Outdoor 9v9 League Rules - updated 1/7/24

OUTDOOR LEAGUE RULES – 9v9

Soccer Spectrum is one of the oldest Indoor Soccer facilities in North Texas, established in 1986.  In 2021 Soccer Spectrum started a new chapter to its proud legacy, bringing a renewed energy and vision for the next 30 years.

The following is a comprehensive list of rules relating to 9v9 soccer:

Soccer Spectrum reserves the right to modify league rules at their discretion and will update the website accordingly in the best interest of our guests.  The Executive Director will have the final decision on any suspensions, rule discrepancies, or controversial issues that may arise during or after play.

ROSTERS:

● 21 Max Roster

●Rosters locked by the start of the 5th game.

● Players may not be rostered on teams from the same division.

● Captains are responsible for ensuring their roster is accurate and all players are included/removed from their rosters by the 5th game. 

● This can be easily done on the DaySmart team manager profile by inviting or dropping players.

GUEST PASS:

● Teams are allowed to have Guest Pass Players play with them. Guest Players are not permanent members of a roster until the player registration fee is paid in full.
● Guest Pass Players may not purchase a guest pass for multiple teams in the same division.

● Guest Passes can only be purchased at the front desk before halftime.  Players must be age-pure to the league (no age exemptions).

● For players without an ID the Guest Pass is:  $40 (includes new NTSSA Card)

● Regular Game Pass:  $20 (must have current NTSSA Card)

TEAM STRUCTURE:

● There will be a maximum of 9 players per team on the field at any one time.
● Each team may field 8 outfield players and 1 goalkeeper on the field at one
time.

● Teams must have at least 7 players to play the game; otherwise, it will be a
forfeit.

SCORING

●Goals will always count as one (1) point.

●PK's will always count as one (1) point.

TEAM REGISTRATION

● Team Captains must register their team at Daysmartrecreation.com
● 10-game guarantee. All teams will receive 1-2 Playoff games based on their league standings.
● Individual Player Fee is $175.
- Players may not take the field unless their fee has been paid before
the start of the first game or a guest pass has been purchased.

-Referee Fees are included. Three referees are guaranteed per game with one Center and two Linesmen.

- No partial payments are allowed.

ID CARDS

● NTSSA Outdoor player card is required.  Each player must submit their own valid ID card to the referee or assistant referee and be registered on that team in order to be eligible to play.

● Driver’s Licenses are not accepted on the field for play

 

SUBSTITUTIONS

● Substitutions are unlimited during the games and are made at any stoppage of play.

● Referees must be informed when the substitutions are being made.

● All substitutions must be made at the halfway line.

● Exiting players may leave the field from any side, not just halfway line.

 

GAME STRUCTURE

• Men’s Over 30 - The match will consist of two halves (2x35) with a 5-minute halftime.

• Men’s Over 40/50 - The match will consist of two halves (2x40) with a 5-minute halftime.

• Field size is approximately 165’ x 240’

• Goals are 9’ x 24’.

• A size 5 ball will be used.  Game ball will be provided by the teams.  Each team should bring one (1) soccer ball each game. 

• Soccer Spectrum is not responsible for lost or damaged soccer balls.

• In case of a tie after regulation time during group play, the game will finish as a draw.

• Each team should bring two sets of matching jerseys (light and dark). The away team (2nd team listed) is required to change uniforms if jerseys between opposing teams conflict.

• All players must wear shirts (no shirts vs. skins).

• A breakout line (off-side line) is implemented in the last 1/3 of the field.  Markers are used to determine this line.

• All USSF Rules apply - US Soccer: www.ussoccer.com - The following notes are for clarification only.  Soccer Spectrum will no longer be doing kick-ins but will be complying with USSF rules and doing throw-ins instead.

FREE KICKS

● An INDIRECT free kick will be given to the opposing team at the top of the penalty box if either of the following infractions occur:

• • Keepers using their hands when a ball is passed back to them by a teammate unless it is played back to them via head, chest, or thigh.

  • The keeper taking longer than five seconds to put the ball back in play once they have handled it. 

• All other free kicks are DIRECT (awarded for fouls/rule violations)

• Opposing players must be at least 8 Yards away before kickoff.

 

PENALTY KICKS

● A penalty kick shall be awarded when a foul occurs in the penalty box.

 

EQUIPMENT

● All players must wear shin guards that are covered by socks; and a same
shade jersey as their team. 

● Players will be sent off the field if they have a shin guard violation until they
have the proper gear.
● The goalkeeper must wear a different colored jersey.
● No watches or jewelry.
● Casts and braces may be wrapped at the referee’s discretion.

● All players must wear shirts (no shirts vs. skins).
● Numbers ARE required.  No Number - No Play!  Numbers should be unique (no same #'s for the same team at the same time.) Numbers must be permanently and affixed (no sharpie/write-ons or taped-on numbers are allowed). 

RESCHEDULES
We understand there will be occasions when a team will be unable to play in
their scheduled match. If this situation arises, please follow our rescheduling
procedure by sending an email to [e-mail].

● This will create a ticket on our help desk, and we will do our best to see if another team can swap games to accommodate your request.

● These must be submitted no later than 72 hours before the scheduled game.

● Reschedules are not guaranteed.

FORFEITS

● Soccer Spectrum does not do forfeits. We want to ensure that our teams have the highest quality soccer experience playing at our facility. As a result, we have instituted an aggressive policy:
- If a team is running late, the opposing team will be awarded a goal 5 minutes
after the scheduled start time.
- A forfeit will be awarded if an opposing team is not ready to play within 5
minutes of a scheduled start time.
- The clock starts at the scheduled kickoff time and time will not be made up if
a team shows up late.
- A forfeit will go down as a 3-0 win for the team that is there and ready to play.
- If both teams do not show, or are not ready to play – neither team will be
awarded points.
- For any team that forfeits a game an inconvenience fee of $100 will be
charged to the team. This fee (less applicable referee fees) will be awarded
to the team that showed up for their committed match.
- Teams that forfeit more than once in a season a team may be subject to
being removed from the league without a refund.

RE-STARTING THE GAME

● USSF Rules apply - US Soccer: www.ussoccer.com

 

PLAYER SAFETY AND FOULS

● Slide tackling is not permitted in any division (except reasonable play by a
goalkeeper inside their box, as determined by the referee).
● Delay of game is called when:
- The defending player lines up closer than 5 yards for free kicks and deliberately delays the restart will result in a caution. 
- A player takes longer than 5 seconds to put a free kick in play after
having been signaled to do so by the referee.
- The goalkeeper does not distribute the ball outside the box within 5
seconds of possession with either hands or feet.

●Only Soccer Spectrum staff, rostered players, team captains, and referees are allowed on the fields. 

● Children and spectators are not allowed on the field at any time as they are not covered by liability.

 

GAME CLOCK

● The game clock on the scoreboard runs continuously throughout the game.

● Teams are to be on the field ready to play at their scheduled time. The clock
will stop for injuries.

● The clock will be stopped for all whistles in the last 2 minutes of the second half of a championship game.

● In all other instances, the clock can only be stopped at the referee’s discretion. 

 

MISCONDUCT

● RED CARD

- Players ejected from a match for a red card for any offense will be suspended until the referee report is reviewed and a determination will be made for at least the following match and their team will play short the remainder of the game.

- The player receiving the red must leave the facility immediately.

- Ejections for violent actions including, but not limited to fighting may result in
suspension for any further play.

● YELLOW CARD

- A yellow card is a warning on the field.

- After a second yellow card players will automatically be given a red card and will be ejected from the facility, same as receiving a straight red.

- Offensive language is considered to warrant an ejection.  Any language
directed towards officials, opponents, or spectators will result in ejection from
the game.
- Soccer Spectrum does not tolerate violent conduct, verbal abuse, threatening
behavior, racist/hateful language, or spitting at or near officials, staff, or opponents. 

Any instances of the above can result in temporary or permanent suspension from our facility. 

 

CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT
● Semi-finals for the “Championship” round
○ 1st vs 4th
○ 2nd vs 3rd
○ Final game - 1st vs 2nd

We also MAY offer a consolation game based on available space with the following format:

● Semi-finals for the Consolation round (when applicable)
○ 5th vs 8th
○ 6th vs 7th
● Ties - For any playoff game that ends in a tie, the game will go straight to
penalties where 5 kicks will be taken by each team. If tied after 5, then
sudden death will take place.

 

STANDINGS

● Standings are determined by wins, losses, and ties.
- WIN = 3 points
- TIE = 1 point
- LOSS = 0 points
- FORFEIT = 3-0 win (worth 3 points)

● The best overall team record determines playoff positioning. Our software
system cannot determine head-to-head, so in the case of a tie, Soccer
Spectrum will determine who won the league after looking at the standings.

● In the event of a tie in records, the following tie-breaking system will be used:

A) head-to-head play B) Goals differential C) Goals for D) Goals Against

DIVISIONS:

● Individuals may play on different teams provided:

- They are on the team roster.
- They are not competing on two teams within the same league.

● To provide the most fun and competitive environment for all teams,
Soccer Spectrum reserves the right, if necessary, to place teams in the
appropriate division based on the level of play and /or ability of the players.

Our Current Divisions:
● Men’s Over 30 (each team will get 2 exemptions over 27)
● Men’s Over 40 (each team will get 3 exemptions over 35)

CONCUSSION PROTOCOL:
● Players who are suspected of having sustained a concussion shall be
removed from play immediately.

 

INCLEMENT WEATHER 

Our inclement weather policy may be found here:

https://soccerspectrum.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/22723000967956-INCLEMENT-WEATHER-POLICY