Dome Soccer League Rules

3.1 Teams are responsible for their own jerseys or pinnies. All players on one team are required to wear the same color. Team colours will be determined at the start of the season. Away team will be responsible for bringing pinnie; home team will be responsible for bringing the soccer ball. Concordia Recreation and Athletics is not responsible for providing equipment or uniforms.

3.2 All players must wear running or soccer shoes. Metal cleats will not be accepted, nor sandals or "hiking" boots. Players must be properly attired when playing (shorts, jogging pants, etc. NO JEANS).

3.3 In addition, all players are encouraged to wear shin pads. This is done for the safety of the players.

*To deter theft, please ensure that all players' personal belongings are grouped together and that players' keep watch on their equipment during matches.

3.4 Players should not wear jewelry or watches during game play.

** Please note that bicycles are NOT allowed inside the perimeter fence surrounding the playing fields. Bicycle stands are available next to the entrance gates. **

The CISL follows a set of house rules that draws from a variety of soccer leagues, including the FIFA rule book. The rules outlined below are not meant to be exhaustive but to provide to league members a general indication of expected conduct. Games will consist of two x 22-minute (running-time) halves, with a short rest in between. There may be added time at the end of the halves at the discretion of the match official.

4.1 The second half may be adjusted to ensure the match ends at the allotted time.

4.2 The game is played with each side fielding six players and a keeper. If a team is not ready to commence play (with at least five players) within ten minutes of the scheduled start time, the opponent will be awarded a default win. Any team that is responsible for delaying the start of a match will have one point deducted from the league standings for each infraction.

4.3 There are no off-sides.

4.4 Substitutions may occur at any stoppage of play or “on the fly”. However, they must take place behind your own team’s goal or sideline.

4.5 Following the scoring of a goal, no player shall take possession of the ball.

4.6 The official shall stop play when the ball is considered out of play or for an infraction. A change of possession will occur at the point of the infraction.

4.7 All fouls will result in a direct or indirect free kick. Opposing team players must be a minimum of five yards away from the ball. This includes goal, corner, and free kicks.

* Measurement of this distance must be made exclusively by the team for which the foul was awarded. Play will resume following the official's whistle.

4.8 Penalties will be awarded at the discretion of the referee for any fouls committed in the 'box'. The penalty is to be taken 11 yards from the goal line. All players must be behind the placement of the ball. The ball is considered 'live' following the attempt. This means the play will continue even in the event the shot is rebounded, saved, or deflected.

Handballs

• Referees will call only DELIBERATE handballs (i.e. if player intentionally strikes the ball with hand or arm).
• For the purposes of determining handball offences, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit. The upper part of the shoulders is not considered a handball. If a player uses his hands to protect from a hard shot, the call will be at the referee’s discretion.
• ALL handballs called by the referee result in DIRECT free-kicks. Handballs inside the box result in a penalty kick.

From the IFAB (Rules of Arbitration for Handball):

What is considered a handball? If a player:

•  deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, including moving the hand/arm towards the ball
•  scores in the opponents’ goal directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper
•  after the ball has touched their or a team-mate’s hand/arm, even if accidental, immediately:
•  scores in the opponents’ goal
•  creates a goal-scoring opportunity
•  touches the ball with their hand/arm when:
•  the hand/arm has made their body unnaturally bigger
•  the hand/arm is above/beyond their shoulder level (unless the player deliberately plays the ball which then touches their hand/arm).

What is not considered a handball:

Except for the above offences, it is not an offence if the ball touches a player’s hand/arm:

• directly from the player’s own head or body (including the foot)
• directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close
• if the hand/arm is close to the body and does not make the body unnaturally bigger
• when a player falls and the hand/arm is between the body and the ground to support the body, but not extended laterally or vertically away from the body

The goalkeeper has the same restrictions on handling the ball as any other player outside the penalty area. If the goalkeeper handles the ball inside their penalty area when not permitted to do so, an indirect free kick is awarded but there is no disciplinary sanction. However, if the offence is playing the ball a second time (with or without the hand/arm) after a restart before it touches another player, the goalkeeper must be sanctioned if the offence stops a promising attack or denies an opponent or the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.

4.9 Over-time will only be used for playoff matches. It will consist of one, 10 minute, extra-time period. The extra-time period is sudden-death, and if the score remains tied at the conclusion of the extra-time period, then penalty kicks will follow to determine a winner. This is essentially the “golden goal” rule.

5.1 Yellow and Red Cards

If a player receives three yellow cards during the season, they will be suspended for one game.

