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Outdoor Soccer Rules

  • Facility
      •  All matches will be played at the East Upper Field unless otherwise stated. Alcohol and tobacco are not permitted at the complex or in the parking lot.
  • Player Eligibility
      • All UC Santa Cruz Intramural Sports eligibility rules apply. Please check the Intramural Sports Policies & Procedures carefully to see more details
      • All players must have a valid, original UC Santa Cruz or state-issued physical photo identification to participate
      • Players must compete in 2 regular season games to be eligible for playoff
  • Team Composition
      • Each team must consist of at least 7 players and up to 20 players 
      • Co-Rec leagues, if offered, require each team to consist of at least 4 eligible players. There may not be any more than three players on the court at all times identifying as the same gender
  • Equipment
      • Participants must wear closed-toe and closed-heel shoes at all times
        • Rubber cleats may be worn
        • NO metal cleats 
      • Shin guards are recommended, however not required or provided by Intramural Sports
      • Participants are required to remove or cover all jewelry including earrings, rings, bracelets, etc. prior to playing. Covered jewelry must remain covered throughout participation. Intramural Sports will not provide tape for covering jewelry
        • Any jewelry found while playing will result in a yellow card
      • Intramural Sports will provide ball, goal, and pinnie equipment
        • Players may choose to play with their own ball if both captains agree on the ball
  • Beginning the Game
      • Team captains will meet with Intramural Sports Officials on duty to discuss game rules. Intramural Sports Supervisor on duty will also be available to assist with rule clarification
      • Possession will be determined by a jump ball to start the game
      • Rock, Paper, Scissors
        • Winner determines side or ball 
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  • Format
      • A match will consist of two 20-minute halves during which the clock shall run continuously
      • There will be no overtime periods during regular season play. Ties are recorded as such
      • Stoppage time will be used in either half for time lost due to transportation of an injured player. The referee shall determine that time
  • Game Play
      • Ball will be deemed out of play when it has wholly crossed the touch line
      • Throw-in
      • Scoring and Substitution
        • All goals count as one point
        • Substitutes must be at the center of the field and beckon on the field by the officials
        • Substitutes must wait for the player to field the correct side of the field before entering 
        • Goalkeeper substitutions must notify the referee
      • Offsides 
        • A player is in an offside position if:
          • any part of the head, body or feet is in the opponents’ half (excluding the halfway line) and
          • any part of the head, body or feet is nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent
        • There are no offsides on a throw-in or corner kicks 
      • Fouls & Misconduct
        • Direct kicks occur when 
          • Kicking or attempting to kick an opponent
          • Tripping an opponent
          • Jumping at an opponent
          • Charging an opponent in a violent or dangerous manner
          • Charging an opponent from behind, unless the opponent is obstructing
          • Charging the goalkeeper while in the penalty area
          • Striking or attempting to strike an opponent
          • Holding or Pushing an opponent
          • Handling the ball i.e. carrying, striking or propelling the ball with the hands or arms, with the exception of the goalkeeper while in the penalty area.
          • The goalkeeper intentionally throwing at or striking an opponent with the ball
        • Indirect Kicks
          • Offsides
          • Charging fairly without intent to play the ball
          • Intentionally obstructing an opponent with the ball
          • A player plays the ball a second time once it has immediately been put into play, before it has been played by another player
          • From the moment the goalkeeper takes possession of the ball, the goalkeeper may take only 4 steps while handling the ball
          • Having had possession of the ball and releasing it into play, the goalkeeper may not handle the ball until it has been played by an opponent or a team member outside the penalty area
          • The goalkeeper cannot touch the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a teammate or after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a teammate
          • The goalkeeper may not delay in releasing the ball to gain an unfair advantage (6 seconds to release ball)
          • Interfering with the goalkeeper or impeding the distribution of the ball while it is in the possession of the goalkeeper
          • Playing the ball while the player is on the ground
          • Dangerous Play (high kick)
        • On all awarded kicks, the offending team must be at least 10 yards away
        • Yellow Card - Cautions 
          • Persistent use of tactics to gain an unfair advantage
          • Persistent infringement of the rules
          • Showing or by word or action dissent from any decision given by the Intramural Sports game officials
        • Red Card - Ejection
          • Slide tackling 
          • Violent conduct
          • Use of foul or abusive language directed at an opponent or the Referee
          • Persistent misconduct after having received a caution
        • An ejection is a minimum automatic game suspension
        • All individuals who are removed from play must meet with the Intramural Sports professional staff prior to playing their next game
        • Penalty Kicks
          • The penalty mark shall be 12 yards from the goal line
          • A penalty kick will be awarded to the offensive team for direct offenses committed inside the defensive penalty area by the defending team
          • All players except the kicker must be behind the plane of the penalty area and the penalty arc
            •  Players may not encroach the area or penalty arc until the ball is kicked
          • The goalkeeper must stand on the goal line, between the goal posts, without moving his feet forward off the line until the ball is kicked
          • The kicker must wait for the whistle before the ball can be kicked
          • The kick must be played forward and the kicker may not play the ball a second time until the ball has been played by another player. Any infringement of this rule:
            • By the defending team; if the kick does not result in a goal then the kick will be re-taken
            • The attacking team, other than the kicker; if a goal results, not points will be given and the kick must be taken again
            • By the kicker; after the ball is put into play, the defending team will be awarded an indirect kick
  • Mercy Rule
      • Game will be called if a team is up 6 goals within the last 5 minutes of the game
  • Overtime
      • No over time during the regular season
      • Two 5 minute periods of Golden Goal play
      • If no winner after two 5 minute periods, shootout will be conducted
  • Playoffs
      • Players must compete in 2 regular season games to be eligible for playoffs
      • The playoff schedule may not be consistent with the times you selected during the regular season
      • Overtime is used during playoffs, there must be a winner
  • Forfeit & Defaults
      • Games must begin within 10 minutes after the scheduled game time. Failure to field a team at that time shall result in a forfeit
      • Teams that forfeit games will result in the team captain receiving a $10 Forfeit Fine, the forfeiting team receiving a "2" sportsmanship rating, and have the game recorded as a loss in addition to a negative score differential of 10 points for that game 
      • Teams that forfeit two games in a season will be removed from playoffs
      • If I know my team will not be to play a game I will take the following action to avoid a forfeit:
        • Notify the Intramural Sports office by filling out the Default Form (found on the Intramural Sports website or Instagram) by 2:00pm for weekday games and by 7:00am on weekends. The game will be recorded as a default
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