Palo Alto AYSO Referee Page

PALO ALTO LAWS OF THE GAME FOR THE YOUNGER DIVISIONS

For the Younger Division (U7, U8, and U9) players, AYSO reduces the size of the field, the teams, the ball - and the Laws! These simplified Laws are designed to make the game easier to understand and more fun for inexperienced players, coaches, spectators, and referees, while preserving the spirit and the structure of the full Laws of the Game.

The Younger Division Laws can be described as the full Laws with offside, direct free kicks, etc., "left out" (and a list of these differences is included for the more experienced reader). However, it is much more useful to have these Laws described as a self-contained whole, rather than having to sift through lots of material that does not apply. This document lays out the Laws for Younger Division play in U7, U8, and U9 in AYSO Region 26, fully yet concisely, including relevant Regional, Area, AYSO and FIFA rulings.

Although this document focuses on Younger Division play, it should also serve to introduce the structure of the full Laws, and prepare you to move up to them later. We hope you will look at them also, to see how the same principles and spirit are expressed in the complete game.

The Spirit of the Younger Division Laws

When reading and applying these Laws, remember always, above everything else, that Laws are laws, but U7 to U9 AYSO players are, in every sense, children playing. At this level, the Laws exist to structure their physical activity in a fair way, and that should be the message to the children. Almost all violations of the rules are inadvertent, so "penalties" are assessed to "make it fair" to a team which has been hurt by some action, not to "punish" the offender. Make it absolutely clear when you make a call, not just what is being called but why, in terms that young children can understand. Also remember that, since virtually all violations of technical rules (e.g., the "double touch", or throw-in rules) reflect ignorance and enthusiasm, not deliberate attempts to gain advantage, they should almost always be met with explanation and a chance to do it again, not the "penalty" that the Laws allow you to impose if you feel that the player really did know better.

The Laws don't require you to be a kind and gentle teacher. In fact, they give you the authority to be a stern disciplinarian, for the occasional time when you might feel that it is necessary. However, don't let their formality become your only point of view, or you'll miss much of the joy of being part of young children's first soccer.

Law 1: The Field of Play

The field of play shall be rectangular with a length of 30-50 yards and a width of 20-35 yards. It should be marked with distinctive lines, no more than 5 inches in width (ideally not by a V-shaped rut). The longer boundary lines are called the touch lines; the shorter, the goal lines. The lines that mark the areas on the field are considered to be part of the areas that they mark.

Small Size Field

A halfway line shall be marked out across the field. The center of the field shall be indicated by a mark and a circle shall be marked round it with a radius of 6 to 8 yards.

At each end of the field of play, a goal area line extending the entire width of the field shall be marked parallel to the goal line. For U7, the goal area line shall be marked 6 yards from the goal line; for U8, the goal area line shall be marked 7 yards from the goal line; for U9, the goal area shall be marked 8 yards from the goal line. The area enclosed by the goal area line, the goal line, and the touch lines is called the "goal area."

A goal shall be placed, centered, on each goal line, so that its front (open) edge is on the goal line. The two goals shall be identically sized: 4 feet high and 6 feet wide for U7 and U8; and 6 feet high and 8 feet wide for U9. Nets should be attached to the posts, cross bars, and ground behind the goals. They should be placed and secured so as not to impede the players.

At each corner, a flag shall be placed on a post not less than 5 ft. high and having a non-pointed top. From each corner, a quarter circle, with a radius of 1 yard, shall be drawn inside the field of play.

Law 2: The Ball

The ball should be a FIFA approved size # 3 ball for U7 and U8, and a # 4 ball for U9. The ball should be inflated to a reasonable pressure (gives about 1/4" when pressed with the thumbs). The ball shall be approved by the referee before the match and may not be changed during the match without the referee's permission.

Law 3: The Number of Players

Each team shall divide their roster into two "mini-teams."

For U7 & U8: a match shall be played by opposing mini-teams consisting of 4 players, with no designated goalkeeper. A match may not start if one mini-team consists of less than 2 players.

For U9: a match shall be played by opposing mini-teams consisting of 5 players, one of whom shall be the goalkeeper. A match may not start if one mini-team consists of less than 4 players.

Every player who is present by the mid-point of the first half should play at least half the match. To facilitate this, at roughly the midpoint of each half, the referee suspends play to permit substitutions. (The referee chooses a convenient stoppage if at all possible.) If a player leaves the field through injury, he or she may be substituted for, but in that case may not return until the next substitution break. The "quarter" in which a player is injured and leaves the field counts towards that player's half game (and not to that of the substitute, if any).