If a player receives a direct red card, the referee must right a match rapport for the League Management, who will then determine if the player should be suspended just one game, multiple games, or the rest of the season.

5.2 With regards to indirect free kicks, direct free kicks and sanctions, rules are based on IFAB (via FIFA):

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:

• charges
• jumps at
• kicks or attempts to kick
• pushes
• strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)
• tackles or challenges
• trips or attempts to trip

If an offence involves contact, it is penalised by a direct free kick.

A player is considered Careless when they show a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed.

A player is considered Reckless when they act with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned.

A player is considered to have used excessive force when they exceed the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off the field.

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:

• a handball offence (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)
• holds an opponent 
• impedes an opponent with contact
• bites or spits at someone
• throws an object at the ball, an opponent or a match official, or makes contact with the ball with a held object
• An indirect free kick is awarded if a player:
• plays in a dangerous manner, as deemed by the ref(s)
• impedes the progress of an opponent without any contact being made
• is guilty of dissent, using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures or other verbal offences
• prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from the hands or kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing it
• commits any other offence, not mentioned in the Laws, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player
• An indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area, commits any of the following offences:
• controls the ball with the hand/arm for more than six seconds before releasing it
• touches the ball with the hand/arm after releasing it and before it has touched another player
• touches the ball with the hand/arm, unless the goalkeeper has clearly kicked or attempted to kick the ball to release it into play, after:
• it has been deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team-mate
• receiving it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate

5.3 Cautionable offences (yellow card)

A player is cautioned if guilty of:

• delaying the restart of play
• dissent by word or action
• entering, re-entering or deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission
• failing to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a dropped ball, corner kick, free kick or throw-in
• persistent offences (no specific number or pattern of offences constitutes 'persistent')
• lack of sportsman-like behaviour
• entering the referee review area (RRA)
• excessively using the ‘review’ (TV screen) signal
• A substitute or substituted player is cautioned if guilty of:
• delaying the restart of play
• dissent by word or action (arguing with the ref in a disrespectful manner)
• entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee’s permission
• lack of sportsman-like behaviour

Sending-off offences (red card)

A player, substitute or substituted player who commits any of the following offences is sent off:

• denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a handball offence (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area)
• denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick (unless as outlined below)
• serious foul play
• biting or spitting at someone
• violent conduct
• using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
• receiving a second caution in the same match

If an offence involves contact, it is penalised by a direct free kick.

• A player is considered Careless when they show a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed.
• A player is considered Reckless when they act with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned (yellow card).
• A player is considered to have used excessive force when they exceed the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off the field.

Suspensions

Any player receiving a second yellow card during a match will automatically receive a Red Card and will be removed from the game. Upon receipt of a red card, a player will automatically be suspended, as a minimum, for the next scheduled game. Additional suspension(s) will be made at the discretion of the League Management team. The player must leave the match immediately.

Players who incur suspensions will forfeit the right to play in all subsequent league games (all divisions), until their suspension is completely served in the division in which it was assessed, with no refunds issued.

** ALL captains must disclose the contents of the waiver noted below to ALL players on their respective team prior to the start of the season and/or game in the case of spare players.

All team captains, leaders and/or other persons responsible for groups using Concordia University’s Recreation and Athletics facilities are responsible for communicating the following important information to individual participants under their responsibility and/or supervision.

Team Captains and/or Rental Group leaders hereby declare and warrant that they have communicated the following warnings to participants:

All participants recognize and accept that their participation in activities, offered or taking place on Concordia University’s Recreation and Athletics facilities, including the programs, classes and equipment not limited to the Loyola Campus Arena, Stinger Dome, weight room, outdoor playing fields and gymnasium, is solely at the risk of each individual participant. All participants recognize and accept all liability for any injury, accident or loss of personal property and hereby release Concordia University, its agents, representatives and employees from all liabilities for any direct, special, incidental, consequential, punitive or exemplary damages, regardless of the form of action arising from or related

to by our use of the facilities or our participation in the activities held in these facilities and/or offered by the facilities, except for claims or losses resulting from willful misconduct or gross negligence of Concordia University, its agents, representatives and employees. Participants must be in good physical condition and must have appropriate insurance coverage including medical coverage.

Participants agree to follow the facilities' instructional guidelines and to abide by all University policies and Codes, as applicable, regardless of whether they are members of the University community. Participants agree and accept that if they fail to abide by said University Policies and Codes as well as all applicable laws and regulations, their access to the facilities, equipment and/or participation in a program, if applicable, may be immediately cancelled and/or revoked and their access to the premises, use of the equipment and right to participate in a program in the future access, may be denied.