2023 STARBURST SOCCER SPECTACULAR TOURNAMENT RULES
I. TOURNAMENT NAME:
2023 STARBURST SOCCER SPECTACULAR
II. TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS:
Spindler Fields: 2121 Spindler Road, Hilliard, Ohio, 43026. The onsite tournament telephone number is (614) 420-5637.
III. REGISTRATION & TEAM ELIGIBILITY:
III. REGISTRATION & TEAM ELIGIBILITY:
1. Check in will be by email only. Please place all the below documents in a >Pdf format and in a zip file labeled with your team name to Zirkesa@gmail.com by Monday May 22, 2023 by Noon. Those unable to check in online by May 22, 2023 MUST contact Arnold Zirkes, Tournament Registrar to make other arrangements at least one week in advance.
2. When checking in via email each team must provide the following documents:;
Each team must provide:
a. Team Check in list
b. Official Team Roster with Sanctioning League/State/National Association
c. Player name listing with jersey number. Note: can be written on Official roster
d. Official Player/Coaches cards including Guest Players for the current seasonal year – Please scan the front side of cards only.
e. Guest Player Roster Approval Form from Sanctioning body (US Youth teams only) Max 5 Players. (If applicable)
f. Permission to Travel (Non-Ohio US Youth Members only)
g. Weekend contact sheet (including hotel information if from out of town.)
h. Team Waiver form signed by the player’s parent or legal guardian.
i. Copy of Lindsay’s Law Parent & Player signature form (Non-Ohio soccer teams only)
IV. PLAYER AGE - ELIGIBILITY:
1. The tournament is open to boys and girls teams in the U-8 through U-19 age groups. U-8, U-9 and U-10 age teams , both boys and girls, may have a maximum of 14 players on their team roster and will play in a 7 v 7 format. U-11/12 age teams, both boys and girls, may have a maximum of 16 players on their roster and will play in a 9 v 9 format, U-13 through U19 teams may have a maximum of 22 players (designating 18/game) on their team roster. U-13 through U-19 teams will play in an 11 v 11 format.
2. A maximum of 5 guest players may be rostered to a U-8 through U-19 team for participation in the tournament. U-13 through U-19 teams can have a maximum of 18 players in uniform on the sideline during any one game during the tournament.
3. U-8 recreational teams ONLY are not required to have player passes. However, all players on U-8 teams must have proof of their registration with Ohio South Youth Soccer Association or other affiliated member of USSF by having either a player pass or player registration form, (a.k.a. membership form), signed by a parent or guardian.
V. TEAMS:
1. For each match in the tournament, the team that is listed first in the schedule shall be the home team.
2. If in the opinion of the referee there is a uniform conflict, the home team will be required to change. Therefore, all teams should bring two sets of uniforms to every match.
3. Both teams shall be on the same side of the field. Spectators and supporters of both teams shall be on the opposite side of the field from the teams.
VI. PLAYER & COACH CREDENTIALS AND UNIFORMS:
1. Passes of all players and coaches that will be participating in a match must be present and available at all times during the match, except as noted in Section IV (3) above.
2. The player and coach passes must be checked by the referee prior to each match.
3. All players must wear a uniform that has a number on it that is a unique number in relation to the other uniform numbers of the other players on the same team. Players are prohibited from changing uniform numbers during the course of the tournament.
4. Any players arriving after a game starts must report and check in with the center referee before they can participate in the match.
VII. LAWS OF THE GAME:
Modification – Notes on the Laws of the Game:
1. All matches will be played under international rules (FIFA) with the exceptions as shown in paragraphs 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 below:
2. The length of each match and ball sizes will be as follows:
U-8, 9, 10 Boys & Girls 20 Minute Halves 20 Minute Halves # 4
U-11, 12 Boys & Girls 25 Minute Halves 25 Minute Halves # 4
U-13, 14 Boys & Girls 30 Minute Halves 30 Minute Halves # 5
U-15, 16 Boys & Girls 30 Minute Halves 35 Minute Halves # 5
U-17, 18, 19 Boys & Girls 30 Minute Halves 35 Minute Halves # 5
NOTE: The game clock will not be stopped because of injury to any player unless, at the discretion of the Tournament Director, Referee Assignor, Referee, medical personnel must remove the injured player from the field.
3. Substitutions: Free substitution may be made in all age groups with the permission of the referee as follows:
4. Coaches may be given cautions, (yellow cards) or sent off, (red cards).
5. Player equipment:. All players must wear shin guards. Casts (which are wrapped with padding) are permitted with the permission of the referee and tournament director.
6. SPECIAL NOTE TO TEAMS:
1. The standard offside rules WILL NOT APPLY in the U-8 age divisions.
2. The standard offside rules WILL APPLY in all U-9 through U-19 age divisions.
VIII. TOURNAMENT AND MATCH SCHEDULES:
1. Match Schedules.: Each participating team will play a minimum of three matches, weather permitting
2. At the end of all preliminary and round robin matches, there will be no overtime period played. Preliminary and round robin matches may end in a tie. If at the conclusion of a championship match, the score is tied, two 5 minute overtime periods will be played to the conclusion of each of the two overtime periods. There will be no “Golden Goal” or “Silver Goal” used to determine the winner of a match. If the score remains tied after both overtime periods, the winner will be determined per FIFA procedures for “Penalty Kicks”.
3. No team will play more than two games each day. Note: Players are allowed to play on multiple teams as long as the teams are not in the same division.
4. Referees: U8 - U10 shall play with one referee. U11/12 may play with a two (2) man or three (3) referee system. U13-U19 shall play with a three (3) referee system.
