Out

• Only players on field at end of overtime may kick.

• Any player on the field may play keeper.• The keeper can be changed at any time.• If one team mathematically wins (other team

can’t score enough goals) then the game ends.

• If tied after 5 kicks per team, continue in the same order until one team wins.

Rules for Shoot-Out

• Once all players on the field have kicked, players off the field may kick.

• Whichever team scores the most, wins.• All field players except the kicker and 2

keepers must stay in the center circle during the shoot-out.

• If the game must be called for darkness or weather during the shoot-out, the result will be decided by coin toss.

Rules for Taking the Shot

• One shooting player at the penalty mark

• One keeper on the goal line

• Shooter places the ball at the penalty mark

• Ref assures both players are in place

• Keeper may not leave the goal line until the shooter makes contact with the ball

• Shooter may not shoot until the ref blows the whistle


• Center ref stands at side of penalty area even with penalty mark

• lead AR at the goal line (where goal area intersects goal line)

• 2nd AR in the center circle with remaining shooters


• Infraction by shooter:– If shot is in goal – retake shot– If shot misses – next team shoots

• Infraction by keeper:– If shot is in goal – goal counts– If shot misses – retake shot

Rules for Shoot-Out


• Many playoff games go to shoot-out… be prepared!

• See http://www.bjb.org/soccer/coachinfo/overtime.html for more info.

See http://www.bjb.org/soccer/coachinfo/ for general info.

http://www.bjb.org/soccer/coachinfo/overtime.html

http://www.bjb.org/soccer/coachinfo/overtime.html

http://www.bjb.org/soccer/coachinfo/