WEST END SOCCER ASSOCIATION, INC. 

PLAYING RULES 

RECREATIONAL DIVISION  

REGISTRATION: The registration period for the Recreational Division will be established by the Executive Board. The registration deadline shall be established prior to the start of the Fall Season. Any player whose registration is received after the cut off date will be placed on those teams not complete by the Player Agent. No manager shall accept a new team member without the express consent from the Division Commissioner and Player Agent. Registration fees, waivers and birth certificates will be required at least twenty-four (24) hours before the start of seasonal competition and placement will be by Board approval only. Any player not complying with the above rule will be considered ineligible for play.  

PLAYERS: Any player who is under the age of 18 before July 31^st will be eligible to play in the Recreational Division. The eligible players will play in established Divisions according to the range of ages set forth below based on a July 31^st cut off date.  

Division PK                              Under 5 years of age    8/1/03 - 12/31/04

Division K                                Under 6 years of age    8/1/02- 7/31/03

Division VII                              Under 7 years of age    8/1/01-7/31/02

Division VI:                              Under 9 years of age    8/1/99 - 7/31/01

Division V:                               Under 10 years of age  8/1/97 - 7/31/99

Division IV:                              Under 14 years of age  8/1/94 - 7/31/97

Division III:                              Under 18 years of age  8/1/90 - 7/31/94

PLAYER DRAFT:

 l.                     Each Division’s draft will be held at a time and place as established by the Executive Board. 

 

2.                  Returning players remaining in their division will be re-assigned to the same team. Un-assigned players, consisting of returning players who have moved up and new registrants will be placed in an eligible player pool sorted by age and grouped by division. Un-assigned players will be assigned a random draft number for the purpose of conducting a blind draft.   

3.                  There may be assistant coach or sponsors options. Team managers may select one player by name who’s parent or guardian will serve as an assistant coach  

 

4.                   Teams will make draft selections in each round in the reverse order of the Division’s standings. Expansion teams will make selections at the beginning of each round. Each team will only draft one player per round first exhausting all older players then continuing with subsequent age groups going oldest to youngest until roster is full. Starting back at top of draft order when new age group is started.

5.                   Only players who have registered prior to the draft will be eligible to be drafted. Late registrants will be placed on a waiting list for possible assignment by the Player Agent. Late registrations received after the draft deadline and prior to August 15^th will be placed on teams at the close of the August General meeting. Registrations received after August 15 will be placed on teams one week prior to opening day. After this time, registrants will be placed on a team as soon as feasibly possible.

 

6.                   Players will be drafted by year of birth. Teams who are to receive players other than the youngest year in the Division will make selections in established draft order, one selection at a time.

 

7.                   If a team is not represented at the draft, their selections will be made by an appointed representative.

 

8.                   Manager’s children will be placed on the parents team, counting as a third round choice, unless the child is a Travel Team member, in which case he will be considered the first round choice.

 

9.                   Siblings will be placed together, as outlined above. In the case where a team is assigned a sibling as well as the manager’s child, and both are Travel Team members; they will count as first and second round choices.

10.               Managers will notify players of team assignments within one week of the draft.

11.               Travel team rosters must be turned into the Player Agent by date and time specified by Executive Board. Those teams failing to comply, without receiving permission from the Executive Board, will forfeit receiving monies from WESA for the State carding package and league entrance fees for the upcoming travel soccer year.

PLAYING TIME: Each child in the Recreational Division is required to play a minimum of one half of each game. The only exception to this rule would be in the case of a disciplinary problem, in which case the player, Division Commissioner and opposing coach must be notified before the game. Should such a problem occur during the game, the opposing coach must be notified immediately.

 

 If a manager or coach fails to observe this rule, the league Executive Board may declare this team’s game a forfeit.

COACH/MANAGER DUTIES:  

 

 1.                  Attend draft and follow WESA Timeline.  

 2.                  Contact your team’s players by phone then by mail  

 3.                  Read and understand all WESA Recreational Division Playing Rules.  

 4.                  Comply with the WESA Code of Ethics.  

 5.                  Fill out and sign weekly game reports.  

 6.                  Attend all General Meetings.  

 7.                  Proper coaching attire must be worn (i.e. WESA Coaching shirt)  

 8.                  Coaches/Managers are encouraged to attend WESA sponsored clinics.  

 9.                  Keep current team roster and report to your Commissioner any changes.  

10.              Keep Medical Information Sheets of hand if necessary.  

 11.               Equipment received from WESA must be properly maintained. ALL WESA EQUIPMENT MUST BE TURNED IN AT THE LAST GENERAL MEETING.  

