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Rules for the 2009 Fusion Fall Festival

Fusion Fall Festival

2009 Tournament Rules (revised 10/11/09)

LAWS OF THE GAME
All games shall be played under FIFA Laws of the Games as modified by USSF or US Youth Soccer for youth games unless otherwise noted.

ELIGIBILITY
Fusion Fall Festival is a Fall Tournament and all age and other eligibility determinants will be the same as for the fall regular season. This tournament will accept teams of 18 players (including no more than 5 guest players) for U13 & U14 teams, 14 players (including no more than 3 guest players) for U11 & U12 teams and 12 players (including no more than 3 guest players) for U9 & U10 teams. All teams must be currently registered with their State Association. The tournament roster may not be changed after registration check-in. No player will be allowed to neither register nor play for more than one team in the tournament.

Player passes with photographs, duly authorized by an appropriate USSF State Registrar, must be presented at registration and at the field of play as requested by the referee, field marshal or other tournament official. All out of state teams must provide valid permit to travel documentation.

AGE
Players must be born within the August 1-July 31 time frames as established by the USSF for the division in which they will participate. An exception will be made for over-age U14 players. A team roster may include up to 3 U15 players on a U14 roster. These players must have a valid fall player pass. The oldest player on the tournament roster will determine the age group of play with the exception of U15 aged players on a U14 team.

Group Birth Dates Game Length Championship Ball
U9 8/1/00-7/31/01 2-25 minute halves xxxxxx #4
U10 8/1/99-7/31/00 2-25 minute halves xxxxxx #4
U11 8/1/98-7/31/99 2-30 minute halves 60 minutes #4
U12 8/1/97-7/31/98 2-30 minute halves 60 minutes #4
U13 8/1/96-7/31/97 2-30 minute halves 70 minutes #5
U14 8/1/95-7/31/96 2-30 minute halves 70 minutes #5

All U9 & U10 games will play a 6v6 format. All U11 & U12 games will play a 8v8 format.

GENERAL RULES

� All games will use a running clock with no stoppage except for serious injury
� Half-time will be limited to 5 minutes
� In the event of mandated water breaks, the clock will NOT stop
� Substitutions are not limited; however, a team may only substitute on its own throw-in, any goal kick, any kick-off and upon injury
� In the event of conflicting uniform jersey colors, the team listed first on the game schedule shall be the Home Team, and will be required to change jerseys if required by the referee. Home teams are encouraged to wear light colored uniform jerseys. Home Team will supply a game ball.
� **All games may begin up to 10 minutes EARLIER than scheduled. Teams should plan on being checked in with the Field Marshall and ready to take the field 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. There are no team warm ups on the game field.**


PLAYER/COACH/SPECTATOR RULES

* Both teams will be on the same side of the field, including coaches
*All other persons must be on the opposite side of the field. No spectators or coaches are allowed behind the goal lines.
*A maximum combination of 3 coaches/managers will be allowed on the sidelines. All coaches and managers must have VALID STATE ASSOCIATION CARDS.
*Coaches are responsible for the comments and behavior of themselves, their players and the parent or spectators of their team.
*The spirit of the game and sportsmanship are paramount

EQUIPMENT
*The designated home team (listed first on the game schedule) shall be prepared to:

-Provide a game ball
-Change jerseys in the event of a color conflict (to be determined by the referees)
-All players are required to wear shin guards
-Eyeglasses must be secured by a safety strap or goggles
-All body piercing and other jewelry must be removed, including newly pierced ears
-Aplayer in a cast is permitted to play provided that it is adequately padded (to be determined by the referee)
-Any equipment concerns not specifically mentioned in these rules shall be ruled by the center referee

FACILITY RULES

*No dogs, no alcoholic beverages, no smoking allowed.

*Concession and restrooms are available at all sites.

Red/Yellow Cards/Ejections:
Any player receiving two yellow cards or one red card in any game will be required to leave the field and playing area for the duration of the game in process and will be suspended for the next game.

