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 PROTEST WILL BE ALLOWED

The Tournament Committee reseves the right to use their discreation for resolbing conflict of other matters not specifically provided for under these Rules of Competition. The committe, captains and coaches of the host teams, or any sponsors of the tournament activities shall not be responsible for expenses incurred by any team or club if the tournament is canceled in whole or in part.

REFUNDS

No application fee refunds after acceptance.

PLAYER REGISTRATION

Each team shall be allowed a maximum of 22 players.

Players may register on more than one team only if the teams are in different divisions (i.e. - on one coed team and one men's team). Schedule conflicts will not be adjusted for teams that decide to do this.

All Players must have current USASA Player Passes. Passes will be checked against MDCVSA verified rosters and again prior to each match. Passes will also be inspected to make sure they are current.

Season dates marked on the passes should be from September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2013. Players must turn 30 or 40 (for over-30 and/or over-40 divisions) within the calender year to play in the respective age bracket.

• GUEST PLAYERS: Up to seven (7) guest players per team will be permitted to participate. A "guest player" is defined as a player who is not currently registered with MDCVSA. There are two types of guest player as follows:
  • Guest players who ARE NOT currently registered with another US Soccer entity. Players will be able to directly register with MDCVSA online. Click here to go to the Registration page.
  • Guest players who ARE registered with another US Soccer Entity. In this instance, the state association registrar must e-mail c.classic.rosters@gmail.com to verify the player is properly registered. The correspondence must includ name, birth date and player pass # (note: this coreespondence must come directly from the state association).

PLAYER EQUIPMENT

Shoes must meet FIFA specifications. Players are required to wear shin guards in accordance with Laws of the Game. All players must wear like colored jerseys with numbers on the back. Teams must have an alrenate jersey in case of uniform color conflict. In this event, the home team shall change jerseys. The home team will be required to provide a game ball for the match, unless the referee determines the visiting team can provide a better ball for play.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

The Tournament Committee reseves the right to make the following changes in the event of inclement weather:

• Relocate and/or reschedule a mathc
• Change division structure
• Reduce scheduled duration of a match
• Cancel a match

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. The Tournament Committee has the right to adjust these rules as they deem necessary.

Clearing fields: In the case of inclement weather, all fields should be cleared immediately and players should wait in cars or other lightening shelter areas until it is safe to continue play.

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 personel must remain between the top of the penalty area lines--no coaching is allowed from the goal lines 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 player 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 (7) players after the match has started. The team forfeiting the match shall be declared the loser by a score of three (3) goals to zero (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 referees or field marshal. If there are fewer than three (3) referees present for a preliminary match at the scheduled start time, the referee shall commence the match using volunteer "club" linesman. 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 35 minutes with intervals between halves of five (5) minutes. The referee is the official timekeeper of the match. Division with five (5) teams will have 30-minute halves with a five (5) minute halftime (four preliminary games are scheduled). If heat and player safety conditions warrant, the Tournament Committee or a referee may allow a three (3) minute water break approximately midway through each 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 are allowed. Unless a foul was committed in the process, the referees will halt play and restart with an indirect free kick for a sliding tackle. At no time should there be more than seven (7) men on the field at one time.

CAUTIONS & EJECTIONS

If a player is sent off from the match--shown a 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. If the goalie is sent off, the team is required to assign a new goalie before resuming play. NOTE: in accordance with Laws of the Games, 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 for any type of fighting or 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. Teams may substitute at the following times:

• Throw-ins, goal kicks, corner kicks, kickoff, injuries
• If the team in possession is substitution, at one of the above listed dead ball situations, then BOTH teams may substitute. If the team in possession is not substituting, then the opposing team must wait until they are in possession or until both teams have players ready to substitute.
• BOTH teams may substitute on any kick off or goal kick, no matter if in possession or not.
• One-for-one in the case of an injured player.
• For a yellow-carded player (not required, but allowed in order to allow a "cooling off" period if the carded player's team deems necessary).

TOURNAMENT OVERTIME

All preliminary round matches will remain a tie if the score is tied at the end of regulation time. In the semifinals and final rounds, if regulation play ends in a tie, the following steps will be taken.

• Two 5-minute "Golden Goal" overtime periods will be played. The first team to score wins and the game is over. If still tied after two overtime periods, the tie will be broken by kicks from the penalty mark to be carried out in accordance with the Laws of the Games. Only players on the field after the second overtime period will be allowed to participate in kicks from the penalty mark.
• Kicks from the penalty mark should follow FIFA rules, except for the following exceptions:
  • In coed divisions, kicks from the penalty mark must alternate between male and female players. After the first five kicks, if a winner has not been determined, teams must continue to alternate until either a winner is determined or all female players on the field have been exhausted. Once all females have been exhausted, it is up to the teams' discretion to determine the order of the remaining kicks for the durations.
• 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 = 3 Points
• TIE = 1 Point
• LOSS = 0 Points

DETERMINATION OF WILD CARD, SEMIFINALISTS & 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.

1. Head-to-Head competition between the tied teams (Including aggregate scores from games between the teams that are tied). Once moving on to the next criteria, you may not revert back.
2. Most wins.
3. Goal Differential (maximum of 3 goals per match--positive only).
4. Most Goals Scored
5. Fewest Goals Allowed
6. Most Shutouts
7. Fair-Play Point System. Team with fewest Fair-Play point accumulated during course of all matches played will advance (3 Points per Red Card, 1 Point per Yellow Card)
8. If still tied, proceed to nearest available field to take kicks from the penalty mark, following procedure previously listed in the Tournament Rules.

SEMIFINALS AND FINAL MATCHES

Designated home teams for semifinal and final matches will be determined based on preliminary round standings as determined by the rules in the "Tournament Standings" and Determination or Wild Card, Semifinalists and Finalists" section.

Duration of finals matches may be shortened if both teams are in agreement prior to the match.

INCOMPLETE FINAL MATCHES

In the event play is halted preventing the match from being completed, the score shall stand if at least one-half of the match has been completed. In the event a Final Match must be abandoned before at least one half of the match is completed due to inclement weather or other factors, refer to the tiebreakers list in the "Determination of Wild Card, Semifinalists and Finalists" section above (excluding PKs) to determine the official winner of the bracket (any goals scored or red/yellow cards awarded during the incompleted Final Match will be counted).