 12.              Call all your players one week prior to the WESA Banquet and encourage them to attend.

 COACH/MANAGER TIMELINE: 
 1.                  DRAFT: Receive information packet  

 2.                  FIRST GENERAL MEETING: Receive Equipment  

 3.                  SECOND GENERAL MEETING: Turn in all forms, Receive uniforms and Schedules.  

 4.                  THIRD GENERAL MEETING: Coach/Manager Appreciation Night.  

 5.                  FOURTH GENERAL MEETING: Turn in equipment, Submit names for special awards, Most improved, Most Valuable Team Player, Sportsmanship Award. 

 COACH/MANAGER REQUIRED PAPERWORK: 
1.                  New Jersey Youth Soccer Disclosure Statement. 

 2.                  Coach/Manager Information Sheet.  

 3.                  Coach/Manager Code of Ethics Form.  

 The above paperwork will be handed out at the draft and must be completed, signed and turned in at the second general meeting. Failure to comply may result in not receiving team uniforms and schedules.  

MANAGER ASSIGNMENTS: The Division Commissioner will check with each manager scheduled to return to a team to see if he of she is going to continue managing, or if a coach or parent from the previous year is interested in managing the team.  

 After determining the number of vacancies, the Division Commissioner will select the proper number of new managers.  

 A meeting will be held between the Commissioner and the new managers, at which time the managers will express their team preference. If only one individual requests a given team, he or she will be assigned to that position. Should more than one individual request the same team, the assignment will be made by a random drawing.  

 SCHEDULE: The schedule of competition of this Division may be established by 1) the Player Agent, or 2) the Division Commissioner with the approval of the Executive Board. The Division Commissioner will be responsible for scheduling all make-up games.  

 STANDINGS: The standing of the teams shall be determined by points. Two (2) points shall be awarded to the winning team, one (I) point shall be awarded to each team in the event of a tie, and no points shall be awarded to the losing team.  

 CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Division Commissioners, of there respective Divisions with the approval of the Executive Board, shall have the power to make full arrangements for the determination of the championship whether by season standing or through some type of play-off arrangement.  

 When teams finish the season tied in points, the playoff seedings will be established by implementing the following tiebreakers:

 1.                  Head to Head Competition  

 

 2.                  Most wins  

 3.                  Least goals against in all games  

 4.                  Coin toss by Commissioner with both managers present. Should more than two teams tie for a position, the Head to Head Competition tiebreaker will not be considered. These tiebreakers will be used to establish playoff seedings. Teams that tie in total points in the regular season will be awarded Co-Championship in the Division, or will each receive any other place awards established by the League.  

 There shal1 be no playoff championships for Division V and Division VI. For Division V and Division VI, post season play shal1 consist of an Al1-Star game made up of players from each team representing second year players. The number of players identified by each team shall be established by the Division Commissioner with the advice of the Executive Board. For Division V, no travel team players may be assigned to the All-Star team. The Coaches to be assigned to each All-Star team shal1 be from those teams in each Division which shall have finished 1^st  and 2^nd in regular season play.  

CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS: The winning teams in Division V, IV, and III shall be given suitable awards by the West End Soccer Association, on (1) for each registered player thereof. At the discretion of the Executive Board, additional awards may be made.  

 TRAVEL TEAMS: All players who are selected on a West End Travel Team must play in the West End Recreation Program through Division VI. If a player, who desires to play on a West End Recreation Team, is selected to play on a West End Travel Team, he shall be removed from the draft for his division each year. The Travel player shall be assigned to a Recreation team by the Player Agent after the draft is completed. In making the assignment of such players, the Player Agent shal1 attempt to evenly distribute such Travel Team players among the Recreation teams in the Division. 

 A player who participates in both the Travel and Recreation Program must honor his commitment to play on his recreation team unless there is a direct conflict. A "direct conflict" occurs when the Travel League game is scheduled at home and there is less than one hour between the ending of the Recreation game and the beginning of the Travel League game. 

 In the event of a direct conflict between a scheduled Recreation game and a scheduled Travel League game, the Travel League game takes priority and the Travel Player shall not play his recreational game. 

·         In the event that there is no direct conflict between the scheduled Recreation game and a scheduled Travel League game, a Travel player must participate in both. In this situation, the Travel player shall only play the first half of his Recreation game.  

 ·         In the event of an away scheduled Travel League game, the Travel player may play his Recreation game, if there is more than one hour between the ending of his Recreation game and the beginning of the Travel League game.  

 ·         In those situations where the Travel League game is played before the Recreation game, the Travel player may play in this Recreation game. 

 A Travel Team player who has a State Cup game shall not play in a recreational game on the same day regardless of whether or not there is a direct conflict. (This is a restatement of the existing State Cup Rule). 

 A player that plays both travel and recreational must attend at least one recreational practice per week. A Recreational game takes priority over a Travel practice if there is a direct conflict. A Travel practice takes priority over a Recreational practice so long as the player satisfies his commitment of one Recreational practice per week. Wednesday will be set aside for Travel Team practice, no Recreational team will practice on that day. 

 In the event of a violation of this rule, it must be brought to the attention of the Executive Board. The Board shall review any violation on a case to case basis and shall be authorized to impose an appropriate penalty to the offending player and/or manager including, but not limited to, warning or suspension, from one team or both. 

Any boy participating in West End Soccer, who desires to play for an out-of-League travel team, forfeits his right to play West End Soccer in-house. 

 MISCONDUCT: Any player receiving a red card will be disqualified from the next scheduled game. Any player ordered off the field by a referee will be notified within five (5) days by the Secretary if he is suspended or under probation. A player may request a hearing, to be scheduled at the discretion of the Executive Board. If said player or players do not appear when notified, the suspension will continue indefinitely.

LAWS OF THE GAME:

The Laws under which the Recreational Division play is conducted shall follow the FIF A Laws of the Game unless modified herein.

 Law 1: THE FIELD: A standard soccer field is rectangular and between 100-130 yards long and 50­100 yards wide. The dimensions are often changed; however, depending on the age of the players. As a general rule, the younger the player - the smaller the field.

 

 Law 2: The ball size used will be NO.5 for Division III and IV and NO.4 for Division V and VI.  

 Law 3: The Players - Each team consists of eleven (11) players, one of whom must be the goalkeeper. In Division VI, the team will consist of seven (7) players on the field. A team must have a minimum· of eight (8) players (six (6) in Division VI) to start a game. 

 

 

 A team may not continue to play with fewer than seven (7) players (five (5) in Division VI) at which time the game will be called a forfeit.

 There is no limit to the number of substitutes from off the field. Substitutions may be made during the following stoppages of play:

 ·        After a goal has been scored.  
·        Between Halves and Quarters   
·        On a Goal Kick, Corner Kick and Thrown-In (possession only)  
·        Injury-Only for injured player(s). Opposing team may substitute a like number.
·        If a player is attended to on the field, he must be substituted.  
·        A disqualified player must be removed from the field without substitution, and is ineligible for his team’s next game.  
·        A player who receives a yellow card may be substituted, and may not return until the next stoppage when his team may make a substitution. 
·        A team must substitute for a player who is bleeding. If there is an excessive amount of blood on the uniform, it must be changed or rinsed with a solution or peroxide and water or bleach and water (10 to I mix). 

Entry onto the field by a substitute, trainer or coach is prohibited without approval of the referee.  

Law 4: Player Equipment - A shirt, shorts, socks, covering the shin guards, and soccer shoes are required. The Goalkeeper must wear colors that distinguish him from the other players. Jewelry may not be worn, unless religious or medical, in which case it must be taped inside the uniform. A player may not wear anything that, in the opinion of the referee, will be harmful to himself or another player. Player’s jerseys shall be tucked in their shorts prior to and during the entire game. Uniforms may not be altered in any manner.   

Law 5: Referees - One or two referees are appointed for each Match. They are responsible for control of the game and enforcing the rules. The decision of the referee shall be final.  

Law 7: Duration of the game shall be as follows:  

 

Division III - 35 minute halves

Division IV - 30 minute halves

Division V - 15 minute quarters

Division VI - 12 minute quarters

There will be no overtime except in the playoffs. Should a playoff game go into overtime, the following format will be observed:

Two five minute overtime periods. (No sudden death). Alternating shootout, five players for each team from players on the field at the end of the second overtime period. If neither team has advantage after five shots, continue penalty shots until one player scores and his opponent misses, utilizing all players on the field.  

 

 

 

Law 8: The Start of Play - Games will start in accordance with Division schedules. There will be a ten-minute grace period allowed. After the grace period has expired, if a team does not have sufficient players to start the game (See Law 2) a forfeit will be declared and will be scored 1-0.  

 

A flip of a coin decides which team will kick off. Each team must stay on its own side of the field and defending players must remain at least ten yards from the ball until it is kicked. The ball must move forward before it may be played by another player. After a goal, the team scored upon will kick off. After halftime, the teams change ends and the kick off will be taken by the opposite team to that which started the game. A goal can be scored directly from a kick off.  

 

Law 9: Ball In and Out of Play - The ball is out of play when (a) it has wholly crossed the goal line or the touch line, whether on the ground or in the air, or (b) when the game is stopped by the referee.  

 

Law 10: Method of Scoring - A goal is scored when the entire ball has passed over the goal line, between the goal posts, and under the crossbar.  

 

Law 11: Offside - A Player is offside if he’s nearer his opponents goal line than the ball at the moment the ball is played and there are less than two defenders between him and the goal; and his is, in the opinion of the referee (a) interfering with play or with an opponent, or (b) seeking to gain an advantage by being in the position. Unless (I) he is in his own half of the field of play, (2) there are two of his opponents nearer to their own goal line than he is, (3) the ball was last touched by an opponent or was last played by him, or (4) he receives the ball directly from a goal kick, comer kick, throw in or when it was dropped by the referee.  

 

Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct - A player who intentionally attempts to or actually (1) kicks, (2) trips, (3) strikes, (4) jumps at, (5) charges violently, (6) pushes an opponent, (7) holds an opponent, (8) spits at an opponent, (9) intentionally handles the ball (this does not apply to the Goalkeeper when in his own penalty area), or (10) tackles an opponent making contact with the opponent before making contact with the ball shall be penalized by a direct free kick. Anyone of these ten offenses committed in the penalty area by a defender will result in a penalty kick to the offensive team.  

 

A Player committing less flagrant violations such as offside dangerous play, obstructions, charging fairly with the shoulder when the ball is not within playing distance, ungentlemanly conduct, of a Goalkeeper within his own penalty area (I) takes more than six seconds to release the ball into play, (2) touches it again with his hands before it has been played by another player outside the penalty area, (3) touches the ball with his hands after it was deliberately kicked to him by a teammate, (4) touches the ball with his hands after it has been thrown in to him by a teammate, or (5) indulges in tactics which, in the opinion of the referee, are designed merely to hold up the game and thus waste time, will be penalized by an indirect fee kick.  

 

The issuance of yellow and red cards will follow the following rules:  

 

I) Divisions V & VI governed by FIFA rules  

 

2) Divisions II & IV governed by H.S. rules 

 

Law 13: Free Kicks - Are classified into two categories. Direct (from which a goal can be scored directly against the side) and Indirect (from which a goal cannot be scored unless the ball has been touched by a player other than the kicker before entering the goal). 

 

Any indirect free kick awarded the attacking team within its opponents goal area shall be taken from the goal area line which runs parallel to the goal line, at the point nearest to where the offense was committed. 

 

For all free kicks, the offending team must be at least ten yards from the ball until it is kicked.  

 

Law 14: Penalty Kick ~ A direct free kick taken from the penalty mark. All players, except the player taking the kick, and the Goalkeeper, must stay outside the penalty area and at least ten yards from the ball (hence the arc at the edge or the penalty area). The ball must be touched by another player before the playing taking the penalty shot may strike it again.  

 

Law 15: Throw-In - When the ball has wholly crossed the touch line, it is put back into play by a throw-in from the spot where it went out and by a player from the opposite team that last touched it. The thrower at the moment of delivering the ball must face the field of play and a part of each foot shall be either on or behind the touchline. The thrower shall use both hands and shall deliver the ball from behind and over his head. The thrower may not again play the ball until it has been touched by another player. A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in.  

 

Law 16: Goal Kick - When the ball has wholly crossed the goal line after being last touched by a player from the attacking team, it is put back into play by a kick from the goal area by the defending team. If the ball is not kicked beyond the penalty area directly into play, it shall be re-kicked.  

 

Law 17: Comer Kicks - When the ball has wholly crossed the goal line after being last touched by a player from the defending team, it is put back into play from the comer of the side where the ball went out by the attacking team.