Coaches/Managers and/or Spectators ejected will be required to leave the field and playing area and will be suspended until after the next game played by the team playing at the time the ejection takes place. Coaches, managers and spectators are required to complete their suspension prior to returning to the playing field regardless of their status with another team or their club.

The tournament committee may order additional penalties, suspensions or ejection from the tournament and this decision shall not be subject to appeal.

Player passes for players and coaches ejected will be held by the tournament committee and will be returned to a team official (registered with appropriate pass) upon completion of the required suspension. If an ejection occurs during a team's final game, the pass will be held by the committee and returned to the appropriate Sate Association. The State Association will be notified on the next business day of any red card offenses.

Small Sided Games

U9 & U10
� Play shall consist of 5 field players and 1 goalkeeper
� Drop-kicks, ground kicks, throwing and rolling past mid-field are allowed. A goalie may punt the ball but it must land in their defensive half before crossing the midfield line. An infraction will result in an indirect free kick from the midfield of the opposing team.
� Fouls will result in Direct and Indirect kicks
� The distance at restarts will be 5 yards
� Penalty kicks will be taken from a spot 8 yards from the goal line
� Restarts will follow FIFA rules (i.e. a corner kick is direct)
� The offside rule will NOT be used, however teams should not cherry pick
� Scores of games may be kept and posted, but no standings may be kept
� No semi-final or championship games in U9 & U10 age groups
� Participation awards will be given to all players at this age

U11 & U12
� Play shall consist of 7 field players and 1 goal keeper
� Fouls will result in Direct and Indirect kicks
� The distance at restarts will be 8 yards
� Penalty kicks will be taken from a spot 10 yards from the goal line
� Restarts will follow FIFA rules (i.e. a corner kick is direct)
� The offside rule will be in effect

Championship & Semi Final Games
In the event of a tie at the end of regulation play, the following procedures will be applied:
A mandatory overtime (OT) consisting of two (2) periods of five (5) minutes each with no half-time. Both of these halves shall be played in their entirety. There is no golden goal or sudden victory. In case of a tie after OT, Kicks from the Penalty Mark rules will apply to determine the winner. Only players playing at the end of OT will be allowed to participate in the kicks. Standard FIFA rules will be followed:
� Each team shall select five (5) players to kick, from the players on the field at the conclusion of the overtime period
� The referee will toss a coin and the team whose captain wins the toss selects whether to take the first or second kick
� Teams shall alternate kicks
� If, before both teams have taken five (5) kicks each, one team has scored more goals than the other team could, even if it was to score on its remaining kicks, taking kicks shall cease and the winner declared
� If, after both teams have taken five (5) kicks, both have scored the same number of goals, or have not scored any goals, the kicks shall continue with five new players selected from the remaining players who were on the field

If any game in any division is canceled due to weather, all points awarded to all teams in the division will be divided by the number of games completed by each team in the division. An Average Points per Game (APG) number will be determined based on the number of completed games. The team with the highest APG is the winner.

For example:

GAMES

Total point alloted divided by Number of games completed = APG POINTS

TEAM
A 6 0 10 Cancel 16 3 5.33
B 10 8 Cancel Cancel 18 2 9
C 0 2 6 10 18 4 4.5
D 6 9 0 Cancel 15 3 5

Team B would win the division with an APG of 9. No completed game is disregarded for the standings.

Scoring
The team coach is responsible for checking the accuracy of the score reported to the official score board. Teams will be awarded points as follows:
� Win=6 points
� Tie=3 point
� Loss=0 points
� Shutout=1 point
� 1 point for each goal scored, win, lose or tie, up to a maximum of 3.

Therefore a maximum of 10 points is possible for a win.

