Tournament Rules
UNITED CUP 2015
Tualatin Hills United Soccer Club (THUSC)
RULES OF COMPETITION


(WHEREVER THE TERM "TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR(S)" IS USED, IT SHALL ALSO BE INTERPRETED TO MEAN "OR IN HIS/HER ABSENCE, A DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE")

1. GENERAL

The Tournament Director(s) will have jurisdiction over all games played in the tournament. The Tournament Director (s) will resolve all disputes.

The official tournament website, THUSC.ORG, is the primary means of providing official information to participating teams. Any emails received from the Tournament Director(s) shall be considered official decisions of the Tournament Director(s). In addition to email,mike@premierinternationaltours.com, the Tournament Director(s) can also be contacted at 1(800)724-6076.

2. ELIGIBILITY OF PLAYERS

A. Coaches are responsible for ensuring the eligibility of their players. All team rosters must be submitted at check in and all players must meet the eligibility requirements specified under B and C below.

B. Ages of Players

BOYS AND GIRLS

1. Under 9 – Born August 1, 2006 to July 31, 2007
2. Under 10 – Born August 1, 2005 to July 31, 2006
3. Under 11 – Born August 1, 2004 to July 31, 2005
4. Under 12 – Born August 1, 2003 to July 31, 2004
5. Under 13 – Born August 1, 2002 to July 31, 2003
6. Under 14 - Born August 1, 2001 to July 31, 2002
7. Under 15 - Born August 1, 2000 to July 31, 2001
8. Under 16 - Born August 1, 1999 to July 31, 2000
9. Under 17 - Born August 1, 1998 to July 31, 1999
10. Under 18 - Born August 1, 1997 to July 31, 1998
11. Under 19 - Born August 1, 1996 to July 31, 1997


C. Players must be registered in a USYSA or CSA program as of June 1, 2015.

D. Up to three (3) “guest” players are permitted on each team for U9 and U10 teams and up to five (5) “guest” players are permitted on each team for all other age groups. (A guest player is a “registered player participating in a competition for a team to which the player is not rostered for purposes of league play.”) Additional guest players may be added only at the discretion of the tournament director.

E. Failure to prove eligibility or falsifying eligibility of player(s) will result in the team(s) expulsion from the tournament and forfeiture of all games that the team won or tied. That team shall have all games recorded as losses by a score of 0 - 3.

F. All coaches must carry medical release forms for each player at all times.

G. Your Club President or Club Registrar certifying the eligibility of the players must sign the Tournament Roster.
US Club Soccer rosters do not need to be signed.
H. Valid Member Passes (Players Cards) are required for all players participating in the United Cup. These Member Passes will be checked at credential check in and/or game site.
I. Teams entering the tournament from outside the state of Oregon MUST obtain permission to travel from their National State Association. This will require either US Soccer Club Cards and roster or a copy of the “travel papers” from their home state. This information will need to be provided at tournament registration. Exceptions to this rule are players traveling from Idaho or Washington who no longer need to present travel papers.

J. 8th grade wavier forms will be accepted.

3. FIELD OF PLAY

A. THUSC will be responsible for preparing fields for play.

B. THUSC will supply the goal nets and corner flags.

C. Each coach is responsible for clean up of the general area after each game.

4. TEAMS

A. A minimum of eleven (11) players shall constitute a team for all age brackets except U9 where eight (8) players constitute a team.

B. The maximum number of players on a game roster shall be fifteen (15) for U9-U15 and eighteen (18) for all other age groups.

C. The HOME TEAM shall change jerseys if the referee determines that there is a color conflict in uniforms. The HOME TEAM is the first team listed on the schedule or playoff bracket. ALL TEAMS MUST HAVE A COLOR CHANGE OF UNIFORMS.

D. Teams for all games shall remain on designated sides of the field of play—spectators shall remain on the opposite side of the field from the players and coaches.

E. Only three (3) coaches per team are allowed on the sidelines. The coach may convey tactical instructions to players during the match. The coach and other officials, however, must remain within the confines of the technical area, and they must conduct themselves, at all times, in a responsible manner. (The technical area shall be defined as the area directly in front of a team’s bench area.) Also, coaches and substitute players shall allow enough room for the assistant referees to carry out their designated duties.

F. Spectators shall remain at least three (3) yards away from the touchlines and away from the area behind the goal lines.

G. Teams shall present a team roster to the referee prior to the match.

H. Each player on the team shall wear a shirt with a different number and may not exchange it with another player for the duration of that game. (goalkeeper shirt excepted.) Players shall not wear anything, which is considered by the referee to be a danger to themselves, teammates, or opposing players. No casts or hard braces of any type will be permitted.

I. All uniforms shall be in accordance with USYSA National Rules and Regulations.

J. Teams should arrive at the field one (1) hour prior to the start of each game. See Section 13 for check in procedures and requirements.

