Neptune Tournament Rules
All tournament matches will be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as
issued by FIFA except as modified in these "Tournament Rules".
No Protests Will Be Allowed.
The Tournament Committee, the captains and coaches of the host
teams, or any sponsors of tournament activities shall not be responsible for
expenses incurred by any team or club if the tournament is canceled in whole, or
in part. No application fee refunds after acceptance.
Player Registration
Each team shall be allowed a maximum of 20 players, and a PLAYER MAY
ONLY BE REGISTERED ON ONE TEAM, REGARDLESS OF BRACKET. All teams must
meet eligibility requirements as stated in the affiliation/eligibility section
of the Neptune Soccer Classic website (www.neptunesoccer.com). All tournament
players must have current USASA Player Passes. Passes will be checked against
MDCVSA verified rosters or out-of-state release forms at registration, and again
prior to each match. Passes will also be inspected to ensure they are current.
Season Dates marked on the passes should be from September 1, 2005 to August 31,
2006. Players must turn 18 years of age by the first day of the tournament to
play in the open bracket. Players must turn 30, 40, or 50 within the calendar
year to play in the respective age brackets.
Player Equipment
Shoes must meet FIFA specifications. Players are required to wear shin guards in
accordance with Laws of the Game. In the event of a uniform color conflict, the
home team shall change.
Inclement Weather
The Tournament Committee reserves the right to make the following changes in the
event of inclement weather:
In the event of inclement weather forcing play to be
halted and preventing the match from completing during the scheduled time, the
score shall stand if at least one-half of the match has been completed.
Clearing fields: If dangerous weather is reported in the vicinity, one long air
horn blast will be sounded. Clear fields immediately and wait in cars or other
lightning shelter until three horn blasts are sounded.
Touch Lines
Coaches and players from both teams will share the same side of the field as
designated by the field official, and spectators will take up a position on the
opposite side of the field during the time that the match is in progress.
Coaches are responsible for their players and guests on the Touch Lines. All
personnel must remain between the top of the Penalty Area Lines - no coaching is
allowed from the Goal Line to the top of the Penalty Area. No player or club
official may enter the field of play regardless of the circumstances unless that
person has been given permission to enter the field of play by the Referee.
Start of Play
A team that cannot field seven (7) players at the scheduled start time shall
forfeit the match. A match should not continue if either team goes below seven
players after the match has started. The team forfeiting the match shall be
declared the loser by a score of three (3) goals to none (0). A team that
forfeits a match will not be eligible for advancement.
It is the duty of the coaches to insure that players report to the field 15
minutes prior to the start time of each match for verification of player passes
by the Referee or an Assistant Referee.
If there is no Referee present within ten minutes of the scheduled start time,
the match shall be rescheduled unless both teams' coaches agree to proceed. If
the match proceeds, the score shall stand as played. If there are fewer than
three referees present for a preliminary match at the scheduled start time, the
Referee shall commence the match using volunteer “club” linesmen. Should an
additional Assistant Referee arrive at the field, he/she shall enter the match
at an appropriate break in play, and the volunteer linesman shall be relieved of
his or her duties.
Duration of Matches
Duration of halves will be 40 minutes with intervals between halves of five (5)
minutes each. The Referee is the official timekeeper of the match. Divisions
with 5 teams will have 30 minute halves with a five minute halftime (4
preliminary games are scheduled). If heat and player safety conditions warrant,
a Referee may allow a three (3) minute water break approximately midway through
a half – such a break will be called during a normal stoppage of play, and the
match will restart based on the reason play was halted.
Coed
No slide tackles will be allowed. At all times, a minimum of four (4) players
for each team on the field shall be women. No more than seven (7) men shall be
on the field at one time.
Cautions and Send-offs
If a player is sent off from the match – shown red card by the Referee – that
player must leave the vicinity of the field and sit out the remainder of that
match. In addition, the player sent off is suspended from his/her team’s next
tournament match. No substitution may be made for a player who was sent off
during the match in which the red card was issued. Note: in accordance with Laws
of the Game, a player is shown the red card and sent off for receiving two
cautions in the same match. Referees may caution or send off a coach and will
show the appropriate card. Coaches in receipt of a red card are subject to the
same penalties as outlined above for players. Red cards issued after the end of
regulation play as a result of physical assault are considered especially
serious and are subject to review by the Tournament Committee - a more strenuous
penalty, which is not subject to appeal, may be employed.
Substitutions
Teams are allowed unlimited substitutions which shall be carried out in
accordance with the Laws of the Game. An injured player (and only the injured
player) may be substituted once the Referee has stopped play. If the team elects
to substitute for the injured player(s), as a courtesy the opposing team is
allowed to substitute a like number of players. During the normal course of a
match, for consistency and to maintain pace of play, Referees are recommended to
manage unlimited substitutions by limiting substitutions on a throw in to the
attacking team only and to avoid allowing substitutions on corner kicks.
Tournament Overtime
All preliminary matches will remain a tie. In the semifinal and final matches,
if regulation play ends in a tie score, the following steps will be taken:
Only players on the field after the second overtime period will be allowed to participate in kicks from the penalty mark. When a team finishes the match with a greater number of players than their opponent, they shall reduce their numbers to be equal. The team captain is responsible for notifying the Referee which player(s) will be excluded.
During kicks from the penalty mark, goalkeepers may be changed with an eligible player (player on the field at the end of the second overtime) at any time, but the goalkeeper may only be replaced by a substitute (player not on the field at the end of the match) in case of injury.
Tournament Standings
Division bracket standings will be decided by the following point system:
Win: 2 points
Tie: 1 point
Loss: 0 points
Determination of Wild Card, Semi-finalists,
and Finalists
Division bracket standings will be based upon total points
accumulated upon the completion of preliminary matches with the team
accumulating the most points finishing first. Total point ties within division
brackets will be broken by the following tiebreakers in order: