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Eastern
Massachusetts Men’s Soccer Association
I. Team
Member Dues
A.
The team fees
shall be set by the Board of Directors. Such fees shall be
forwarded with the registration form(s) to the league on or
before the specified dates set by the Board of Directors. Any
team not in compliance of this rule will be fined $100; and will
be subject to a disciplinary action by the Board of Directors.
B.
Any team dropping
out of the league shall forfeit all fees and fines paid to date.
II.
Forfeiture/Fine Bond
A.
A Forfeiture Bond
of $100 will be paid by each team prior to the start of the
season. This bond will be held in escrow for referee or fine
payment, should a team incur a fine for either missing a General
Meeting or forfeiting a match.
B.
Any use of the
Forfeiture Bond during the season must be replenished by the
offending team to the EMMSA Treasurer within ten (10) days of
the forfeit/fine. Failure to comply will result in forfeiture
of all games until the bond is replenished.
C.
At the end of the
season, all teams in good standing will receive a full refund of
their Forfeiture Bond.
Eastern
Massachusetts Men’s Soccer Association
Current FIFA and USSF rules of
play shall be in effect except as specifically stated otherwise
in these rules.
The playing season will begin
on the dates specified by the Board of Directors.
I.
Eligibility
A.
There is no
specified age requirement for participation in EMMSA, however
all players who are minors must have the MASS waiver form signed
by their parent or guardian.
II.
Registration
A.
New teams
desiring to join the league must submit an application in the
form of a non-refundable deposit of $100.
B.
All teams must
submit a roster, map and fee to the Board of
Directors by the dates specified by the Board of Directors.
C.
The Board of
Directors shall be the final authority on all matters concerning
eligibility of teams that fail to meet the registration
requirements.
D.
Teams which fail
to submit the required materials [roster, map and fee]
by the due dates shall be assessed a $100 fine. The postmark of
the letter will be used as final proof.
E.
All new teams
will be reviewed by the Board of Directors and placed in the
appropriate Division. In case of team(s) dropping out, the
Board of Directors will readjust the affected division(s).
III.
Rosters & Number of Players
A.
All teams must
submit an official EMMSA Roster/Game form with all required
information or the roster will not be considered valid for legal
play. A different form may not be substituted for the official
EMMSA Roster/Game form.
B.
Rosters are
frozen at midnight of the Monday prior to the fifth scheduled
game.
C.
Teams who make
changes to their rosters after the league meeting shall send any
revised roster to the EMMSA Registrar before any new
players are allowed to play. Again, the postmark will be used
as final proof. No oral changes will be accepted.
D.
Teams using
ineligible players will forfeit all games from the beginning of
the season up to and including the game in which the player is
discovered. The team will also be assessed a $100 fine.
E.
Once the rosters
are finalized, no person may play for more than one team in a
season.
F.
The Registrar or
Board member designated to receive registrations shall retain
all postmarked materials from teams for a period of three (3)
months to substantiate the correctness of any assessments.
Additional records shall be kept if deemed necessary by the
Board of Directors.
G. Maximum
number of players per team shall be twenty-four (24) for
all divisions.
IV.
Uniforms and Equipment
A.
Equipment shall
consist of matching uniform shirts with clearly legible and
unique numbers, shorts, socks, shinguards, and shoes meeting
FIFA requirements. Players shall be able to wear spandex or
other non-dangerous supporting material during league games.
B.
Three regulation #5
ball must be provided by the home team.
C.
Players’ numbers
must match their numbers on the team roster, any exception must
be disclosed to the referee and the opposing manager prior to
the start of the game. A team which does not comply with this
rule shall forfeit the game and be fined $50.
D.
A goalkeeper
playing as a position player must wear a numbered uniform shirt.
E.
In the event of a
similar color uniform, the home team must use alternate shirts.
In such cases, numbers are not required.
V.
Officials
A.
A referee will be
assigned by the coordinator(s) appointed by the Board of
Directors.
B.
If a referee does
not appear, the home team is responsible to provide a substitute
agreeable to both teams. If the teams cannot agree on the
substitute referee, they may reschedule the game.
C.
The referee shall
be the official time-keeper.
D.
In the event that
a team(s) forfeits a game due to lack of attendance, the referee
will receive full payment.
E.
Referee relations
will be handled by the EMMSA referee coordinator. Any
suggestions, problems, or concerns of the referee must be placed
in writing and forwarded to the EMMSA Board of Directors.
F.
Referees must
submit the official EMMSA game report to the appropriate Board
member. Referees should retain photocopies of their original
game reports for their own records.
VI. Number
Of Players
A.
Maximum number of players per team shall
be twenty-four (24) for all divisions.
B.
A minimum of
seven players must be on the field at the start of the game to
constitute a legal game. A team which goes below the minimum as
a result of ejections will forfeit the game.
VII.
Preliminary to Games
A.
The referee’s fee
must be paid by both teams before the match commences. A team
which fails to pay the appropriate fee prior to game time shall
forfeit the match (2-0).
B.
Prior to each
game, the referee will confirm that each player is on the
official EMMSA team roster. A player not on the roster is
ineligible to play. Verification must be via a picture ID
(driver’s license, immigration card, passport, or registry of
motor vehicle picture ID). Only originals will be accepted.
C.
Team managers are
required to hand the referee and the opposing coach an official
EMMSA roster prior to the start of the game. Under no
circumstances can the game start without these acts. Failure to
submit an official roster prior to the game will result in a
forfeit (2-0). Only stamped copies of the last roster submitted
to the league are official.
VIII. Game
Time and Place
A.
Games shall be
played on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 1815 ET or as
indicated in the schedule, unless both teams mutually agree to
change the time of day.
B.
Teams must be
present on the field of play fifteen (15) minutes prior to
scheduled kickoff.
C.
It is the
responsibility of the home team to provide a playable field at
game time. If the home field is unplayable two hours prior to
kickoff and will be unplayable at the time of kickoff, the home
team must notify the away team and the referee coordinator of
cancellation or field change to avoid a forfeit. If the field
is unplayable/unavailable and the away team has an available
field, the venue will be switched. If the other team refuses,
it will forfeit the game (2-0).
D.
There will be a minimum of a 15
minute grace period for teams to assemble enough players to
play. Every effort will be made to play the game.
IX. Playing
Periods
A.
Normal playing
period will consist of two forty-five (45) minute halves.
B.
No overtime will
be played in a regular season game.
C.
All games shall
be completed except that, in the event a game is canceled
because of inclement weather or other hazards, the game will:
1.
be replayed
entirely if at least 45 minutes remain to be played.
2.
If
the first half has been completed then the result stands.
X.
Substitutions
A.
Unlimited
substitutions are allowed with the consent of the referee at any
stoppage of play.
XI.
Cautions and Ejections
A.
A player ejected
from a game cannot play in the next game played. A player
ejected from two (2) games cannot play in the following two (2)
games and is subject to further action by the Board of
Directors. A player ejected from three (3) games is
automatically suspended for the remainder of the season and is
subject to further action by the Board of Directors. If ejected
at the last game of the season, the suspension shall be served
in the following season or in play-offs. Changing teams will
not avoid the suspension(s).
B.
Ejected players
are to leave the field of play and the vicinity of the playing
area as defined by the referee. If an ejected player refuses to
vacate the field and its vicinity or causes dissent, the referee
shall stop the game, and the player’s team shall forfeit the
game. The player in question shall be subject to disciplinary
action by the Board of Directors.
C.
Any time a player
accumulates six (6) yellow cards in one season, he will be
suspended from participating in the next game. This suspension
shall count as one ejection (red card). Accumulating an
additional six (6) yellow cards, totaling 12 for the season,
will result in immediate suspension for that individual pending
review by the Board.
D.
A team which
receives a total of fourteen (14) yellow cards (one red card
equals two (2) yellow cards) within one season shall be
penalized three (3) points in their division standings. A team
with twenty (20) yellow cards will be penalized an additional
three (3) points in their standings and shall be subject to
disciplinary action by the Board of Directors.
E.
A Division
Director shall have the authority to suspend until the next
Board meeting any player(s) involved in physical or violent
acts.
F.
Physical and/or
violent acts committed against an opponent or referee shall not
be tolerated within the EMMSA. Players or managers who commit
such an act shall be subject to immediate and severe action,
pending a meeting of the Board of Directors.
XII.
Results and League Standings
A.
Three (3) points
shall be awarded for a win or a forfeit.
B.
One (1) point
shall be awarded for a tie.
C.
Zero (0) points
shall be awarded for a loss or a forfeit.
D.
All results and
cautions shall be called to the Division Director by the home
team no later than twenty-four (24) hours after the game.
E.
If teams are tied
on points, the following rules shall be used to break the tie:
-
Head-to-Head competition
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Goal difference
-
Goals For
XllI.
Canceled Play-off Games
A.
If any play-off
final is canceled due to adverse weather conditions and cannot
be rescheduled amicably between the two teams prior to the start
of the next season, the two finalists shall be named
co-champions.
B.
If any semi-final
game is canceled due to adverse weather conditions and cannot be
rescheduled amicably between the two teams, the EMMSA president
or a neutral assignee will reschedule the game. The team which
declines to play at the time and place designated by EMMSA shall
forfeit the game (2-0). If the game cannot be rescheduled, the
team with the best record advances to the final.
XlV.
Protests
A.
The EMMSA
President shall be chairman of the protest committee, unless the
case involves a direct conflict of interest. In this case,
another EMMSA Board member will chair the committee. The
protest committee shall consist of five (5) at large members
appointed by the Board of Directors.
B.
Game protests
must be submitted in writing and postmarked within seventy-two
(72) hours of the game date. All protests must be mailed to the
appropriate Board member with a $50 dollar fee.
C.
A protest of any
Board action shall be submitted within seventy-two (72) hours of
the notification. If the fine is not upheld, or is protested,
payment must be made by the next registration date. Failure to
do so will void the registration of such team(s).
D.
If a protest is
upheld, the fee shall be refunded.
XV.
Conduct
A.
All members of
the team are expected to conduct themselves in a manner
befitting this league and the adults who play in it. It is the
manager/coach’s responsibility to control his players and
spectators.
B.
Any player or
team verbally or physically abusing the referee and/or his
property will be dealt with severely, up to, and including,
being banned from the league for life.
C.
No alcoholic
beverages are permitted on or around the playing field before or
during the game.
XVI.
Playoffs
A With the current 16 team, 2
conference format; 6 teams will make the playoffs – top 3 in
each division. Top team will get a bye to semi-finals. 2nd
place finisher will play 3rd place finisher in other
division to see who advances to the semi-finals
B Home team advantage will be
decided by record.
C. All field expenses for playoff
games will be split between the 2 teams competing.
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