Standings
The following procedure will determine a bracket winner:
� Most points
� Winner of game played between tied teams (does not apply in the event of a three-way tie)
� Most wins
� Goal differential (goals scored less goals allowed)(Max. 3 per game)
� Fewest goals allowed
� Penalty kicks. Per FIFA rules, except: any eligible*, rostered player may participate. If teams are tied after the first round of five penalty kicks, successive rounds of one shooter from each team will be taken until one team prevails. (*Players who are sitting out a red card, and not eligible to play in the following game, are not eligible to participate in the PK's.)
� Coin flip, if deemed necessary by the tournament committee

Protests
The decision of the referee is final. Protests are not allowed.

Final Arbitration
The tournament committee will be the final interpreter of the rules and reserves the right to issue the final decision of all matters pertaining to the tournament.


Blood Safety Rule
If during the course of the game a player is witnessed to have an open sore or wound, the referee will require the player to leave the field of play. As in the case of injury, the player may be substituted and the opposing team may also substitute. The referee, assisted by the assistant referee, will determine the player's status for return to the game only after complete cleanup, including uniform, has been accomplished and inspected.



Forfeits

A forfeit will be declared if a team is not on the field, ready to play more than 10 minutes after the scheduled start time. To start a game, a minimum of 7 players is required for u13 thru U18, a minimum of 6 players for U11 & U12 and a minimum of 4 players for U9 & U10.

A forfeited game shall be recorded as a 3-0 win for the opposing team. Teams forfeiting a game will be eliminated from consideration for participation in any playoff game.

If a scheduling error is discovered that leads to a game time or field location change or confusion, the tournament committee reserves the right to correct the mistake.

Inclement Weather
The only time a game will be delayed is if it becomes hazardous to players or spectators, such as an electrical storm or tornado warning. Games will be continued at the point of delay once the threat subsides and will end at the regularly scheduled ending time due to scheduling restraints. The decision on when the game is scheduled to end will be determined by the head referee and communicated to each coach prior to resuming play. The decision to restart will be that of the referee, site manager and field marshal. The length of game will, however, be shortened by the length of the stoppage for the threat. No game will be counted unless at least one-half of the game is played. If at least one-half of a game has been played, the game will be recorded as a completed game and the results and the standings will be determined consistent with the scoring rule above. If a game has not reached half time and there is no time to restart the game due to scheduling or other conflicts, the game will be cancelled and not replayed. NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE IF THE NUMBER OF GAMES IS REDUCED.

If championship or semi final games cannot be played due to weather, final positions will be determined by the Average Points per Game scenario described above with ties resolved as stated under the Standings heading. If the tournament cannot be completed due to weather or another act of God, no fees will be refunded.

In the event of weather changes, it will be the responsibility of teams to check-in at the tournament tent for changes. Scheduling information will be available on the website: www.fusionfallfestival.com.


Severe Weather Plan

Safety of all players, coaches, referees and spectators is the number one priority of the Fusion Soccer Academy and the organizers of the Fusion Fall Festival. Because severe weather is an event that cannot be predicted, the FSA has developed this plan to ensure the safety of all. If at any time there are questions regarding the severe weather plan, please contact either the Tournament Director or the Site Coordinator. A Site Coordinator can be contacted at the Tournament Tent or by asking any Field Marshall, who is wearing a fluorescent vest.