K. All teams must be available and prepared to play at 8:00 A.M. on Friday, July 12, 2015 if so scheduled.

5. REFEREES AND ASSISTANT REFEREES
A. The Tournament Referee Assignor shall assign Referees and assistant referees.

B. All games shall be officiated by the diagonal system of control (1 referee and 2 assistant referees).

C. Referees shall at all times enforce the most current FIFA Laws of the Game, USYSA/OYSA Rules and Regulations, and these THUSC Invitational Rules of Competition.

D. Properly completed and signed game reports must be forwarded by the referee to a Tournament Official.

E. Referees must file a formal written report for any misconduct that occurred before, during, or after the game.

F. Referees and Assistant Referees are entitled to and shall receive the highest degree of respect from all players, coaches, and spectators.

6. GAMES
A. All games will be played on the tournament-designated soccer fields in Beaverton, Oregon. The field locations and assignments by age group will be furnished at least 7 days prior to the first scheduled game.

B. Size of balls:
U9 through U-12 - Size 4
U-13 through U-18 - Size 5

C. The referee's acceptance of the game ball is final and may not be questioned.

D. U9 games will be 6 vs 6, U10 games shall be 8 vs 8 and U11,U12 games shall be 9 vs. 9. U13 through U19 games shall be 11 vs. 11.

E. Duration of games - All pool and consolation games will be two (2) halves of thirty (30) minutes each. (All age groups except U9-10). All pool and consolation games for the U10 & U9 level will be two (2) halves of twenty-five (25) minutes each. Consolation games may end in a tie.

NOTE: Venue coordinators reserve the right to modify
the length of halves at any time during tournament play
to ensure completion of all scheduled matches.

Semi-finals and Finals will be full-length games according to the following schedule:
U-9 Twenty Five Minute halves
U-10, U-11 and U-12 Thirty (30) Minute halves
U-13 and U-14 - Thirty five (35) Minute halves
U-15 - U-18 Thirty five (35) Minute halves

F. Forfeits and Byes – All teams who forfeit will have the game(s) scored a 0-1 loss. The winner will be awarded 3 tournament points. Teams failing to report ready to play within 5 minutes of the scheduled kick off time will forfeit. Home teams unable to supply alternate jerseys will forfeit. Teams failing to check in at the mandatory registration will forfeit. Byes will be scored and tournament points award the same as a forfeit.

G. In the event games are postponed because of weather conditions, or other unforeseen circumstances, the Tournament director(s) shall reschedule the games at the
earliest possible date and time. In the event the games must be canceled, no refund of fees will be made.

H. If a forfeit game exists for any reason, goal differential will not be used to determine the winner of pool play.

7. TOURNAMENT FORMAT
A. The tournament is a "round robin" type of tournament.

12-Team groups: Teams will be organized into three four team pools. Each team will play every team in their pool. At the conclusion of pool play, the three 1st place teams plus the second place team with the highest point total shall advance to the semi-finals. The winners of these two semi final matches shall play in the championship match. Consolation matches shall be determined by the tournament director.

10-Team groups: Teams will be organized into two five team pools. Each team will play every team in their pool. At the conclusion of pool play, the 1st place team shall play the 1st place team of the opposite pool for the championship.

8-Team groups: Teams will be organized into two four team pools. Each team will play every team in their pool. At the conclusion of pool play, the 1st place team from one pool shall play the 2nd place team of the opposite pool as semi-final. The winners of the semi-final games shall play in a championship match. The 3rd place team and the 4th place teams of each pool shall play the same placed team of the other pool as a consolation match.

6-Team groups: Teams will be organized into two three team pools. Each team in a pool will play every team in the opposing pool. The teams will be ranked according to points across both pools, with the top two teams matched to play the championship and 3rd vs 4th and 5th vs 6th.

5-Team groups: Teams will be organized into one five team pool. Each team will play every team in their pool. At the conclusion of pool play, the 1st place and 2nd place teams shall advance to the championship match.

4-Team groups: Teams will be organized into one four team pool. Each team will play every team in their pool. At the conclusion of pool play, the 1st place and 2nd place teams shall advance to the championship match. The 3rd and 4th place teams shall play a consolation match.

B. For standings in pool play, points will be awarded as follows:

3 points for a win
1 points for a draw
0 points for a loss

C. All games will count fully toward determining the winners of each pool.

D. If there is a tie in points at the end of pool play (including 3 way ties), the final pool standings will be decided by using the following "tie-breakers" in the order in which they are listed (until a tie is broken and a team is eliminated):

1. HEAD-TO-HEAD PLAY (outcome of the game involving the tied teams)

2. GOAL DIFFERENTIAL (goals scored less goals allowed, with a maximum differential of positive or negative four (4) per game)

3. TEAM WITH LOWEST GOALS AGAINST (maximum of 4 per game)
4. TEAM WITH HIGHEST GOALS FOR (maximum of 4 per game)

5. (To determine advancement to semi final or championship rounds only) TAKING OF KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK (“Shootout”)

(To determine advancement to consolation rounds only) COIN FLIP

Shootouts will occur at the earliest convenient time after the completion of pool play or as determined by the Tournament director(s).

