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 of the Game "with offside, direct free kicks, etc. left out." (A list
of these differences is included below 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.
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. Referees should make
it absolutely clear when they 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 the throw-in rules) reflect a player's ignorance and
enthusiasm
and not deliberate attempts to gain an advantage, they should almost
always be met
with an 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
a Referee to be a kind and gentle
teacher. In fact, they give the Referee the authority to be a stern
disciplinarian, for the occasional time when it might be
necessary. However, Referees should not let the formality of the Laws
become their only point of
view or they will 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. The longer boundary
lines are called the touch lines. The shorter boundary lines are called
the goal lines. The lines that mark the areas on the field
are considered to be
part of the areas that they mark.
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 around 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 Size #3 ball for U7
and U8, and a Size #4 ball for U9. The ball should be inflated to a
reasonable pressure (e.g., 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 its roster into two
"mini-teams."
For U7 & U8: a match shall be played by opposing mini-teams, each
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, each 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 because of an injury, he
or she
may be substituted for, but in that case, (s)he 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 that both (a) the Referee is informed
before the change is made and (b) the change is made during a
stoppage in 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 each
match.
The Referee's authority commences as soon as (s)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 decisions on
points connected with play shall be final.
The Referee:
- enforces the Laws.
- has the option to not 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 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/her 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. (S)he must instead simply report the circumstances to the
appropriate AYSO official.
- stops the match if, in his/her 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 next 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/her
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)
because the Referee had already decided to stop play for the first one,
whether or not (s)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, (s)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/her decisions only on facts
observed directly by him/her or by another official appointed for the
same
match. The Referee may reverse any decision (s)he has made, until the
match has been restarted.
Law 6: The Assistant Referees
Assistant Referees 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 each 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
General rules for all restarts
a. All restarts
(kick-offs, 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
touched a player other than the person putting the ball into play.
b.The player putting the ball
into
play shall not touch the ball a second time until it has been touched
or
played by another player. If (s)he does, a free kick shall be awarded
to the
opposing team.
c. Unless otherwise specified,
the ball is in play when it is kicked and moves.
Kick-off
At the beginning of the match, a coin is tossed and
the team that 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 that won the coin 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 whisltes to signal the kick-off. 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 dropped 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 dropped 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.
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 (s)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 play with a dropped 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 seven
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
- tackles an opponent
or who commits any of the following three offences:
- holds an opponent
- spits at an opponent
- handles the ball deliberately; i.e., carries,
strikes or propels the ball with his/her hand or arm (except for the
goalkeeper
within his/her own goal area);
or who commits any of the following three offences:
- plays in a manner considered by the Referee
to
be dangerous
- charges an opponent 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/her
own goal area, commits any of the following three offences:
- controls the ball with his/her hands for more
than
6 seconds before releasing it from his/her possession after being
encouraged
by the Referee to put the ball back into play
- touches the ball again with his/her hands
after
it has been released from his/her 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,
(s)he
may not punt or drop-kick 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 (s)he
- is guilty of unsporting behavior
- shows dissent by word or action
- persistently infringes the Laws of the Game
- 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/her team will
play
short for the rest of the match.
Law 13: Free Kicks
All free kicks are "indirect" (i.e., the ball must
touch a second player before a goal to be scored).
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 a 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. A goal can not be scored directly from a
throw-in.
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/her head. The ball is in play immediately after 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-in
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 a goal line and
a goal is not awarded, and it was last touched by a player of the
attacking
team, a goal kick shall be awarded to the defending team. A goal can not be
scored directly from a goal kick.
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 a goal line and
a goal is not awarded, and it was last touched by a player of the
defending
team, a corner kick shall be awarded to the attacking team. A goal can not be scored directly from a corner
kick.
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 of the Game 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 above.) The center circle is 6 (U7) or 7 (U8) or 8 (U9) yards,
rather
than 10 yards, in radius. There is no penalty area or mark. Instead,
the goal
area is enlarged and serves as both goal area and penalty area.
Law 2: A Size #3 ball is used for U7 and
U8, and a Size #4 ball is used for U9.
Law 3: Each team is divided into 2
mini-teams with 4 (U7 & U8) or 5 (U9) players each, rather than
eleven players.
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 two consecutive 20-minute games, and each half in U9
is 12 1/2 minutes long and the mini-teams play two 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.
- U9 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 or drop-kick the ball. (The "6-Second Rule", however, is
enforced although usually by the Referee encouraging the goalkeeper to put the
ball
into play.)
- Although
technically within the Referee's power, formal cautions and dismissals of players from the match are to be used only in very
extreme cases. Yellow and Red Cards are not to be shown.
- Slide tackles are dangerous for younger players. A fair slide tackle can be a good play; however, younger players on the "receiving" end of the tackle do not have the body control to easily get out of the way of the tackler and therefore we consider slide tackles to be Dangerous Play in the U7/U8/U9 divisions and the Referee will call it a foul.
Law 13: All free kicks are indirect.
Opponents are required to be 6 yards (rather
than 10 yards) away from the ball when it is
kicked.
Law 14: Penalty kicks are not awarded.
Law 15: No changes.
Law 16: As in the full
Laws, goal kicks are taken 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 (rather
than 10 yards) away from the ball when it is
kicked.