5. Match Delays, Suspensions, Cancellations:. Inclement weather is always a possibility and such types of weather may result in delayed, abbreviated or canceled matches. The tournament committee will attempt to reschedule matches to ensure that each team will play a full schedule for the tournament. Matches may be shortened or postponed or scheduled at a different site in order to meet this goal.
6. In the event of tournament cancellation due to inclement weather, there is no guarantee of a refund. If the tournament is canceled, either before any matches are played or before all matches can be completed, refunds up to 75% of the entry fee paid may be made available to all teams requesting them. The amount of refund will be determined after subtracting the costs and obligations associated with organizing the event. A full refund would not be available due to these costs.
IX. FORFEITS:
1. Teams not reporting to the field within ten minutes of the scheduled starting time of their match may be required to forfeit that match.
2. U-8, U-9 and U-10 teams must have at least five players to start a match. U-11 and U-12 teams must have at least 6 players to start a match. U-13 through U-19 teams must have at least 7 players to start a match.
3. If a team forfeits a match, for any reason, they may be required to forfeit all of their matches in the tournament as determined by the tournament committee and they may be prohibited from advancing to the Championship round.
4. A forfeit will be recorded in the standings as a 4 – 0 loss for the team that forfeited the match.
X. STANDINGS AND TIE-BREAKERS:
1. Groups standing will be determined as follows;
2. The tournament committee is responsible for interpreting the rules and scheduling tie breaker activities. Tiebreaker procedures, in the following order, will be used to determine a group winner:
B. For three way ties, follow the tie breaking rules until one team has been eliminated and then
restart tie breaking rules.
C. Cumulative goal differential of all matches played; defined as total goals scored minus goals allowed, with a maximum of four goals per match.
D. Lower number of goals allowed, with no limit on goals allowed.
E. Most goals scored, with no limit on goals scored.
F. Penalty kick elimination, as per FIFA rules of the match.
XI. MATCH AND SCORE REPORTING:
1. Following each match, the referee will hold the game card. These game cards will be collected by the tournament’s field marshals. The referee shall record all red and yellow cards issued during the match on the game card. In addition, the referee shall turn over to the field marshal the pass of any player or coach to whom a red card was issued.
2. At the conclusion of all matches, a member of the coaching staff of each team must sign the game card in order to confirm the accuracy of the information on the game card, including the final score of the match. It is critical that coaches/managers verify the final game score before signing the game card.
XII. PROTESTS:
1. Protests regarding interpretation of the tournament rules, player eligibility, etc. must be filed in writing with the tournament site headquarters within 30 minutes of the conclusion of the match, along with a $100 cash protest fee. The fee will be returned if the protest is upheld.
2. If there is a protest or dispute, a Protest Committee consisting of the tournament director, the site coordinator, and one other disinterested party who is knowledgeable of the USYSA and Ohio South rules will hear the complaint and make a ruling within 30 minutes of the receipt of the protest.
3. Referee judgment will not be considered a valid basis for a protest. The ruling by the Protest Committee on any protest or dispute shall be final and binding and that ruling cannot be appealed.
XIII. CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE:
Team and Spectator Conduct:. All teams, including players and coaches, their supporters and other spectators are required to conduct themselves in a manner befitting the ideals of FIFA, USSF, and the Ohio South Youth Soccer Association as they relate to FAIR PLAY and good sportsmanship. Persons not conducting themselves in that manner may be required to remove themselves from the vicinity of a particular match, be removed from that entire venue, or not be permitted to participate or attend any function of the tournament for the remaining portion of the tournament. This includes spectators entering the field of play during a game, without the permission of the referee.
IXIV. General Rules:.
1. No air horns are permitted. The tournament committee will be using air horns in cases of emergency, i.e. lightning, tornado, etc.
2. No pets of any kind or size are permitted in the parks. This includes but is not limited to: Dogs, (big and small), Cats, Parakeets, Goldfish, Monkeys, etc. Pets are too unpredictable around large crowds, especially small children and we decline to accept responsibility for the actions of your pets. Anyone with a pet will be instructed to remove the pet from the park – No Exceptions.
3. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted at any tournament match venue.
4 Players, coaches and referees are not permitted to use any form of tobacco in the vicinity of any match field.
5. Ejections.: Players who are sent off (red card) during a match may not play in their next match. Coaches may be given cautions or sent off. Players who are sent off may sit with their team during the team’s next match in the tournament but may not be in uniform. Coaches who are sent off cannot participate as a coach or as a spectator at their team's next match. The Tournament Committee will hold the player or coach pass until the suspension is served in the tournament. If a player or coach is sent off during the final match of the tournament for a team, that player or coach's card will be held by the tournament committee and mailed to the league office which has registered the player or coach.
6. Spectators are prohibited from entering a field during a game, except by the permission of the referee. Spectators who enter a field during a game or otherwise commit misconduct may be ordered by the referee to leave the vicinity of the field.
7. The tournament may take additional action against teams, players and coaches for serious acts of misconduct by their players, coaches and/or team supporters. This action may include removal of the team from the remainder of the tournament.
8. Reports of Disciplinary Action:. For all USSF teams, all reports of any disciplinary action will be sent to the team State Association or National Association that registered the team.
9. For CONCACF teams, all reports of disciplinary action will be sent to USSF and to the Provincial or National Association that registered the team.
10. The Tournament Committee reserves the right to make changes to the schedule, game format, field suitability during the tournament weekend due to safety, field and/or weather conditions as needed.
11. All decisions of the tournament committee are final.
IXV. GAME BALLS:
The Tournament Committee may choose to supply FIFA approved balls for all tournament matches.