2015  Region 11 CYO Soccer Rules (8/26/15)

Region 11 CYO Soccer provides competition in the following six divisions:
1. Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls: 7th and 8th grade students who have not reached their 15th birthday by September 1st. (Co-ed teams must play in the Boys Division.)
2. Junior Varsity Boys and Junior Varsity Girls: 5th and 6th grade students who have not reached their 13th birthday by September 1st. (Co-ed teams must play in the Boys Division.)

3.  Novice Boys and Novice Girls:  3^rd and 4^th grade students who have not reached their 11th birthday by September 1st. (Co-ed teams must play in the Boys Division.)

ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA RULES
Player Eligibility -- All rules regarding eligibility are governed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia CYO Athletic Handbook. Any exceptions to the Archdiocese Eligibility rules must receive permission from the Archdiocesan CYO Athletic Director. Generally speaking, any member of a Region 11 parish is eligible to play CYO soccer, regardless of whether the athlete plays soccer for a public or private school team.

Coaching Eligibility—All head and assistant coaches must be listed on the Team Coaches Affidavit and follow all eligibility requirements.
Playing Rules -- Game rules are governed by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) except as noted in below “Region 11 CYO Playing Rules”

REGION 11 CYO PLAYING RULES
1. Junior Varsity (5/6th Grades) & Novice (3/4^th Grades) – play 8v8 -  use a #4 ball.- field should be 70-80 yds long/45-55 yds wide
2. Varsity (7/8th Grades) play 11 v 11 - use a #5 ball.
3. JV & Varsity will play 30-minute halves – Novice will play 25- minute halves - running clock -- with a five (5) minute half-time. The clock does not stop when a goal is scored or a player is carded.
4. No player will be allowed to play:

            a)  if they are wearing jewelry of any kind, including newly pierced ears even if covered

            b) with a cast of any kind (permanent or soft) or a hard splint.

5.  Exceptions For Novice:  all free kicks are indirect, 2 chances on throw ins, substitution on either teams throw-in
6. If a game is suspended due to lightning, the score will stand at the point of suspension if the first half has been completed. If the first half has not been completed, then the game will be re-played in its entirety.
7. In case of lateness, officials are to wait 15 minutes after the scheduled starting time before declaring a forfeit.
8. If the official is late or absent for a game, the game may be played if both coaches agree to it. No protests on officiating during such a game will be considered.

Rosters -- Completed team CYO rosters and coaching affidavits are due at the Region 11 Soccer Scheduling Mtg (9/2/2015). Additional players may be added to a team's roster by submitting an amended roster to the League Commissioner no later than the Region 11 soccer "drop-dead" date of Wed 9/16/15. Only Varsity teams submitting rosters in full compliance with Archdiocese eligibility rules may advance to the Archdiocesan CYO Soccer Tournament.

Referee Fees -- Referees are to be paid at the rate of $46/game per game for Varsity and $42/game for Junior Varsity games. Each team will pay 1/2 of the fee to the referee prior to the game.

IN CASE OF FORFEIT or IF PROPER ADVANCE NOTIFICATION of a cancelled game is not provided – the responsible team pays the FULL REF FEE

For Novice, home team is responsible for referee (should be in HS or older)

Schedules -- Scheduling for the 2015 season will be done at a coaches meeting on 9/2/15 under the supervision of the League Commissioner. The Regular season will begin on or about Fri 9/11/15. Since Parish Function conflicts should have been taken into account at the scheduling meeting, schedule is finalized at the 9/16/2015 Region 11 Ads mtg and  the only acceptable reasons for postponing a game once the season schedule is finalized is Inclement Weather ==> The Field must be UNPLAYABLE.   Permission of the League Commissioner is required for all postponements except Inclement Weather. Postponement without permission results in the following actions:    1) Forfeit of the game by both teams and 2) The home team coach assumes responsibility for payment of the official.  All postponed games are to be rescheduled within 48 hours and cleared through the League Commissioner or his designee. All games must be played on the first available playing date.   Games not made up will be treated as FORFEITS for both teams.

Inclement Weather -- Postponements are to be avoided if at all possible.  But In case of inclement weather & closure of fields, the HOME team coach is responsible for notifying the opposing team and the League Commissioner.. If the field is unplayable or closed, but weather conditions are acceptable, then an alternate field should be used if available. The home team coach is to contact the visiting team to decide whether or not to play the game. If the decision is made to cancel, then the home team coach should contact the League Commissioner or designee.  The home team coach is to inspect their field at least two hours before game time for playing conditions. A minimum of two hoursadvance notice is required or the home team may be responsible to pay the official as if the game were played. Once a decision has been made to play a game, any disputes arising over playing conditions - the referee's decision is final. The home team is responsible for paying the referee one-half the game fee, if the game is then postponed.

Team Responsibilities --
1. The home team is responsible for striping the field, providing corner flags and nets which are properly secured, and  for providing the game ball, but the final decision on selection of the game ball is up to the official.
2. Each team must provide one linesman if the referee so desires. Linesmen are to meet with the referee before the game.
3. The home team is responsible for ensuring that at least one First Aid kit is readily accessible at the field -- even if it belongs to the visiting team. A game will be immediately FORFEITED by BOTH Teams if the referee cannot verify that one or more kits exist and have, as a minimum, Surgical-Type Gloves, Band-Aids, and Cold Packs or Freeze Spray. Ice is acceptable providing that a plastic bag or cloth towel is available for its application to an injury.

Scores & Standings -- All Varsity and Junior Varsity scores should be reported ASAP by BOTH teams (win, lose or tie) to Ken Woodring via e-mail – kjwoodring@yahoo.com -- so standings can be kept current. Scores, these rules,  and all pertinent information for any of the games can be obtained at the Region 11 soccer web site: www.leaguelineup.com/region11soccer

Playoffs -- Standings and seedings for Playoffs are determined by a team's final regular season record. Three (3) points are awarded for each win, one (1) point for each tie, zero (0) points for a loss, and for a forfeit:
(1^st Forfeit):  MINUS one (1) point ;  (2^nd Forfeit):  MINUS two (2) points: (3^rd Forfeit): MINUS three (3) points
The number of teams qualifying for the Playoffs in each Division will depend of the number of teams participating and will be announced/finalized prior to the season.
In the case of a tie by two or more teams who have all qualified for the playoffs, the following tie breakers will be used:
o The team with the best record in the games between the teams involved in the tie will receive the highest seeding.
o If the teams are still tied, then a coin toss will determine the playoff seeding.
If two or more teams are tied for the last playoff spot, then a special playoff game (or games) shall be played. No team shall be eliminated from a playoff spot without benefit of a special playoff game. Special playoff games will be played between the end of the regular season and the start of playoffs. In the event of such a special playoff, a coin toss will determine the home team and field. If field availability is a problem, then the League Commissioner shall determine the site of the special playoff game.

Teams involved in playoffs shall pay for referees for all playoff games, including the Championship game. Playoffs require two referees per game. Each team will pay one referee prior to the game.

Playoff Game Tiebreakers -- If a playoff game is tied at the end of regulation, the following procedure will be used:
o Two ten-minute overtimes will be played with the teams exchanging ends between periods. (NO GOLDEN GOAL -- Play the complete 20 minutes.) Possession of the ball will be decided by a coin flip in the conclusion of regulation play. The HOME team will call the flip.
o If the game is still tied at the conclusion of the overtime periods, then penalty kicks will be used to break the tie. Each team will take five penalty kicks on an alternating basis with a coin flip to decide the order. Any five different players (including the goalie) may take a shot. If succeeding rounds of penalty kicks are needed, then all players are again eligible but for only one kick. The goalie may be changed after each separate kick in any round. Goalie must be ready when it is his/her turn in the goal.

2015 Playoff Format -- Region Championship Bracket – TOP 4 teams in each league qualify for playoffs

a. Semi-Final: Seed 1 vs Seed 4; Seed 2 vs Seed 3.

For divisions with 5 teams – the #4 Seed will be determined by the Regular season 4^th Pl team hosting the 5^th Pl team in a Play-in game

Championship Game: Winner (1-4) vs Winner (2-3)
Consolation Games may be scheduled at the discretion of the Commissioner & agreement of interested teams. 

The Region 11 Championship Games in all four Divisions are tentatively being planned for a single site (Munro Park/Veterans Field).

Scheduling for Playoff Games are at the Commissioner’s discretion.

Archdiocesan Playoff Format -- Varsity teams participating in the Region Championship Playoffs are eligible to play in the Archdiocesan Tournament. A) Should the Archdiocese permit 2 teams to participate in the Archdiocesan Soccer Tournament the 2 teams that play in the "Championship" game of the Region Playoffs for each Varsity Division are the 2 teams that will represent Region 11 for that Division in the Archdiocesan Tournament. The winner of the Championship game will have its choice of being identified as Team #1 or Team #2 on the Archdiocesan Tournament Bracket. B) Should the Archdiocese permit only 1 team to participate in the Archdiocesan Soccer Tournament the teams that wins the "Championship" game of the Region Playoffs will represent Region 11 for that Division in the Archdiocesan Tournament

Discipline --
1. All red or yellow cards must be reported to the League Commissioner via email within twenty-four (24) hours or before the next scheduled game (whichever comes sooner) by the coach of the team that has been carded.
2. Three (3) yellow cards received for unsportsmanlike conduct during the season will result in a minimum one (l) game suspension.
3. If a player or coach is red carded for unsportsmanlike conduct, then the League Commissioner must be notified within twenty-four (24) hours or before the next scheduled game (whichever comes sooner) by the coach of the offending team. There will be a minimum two (2) game suspension, plus the game in which the offense occurred.
4. Slide tackles from behind are an automatic ejection from the game and suspension from playing the next three (3) games.

CLARIFICATION – Region 11 plays under PIAA rules – for Yellow Cards:  “A cautioned player shall leave the field and may be replaced. Should the team with the cautioned player, elect to play shorthanded, the cautioned player may not re-enter, nor be replaced until the next legal substitution opportunity after a mandatory five (5) minute playing time sit-out.”

Approved by the Region 11 Athletic Directors: 8/26/15

2015 League Members (as of 8/27/14)