Cal North

For purposes of clarity the leagues to which the participating teams are registered shall be referred to as "Clubs".

ARTICLE 1    GENERAL RULES I            TEAM ROSTER

All  team  rosters  and  applications  shall  be  submitted  to  the  league  manager  or  match secretary no later than 6:00pm June 1st of the current season No alterations shall be allowed except those governed by the California Youth Soccer Association and the League. A team roster shall consist of a minimum of (11) eleven and a maximum of eighteen (18) players, twenty two (22) players in 16 and 19.

The U9 and U10 teams will be allowed a maximum of 14 players per team Age-group of a team will be determined by the age of the oldest player on the team, regardless of the age of the other players on the team.

II          FEES

League entry fees will be set at the beginning of each season, are due when team applications, or team lists, are submitted Fees are to cover the costs of administration and awards. All costs for referees, field use, field set-up, etc. are the responsibility of the host clubs. A 10% late fee will be assessed to all clubs not submitting the entry fees along with the applications or team lists. The late fee will also apply to each team applying, or being submitted by the club, after the established entry deadline.

III         RULES OF ENTRY

A. Eligibility: Refer to Bylaws of District Ill Constitution, Article II, Sections 1 and 2 except that CYSA-N affiliated teams from outside of District Ill, upon submitting the proper applications to play, will be considered for participation in League play.

B. Teams are not permitted to include players on its roster that are older than the age group in which the team competes.

C. Additional teams will not be admitted into the League after the start of League play.

D. Teams for Traveling House will be from District 3 only.

IV         REFEREES

Responsibility for all referee assignments lies with the club whose team is hosting any particular game. A team is considered the host team even when playing its designated home game at a neutral site or at the home field of its opponent. All game officials should be qualified, USSF referees (i.e. currently licensed, adequately experienced and physically fit for the age group and division to which they have been assigned). Licenses for the prior year are considered valid through the end of the winter for the current season, for the sake of these rules.

Referees at the U12 and above age groups must be a minimum of fourteen (14) years old, have a minimum of two (2) years experience as an assistant referee, and be at least two (2) years older than the age-group that he/she will be officiating Age limitation will not apply to referees that are Grade 6 (state level) or above, or referees recommended by the Referee Committee.

A minimum of one (1) currently licensed referee and two (2) club linesmen is acceptable for all age groups. It is preferred that all league games be officiated by three (3) currently licensed referees Officials assigned to any game shall not be affiliated with either team through personal relationship. Any affiliation between officials and team, whether they are assigned or stepping in, must be disclosed to the other team before the start of the game.

In the absence of three (3) properly assigned officials, the following solution shall be applied in the order listed to fill vacant positions:

·      Host team shall provide a qualified, unaffiliated official

·      Visiting team shall provide a qualified, unaffiliated official

·      Visiting team shall provide a qualified, affiliated official

·      Host team shall provide a qualified, affiliated, official

If, after considering all options above, only the center referee position is filled, then the other two positions shall be club linespersons filled by assigning one person from each team. Should one team not be able to furnish any linespersons, both may be accepted from one team. Should the previously assigned official(s) arrive after the game has started with alternate official(s), the alternate official(s) will be allowed to complete the game only upon agreement by both coaches.

If, after fifteen (15) minutes beyond the scheduled kick-off or, if the prior game is running late, fifteen (15) minutes following the conclusion of the game played immediately prior to the game in question, and after considering all options above, the center referee position still cannot be filled, the home team will forfeit the game.

Failure of the hosting club to provide three (3) properly assigned officials for a game shall be noted on the game report prior to the start of the game.

V          TEAM PLACEMENT

A. The League shall be comprised of four (4) divisions of play: gold, silver, bronze and copper.

The gold and silver divisions will be for "division 1" teams, the bronze division for "division 3" teams and the copper division for "division 4" teams. "Division" in quotes designation is as defined by CYSA-N.

B. Age groups for the gold division will be U9, U10 and U 1lboys and girls.

Age groups for the silver division will be U9, U10 and U 11 boys and girls.

Age groups for the bronze division will be U9, U10, U 1 1 , U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 and U18/19 boys and girls.

Age groups for the copper division will be U16 and U19 boys and girls.

C. The League shall assume authority for the placement of all teams into age groups and divisions In age groups where there is more than one division, clubs may request specific placement of teams. Requests should be submitted, in writing, to the League manager.