For U9: Any of the other players may change places with the goalkeeper, provided both (a) that the referee is informed before the change is made, and (b) that the change is made during a stoppage of the match.

Law 4: The Players' Equipment

Every player shall wear the shirt, shorts, and socks of his/her team's uniform, shinguards, and footwear. Shinguards must be covered entirely by the socks and should provide a reasonable degree of protection. In U9 play, the goalkeepers must wear colors which distinguish them from the other players and from the referee.

A player shall not wear anything which, in the referee's opinion, is dangerous to other players, or himself. Region 26 in accordance with AYSO policies provides detailed guidance on specific articles that are considered dangerous (e.g., jewelry, medical casts, etc.).

Prior to the start of the match, the referee shall inspect the players' equipment. Any player whose equipment does not comply with these requirements shall not play until it does.

Law 5: The Referee

One referee shall be appointed to officiate in each match.

The referee's authority commences as soon as he enters the field of play and continues when play has been temporarily suspended, and when the ball is out of play. The referee's decision on points of fact connected with the play shall be final.

The referee:

enforces the Laws.
has the option not to penalize a breach of the Laws if, in the referee's opinion, either

a decisive advantage is immediately obtained by the non-offending team (e.g. a defensive handball on a shot that goes into the goal),
the breach is a trifling one that confers no advantage on the offending team.

acts as timekeeper and keeps a record of the match.
stops, suspends, or terminates the match, at his discretion, for any infringement of the Laws or because of outside interference of any kind. (However, the referee does not have the power to decide that either team is disqualified and thereby the loser of the match. He must instead simply report the circumstances to the appropriate AYSO official.)
stops the match if, in his opinion, a player has been seriously injured. If a player is only slightly hurt and is in no danger, the match should not be stopped until the ball is out of play.
ensures that no unauthorized persons enter the field of play.
takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the field of play and its immediate surrounds.
allows only positive coaching from the boundary lines.

If two offences occur in rapid succession (e.g., a push followed by a push back), the referee can penalize only the first, since the second one occurred when the ball was out of play (see Law 9) and the referee had already decided to stop play for the first one, whether or not he had yet signaled this to the players. Since only the most serious misconduct is separately sanctioned when the ball is out of play, the referee has no convenient way to penalize the second offence. However, he should clearly warn the second offender.

If a player commits two infringements at the same time, the referee shall punish the more serious offence.

The referee can base his decisions only on facts observed directly by him or by another official appointed for the same match. The referee may reverse any decision he has made, until the match has been restarted.

Law 6: The Assistant Referees

Assistant referees (linespersons) are not used in games in the Younger Divisions. If volunteers are used to help a solo referee, their only responsibility is to indicate to the referee when the ball is out of bounds.

Law 7: The Duration of the Match

Games in the Younger Divisions will be played in two formats, alternating every week.

In one format, the teams will play two “mini-games” simultaneously on adjacent small-sided fields. Each mini-team shall play a match against both of the opposing mini-teams. Each mini-game will consist of two periods. For U7 & U8, each period shall be 10 minutes, with a half-time interval of 2 minutes. For U9, each period shall be 12 1/2 minutes, with a half-time interval of 2 minutes. The interval between mini-games shall be 5 minutes. During the interval between games, the visiting team’s mini-teams swap fields while the home team’s mini-teams and the referees remain on the fields where the first mini-games were played.

In the second format, teams will divide up into two mini-teams which will each play a single game against one of the opposing mini-teams. For U7 & U8, each game in this format will consist of two periods, each of 20 minutes, with a half-time interval of 5 minutes. For U9, each game in this format will consist of two periods, each of 25 minutes, with a half-time interval of 5 minutes.

In both formats, allowance for time lost through substitution, the treatment of injured players, time wasting or other cause may be made at the discretion of the referee.

Law 8: The Start and Restart of Play

Kickoff

At the beginning of the match, a coin is tossed and the team which wins the toss decides which goal it will attack in the first half of the match. The other team takes the kick-off to start the match. The team which wins the toss takes the kick-off to start the second half of the match. In the second half of the match the teams change ends and attack the opposite goals.

A kick-off is a way of starting or restarting play at the start of each half of the match and after a goal has been scored. The procedure is as follows. All players are in their own half of the field. The opponents of the team taking the kick-off must remain outside the center circle until the ball is in play. The ball is stationary at the center of the field. The referee gives a signal. The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves forward.

After a team scores a goal, the kick-off is taken by the other team.

Dropped ball

To restart the match after a temporary suspension of play for any reason for which no other specific restart is specified (e.g., if the referee stops play for injury), the referee restarts play by dropping the ball at the place where it was when play was suspended. If the location of any drop ball would be inside the goal area, the ball shall be dropped at the point on the goal area line nearest to the original location for the drop ball. The ball is in play when it has touched the ground, before which no player shall play it, else the referee shall drop the ball again.

General rules for all restarts

a.    All restarts (kickoffs, dropped balls, goal kicks, free kicks, corner kicks, and throw-ins) are indirect, i.e., a goal can not be scored until the ball has been played (touched or kicked) by a player other than the person putting the ball into play.
b.    The player putting the ball in play shall not play the ball a second time until it has been touched or played by another player. If he does, a free kick can be awarded to the opposing team.

c.    Unless otherwise specified, the ball is in play when it is kicked and moves.

Law 9: The Ball In and Out of Play

The ball is out of play:

when it has wholly crossed the goal line or touch line, whether on the ground or in the air, or
when play has been stopped by the referee. Once the referee has decided that an infringement has occurred, the ball is out of play from that time, even though some slight interval may elapse before the referee blows the whistle.

Since lines belong to the areas of which they are the boundaries, the touch lines and the goal lines belong to the field of play, so the ball is in play if any part of it is on or over one of these lines.

The ball is in play at all other times, from the start of the match to the finish, including when:

it rebounds from a goal post, crossbar, or corner flag post and remains in the field of play;
it touches the Referee when he is in the field of play.

If an outside agent (e.g., a dog, spectator, loose ball, etc.) enters the field and interferes with play, the referee shall stop the match and restart it with a drop ball at the place where the contact or interference occurred (subject to Law 8), even if the interruption of play severely disadvantages one team (e.g., if the ball is about to enter the goal).

Law 10: The Method of Scoring

A goal is scored when the whole of the ball, while directly in play, has passed over the goal line, between the goal posts and under the crossbar. This is the only condition under which a goal may be awarded.

The team scoring the greater number of goals during a match shall be the winner; if no goals or an equal number of goals are scored, the match shall be termed a "draw". This the only method by which a match may be won or drawn.

Law 11: Offside

The offside rule is not applied in Younger Division games.

Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct

A player who commits any of the following six offences in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless, or involving disproportionate force:

kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
trips or attempts to trip an opponent
jumps at an opponent
charges an opponent
strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
pushes an opponent

or who commits any of the following four offences:

tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball
holds an opponent
spits at an opponent
handles the ball deliberately, i.e., carries, strikes or propels the ball with his hand or arm (except for the goalkeeper within his own goal area);

or who commits any of the following three offences:

plays in a manner considered by the referee to be dangerous
charging when the ball is not within playing distance of the players concerned and they are definitely not trying to play it;
when not within playing distance of the ball, impedes the progress of an opponent, e.g.

runs between the opponent and the ball, or
interposes the body so as to form an obstacle to an opponent, or
stops the goalkeeper from releasing the ball, or
stretches the arms or moving from side to side to delay an opponent, forcing him to change course, even without making "bodily contact";

or who, when playing as a goalkeeper within his own goal area, commits any of the following three offences:

controls the ball with his hands for more than 6 seconds before releasing it from his possession after being encouraged by the referee to put the ball back into play
touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player
wastes time

may be penalized by the award of a free kick to the opposing team at the place where the infringement occurred.

Once a goalkeeper acquires possession of the ball, he may not punt the ball, but may only throw, roll, or kick the ball on the ground to a teammate. A violation of this provision is not penalized, but play shall be stopped and the ball shall be put into play with a goal kick by the offending team.

A player may be cautioned (i.e., formally, severely warned by the referee) if he

is guilty of unsporting behavior
shows dissent by word or action
persistently infringes the Laws
delays the restart of play
fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick or free kick
is guilty of serious foul play
is guilty of violent conduct
spits at any person
uses offensive, insulting or abusive language.

If the referee chooses to stop play to issue a caution, play shall resume with a free kick taken by the non-offending team at the place where play was when it was stopped.

Under very unusual circumstances, a player may be sent from the field of play by the referee for extreme violations of any of the above. In this case, the dismissed player may not be replaced, i.e. his team will play short for the rest of the match.

Law 13: Free Kicks

Any player on the team awarded a free kick may take the kick. The ball must be stationary at the place where the kick was awarded when a free kick is taken.

