Nashville Sports Leagues
Soccer 11 v 11

FOREWARD
Nashville Sports Leagues modifies TSSAA and FIFA Laws of the game. Any rules not found here will subsequently be found in TSSAA followed by FIFA Laws.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS 
Teams play with eleven players on the field.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS TO START AND FINISH
Teams may with start and finish a game with a minimum of seven players. Failure to do so will result in a forfeit.

PICKING UP PLAYERS
A player may only substitute one time for one team during the entire regular season. Once a player has substituted for a team that player is not allowed to substitute for any other team. If a team is found to be using a player that has substituted for another team, they will be required to forfeit. Absolutely no picking up of players during the playoffs.

GAME START
Home team will call the coin toss. The winner of the coin toss will elect to start with the ball or choose a direction.

GAME CLOCK 
The length of the game is 70 minutes, divided into two halves of 35 minutes. Running time with no clock stoppage is used for each of the two halves.

FIELD DIMENSIONS
Fields will be minimum 100 yards long by minimum 60 yards wide.

EQUIPMENT
- Shin Guards are mandatory with the top of the shin guard covered by a sock. Participants without shin guards will be sent off and the captain will receive a yellow card. A second infraction will be a yellow card to the participant without shin guards.
- No hard casts are allowed on the field
- Goalkeeper materials must be provided by the teams
- No exposed metal braces. All metal braces must be covered by 1/4" think neoprene material
- The goalkeeper must wear a shirt that is in no way similar to the color of either team
- No Pockets (no tape allowed), sunglasses, hard billed hats and knotted bandanas are not allowed
- No jewelry including but not limited to watches, earrings, and rings

HOME TEAM
Each team is required to bring both light and dark colored uniforms to each game to avoid jersey issues.

OVERTIME 
All games ending in a tie will be decided in a shootout. Shoot outs will take place from approximately twelve yards from the goal line. Teams will choose five of their eleven players on the field at the end of regulation. Kicks are alternating possession. Teams are allowed to change goalkeepers during tiebreaker as long as new goalkeeper was on the field at the end regulation.

GOAL KICKS
A goal kick shall be taken within one yard from inside the goal line and inside the penalty area. Players opposing the kicker shall remain outside the penalty area until the ball moves out of the penalty area.

OUT OF BOUNDS
When the ball is deemed out of play, it shall be restarted by means of throw in from the point where it was deemed out of play, by a player of the team opposite to that of the player who last touched it.

FOULS AND MISCONDUCT:
Direct Free Kick: A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits an offence in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive 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

A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following three offenses:
• holds an opponent
• spits at an opponent
• handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)

A direct free kick is taken from the place where the offence occurred

Indirect Free Kick: An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team for above listed offences deemed not to be in a careless, reckless or excessive manner.

Penalty Kick: A penalty kick is awarded if any of the above offences is committed by a player inside his own penalty area, irrespective of the position of the ball, provided it is in play.
 

(Direct kick: The ball can be directly kicked into the goal for a score by the kicker.)

(Indirect Kick: The ball must be touched by at least 1 person other than the kicker before it can go in the goal for a score. If the ball goes into the goal with only the kicker touching the ball, it is not a goal and results in a goal kick.)

OFFSIDES
There are offsides in 11v11 soccer. 

IN/OUT OF PLAY
The ball is out of play when:
- the ball has completely crossed the goal line or touch line
- when the official sounds the whistle

The ball is in play when:
- it bounces off the goal posts or crossbars and remains in field of play
- bounces off an official

There will be no whistle to restart play except:
- when a team asks for ten yards
- when play has been stopped to caution or eject a player
- for a penalty kick

SUBSTITUTION RULE
Substitutions can be made on the fly from mid field.

BACKWARD PASS

A goalkeeper is not allowed to field a pass with his/her hands originating from a player on his/her own team.

PLAYER ON THE GROUND
To avoid any potential injury a player must discontinue playing the ball if he or she is on the ground.

SLIDE TACKLING
Absolutely no slide tackling. 

Slide tackling: Is when a player goes to the ground in an attempt to take the ball away from an opposing player. If this happens in the box this will result in a penalty kick. 

GOALKEEPER PLAY
A goalkeeper is not allowed to lead with feet up.

Yellow Card
Any time a player receives a yellow card he/she is required to sit for a min of 5 minutes. Any two yellow cards within a game, will result in the player receiving a Red Card.

Red Card
Any time a player receives a red card that player will be removed from the remainder of the game and minimum one additional game. The team with the Red Card will also be required to play a man down for the remainder of the game.