The Games Committee of the  League may, by a vote of two-thirds of its members*, bar the participation of any team from that club.

* The designated representative of each club.

D. Age groups and/or divisions may be combined for play should there be an insufficient number of teams to make up an age group within a division.

VI         LEAGUE AND TEAM GUIDELINES

A.  Profanity, excessive absence, unsporting conduct, and tampering with or the abandonment of teams may be sufficient cause for expulsion from the league or other disciplinary action.

B.  The possession or use of illegal substances and alcohol is strictly prohibited during League games.

C.  Coaches passes are required for head coach, assistant coaches and/or manager.. They are specific to one (1) team and may not be co-designated to any other team It is a requirement for all teams to be accompanied by a coach or manager with current credentials at all League games.

B. The District Commissioner, with the approval of the members of the District Ill Board of
Directors, shall delegate the operation of the League to a league manager.

C. A games committee, chaired by the League Manager consisting of up to a  representatives of each participating club, shall be responsible for the operation of the League, including disciplinary action and the hearing of protests On matters requiring a vote there shall be one

(1) vote allowed per Club.

1. Club representatives to the Games Committee shall be responsive to the needs of their clubs' coaches. They shall ensure that all coaches understand the League rules and procedures, including discipline, and procedures for protest and appeals They shall be responsible for keeping their club registrar and board informed of Games Committee business.

2. The League Manager shall convene meetings of the Games Committees whenever necessary.

3. The League Manager may not serve as Club representatives to the Games Committee.

Il          SCHEDULING

All scheduled games will be played at the times and fields designated on the schedule, with the following exceptions.

A. Games postponed due to inclement weather or unsafe field conditions: The coach or manager of the home team must notify the coach or manager of the opposing team immediately upon being informed of the field's unavailability for play The coach or manager of the home team, with the concurrence of the visiting team's coach or manager will arrange for the game to be re-scheduled. Re-scheduling must be arranged through the home Club's game scheduler. Notification should then be given to the home team's Games Committee Representative and submitted to the League Manager for approval. Should the opposing coach or manager not be agreeable to a re-scheduled game, according to the above conditions, the game will be considered a forfeit win to the home team.

B. League games that conflict with tournament games on days when tournaments are not sanctioned by CYSA-N: The affected teams' games committee representative will be required to notify the League Manager, in writing, prior to August 15th  to allow time for games to be scheduled around their events. Untimely notification will result in the affected team's
forfeiture of all affected games to its opponent. A $75.00 fine will be assessed to each team for each forfeited game. Payment of fines will be the responsibility of the sponsoring Clubs.

C. League games will not be scheduled during the high school soccer season of November 15 to March 15.

D. Game schedules will avoid conflicts with ACT, SAT and PSAT exam dates.

E. Starting in the 2012-2013 season Traveling House will be allowed one (1) reschedule per season.  This needs to be done at least two weeks prior to the scheduled game.  The team asking for the reschedule must notify the League Manager, the opposing coach and make all the arrangements for the reschedule and then notify the League Manager, who will put the rescheduled game on the web site.  If any part of this is missed the game will be a forfeit to the team asking for the reschedule.

F. Requests to re-schedule games, stating the reasons for the request, must be filed in writing to the appropriate match secretary, with a copy sent to the opposing team's coach, or manager, a minimum of seven (7) days prior to the originally scheduled game date. Should the request be approved, the match secretary will make arrangements for the new game date and time and inform coaches, or managers, of both teams a minimum of seven (7) days prior to the new game date. Re-scheduling of any game not done through the League Manager or League Match Secretary will be considered a forfeit for both teams.

All other matters, circumstances and exceptions for re-scheduling League games must be discussed in advance to obtain the approval of the League Manager or League Match Secretary. Except in extreme hardship or emergency cases, a 72-hour notification is required.

A. Forfeits will be recorded as 0 - 2 losses to the teams responsible for the forfeits.

B. Any game forfeited due to scheduling procedures or lack of approval may be appealed to the
Games Committee, following procedures given in Article 6.

Ill         STANDINGS

A. All team representatives must report game results to the appropriate age-group coordinator no later than twenty-four (24) hours after each game.

All game results and team standings will be posted on the ‘my soccer league’ website.

