Kickoff—There is a kickoff at the middle of the field at a designated “X”
to start each quarter. In addition, there is a kickoff after each goal. The ball can be
kicked to a team mate and does not have to be kicked to the other team.
Center Circle—Around the “X” spot for a kickoff, there is a circle that has
a five (5) yard radius. Players that are on the team not kicking off, have to stay outside
that circle they choose, on their half of the field.
Positions—The positions generally describe the type of responsibilities
that a player has, but the rules do not limit where a player may go based upon what
his/her position is. The halfway line does not restrict where a player can go.
Goalkeeper—The goalkeeper is identified by having a different color
jersey. Frequently, coaches rotate goalkeepers, but there is no rule as to how many
quarters a player plays a goalkeeper. A goalkeeper may use his/her hands to pick up
the ball or stop the ball as long as the goalkeeper is inside the large box that it marked
out on the field. This large box is referred to as the “penalty area”.
Fouls—Pushing, holding, tripping, kicking an opponent, reckless charging,
or intentionally using the hands or arms (hand ball) are fouls and will result in the
referee blowing his/her whistle. When there is a foul, the ball is awarded to the
opposite team and they are given the right to take a free kick from where the foul
occurred.
Free Kick—For a free kick the ball is placed on the ground and no
opposing player can be within five (5) yards (regular soccer it is ten (10) yards) of the
ball. Any player can take a free kick, and not just the person who was fouled.
Out-of-Bounds—The ball is in play until it is wholly across the touchline
(sideline) or the goal line. If a ball that is on the line, it is considered to be in-bounds
and is still in play.
Throw-In—When a ball goes across the touchline (sideline), it is put
back into play by a throw-in. A throw-in is delivered by having the ball released by
both hands over and behind the head. At the time the ball is thrown in, both feet must
be on the ground, either on the touchline (side line) or behind the line.
"Bad” Throw-In—A throw-in where the player does not deliver the ball
properly by having both feet on the ground and be releasing the ball above his/her
head using both hands equally, is considered to be a “bad throw-in”. In U8/U10,
we award a second throw-in, but in upper level soccer, a “bad” throw-in results in
giving the ball to the other team for them to throw it in.
Dangerous Play—A dangerous play is a foul that is called when a player
does something that could harm another player. A “typical” dangerous play is when a
player kicks his foot up high, generally above waist level, with other players around.
Kicking dangerously at the ball when lying on the ground can be a dangerous play also.
A dangerous play results in the referee giving a free kick to the other team.
Slide Tackle—Sliding down on the ground in order to take the ball away
from someone else is referred to a slide tackle. In this age group, slide tackles are
prohibited because they are considered too dangerous.