Hosted by AYSO Region 274, Hilo, Hawaii, USA AYSO 2011 Volcano International Soccer Tournament Tournament Rules
1) JURISDICTION	A. Unless otherwise noted, the current AYSO National Rules and Regulations, Section 7 and FIFA Laws of the game will be used for this tournament. The following rules are intended specifically for this tournament ONLY! B. The Tournament Committee (incl. Tournament Director, Assistant Director(s), Field Director, Referee Director and other designated staff) will have jurisdiction over all games played. Disputes will be resolved by the end of the soccer day. Referee judgment calls are NOT subject to dispute or protest!
2) FEES	A. Entry fee and referee deposit must accompany tournament application and will be returned if application is not accepted. Fee must be a single check issued from the respective Region /Organization Account (no personal checks). B. Fees are: U-10 $325 (entry fee $ 175 plus referee deposit $ 150), U-12 $ 350 (entry fee $ 200 plus referee deposit $ 150), U-14 $ 350 (entry fee $ 200 plus referee deposit $ 150), U-16/U-19 $ 350 (entry fee $ 200 plus referee deposit $ 150).
3) ACCEPTANCE	A. Applications are due on July 1st, 2011 B. Applications will be accepted on a first-come basis, based on completed application (see Team Application Form for criteria). Teams will be notified by email within 48 hours of the receipt of their applications. C. Teams not accepted into the tournament will be offered the opportunity to be placed on a waiting list or have their application returned within 48 hours. D. The primary form of communication between the Tournament and applying teams will be email and the Tournament website. Teams must designate a Team Contact on their application who has email and Internet access.
4) REFUNDS	A. Teams withdrawing 30 days or more before the tournament will be issued a full refund. B. Teams withdrawing less than 30 days before the start of the tournament will only be issued a refund if a replacement team can be found. C. If the tournament is canceled and cannot be rescheduled a full refund will be issued. D. For teams that are eligible, referee deposit refunds will be mailed no later than 14 days after the end of the tournament. Referee deposit refunds will be on a prorated basis, comparing the number of assignments actually completed versus the number required. (See item 8) Referees for requirement information)
5) RAINOUT/ CANCELLATION	A. Should the tournament be rained out on the original date, it will not be rescheduled. Refunds will be provided as noted in sub-category 4.C above less the costs of any pre-ordered items which were not included in the registration fee. These pre-ordered items will be sent to the team. B. If the tournament is cancelled due to weather after partially completing and it cannot be rescheduled to be completed, refunds will be made to teams on a prorated basis, based on the number of actual games played. C. If the tournament cannot be held due to weather or other conditions beyond the control of the tournament hosts, then a full refund will be sent to all teams, less the cost of any pre-ordered items which were not included in the registration fee. These pre-ordered items will be sent to the team.
6) PLAYERS/TEAMS	A. Players on participating teams must be properly registered in e AYSO or in their respective organization, and have played in the just completed primary program. Coaches are responsible to ensure that all players meet eligibility requirements. B. The team roster must be verified and approved by each player’s Regional Commissioner or Organization President/Registrar. Roster changes may be submitted (with the written approval of the Regional Commissioner or Organization President/Registrar); however, these changes must be received by the Tournament Registrar prior to the tournament. There will be no roster changes allowed on tournament day. C. 3 Guest Players (players from a different Region/Organization from the applying team’s Region) will be allowed for each team. Guest Players are required to have the approval of both the Guest Player’s Regional Commissioner/Organization President and the Host Team Regional Commissioner/Organization President (see Guest Player Form). D. Coed teams will be accepted; however they must play in the boy’s divisions only. E. Divisions U-16 and U-19 will play 11-v-11, and there will be a roster limit of 18 players per team. Division U-14 will play 11-v-11, and there will be a roster limit of 15 players per team. Division U-12 will play 9-v-9, and there will be a roster limit of 12 players per team. Division U-10 will play 7-v-7, and there will be a roster limit of 10 players per team. F. All players, both AYSO and Non-AYSO, must play at least half of each game. Violation of these player rules exposes a team to protest and renders them subject to forfeiture of game and possible disqualification at the discretion of the Tournament Director.
7) COACHES	A. Each team is limited to one Head Coach and one Assistant Coach only (must have two coaches).. These coaches must be the ones listed on the Official Team Roster. B. Each AYSO Coach must have a current season volunteer form on file with the NSTC, provide their AYSO Identification Number and be Safe-Haven certified. C. Both Head Coach and Assistant Coach must have Certifications as follows: U-10: U-10 Certification or higher U-12: Youth Certification or higher U-14: Intermediate Certification or higher U-16/U-19: Advanced Certification or higher D. Coaches are expected to set the example for their team in exhibiting proper AYSO behavior and Kids Zone behavior. Coaches are expected to remain in the technical area during games and only enter the field of play as requested by the referee.
8) REFEREES	A. Each team in the tournament will provide a crew of 3 referees. These referees will be assigned a minimum of 3 games, based on their qualifications. B. Each AYSO referees must have a current season volunteer form on file with the NSTC, provide their AYSO Identification Number and be Safe-Haven Certified. USSF Referees with AYSO cross certification are acceptable. C. Only the diagonal system of control will be used to referee the games. D. Referees for U16/U-19 games must be AYSO National or equivalent USSF level. Referees for U-14 games must be AYSO Advanced or equivalent USSF level or above. Referees for U-12 games must be Intermediate or equivalent USSF level or above. Referees for U-10 games must be Regional or equivalent USSF level or above. E. Youth referees (center referees) must be at least 2 years older than the age group they are refereeing. F. All referees must be in full Uniform as defined by AYSO and USSF, including the Referee Badge. Referees not in uniform will not be permitted to referee games, and their team’s referee deposit may be subject to forfeiture. G. If all assignments are successfully completed, the Referee Deposit will be refunded (see REFEREE PLAN for more details). H. Referees are expected to check in at the Referee Station at least 30 minutes prior to their assigned game. Failure to appear on time may result in a replacement referee crew being assigned to the field. Once a replacement crew has been assigned, they will have priority and the original crew must report to the Referee station for alternative assignment. I. Coaches and players in the tournament will not be allowed to referee. J. Referees will be expected to uphold the tournament rules, AYSO guidelines and FIFA laws. Any failure of the referee to uphold these rules may be cause for dismissal from the tournament, and will place a team’s referee deposit refund in jeopardy. K. Referee Deposits will be refunded within 14 days of the tournament, if referee assignments have been completed. Partial refunds will be given based upon the number of game slots completed.
9) FIELDS	A. All fields will be set up and taken down by the tournament staff. B. Trash cans will be provided at each field. Teams will be expected to clean up all trash in their area before leaving. C. Please observe the following Facility Use Rules while attending the tournament; use designated parking areas only. No parking on any grassy area.
10) FORMAT	A. This is a pool-play tournament. B. Each age division will be bracketed into playing pools. Each team will play a minimum of 3 preliminary play games within their respective pools. Where there are sufficient teams, divisions will also be separated into multiple competition flights. C. Teams will advance from qualifying pools based on pool play standings points. Number of teams advancing per pool will be determined by the number of pools in the division. D. The U10 competition will be a goodwill competition without standings.
11) CHECK-IN	A. Teams must check in 60 minutes prior to their first game, and must present Game Cards for as many games as the team will play in the tournament (including medal-round games). The Game Cards must be properly completed with the players listed first name-last name in uniform order. The players listed on the game cards must match the approved roster submitted with the team’s application. B. Each coach or team representative must provide AYSO/Organization Player Registration forms with original ink signatures for verification by tournament officials. C. Coaches must have these Player Registration forms with them at all times and ready for presentation to Tournament Officials. D. Late arriving players must be escorted to the check-in station by a team official along with their Player Registration Form and be cleared by the Tournament Staff before participating in any games.
12) FIELD MONITORS	A. There will be a tournament Field Monitor assigned to each field, and will report to the Tournament Field Director. Field Monitors will check in teams prior to each game, and present the verified game cards to the match referees. B. At the conclusion of the game, the match referees must return the completed game cards to the Field Monitor. C. Field Monitors will be the first to respond to any incidents or injuries, and will be in contact with the rest of the tournament staff by radio. Tournament participants are encouraged to report any concerns immediately to the Field Monitor, and also to respectfully follow any instructions given by the Field Monitor.
13) GAMES	A. Pool play games will consist of 20 to 30 minute halves depending on the age division (see chart below) with a five minute half time. There will be a running clock during the match including substitutions. There will be no time added on for injuries or time wasted in qualifying rounds. Games will expect to end on time, and may be shortened if they started late. Pool play games may end in a tie. B. Championship games will be full length for that division (see chart below). Championship games will be played until there is a winner (see Medal Round rules below). C. Game duration shall be as follows: Division Pool Play Semi, Final Rounds U-10: 20 minute half 25 minute half U-12 25 minute half 30 minute half U-14: 30 minute half 35 minute half U-16: 35 minute half 40 minute half U-19: 35 minute half 45 minute half D. The “home” team will be the first team or top team listed on the game schedule and will be responsible for providing the game ball. The home team will be situated on the North or East side of the field, and the visitor will be situated on the South or West side. Spectators must remain on the side of the field designated for their team. The home team will change jerseys or don pinnies in the event of a color conflict with the visitor team. If any questions, the referee will determine whether this is necessary. E. There will be no warming up on the field. Teams must warm up prior to taking the field. As soon as the previous game has ended, teams must clear the field and the teams for the next game must take their places. F. FORFEITS: Teams must check in at the designated Field Coordinator Station 30 minutes prior to the start of the game. There will be a five-minute grace period at the start of the game for a team to take the field before a forfeit is declared. The score for a forfeit match will be 1-0 for the remaining team (See STANDINGS for the points to be awarded). For U-10 division teams, there is a minimum of 5 players on the field to continue a game. For U-12 the minimum number is 6 players. For all other divisions, there must be a minimum of 7 players to continue a game. If a team cannot field the minimum number of players, the game will be abandoned and a forfeit will be declared. G. SUSPENDED GAMES: The Tournament Committee may determine to end matches early if field schedule is behind due to game delays, interference, or if weather conditions provide unsafe conditions; and may distribute awards according to games played and points. The Tournament Committee will determine the outcome of any single game which is terminated prematurely (due to inclement weather, participant injury, or interference by outside party, etc.). H. ABANDONED GAMES: if any pool play games cannot be played due to circumstances beyond the control of the tournament, the final standings of the pool will be determined by applying the Winning Percentage formula (Total Points Earned in all Game Played divided by Total Points Possible for the Number of Games Played) to each team in the pool. Note. This does not apply to games which were shortened due to late a late start. Only the Tournament Director or designee can declare a game to be abandoned or not played.
14) SUBSTITUTIONS	A. Substitutions shall be allowed approximately mid way through each half for ALL divisions U-10 through U-19, and will be recorded on the game cards by the referee. B. All substitutions must be approved and recognized by the referee. Substitutions may be made for injured players; however, they may not return until the beginning of the next quarter and will be considered as having played the current quarter (exception: an injured player not replaced may return to play at any time with the referee’s permission). C. Substitutions in all overtime periods of medal round matches will be at the beginning of the periods only.
15) STANDINGS	A. Standings for pool play games will be determined on the “ten-point system” as follows: WIN = 6 points TIE = 3 points LOSS = 0 points GOAL = 1 point (one point per goal scored up to a maximum of 3 per game, win or lose) SHUTOUT = 1 point (for an earned shutout, including a 0-0 tie) FORFEIT = 7 points (scored as a 1-0 win, no shutout points as it is not an “earned” shutout) RED CARD = 2 point deduction for team (includes 2 points for each player, substitute, or coach) B. Winners of ties in standings will be determined as follows: Head to head competition Most number of wins Least number of sportsmanship point deductions (1 point per misconduct, 1 point per spectator incident) Goals allowed – total (up to a maximum of five per game; fewest number advances) Goal differential (goals scored to three per game less total goals allowed; highest differential advances) Coin toss at the end of pool play. C. Wildcard teams will be the team(s) with the highest standings points from all teams in the division who are not automatically advancing. D. Standings will be updated hourly at the Tournament Scoreboard. The deadline to challenge the posted results will be at the conclusion of Pool Play.
16) ADVANCEMENTS	A. Pool winners (and in some cases wildcard teams) will advance to medal round play. B. Teams will play semi-final and/or championship final matches, depending on the number of teams in each pool and the format of play for that flight.
17) MEDAL-ROUNDS	A. All medal round matches ending in a tie will have two full overtime periods of five minutes in length with teams changing field direction after the first five minute period. In these matches, if still tied after overtime play, the game shall be decided by FIFA kicks from the penalty mark.
18) AWARDS	A. Medals will be presented to coaches and players from the first-place and second-place teams in divisions U19/16, U14 and U12 and to the sportsmanship winner of these divisions. B. Participation medals will be presented to each player and coach in division U10.
19) CONDUCT	A. All Coaches will be expected to set a positive example for the team, and will be held responsible for the actions of their team including spectators. All spectators must remain behind the control line and between the 18-yard lines. Two coaches maximum per team, and they must remain in the marked coaching area (within ten yards either way from midfield). B. At the conclusion of each match, the referees will indicate on the reverse of the game cards any point deductions for poor sportsmanship. Point deductions will be used as tie-breakers should that become necessary. Referees will be required to complete a game misconduct report for all misconducts during the game, as well as any incidents of interference by spectators. C. Any coach or spectator ejected must immediately leave the vicinity of the playing field (out of sight and sound) and will be prohibited from attending the next scheduled game. Any player sent off (red carded) must immediately leave the vicinity of the game (under supervision of their parent or Safe Haven-certified adult), and may not return to the field of play during the current game, including for the post-game handshake, and may not be substituted for, and is suspended from participation in the next game. There will be penalty point deductions for all send-offs (see Standings rules). D. Any violent conduct red card or ejection will result in that player/coach/spectator being barred from the remainder of the tournament. E. If it is determined that an ineligible player has participated in a game, the team will forfeit all games in which that player participated illegally. Furthermore, if it is determined that the coach knowingly played a player illegally, that coach will be barred from further participation in the tournament. F. It is mandatory to play a scheduled game. If it is determined that a coach willfully fails to have his team participate in a scheduled game, the coach will be dismissed from the tournament and the incident will be reported to the respective Regional Commissioner or Organization President/Registrar. G. All conduct problems will be reported to the respective Regional Commissioner or Organization President/Registrar. H. All Serious Incidents will be reported to the respective Regional Commissioner as well as Area, Section and National Office parties or appropriate Organization Official.
20) MEDICAL/FIRST AID	A. There will be a First Aid station at the main tent where participants may receive ice, etc. for minor injuries. B. There will be a roving first aid response staff member to respond to injuries on the field. Field Monitors will communicate via radio to call the first aid staffer to the field where first aid is requested. C. If an injury is serious, the first aid staffer or Safety Director will have a mobile phone to call 911 for emergency response. D. Directions to the nearest hospital/urgent care center will be available at the First Aid station.
21) UNIFORMS/SAFETY	A. All AYSO players must wear the approved AYSO uniform only. All players on the same team must wear matching uniforms (goalkeeper excepted – may have a different jersey – for AYSO, the logo is recommended but not required). B. Each player’s uniform must be marked with a permanently-affixed unique number that matches the uniform number on the Game Card, and may not exchange numbered jerseys with any other player during the game including the goalkeeper. C. Garments may be worn under the uniform (i.e. long sleeves, etc.) during inclement weather, however the match referee will be the judge of what should be allowed or not. D. No player will be allowed to participate in any game with any type of cast or splint. Removal of any type of cast or splint at the field or surrounding area in order to participate shall disqualify the team member from participation. E. AYSO will not prohibit the use of knee braces by players in AYSO events and programs providing that the brace is adequately covered and padded in the judgment of the referee, so as to eliminate the possibility of its causing injury to the other players on the field.
22) PROTESTS	A. Protests will be considered only for the following reasons: · An ineligible player has played. · One or more registered player(s), present and in uniform, has not played the required one half of the game (except for illness or injury as recorded by the game referee). B. All protests must be presented in writing to the Tournament Director within 1/2 hour of the completion of the game. C. All protests will be heard by a Protest Committee of at least three persons selected by the Tournament Director. In all cases, the members of the Protest Committee will be unrelated to either team involved in the protest. ALL PROTEST DECISIONS ARE FINAL! D. Referee judgment calls are FINAL and are not grounds for nor subject to protest or dispute!
23) RULES INTERPRETATION	The Tournament Director retains the right to interpret and apply the tournament rules to the optimum benefit of all tournament participants. The Tournament Director does not have the right to interpret the Laws of the Game and AYSO Modification to the Laws of the Games unless they are the appropriate “Director of Referee Instruction”
24) SPORTSMANSHIP COMPETITION	A. In addition to competing to be the overall winner of the tournament, teams will be competing to be the Best Sportsmanship Team. There will be a Sportsmanship Winner in each age division, as well as an Overall Best Sportsmanship Team for the team with the highest overall sportsmanship points in the tournament. B. A more detailed explanation of the Sportsmanship competition will be provided to referees and teams in a separate handout. C. At the conclusion of each game, Referees will score players, coaches and team spectators in different categories. D. The Winners will be announced at the end of Pool Play.