B. League standings will be determined by a 3-1-0 (win-draw-loss) point system.

Final league standings will be based on the total number of points earned for games played by the end of the season Should inclement weather interrupt the schedule and teams have not played an equal number of games as a result of such weather, the placement shall be determined by dividing the total number of points earned by the number of games played. The team with the higher average number of points earned per game shall have the higher standing. Teams that have not played a full schedule of games for reasons other than weather related shall be credited for the number of points earned in the games that were played to determine final league standing.

C. Where a tie exists in standings, it will be broken as follows: Head to head record

Most wins accumulated  difference  between  goals  scored  and  goals  conceded. The maximum difference for a single game will be four (4) goals
Co-champions if tie is for 1st  or 2nd place

IV         AWARDS

Gold colored League Medals will be awarded to each player and a maximum of two coaches of the League championship teams in each division Divisions must consist of three (3) or more teams.

ARTICLE 3       RULES OF PLAY

I           SIZE OF PLAYING FIELDS

Follow the CYSA Manuel.

II          DURATION OF GAMES - HALF TIME - BALL SIZE

Follow the CYSA Manuel.

NO PENALTY KICKS FOR U9’s or U10’s.  ALL FREE KICKS WILL BE INDIRECT KICKS

III         EQUIPMENT AND APPEARANCE

Follow CYSA Manuel

IV         GENERAL CONDUCT AND REQUIREMENTS OF PLAYERS AND TEAM PERSONNEL

A.  Should a player be injured during practice or a game and requires emergency or medical attention on site, the player shall have a written release from a medical professional before returning to practice Compliance is the responsibility of the team's Club

B.  Players wearing orthopedic casts, braces (metal, carbon fiber, hard plastic, and like devices), or splints (air or metal) shall not be eligible to participate in any game, practice, tryout or training session

C.  All head coaches should be a minimum of 18 years of age Coaches that are under 19 years of age must have a team manager of at least 18 years of age, who will be present at all league games.

D.  Persons may enter the field of play only when authorized to do so by the referee.

E.   Once the game begins, the referee is in full charge of the game.

F.   Coaching,  giving  directions  to  one's  own  team  on  points  of  strategy  and  position,  is permissible, only from the general area of the team bench; 10 yards on either side of the half way line.

G.  Prior to each game, both teams shall be jointly responsible for submitting team line-ups to the referee, preprinted match reports from my soccer League.. The line-up shall include the players' names, jersey numbers, CYSA registration numbers and the signatures of both coaches.

H.  All  games  should  be  started  on  time  A  15-minute  waiting  period  will  be  allowed  after scheduled game time for a delayed team. If a team cannot field seven (7) players within that time, the game shall be forfeited, unless the game was properly postponed under Article 2, Section II of these rules.

I.    The organization responsible for the scheduling and/or condition of the field will determine whether a field is usable and playable for a given day of play. Once a game is under way, the referee shall be the sole judge as to whether the play can continue with regards to field condition.

J.   A game that has been stopped by the referee, before the completion of the time specified in the rules, for reasons stated in Law 5 must be replayed in full.

K.  Coaches are responsible for the behavior of any and all of their supporters.

L.   The League reserves the right to make any temporary rule deemed necessary to fulfill the purpose of the League.

M.  Game Cards must be reported on my soccer league.

N.  The coach or manager of each team must be in possession of the individual player passes and coach passes and the official team roster and make them available for the referees' inspection.

B.  The disciplinary committee will use the CYSA-N guidelines in deciding disciplinary action.

II    LEAGUE DISCIPLINARY POLICY

Follow the CYSA Manuel.

A.  Coaches or managers of teams are responsible for maintaining order on the team bench and among accompanying spectators during games. Should a substitute player, member of the coaching staff, or a spectator unlawfully enter the field of play the referee is required to stop all play and allow the coaches time to restore order If said incident escalates beyond the coaches' control and results in game abandonment, the entire team or teams, including all registered players and all members of the coaching staff will be subject to discipline by the Disciplinary Committee Discipline may include suspension of all registered players and all members of the coaching staff for the remainder of the of the CYSA-N season. A more severe penalty may be assessed against specific individuals if their actions so warrant The suspension for players will include the denial of transfer to another registered team within CYSA-N, including participation in the Olympic Development Program. The suspension of coaches does not permit them to coach in any manner including training and practice for this team or any other team involved in CYSA-N activities, including participation in ODP or other CYSA-N related activities.

B.  Club  officials  will  be  notified,  through  their  Games  Committee  representatives,  of  the comments written on the League game cards.

III   GUIDELINES FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION

A.  The  Disciplinary  Committee  Chairperson  shall  have  the  authority  to  impose  discipline consisting of a suspension, with or without probation, of no more than 2 League matches.

B.  Suspension of players for more than 2 matches, or any suspension of a team or team officials, shall require a decision by the full Disciplinary Committee

C.  In all cases involving a suspension of more than 2 League matches, notice of the disciplinary action or other decision shall be sent by mail to the coach within 7 days of the decision All other concerned parties, including, but not limited to, Club Presidents, Match Secretaries and Club Representatives will be notified through League and District channels.

IV         OFFENSES AND PUNISHMENTS

VIOLENT CONDUCT OR SERIOUS FOUL PLAY:

Follow the CYSA Guidelines.

MISCONDUCT BY COACH OR TEAM OFFICIALS:

Coaches and team officials are reminded that they are responsible for the conduct of their respective team's supporters A coach may be cautioned or sent off based on the conduct of the supporters regardless of whether the coach or team official participated in or encouraged the conduct. When sent off the field of play a coach must immediately and completely leave the vicinity of the field. The suspension of a coach may, at the discretion of the Disciplinary Committee, apply to all coaching activities,

Coaches and team officials sent off the field of play for infringement of the Laws of the Game shall have 2 matches added to the suspension that would normally be levied against a player for a similar infringement.

PROBATION:

The  Disciplinary  Chairperson  or  Committee  shall  have  the  authority  to  place  a  player  on probation for the same period as the guideline penalty. If an individual on such probation is sent off during the probationary period, the full penalty for the more serious offense will be applied and no appeal will be allowed.

In addition to the suspension, players, coaches and assistant coaches will be placed on probation for a period of time equal to the suspension The probationary period is to be served immediately following the suspension period. Should an individual on probation be sent-off the field of play during the probationary period, the original suspension and probation shall be re-applied and no appeal will be heard.

Coaches and other team officials, such as assistant coaches/managers sent off the field of play
for infringement of the Laws of the Game shall have two (2) games added to the suspension that would normally be levied against a player for a similar infringement. The resulting automatic minimum suspension of three (3) games cannot be appealed.

ARTICLE 5       INFORMATION FOR COACHES AND REFEREES

I      REFEREES

A.  Referees officiating the League games are expected to be thoroughly familiar with the rules that govern League play The League administration recommends that the referees confer briefly with coaches prior to each game to be advised of the League's specific rules.

B.  Referees are expected to be on time for games in order to conduct credentials and safety inspection prior to team warm-up. The pre-game inspection should be specifically limited to credentials and safety. Interruption of team warm-up should be avoided.

C.  The League will be using player passes and coaches’ passes for credential check for all League games. It is the referees' responsibility to inspect players' and coaches' credentials and players' equipment prior to all league games. The referee will maintain possession of players' and coaches' passes while games are in progress. It is the referee's responsibility to return the passes directly to the coaches or managers at the conclusion of games.. The referee will maintain possession of passes of players that have been sent off the field of play and shown the red card and coaches or managers dismissed from the game Withheld passes must be filed with the "Referees Send Off Report".

D.  When a player is sent-off the field of play and shown the red card or cautioned, the referee is required to record the player's full name, CYSA-N registration number and jersey number as well as the reason for the sending-off or caution, on the game card. It is the responsibility of the referee to write specific information on the game card regarding sending-off and cautions to allow the Disciplinary Committee to review and take appropriate action.

E.   It is the referee's responsibility to complete a "Referee Send-Off Report" for any player or coach that is sent of the field of play and mail, or deliver it, to the League Disciplinary Chairperson. The referee's send-off report should be postmarked no later than the second business day following the game in question. Reports not filed in a timely manner may not be acted upon.. Incidents leading to a player or coach being sent off should be described and stated in terms similar to those listed under "Disciplinary Guidelines" of these rules.

F.   The Disciplinary Committee's action will be based on the information entered on the game card  and   the  referee's  send-off   report   Should  any  information  require  clarification consultation with assistant referees, or interview with the referee should be conducted.

II          COACHES
A.  It is the responsibility of all coaches to insure that the referee is aware of the League policy regarding coach and player passes. All coaches or managers should have the League
manual in their possession during league games.

B.  Coaches may not write comments on game cards, and are reminded that even though the game has ended an improper approach to the referee could still lead to a caution or dismissal. Comments about the game or refereeing may be submitted, in writing, to the League Match Secretary. Coaches are encouraged to submit to the League Manager, comments regarding the quality of officiating (positive or otherwise) All comments will be forwarded to the District Referee Committee.

1.   Letters of comment about game matters or pending disciplinary actions may be sent to the League Manager, or respective Games Committee Representative.

C.  Team  coaches  or  managers  will  be  sent  postcards  to  be  used  for  recording  game suspensions. To verify that players or coaches are serving the required suspensions, the coach or manager should ask the referee of each game, whether it be a tournament or League game, to sign and date the postcard. Once the suspension(s) has been served, mail or deliver the postcard to the League Manager. The player or coach pass will then be returned.

D.  It is the recommendation of the Games Committee that coaches require players attend games while on suspension a suspended coach may not coach, participate either directly or indirectly, in the team's games during the suspension. 

ARTICLE 6       FILING AN APPEAL TO A GAMES COMMITTEE DECISION

A.  An appeal will be heard only on the decision of the Games Committee. The referee's report will be of the utmost importance in an appeal the reasons must be stated why it is felt that disciplinary action in the decision was incorrect in not accordance with CYSA-N guidelines. The section(s) and paragraph(s) must be cited in support of the appeal.

B.  The automatic one game suspension for players being sent off the field of play and shown the red card or one game suspension for receiving a third caution cannot be appealed.

C.  The automatic three (3) game suspension for coaches being dismissed from the field of play or one (1) game suspension for receiving a third written caution cannot be appealed.

D.  The appeal must be in writing and post-marked within 48 hours of the notification of the decision. The appeal can be filed with the Games Committee through a Games Committee representative, the League Manager.

E.   The appeal will be considered within eighteen (18) days of its receipt. The League Manager will attend the meeting. All parties to the appeal will be notified at least seven (7) days prior to the hearing. Appealing parties may attend (notify League Manager or Deputy League Manager in advance) or they may submit written input to the League Manager or Deputy League Manager prior to the hearing. The appellant will be notified of the decision within three (3) days Suspension will continue in effect until fully served or during the appeal period for a maximum of ten (10) days after receipt of the written appeal Coaches are responsible for enforcing all suspensions.

F.   Each appeal must be accompanied by a $100.00 processing fee in the form of a check or money order made out to "District 3" and mailed to District 3, PO BOX 1492, Pleasanton, CA
94566.

Mail the check and the appeal to the League Manager. The fee is refundable if the appeal is upheld.

G.  The decision from the appeal may be appealed to the District III Board of Directors Refer to
District PIM 85-5 governing this process.

ARTICLE 7       FILING A GAME PROTEST

A.  Protests will be heard only on the misapplication of the FIFA rules of the Game of Soccer as amended by CYSA-N or the League Rules of Play.
Protests must state the law or rule that is believed to have been violated or misapplied. Protests  must  be  in  writing  If  filed  with  a  Games  Committee  representative,  that
representative must notify the League Manager within twenty-four (24) hours of its receipt.

B.  The League Manager will determine whether the protest is valid and if so, will refer it to the Games Committee for action The Games Committee will act upon the protest by telephone or e-mail vote or at the next regular meeting as directed by the League Manager.

Decisions from protests may be appealed to the District 111 Board of Directors within 48 hours of notification Submit appeal to the District III Commissioner. The appeal must be accompanied by a one hundred ($100.00) processing fee in the form of a check or money order made out to "District 3" and mailed to District 3, PO BOX 1492, Pleasanton, CA 94566.

ARTICLE 8       ANTI-RECRUITMENT POLICY

A.  District III strongly discourages anyone from contacting any player or parent of a player, directly or indirectly, with the intent to encourage, entice or otherwise persuade the player to register for a team outside of that player's league of residence.

The penalty for violating this policy may, at the discretion of the League Games Committee include suspension from participation in the League of the recruited player, the parent, the trainer or coach. Should the League Games Committee find that there is a pattern of recruitment with the formation of a team, the committee may also refuse to allow that team to play in the League.

Before imposing any penalty, the party alleged to have violated this policy, or the affected player, will be entitled to a hearing in accordance with League guidelines In the event that the League Games Committee intends to refuse to allow a team to play in the League the team will be entitled to a hearing. The team will designate one person to represent it at the hearing.