International Law Enforcement Games
Rules and Guidelines

Soccer (Outdoor)

 Guiding Bodies:   International Law Enforcement Games
                            FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association)

General Information: 
This sport is currently offered for Men’s Open Division only.

Teams may have up to twenty five (25) players on the roster. Each team is permitted one (1) Non-Playing Coach.  During play, each team will have a maximum of ten (10) field players and one (1) goalkeeper on the field of play. A match may not start if either team consists of fewer than seven (7) players.

A player may only compete on a team that is from his state/province.

Police and firefighters may combine to form a team. All members of a combined team must work in the same state/province.

A player may compete on only one team.

 

GENERAL RULES:

 

Player Check-in Procedures:  Each player must check-in at the “Soccer Check-in Table” prior to each game team plays, and show participant and Agency Identification.

 

PLAYER’S EQUIPMENT:

 The basic equipment of a player must consist of the following separate items:

1)    A jersey or shirt with sleeves, and a number displayed on the back.  If an undergarment is worn, the color of the sleeve should be the same color as the sleeve of the jersey or shirt.

2)    Shorts.  If undershorts are worn, they should be the same color as the shorts.

3)    Stockings, or socks.

4)    Shinguards --- Shinguards are to be covered entirely by the stocking or sock, they are to be made of a suitable material (rubber, plastic, or similar material), and they are to provide a reasonable degree of protection.

5)    Footwear

Each member of a team is required to wear the same color jersey and shorts. No two players may wear an identical number.

Goalkeepers are to wear colors that distinguish him from the other players, the referee, and the assistant referees.

 

 

 

BRACKETING:

 

A Round Robin (group system) shall be established. The top 2 teams in each group advance to a Single Elimination Finals tournament.  If the total number of teams is less than 8, a single group Round Robin tournament shall be used exclusively to determine medal winners.  If group play is used exclusively to determine medals, the coin toss will not be used.  Co-winners will be declared for teams still tied after the first 3 tie-breakers.  (See scoring.)

In the Single Elimination Finals tournament, in the event of a tie, a 20 minute “Sudden Death” overtime period shall be played in two 10 minute halves.  The first team scoring in this overtime period is the winner.  In the case of neither team scoring in the overtime, each team will then kick 5 penalty kicks to determine the winner.  (Only the players that are on the field at the conclusion of the second overtime period are allowed to participate in penalty kicks.)  If the score still is tied, there will be a second round of penalty kicks in "Sudden Death" fashion, as follows.  One player from each team will take a penalty kick. If one team scores, and the other doesn’t, the scoring team is declared the winner.  If there is still a tie, one player from each team will kick again, until a winner is determined.  If all players on the field tie, this procedure will be repeated until one team outscores the other.

 

 

Duration of Game:   Round robin games shall consist of two 35 minute halves, with a 10 minute break between the halves.

 

All single elimination and medal games shall consist of two 45 minute halves, with a 15 minute break between the halves.

 

Substitutions:

 

There is free substituting during the game. No substitution may be made, however, without the acknowledgement of the referee.

 

 

SCORING:

 

The scoring for group play is: Win = 3 points, Tie = 1 point, Loss = 0 points.

 

The following procedure (in descending order) will be utilized to determine which two team from each group advance to the Single Elimination Finals tournament.

Total win/loss points accumulated in group play

Team head to head games results

Goal differential (for vs. against)

Total goals for (maximum of 5 per game)

Total goals against

Coin toss

 

 

Player Misconduct:  If a player is ejected from a game by the referee (red card), he will automatically be suspended from playing in the following game. If a player displays continuous flagrant/dangerous behavior, and/or conducts himself in a manner that is detrimental to the spirit of the games, he may be suspended from the tournament.

 

 

 

 

Direct and Indirect free kicks:

 

(1)    Direct Kick Fouls - For which the other team receives a "direct free kick" (meaning a goal can be scored by kicking the ball straight into the goal) or a "penalty kick" ("PK") if the foul occurs within the Penalty Box (Note: It doesn't matter whether the ball was in the Penalty Box or not; what matters is where the foul was committed). There are 10 direct kick fouls. The rules say that the referee should call a foul for numbers 1 thru 6 if he believes they are committed in a manner he considers "careless, reckless or using excessive force":

1.     Kicking or attempting to kick an opponent.

2.     Tripping or attempting to trip an opponent

3.     Charging into an opponent

4.     Striking or attempting to strike an opponent

5.     Pushing an opponent

6.     Jumping at an opponent

A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following offenses (7 thru 10).

 

7.     Blatant holding or pulling

8.     Making contact with an opponent before touching the ball when tackling an opponent to gain possession of the ball.

9.     Spitting at an opponent, even if it doesn't hit the opponent (this is grounds for a Red Card).

10.                        Deliberately handling the ball (a "hand ball" should not be called if a player is instinctively trying to protect himself from injury or if the ball hits the hand while it is in a natural position near the player’s side and has not been moved toward the ball. This does not apply to the goalkeeper inside his own penalty area.)