When a player is taking a free kick, all of the opposing players shall be at least 6 yards from the ball, until it is in play. The opposing players shall not dance about, shout or gesticulate in a way calculated to distract their opponents. If necessary, the referee shall delay the taking of the kick, until these conditions are complied with.

Any free kick awarded to the attacking team within its opponent's goal area shall be taken from the point on the goal area (6 or 7 or 9 yard) line nearest to the point where the offence was committed.

A free kick awarded to the defending team within its own goal area is completely equivalent to a goal kick (see Law 16).

Law 14: The Penalty Kick

Penalty kicks are not awarded in Younger Division games.

Law 15: The Throw-In

A throw-in is a method of restarting play. A throw-in is awarded when the whole of the ball passes over the touch line, either on the ground or in the air. The ball is thrown in from the point where it crossed the touch line by a player of the team opposite to that of the player who last touched the ball.

The thrower at the moment of delivering the ball must face the field of play and part of each foot shall be either on the touch line or on the ground outside the touch line. The thrower shall use both hands and shall deliver the ball from behind and over his head. The ball is in play immediately it enters the field of play.

When a throw in is being taken, the opposing players shall not dance about or gesticulate in a way calculated to distract or impede the thrower.

If the ball is improperly thrown in, the throw can be awarded to the opposing team or the referee may allow the throw-in to be retaken.

Law 16: The Goal Kick

When the ball goes out of play over the goal line, and a goal is not awarded, and it was last touched by one of the attacking team, a goal kick shall be awarded to the defending team.

The goal kick may be taken with the ball stationary on the ground anywhere within the goal area. All of the opposing players shall remain outside the goal area and at least 6 yards from where the kick is taken from until the ball is in play. The ball is not in play until it leaves the goal area.

Law 17: The Corner Kick

When the ball goes out of play over the goal line, and a goal is not awarded, and it was last touched by one of the defending team, a corner kick shall be awarded to the attacking team.

The ball is placed within the quarter circle at the nearest corner flag post, which must not be moved, and the ball is kicked from that position. Players of the defending team shall not approach within 6 yards of the ball until it is in play.

Differences from the Full Laws

This section is designed to help those with experience with the Full Laws by summarizing the differences between the Full Laws and the Younger Division Laws. It is for convenience only -- if this summary in any way conflicts with the preceding full statement of the Younger Division Laws, that statement shall prevail.

Law 1: The field and goals are smaller (see diagram). The center circle is 6 (U7) or 7 (U8) or 8 (U9) yards, rather than 10, in radius. There is no penalty area or mark. Instead, the goal area is enlarged and serves as both goal and penalty area.

Law 2: A size # 3 ball is used for U7 and U8, and a # 4 ball is used for U9.

Law 3: Each team is divided into 2 mini-teams with 4 (U7 & U8) or 5 (U9) players, rather than eleven.

Laws 4 & 5: No changes.

Law 6: Assistant referees are not used.

Law 7: The teams play alternate formats each week. In one format, each half in U7 and U8 is 10 minutes long and the mini-teams play 2 consecutive 20 minute games, and each half in U9 is 12 1/2 minutes long and the mini-teams play 2 consecutive 25 minute games. In the other format, mini-teams in U7 and U8 play one 40 minute game, and mini-teams in U9 play one 50 minute game.

Law 8: All restarts are indirect.

Laws 9 & 10: No changes.

Law 11: The offside law is not applied.

Law 12: All fouls result in an indirect free kick, since there are no direct free kicks in Younger Division games. Division 9 goalkeepers may handle the ball only within their own goal area, since there is no separate penalty area on a Younger Division field. The goalkeeper "parry" and "backpass" rules are not applied; goalkeepers are not allowed to punt the ball. (The "6 Second Rule", however, is enforced, although usually by the referee encouraging the goalkeeper to put the ball into play.) Formal cautions and dismissals of players from the match, although technically within the referee's power, are only to be used in very extreme cases. Cards are not to be shown.

Law 13: All free kicks are indirect. Opponents are required to be 6 yards away from the ball when it is kicked, rather than 10.

Law 14: Penalty kicks are not awarded.

Law 15: No changes.

Law 16: Goal kicks are taken, as in the full Laws, from anywhere in the goal area. Since there is no separate penalty area, opposing players are simply required to be 6 yards from the ball and outside the goal area when it is kicked. The ball is in play when it leaves the goal area. A goal may not be scored directly from a goal kick.

Law 17: Corner kicks are indirect. Opponents are required to be 6 yards away from the ball when it is kicked, rather than 10.

Last updated 20 August 2007

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