GOALSBC LEAGUE RULES & REGULATIONS

1. Uniforms & Soccer Gear

1. Shirt Colors: Every team must bring both a light-colored and a dark-colored shirt to each match to resolve potential kit clashes.

2. Footwear Safety: Metal cleats are strictly prohibited. Players may wear molded plastic cleats, turf shoes, or standard athletic runners.

3. Shin Guards: Shin guards are compulsory for all participants and must be fully covered by socks at all times during match play.

4. Jewelry & Casts: All items of jewelry (necklaces, rings, earrings, watches, soft/hard wristbands) are strictly prohibited and must be removed prior to play. Rigid casts or braces with exposed metal or hard plastic are not permitted on the field. Medical alert tags are permitted if taped securely.

2. Match Duration & Roster Requirements

1. Match Duration: Standard league matches consist of two 25-minute halves with a 5-minute halftime break.

2. Minimum Roster to Play: Teams must have a minimum of five (5) players on the field to start or continue a match. If a team cannot field 5 players within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time, a forfeit is declared (recorded as a 3–0 win for the non-forfeiting team).

3. Co-Ed Division Roster Ratios: In Co-Ed divisions, a minimum of two (2) female-identifying outfield players must be on the pitch at all times (excluding the goalkeeper). If a team plays with only one female player, they must play a person down (maximum 6 players total on the field).

3. Game Rules & Mechanics

General Play & Match Structure

1. Format: Games are played in a 7-a-side format. Depending on the specific league or tournament structure, divisions may be mixed-gender (Co-Ed) or single-gender.

2. Kick-Off Determination: Team captains will conduct a rock-paper-scissors toss to determine initial possession. The game begins with a kick-off at the center spot.

3. Halftime: For all regular league matches, teams will switch ends at halftime. The team that did not kick off at the start of the match will kick off the second half.

4. Restarts After Goals: A kick-off at the center spot will restart play immediately following a goal.

5. Direct Scoring Limits:

   • A goal cannot be scored directly from a kick-off.

   • A goal can be scored directly from a goal kick.

6. Distance Requirement (Kick-Off): Opposing players must remain at least 6 yards away from the ball in all directions until the ball is put into play.

Out of Bounds Restarts

7. Kick-Ins (Side-Lines): The ball is out of play when the entirety of the ball crosses the side-line. Play restarts with a kick-in. A goal cannot be scored directly from a kick-in.

8. Corner Kicks & Goal Kicks (End-Lines): The ball is out of play when the entirety of the ball crosses the end-line. Play restarts with either a corner kick or goal kick, depending on which team last touched the ball. Opposing players must maintain a distance of at least 6 yards until the kick is taken.

Goalkeeper Rules & Back-Pass Violation

9. Back-Pass Rule: Goalkeepers cannot use their hands to handle a deliberate direct back-pass made by a teammate’s foot or a kick-in.

   • Permitted Handling: Goalkeepers may use their hands inside their penalty area when an opposing player kicks the ball toward them, or if a teammate intentionally heads or chests the ball back.

   • Infraction Penalty: If a goalkeeper uses their hands on an illegal pass from a teammate, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team at the spot of the handling.

Contact & Offside / “Cherry-Picking” Rules

10. Sliding Prohibition: NO sliding or slide tackling is permitted by field players at any time.

11. Offsides & “Cherry-Picking” Regulation:

    • No Traditional Offsides: Traditional offside rules do not apply.

    • Cherry-Picking Rule Definition: An attacking player is strictly prohibited from stationed placement inside the opponent’s penalty area (or defensive third) while the ball is actively in their own team’s defensive half.

    • Violation: Players may not intentionally “hang” or camp out near the opponent’s goal to wait for a long clearance pass. Players must make an active effort to transition with the flow of play.

    • Penalty: If the referee determines a player is intentionally cherry-picking, play will be halted. The opposing team is awarded an indirect free kick from the spot where the offending player was standing.

Handballs & Substitutions

12. Handball Criteria: Calls are strictly “Hand-to-Ball” (not “Ball-to-Hand”). Referees will only penalize deliberate, intentional movements of the hand or arm toward the ball.

13. Substitutions:

    • Rolling Substitutions: Field player substitutions may take place on the fly during active play. However, the outgoing player must completely leave the field at the same location where the incoming player enters.

    • Goalkeeper Substitutions: Goalkeepers may only be substituted during a formal stoppage in play with the referee’s authorization.

Fouls & Penalty Kicks

14. Free Kicks: All standard fouls result in a direct free kick for the opposing team from the location of the infraction.

    • Defensive Distance: Opposing players must stand at least 6 yards away from the spot of the free kick. If the free kick is awarded closer than 6 yards to the goal line, defenders may stand on their own goal line between the posts.

15. Penalty Kicks: Awarded when a defender or goalkeeper commits a foul inside their own penalty area.

    • Distance: The penalty mark is set 8 yards from the center of the goal.

    • Player Positioning: All players (except the kicker and the defending goalkeeper) must remain outside the penalty box until the kick is taken.

    • Goalkeeper Positioning: The goalkeeper must stand on their goal line between the goal posts and may not move forward until the ball is kicked.

    • Execution: The penalty kick must be played forward. The kicker cannot touch the ball a second time until it has been touched by another player.

4. Environmental Conditions & Field Safety

1. Severe Weather Protocol: Play will be immediately suspended in the event of dangerous weather conditions, including lightning (utilizing standard 30/30 safety rules) or when the local Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) reaches unsafe levels (7+).

2. Municipal Closures: Fields closed by municipal authorities automatically result in match postponements and rescheduling where possible.

5. Disciplinary Framework, Card System & Offenses

GoalsBC enforces disciplinary standards in accordance with the BC Soccer Judicial Code and Performance Policies.

1. Yellow Cards (Cautions):

   • Issued for unsporting behavior, persistent infringement, delay of game, or dissent toward match officials.

   • Two yellow cards shown to the same player in a single match result in a Red Card (ejection) and an automatic minimum one-game suspension.

2. Red Cards (Send-Offs):

   • Issued for serious foul play, violent conduct, biting or spitting, deliberate handball denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, or abusive language.

   • Any player receiving a Red Card must immediately leave the field of play and perimeter area.

   • Automatic Sanction: All red card offenses carry an automatic minimum one (1) match suspension. Serious infractions (e.g., referee abuse or physical violence) will be escalated to the GoalsBC Discipline Committee and reported to BC Soccer.

6. Safe Sport, Code of Conduct & Zero Tolerance

1. Safe Sport Commitment: GoalsBC is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, accessible, and respectful soccer environment free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, violence, or bullying.

2. Referees & Staff Respect: Referees and league administrators are crucial to operating safe matches. GoalsBC operates a Zero-Tolerance Policy regarding abuse or intimidation toward match officials, opponents, or staff.

3. Penalties for Misconduct: Any participant, coach, or team official engaging in verbal abuse, physical threats, or unsporting conduct will face immediate league suspension, potential permanent expulsion, and referral to provincial judicial authorities.