 

(2)   Indirect Kick Fouls - For which the other team receives an "indirect free kick" (meaning a goal only counts if another player touches the ball before it enters the goal). The indirect free kick is taken from where the offense occurred. There are 2 types of indirect kick fouls:

 

 

a.   Four that apply to all players:

1.     "Dangerous Play" (or playing in a dangerous manner) is any action by a player that in the judgment of the Referee is dangerous to himself or to another player and that isn't a "direct kick foul" such as tripping.

2.     "Impeding the Progress of an Opponent". Generally, a player cannot use his body to impede another player’s movements, even if it is not deliberate. This can be called if a player is not within "playing distance" of the ball (i.e., 3 feet) and blocks an opponent's movement, or screens an opponent from the ball. However, if a player is within playing distance & able to play the ball (meaning not laying on the ground), the player can legally screen an opponent from the ball. (You usually see this when a ball is going out of bounds & the player whose team will get the throw-in screens the opponent so the opponent can't save the ball). Impeding the progress of an opponent used to be called "obstruction". The rule also applies to "innocently" impeding the goalkeeper by standing in front of him when he has the ball.

3.     Preventing the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands. A player who attempts to prevent the Goalkeeper from putting the ball into play by standing directly in front of the Goalkeeper can be called for breaking this rule or for "unsporting behavior", in which case both a Yellow Card and an indirect kick would be awarded.

4.     Any time a yellow or red card is shown & a direct kick isn't awarded (e.g., for "unsporting behavior", "dissent", persistently breaking the rules, and offensive or threatening language; see "Yellow Cards" and “Red Cards” for a list of the many types of unsporting behavior).

b.   Four indirect kick fouls that only apply to the goalkeeper & only if committed inside the Penalty Box (the goalkeeper is treated like a regular field player when he is outside the Penalty Box):

1.     Taking more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his hands before releasing it (releasing it can include throwing it, kicking it or dropping it to the ground and then kicking or dribbling it. Once released, it is "live").

2.     Touching the ball with hands after it is deliberately kicked to the Goalkeeper by a teammate. (Note: It is okay to pick up an accidentally kicked ball or a pass from a teammate that isn't "kicked" but is made using the head, chest, knee, etc.).

3.     Touching the ball with hands on a throw-in from a teammate (the goalkeeper can't pick up a throw-in from a teammate).

4.     Intentionally handling the ball again after he has released it and it has not touched any other player (e.g., dropping the ball, dribbling it and then picking it back up).  The goalkeeper can only handle it again after an opponent touches or if it is accidentally kicked back or if it is headed or chested back by a teammate. He can't pick it up if a teammate has intentionally kicked or thrown it to him.

Advantage Clause:   This rule states that the Referee, in his discretion, may decide to not stop play due to a foul if it would be to the advantage to the fouled team to not stop play (The concept is that the team that was fouled should not be punished by having an attack stopped which might result in a goal and, conversely, that the team which committed the foul should not gain an advantage as a result of the foul).

 

Yellow Cards:

 

Yellow Card - Indicates a formal "caution" for any of the following 7 offenses:

1.     Unsporting behavior - this includes hard fouls; holding an opponent or deliberately handling the ball for the purpose of preventing an opponent from gaining possession of the ball; faking an injury; saying things that are designed to confuse or distract an opponent; harassment (such as jumping around, shouting or making gestures to intentionally distract an opponent; jumping in front of a corner kick, free kick or throw-in; worrying the goalkeeper or trying to prevent him from putting the ball into play; & adopting a threatening posture), gaining an unfair advantage by leaning on, climbing on the back of, or holding a teammate or the goal; blatant cases of holding and pulling an opposing player or his uniform; any action designed to deceive the Referee; and behavior which in the Referee's judgment is unsporting or causes an unfair advantage,

2.     Dissent by word or actions.

3.     Persistently breaking the rules.

4.     Delaying the restart of play.

5.     Failing to stay the proper distance away when play is restarted with a corner kick, free kick or throw-in.

6.     Entering or re-entering the field without the referee's permission.

7.     Deliberately leaving the field without the referee’s permission.

A player who receives 2 Yellow Cards is given a Red Card and ejected from the match.

 

Red Cards:

 

Red Card - A player must be shown a Red Card and "sent off" for the 7 offenses listed below. A player shown a "Red Card" and sent off, may not be replaced during that game (his team must play a player "short" for the rest of the game).

1.     Serious foul play (includes any use of excessive force or brutality against an opponent when challenging for the ball. Examples include a dangerous slide tackle from behind, or an "over the top tackle" in which a player raises his foot so the cleats could hit a player, or a two footed tackle that takes down the opponent.

2.     Violent conduct

3.     Spitting at anyone

4.     Deliberately touching the ball with a hand in order to prevent a goal or to deny an obvious goal scoring opportunity (such as to prevent a breakaway). This does not apply to the goalkeeper within his own penalty area.

5.     Fouling an opponent to prevent an obvious goal scoring opportunity

6.     Using offensive, insulting or threatening language and/or gestures.

7.     Receiving a second yellow card in one game.