Only eleven (11) players per side are eligible to take kicks during the shootout. The teams before the beginning of the kicks must identify these players. The team winning the coin flip shall kick first. The goalkeeper may be changed before or after any penalty kick with one of the eleven (11) named players.

E. There will be no overtime in pool play or in consolation matches. Draws will be recorded as such.
F. If a team that is scheduled to play a semi final or championship match is unable to play or chooses not to play the match, that team will not be classified as a semi finalist or finalist and will not receive awards. In this situation, the tournament director, at his/her discretion, may appoint an alternate team to play in the semi final or championship match(es).

8. SUBSTITUTION OF PLAYERS

A. Free substitution will be allowed at any time the ball is out of play, with the permission of the referee.
B. The referee may refuse a substitution request if such request is considered by the referee as:
• a tactical ploy to waste time
• an attempt to take away an advantage possessed by the opposing team
• an interruption to the flow of the match.

C. A substitute may not enter the field of play until given permission to do so by the referee.
D. In any U16 or older group which will include more than one (1) foreign team, FIFA limited substitution rules will apply as indicated in Law 3 of the most current FIFA Laws of the Game. In said case, it is determined that three substitutions shall be permitted of seven named.

9. SEMI-FINAL & CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES TIED AT THE COMPLETION OF NORMAL TIME

A. If a Semi Final or Championship match is tied at the end of normal time, two (2) extra time periods shall be played.

Length of each extra time period:

U-9 and U-10: three (3) minutes
U-11 and U-12: five (5) minutes
U-13 through U-16: eight (8) minutes
U-17 through U-19: eight (8) minutes

A coin flip shall determine the team kicking off and in which direction to begin the first extra time period. If a team is playing short because of ejections, that team will continue to play short during the extra time periods.

The teams shall change ends of the field after the end of the first extra time period. No half time will be permitted. Play must begin immediately.

B. If the match is still tied following the extra time periods, the winner shall be determined by TAKING OF KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK. The procedures dictated in the most current FIFA Laws of the Game shall be observed in Taking of Kicks from the Penalty Mark.

Only the players on the field at the termination of the second overtime period may take penalty kicks; none of these players may be exempted from taking a kick if the number of kicks required to be taken equals or exceeds the number of players on the field.

The goalkeeper may be changed before or after any particular kick provided that the player becoming the goalkeeper was a player at the end of extra time.

10. MISCONDUCT

A. Any player who is sent off by the referee (red card/expulsion) must immediately leave the game site area so as not to be within sight or sound (as determined by the referee). Any coach or team official who is dismissed by the referee must immediately leave the game site area so as not to be within sight or sound (as determined by the referee). In the event an individual refuses to leave, the referee shall suspend the game and report the occurrence. The Tournament director(s) shall then declare forfeiture by the offending team.
B. The referee will file an official report of any misconduct to a designated Tournament Official.
C. The penalty for a player sent off or coach/team official dismissal shall be a one (1) game suspension (the following game), unless otherwise determined by the Tournament Director(s). Stronger penalties, including expulsion from the tournament, may be imposed depending on the circumstances.
D. Three (3) ejections by any team will be grounds for dismissal of the team from the tournament with no refund.

11. PROTESTS
A. No protests are allowed and none will be heard.

12. INJURIES
Any injury to a participant, or damage caused by a participant, must be reported to Tournament Officials. THUSC will make all efforts to provide a trainer throughout the tournament, but it makes no guarantee that Trainer will be on-site at all times. Field Marshals will be present at each field and will contact the trainer. The trainer will be set-up next to the tournament headquarters tent at the THPRD Rec Center.

13. TEAM CHECK-IN PROCEDURE

A. The date and time of check in will be announced on the club website, thusc.org.
B. An accurate team roster, member passes (player cards), medical releases and age verification for each player are required at check in. Coaches must be prepared to provide proof of age for each player via player identification card AT ANY TIME DURING THE TOURNAMENT. Additional age verification checks may be made prior to or during any semifinal, championship or other match.
C Team roster consists of the names of all players, birth date of each player, and jersey number (and alternate). Also include the name of the club, name of the team, name of coaches and managers. Please provide 6 copies of your roster at the time of check-in to be stamped for any games.
D. If the required information is not presented for a particular player, that player will not be allowed to participate in the tournament until all missing information on that player is presented. At the conclusion of preliminary round play, any player without the required documentation will be considered ineligible for semi final and championship matches.
E. Only players who meet the eligibility requirements in Section 2 will be allowed to participate in tournament play.
F. The following will occur at check-in time:
1. Final Roster Submission (6 copies)
2. Notification of Game Schedule Changes
3. Medical Release Form Verification
4. Review of Proof of Age for Each Player


THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR(S) WILL Decide UPON ANY SITUATION OR SUBJECT NOT COVERED BY THE AFOREMENTIONED RULES. REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN AT THE DISCREATION OF THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR.