Winter Indoor Rules

Livingston FC Adult Soccer League
Winter Indoor at the FA 2024-25

Code of Conduct and Rules of Play

FIFA RULES

  • FIFA rules will apply in all cases not covered by these local rules

NO REFUNDS

  • No refunds will be provided to players before or after the season starts

INDEMNITY

  • PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK! All players agree to all of these rules and FA waivers when they register and submit payment
  • You will get hurt and soccer is a contact sport. Do not play if you suffer from any condition that may lead to injury, feel you will not get injured, are already injured, recovering from an injury, surgery, heart condition, etc.
  • All league participants are required to agree to and (digitally) sign a waiver that indemnifies all individuals involved in the league including, players, organizers, managers, The Football Academy, Florham Park Dome, and any others involved from any liability including gross negligence
  • Players cannot enter the field without agreeing to the rules and (digitally) signing the waivers
  • Players are required to carry their own health insurance and the league is not responsible for any costs relating to injuries
  • If a serious injury occurs, players and spectators are encouraged to assist that player in receiving immediate care or to call for help if needed. The game will be paused to make sure said player is attended to and will not continue until the referee says so
  • A player or spectator WILL be removed from the field of play if they appear visibly injured, bleeding, dizzy, disoriented, or in any condition that is not in fully capable and in mental and physical health to play soccer, at the discretion of the referee

CODE OF CONDUCT

  • This is a Football Academy Soccer league and its intention is to have fun, grow the game of soccer, and make new friends
  • The league expects all players, managers, and spectators to conduct themselves according to the highest principles of sportsmanship and fair play
  • Should the league learn that the Code of Conduct has been violated by a player or team, then the league reserves the right to discipline the team, manager or player without any financial reimbursement
  • All players, managers, and spectators will adhere to all rules and regulations and will refrain from inappropriate behavior that would detract from a positive image of any person, the league, the town of Florham Park, participant, etc. or be detrimental to its objectives of community and growing the sport of soccer
  • All league participants are to:
    • Maintain a high level of sportsmanship, professionalism, and integrity both on and off the field
    • Maintain respect for the game as well as the referees and the opposing team. They will not harass, abuse, or berate anyone during or after the game
    • Use positive reinforcement when dealing with players, never use foul or abusive language, and never abuse a player physically, verbally, or mentally
    • Make sure the fields are left clean when they leave and report any damage caused by play, before, during, or after games
    • Display self-control in all situations and will not use foul or abusive language at any time before, during, or after a game
    • Be accepting of changing conditions throughout the season with respect to, but not limited to: game cancellations, time changes, field changes, rule changes, team adjustments, etc.

REFEREE JUDGMENT/DISCRETION

  • Referees are provided by the Football Academy and are actively involved in the game to keep full control of the game and clearly communicate all of the rules to the players at all times and issue warnings at will
  • Referees will discipline players who act up, play aggressively or show signs of insubordination to referees or any players
  • Players at no time should be making calls such as hand balls, calling fouls, or other infractions and the referee will warn them not to verbalize calls before the game
  • The referee is responsible for:
    • Time management (including stoppages of play)
    • Interpretation of rules, and enforcement
    • Cautions to players including those at the field
    • Exercising judgment in discharging his or her duties
  • DECISIONS OF REFEREE ARE FINAL AND WILL NOT BE REVERSED
  • NO PLAYER MAY QUESTION OR ARGUE A REFEREE’S CALL
  • NO ONE WILL OVERRULE A REFEREE’S DECISION EVER
  • INSUBORDINATION WILL LEAD TO ON FIELD DISCIPLINARY ACTION, AT REFEREE'S DISCRETION, INCLUDING A YELLOW CARD

PENALTIES AND "PLAYING ADVANTAGE"

  • Players must understand that not all fouls will cause a stop in play
  • If directly after a foul, the offended team gains possession (AKA "Advantage") of the ball, the referee will not stop play
  • This may include obvious hand balls, slide tackles, kicks or trips
  • After the play, if it was a serious infraction, there was an injury, or deemed necessary by the referee, play will be stopped

PLAYERS

  • Only paid registered players, who signed all waivers, assigned to their specific teams, may join the field of play
  • Teams consist of 7 active players per side including the goalie
  • There must be a minimum of 5 players from each team on the field of play including the goalkeeper at all times to avoid a forfeit where the game will be recorded as a 1-0 victory for the opposing team
  • If neither team can supply 5 players, the match will be considered a 0-0 draw
  • A friendly will be played if an official game is not possible
  • There are NO player substitutions allowed from other teams or players not on said teams roster
    • The only EXCEPTION is for goalkeepers when the game is NOT considered a “playoff” or “final”
    • This must be agreed by both managers BEFORE the start of the game

DURATION OF PLAY

  • Referees are instructed to begin play on time, games will start promptly
  • Official time is kept by the referee
  • 2 Halves @ 30 Minutes each, +3 min halftime = 63 Minutes
  • The halftime break is limited to 3 minutes and may be shortened or removed
  • There is no added time to be played during the game (within reason at discretion of the referee)
  • A game is considered official when one half or more has been completed
  • In the case of a tie during a “playoff” or “finals” game, the game will commence a penalty kick shootout will occur following FIFA rules
  • If a winner cannot be determined the league committee will make a decision

PLAYER ATTIRE

  • Players must wear a BLACK or WHITE jersey (or a consistent solid color that is easily distinguishable from the opposing team)
  • Jerseys colors are indicated for each game on the schedule in TeamSnap
  • Players are encouraged to bring both BLACK and WHITE jerseys to all games
  • Managers are suggested to bring extra BLACK and WHITE jerseys
  • Goalkeepers must wear a color that is NOT BLACK or WHITE
  • Shin guards are REQUIRED and MUST be worn UNDER the socks
    • Players will NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY without shin guards and will be asked to leave the field until they can be supplied a pair
    • Highly suggested that team managers bring extra shin guards and socks
  • Indoor rubber soled soccer turf shoes are HIGHLY SUGGESTED
    • Plastic molded grass cleats are not recommended and can cause injuries
    • Metal cleats and baseball cleats are PROHIBITED
  • Metal/hard jewelry is FORBIDDEN to be worn by players during games with the exception of a medical alert bracelet
  • Sport watches, FitBits, Whoop Bands, etc. should be REMOVED
  • Jewelry MUST be REMOVED prior to the start of the game
    • Earrings, necklaces, chains, rings, bracelets, rings, anklets, etc.
  • Long hair MUST be tied back so it is not in player’s face any time during the game
  • Knit skull caps and bandannas are allowed but must not contain any sharp or hard edges
  • Only goalkeepers are allowed to wear baseball-style hats with a brim
  • Hard casts of any kind are NOT ALLOWED to be worn during a game
  • Managers are responsible for adherence and must communicate to teams before the game starts

SUBSTITUTIONS

  • Teams ARE allowed to make an UNLIMITED number of player substitutions
  • It is recommended to sub during play stoppage but players may sub on the fly during the game
  • Subbing players does not require the referee’s attention but game stoppage may be requested or required by the referee at their discretion
  • The referee may DECLINE a substitution if it deemed unsportsmanlike or inappropriate
  • Entering players must enter the field at the middle line
  • Exiting players should exit the field at the closest possible location to speed up play
  • If time is needed for a substitution (such as a goalkeeper change), it should be requested to the referee during ANY game stoppage
  • Teams are recommended to stay organized and sub quickly

PENALTIES

  • The referee has the authority to penalize players for ANY infraction
  • This includes verbal insubordination, rough play, aggressive play, charging, sliding, grabbing, pushing, holding, kicking, or any non-permissible contact
  • Players will be given warnings and may be carded on further offenses

SLIDE TACKLING

  • There is NO SLIDE TACKLING allowed of any kind, stay on your feet!
    • This is to prevent injury and is for the safety of all players
  • If the slide tackle is an aggressive foul, the player will be given a YELLOW or RED CARD
  • Goalkeepers may slide when making a save in the box but should not contact players
  • Goalkeepers outside the box are considered field players and penalized for sliding
  • A player may slide to save possession of a ball when no opposing players are around

FREE KICKS

  • ALL free kicks are to be taken from where the infraction occurred
  • Time MUST be allowed to the defending team to form a wall if it is a goal scoring opportunity and the kick can ONLY be taken AFTER the referee’s whistle
  • The ball must be STATIONARY before it is kicked
  • The kicking team may either request 10 yards of space or kick the ball immediately if it is not a goal scoring opportunity
  • If a team requests 10 yards, the kick can ONLY be taken AFTER the referee’s whistle

NO OFFSIDE

  • This is indoor soccer and at no time can any player be offside
  • Players may be positioned anywhere on the field

FIELD NUMBERS

Fields are numbered in a clockwise rotation from 1 to 4 when entering the FP Dome playing area. Field numbers are indicated on team schedules for all games

     2         3
     1         4

FIELD SETUP

  • All managers and players are requested to help with field setup
  • The league games commence at 9:30 after other sports and equipment, goals, boundaries, fences, pylons, etc. may need to be adjusted
  • The FA provides staff but all hands are requested to help for games to start on time
  • All bags, equipment, and spectators should be at least 5 feet from the sidelines
  • Extra soccer non-league soccer balls should be removed from field of play areas

LINES

  • The lines used in the FP Dome are the black lines. They are faint and should be checked before games to ensure all players are aware of field dimensions including goalies

THROW INS ARE INDIRECT FREE KICKS

  • When the ball crosses the side lines, the ball must be placed on the line where it went out and kicked back into play instead of thrown-in.
    • Opposing players must step back at least 5 yards

PUNTING AND GOAL KICKS

  • There is no punting or drop kicks past the center line
  • Goalies are allowed to take goal kicks and throw the ball the full length of the field

THE DOME

  • If at any point the ball hits the lights or the ceiling of the dome, a free kick is awarded to the other team directly below where it touched

CAUTIONS BY THE REFEREE

  • Any player who receives a YELLOW CARD may be asked by the referee for a 5-minute cool down on the bench at the referee’s discretion
    • Substitution for the penalized player is allowed from the that teams roster only
  • Should a goalkeeper receive a YELLOW CARD and asked to sit, another player may be assigned goalkeeper
  • If a player is shown a RED CARD by the referee for committing a serious infraction, the player must sit on bench for rest of game and the team must play a man down
    • The player may be directed to LEAVE THE SPORTS FACILITY immediately at the discretion of the referee
    • A player who is shown a RED CARD may be suspended from future games at the league’s discretion
  • Final disciplinary decisions will be made by the league and the player will be contacted

PENALTY KICKS

  • Any DIRECT free kick within the defensive penalty area results in a penalty kick
  • Penalty kick shootouts will only occur after tied games in “playoffs” and “finals” to determine a winner

FIELD CLOSURES

  • Field closures are at the discretion of The Football Academy and FP Sports Dome and must be followed
  • If game cancellations are needed, every attempt will be made to notify all players at the earliest possible notice
  • Games will be rescheduled at the earliest possible makeup date
  • If the lights turn off or the FP Dome closes for an emergency during a game, and it is past halftime, the score is final
  • Please leave fields cleaner than when you arrived!