1. Monitoring
a. A weather radio and lightning meter will be operating at each Tournament Tent. This will permit continuous monitoring of severe weather throughout the Festival.
b. The Festival has also established contacts with persons who will be monitoring Doppler in the event of severe weather threats.
c. At each Classic site, the Site Coordinator is in contact with each Field Marshall by radio to quickly inform the Field Marshals regarding any severe weather threat.
2. Lightning Threat
a. If lightning is visually observed or the lightning meter detects it in the area, a lightning threat exists.
b. The lightning threat will continue to exist until the meter or the site is visually free of lightning for a period of 15 minutes.
c. If, during the existence of a lightning threat, lightning is seen in the sky or on the meter, a new 15 minute period will begin.
3. Other Severe Weather Threats
a. A severe weather threat (i.e. tornado) exists either when a severe warning has been issued covering the site, or, at the discretion of the Site Coordinator/Tournament Director, upon the issuance of a severe weather watch.
4. Procedure During Lightning Threat/Severe Weather Threat
a. After a lightning/severe weather threat has been issued, the site coordinator will contact each Field Marshall by radio who shall notify the head referee of the lightning/severe weather threat and play shall immediately stop.
b. All attendees will be encouraged to leave the fields and seek appropriate shelter.
5. Participant's Responsibility During Lightning/Severe Weather Threat
a. Immediately seek proper shelter. No place outside is safe during a lightning/severe weather threat. The best place to seek shelter is in a large, fully enclosed substantially constructed building. If a building cannot be quickly located, a vehicle with a solid metal roof and metal sides is a reasonable second choice.
b. Attendees should avoid the most dangerous locations, including higher elevations, wide open spaces (like soccer fields), tall isolated objects such as trees, poles or light posts, unprotected open buildings, rain shelters, metal fences and metal bleachers.
6. If a building or vehicle cannot be located, attendees should either find a ravine or squat down, feet closely together, with your arms wrapped around your legs. Make sure all items containing metal (like umbrellas) are at least 15 feet away.
7. Please remain calm.
8. Ending Lightning/Severe Weather Threat
a. If no lightning has been seen visually or on the meter for 15 consecutive minutes or if the severe weather warning/watch has been lifted, the Site Coordinator/Tournament Director will contact the Field Marshals to resume play.
9. Impact On Game/Standings
a. See the inclement weather section and semi-final/championship section. NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE IF THE NUMBER OF GAMES IS REDUCED.



Tournament Cancellation Policy

The Fusion Fall Festival agrees to provide the guaranteed number of games or refund a percentage (not to exceed $150.00) of the tournament application fee commensurate with the percentage of games not played.

In the event of a complete cancellation of the tournament 72 hours in advance of the first scheduled game, the Fusion Fall Festival will refund up to 60% of the tournament fees (not to exceed $175.00).

In the event of a complete cancellation of the tournament 24 hours in advance of the first scheduled game, the Fusion Fall Festival will refund up to 50% of the tournament fees (not to exceed $150.00).



Security Plan

Safety of all players, coaches, referees and spectators is the number one priority of the Fusion Soccer Academy and the organizers of the Fusion Fall Festival. Because security issues/events cannot be predicted, the FSA has developed this plan to ensure the safety of all. If at any time anyone has questions regarding the security plan, please contact either the Tournament Director or a Site Coordinator. A Site Coordinator can be contacted at the Tournament Tent or by asking any Field Marshal who is wearing a fluorescent vest.

In order to provide a secure environment for all attendees, the FSA will follow the following security plan:

1. It is the expectation of the FSA that each coach and manager will monitor their players, parents and spectators to promote a positive, friendly and incident free tournament.
2. Each field will have a designated Field Marshal wearing a fluorescent vest. If an incident occurs, the Field Marshal, in coordination with the referees will attempt to resolve the issue.
3. If needed, the Field Marshal will involve the Site Coordinator/Tournament Director to resolve any incident. The Field Marshal is in contact with the Site Coordinator/Tournament Director at all times by radio.
4. If all of the above does not resolve the incident, a uniformed officer will be summoned for assistance.
5. Each Festival site will have either an uniformed officer at the site at all times and/or a local police department patrolling regularly at each site.
6. If the uniformed officer at the site is unable to resolve the incident, law enforcement will be called and the attendee involved in the incident will be removed from the site.
7. All significant incidents will be reported by the Tournament Director to the attendee's club and state association.


THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE WILL ADMINISTER THE TOURNAMENT RULES AS STATED, BUT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ADJUST AND/OR AMEND ANY OF THESE RULES AS NECESSARY TO ACCOMMODATE UNFORESEEN PROBLEMS OR CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE AND DURING THE TOURNAMENT. THE DECISION OF THE COMMITTEE WILL BE FINAL.



 

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