Peoria Parochial Soccer Association (PPSA)
Summary of Rules of Play

1. The Peoria Parochial Soccer Association (PPSA) will generally follow US Soccer Federation (USSF) Laws of the Game.

2. A child may play on only one team, the team on who’s roster they appear. Teams using players not on their roster will forfeit the game.

3. Each rostered, dressed player attending a game must play at least two full quarters (in every regular season & tournament game) unless under disciplinary action.

4. Equipment Inspection – Players must: (1) have shin guards with socks up and over the shin guards, (2) have soccer or athletic shoes (no baseball style cleats allowed), (3) have their shirt tucked in, (4) wear no jewelry, or any other object or device that might cause injury. Decisions regarding compliance are at the discretion of the referee.

5. Goalkeeper shirts must be distinctive and contrast with the uniform of the teams.

6. Games for 1^st through 4^th grades will have four 10 minute quarters with two minutes between each quarter and two minutes at the half. Games for 5^th through 8^th grades will have four 12 minute quarters with two minutes between each quarter and five minutes at the half.

7. 1^st & 2^nd Grade – There will be no offsides called in the 1^st/2^nd Grade division and all free kicks will be indirect. There will be no penalty kicks in this division.

8. Coaches must play one short while their team has a lead of 4 goals or more.

9. Substitutions (1) always require the permission of the referee; (2) may be made in any number and by either team after a goal is scored, on a throw-in, or a goal kick, but not on corner kicks; (3) When play is stopped and an injured player(s) is attended to on the field, that player(s) shall be replaced; (4) when the clock is stopped for injury, one of the players on the field may change places with the goalkeeper.

10. Those players wanting to substitute must wait on the touchline at the center of the field. When acknowledged by the referee, the substitute player(s) will enter the field and the substituted player(s) should exit the field at the nearest point.

11. The "players bench" shall be on the opposite side of the field from the spectators for those teams. Only coaches and players are allowed on the "players bench".

12. Coaches are limited during play to three in number and are required to remain on their half of the field, on the same side of the field as the players, and within 30 yards of the halfway line. Coaches and spectators are not allowed behind the goal or near the end of the field. This applies to ALL age divisions.

13. A game shall not be started with fewer than 8 eligible (rostered and properly uniformed) players on each team. After the start of a game, if a team is reduced to less than 8 eligible players, the game shall be terminated. However, with the agreement both coaches, rostered players may be pooled to form two teams of equal strength. No others are eligible to play.

14. Referee decisions are final.

15. Coaches are representatives of their team and school/parish and are responsible for the behavior of their players and spectators as well as themselves. Dissent or disruption of the game by a player, coach or spectator will be, at the discretion of the referee, sanctioned with (1) warnings and dismissals for coaches and spectators, and (2) cautions (yellow card) or dismissal (red card) for players. The referee has the authority to request a coach to remove a dissenting or disruptive spectator and to dismiss the coach for failure to do so. Players, coaches or spectators who are dismissed from a game are not allowed to participate in the next game. Regular violations may result in suspension from the league.

16. The following recent changes to USSF/IYSA Laws of the Game should be noted as they will apply to the PPSA:

    • Street Glasses. Street glasses are not recommended for practices or games. Street glasses are any glasses (with or without safety lenses) which have frames other than Rec-spec™ or similar frames specifically designed for use in contact sports.

    • New Goalkeeper Possession Rule (Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct) – The goalkeeper has six seconds to put the ball into play once he takes control of the ball with his hands, regardless of the number of steps taken during this time. An indirect free-kick will be awarded inside the penalty area to the opposing team if the goalkeeper fails to release the ball within six seconds. Referees will be reminded that the time taken by the goalkeeper while gaining control of the ball will not be counted, trivial infringements should not be penalized, and the referee must not count the time verbally or with any visible action.

    • Deceiving the Referee (Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct) – Any simulating action, anywhere on the field, which is intended to deceive the referee will be sanctioned as unsporting behavior (yellow card). This includes faking a foul or exaggerating the seriousness of a foul, faking injury or exaggerating the seriousness of an injury.

    • Responsibility to Game Officials – The PPSA will generally follow the USSF and IYSA guidelines regarding misconduct toward game officials.