RULES & REGULATIONS 2010

 

 

 

 

CAPITAL INTER-DISTRICT SOCCER ASSOCIATION

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Amended March 9, 2010

CURRENT FOR THE 2010 SEASON

These rules and regulations are established by authority of the Capital Inter-District Soccer Association (referred to as the CISA or League in this document) as per by-law 49 of the Constitution. The following rules may be added to and/or amended as per the by-law of the Association, but changes shall not occur after the start of the playing season.

Where any omission under this memorandum should arise, the relevant and applicable rules of the Soccer Nova Scotia Bylaw, Policies and Procedures shall prevail. If omissions should still exist, the Canadian Soccer Association’s Bylaw, Policies and Procedures shall apply.

The CISL encourages full participation in all aspects of the game of soccer regardless of gender or of cultural, racial or ethnic background. Club and game officials, coaches and players shall promote the game of soccer based upon the principles of safety, equality, enjoyment and fair play.

District, club, game officials and coaches shall be responsible for administering the League in accordance with these rules and regulations.

The Capital Inter-District Soccer League is restricted to teams and clubs registered in the Halifax, Harbour East, Suburban, and Valley(restrictions apply) Regions.
 

Rule 1 - Registration of Clubs

A. Members will register annually as outlined in by-law 6 of the Constitution using the Club Registration Form provided by the League for this purpose.

B. Clubs will indicate on their registration application expected numbers of teams in each division. This information will be used for planning purposes only.

Rule 2 - Registration of Teams

A. Members are responsible for registering their teams with the League in the following divisions.

U-12 Boys A, B, U12 Boys C 8 Aside

U-12 Girls A, B, U12 Girls C 8 Aside

U-14 Boys A U-14 Boys B

U-14 Girls A U-14 Girls B

U-16 Boys A U-16 Boys B

U-16 Girls A U-16 Girls B

U-18 Boys 

U-18 Girls 

Senior Women C

B. Age categories and tier levels are those defined by Soccer Nova Scotia.

C. The League reserves the right to combine divisions, if there are insufficient team registrations in a division, or to divide divisions into sections if there are too many teams for a single division. The League will make every effort to create even divisions at any age group or level.  

D. Specific registration deadlines will be forwarded to Members by the Executive, but will generally follow these guidelines:

3rd Monday in April or 15th, whichever is first:

Number of teams entered in each Division with confirmation through the SNS IT System that each team has at least fourteen (14) registered players. Players in each age group and gender may be pooled to show the total number of registered players, rather than being required to show individual team rosters of 14 players. Team registration must be in writing and all fees must be paid at the time of registration. Members may add newly registered players, and may transfer players between teams up to the season start date to allow for proper player placement at their appropriate play level.

April 30th:

CISL will not accept late team registrations after this date unless approved by the Executive.

Up to April 30th teams may submit three play days for leave required for exams or other purposes during the month of June, as well as weekends off for tournament travel. After April 30th teams must honor their game schedule as produced by the League with the exception of game postponements outlined below. Weekends reserved for League purposes to replay games cancelled due to weather or other causes are not available for tournament leave. Members shall make every effort to determine the week of graduation activities for registered U16&18 teams and the league shall not schedule any games during that week, therefore for U16&18 teams the exam leave request is removed.

May 31st or first day of season:

Team rosters as registered with Soccer Nova Scotia through the SNS IT Registration System must be frozen at this time and only player transfers and new player registrations approved by SNS may be made from this date forward.

Coaches and Managers must be registered in the appropriate spaces on the IT system.

SNS recently passed a motion requiring ALL teams to have a person of the same sex as the players as part of the teams staff or management.

SNS and the CSA require that ALL team staff or management be cleared by CPIC. Any Member of the CISL naming any person to any team as a team staff or management person is indicating that the named person has been CPIC cleared, and that should an audit by a third party be undertaken that the Members records will so indicate.

SNS requires Members to comply or no schedules to be issued to club.

May 15th :

Clubs will forward, in writing, by way of a Team Registration Form supplied by the League, the following information about each Club and each club team for the Leagues information.

Name of the team, Name and phone number of the Coach, Asst Coach, and Manager, complete with home and office nos., as well as e-mail and fax nos. where available. No work nos. will be issued in the Coach’s Handbook, but are necessary for timely and effective league administration. After publication of the Coaches Handbook, it is the Club and team’s responsibility to assure the League has correct and current team contacts during the playing season.

If team and coach names are not provided, the League will assign a name to the team for identification in the League, failing that the Club President will be notified of any team communication from the League.

On or before June 15^th:

Any team that would like to request changes to their schedules must have done so on or before this date. The CISL will not entertain any requests for schedule changes after this date, except in the case of Rule 4-C. The CISL does not guarantee that a schedule change request will be granted.

Teams requiring a game postponement for any reason may request same in writing through their club by showing proof that the opposing team is agreeable to the request. The request must also include two dates agreeable to both teams for the reschedule. The agreed dates must be weekdays. The CISL will choose one of the selected dates and notify both teams of the date, location, and time, for the replay. No team may request more than two games for reschedule.

Postponed games will not be included in makeup weekends.

Rule 3 - Registration of Players

A. All players and officials of teams participating in the League shall register each year with Soccer Nova Scotia as required by SNS rules established from time to time, and shall be subject to the rules and disciplinary procedures adopted by the National Executive Committee of the CSA.

B. No player shall be deemed registered for participation, nor shall they compete in any game of the League unless their registration has been acknowledged by Soccer Nova Scotia by the players name appearing on the teams roster as is shown on the SNS IT system .The League reserves the right to restrict dual registered players (i.e., those registered to play Tier 1 and Tier 2) from participation in the League.

D. All players who register through a club participating in the League are bound to that club until the end of the League’s current playing season (normally Labour Day Monday), unless they are transferred or released in accordance with Soccer Nova Scotia guidelines.

E. All players must have a valid Soccer Nova Scotia ID card. ID cards and registration forms must be available for inspection at each game. The manager or coach, not the players, must hold the ID cards for each team.

F. If there is doubt about the registration status of a player; any team and/or league official may request inspection of ID cards and /or team registrations. Any team who was unable to produce the ID cards has 24 hours from the game starting time, weekends and legal holidays excepted, to present the cards to the League office who will forward the cards to the President. Failure to do so shall result in forfeiting the game.

Any protest resulting from inspection of ID cards must be filed, within 24 hours of the game starting time, weekends and legal holidays excepted, according to the procedures outlined in Rule 8.

G. Any team or club official or player charged with falsifying proof of age documents or tampering with ID cards or registration sheets shall be reported to Soccer Nova Scotia for disciplinary action. Notice in writing shall also be forwarded to the player, team and district.

H. PLAYER CALLUPS: Players may only play up to another team as directed by SNS policies or rules as determined from time to time. Playing up may be from a lower age division to a higher age division; or from “B” to “A” in the same or higher age division. For example: an U-16 B player cannot play at the U-14 A level, but can play up to U-16 A and U-18 A or B. A U-14 A player can play up to U-16 A or B. Players “playing up” must be listed on the game sheet with the name of their team.

Players registered to play and U12B 8 Aside are subject to the above rules.

I. Illegal Players: Any player who plays when unregistered, who is not listed on the game sheet, is overage, or violates the playing up guidelines is defined as an illegal player. Any team found guilty of playing an illegal player should forfeit the game and all other games in which the illegal player has participated. The coach of any team found guilty of a second offence for playing an unregistered player will be automatically suspended and a discipline hearing convened. No player shall play for more than one team in this league.

Rule 4 - Scheduling

A. Three (3) officials registered with Soccer Nova Scotia are to be assigned to each 11 aside League game. In the event the scheduled referee does not show up, the game must be played with the assistant referee officiating, provided that the assistant referee is one year older than the players; and for U-16 and U-18 games, the assistant referee has two years experience.

If an assistant referee does not meet the qualifications above and feels they can referee the game and the coaches agree prior to the commencement of the game, by signing the game sheet and giving it to the referee, the game will be played as scheduled with the assistant referee officiating.

One referee shall be assigned to each 8 aside game.

B. Game Cancellations: The President or his/her appointee is responsible for canceling all scheduled games when weather or ground conditions warrant such action in accordance with municipal restrictions. Such cancellations shall be put on the League’s website and email subscription list at least one and one half-hours prior to the first scheduled game of the day. Games will automatically be rescheduled to makeup weekends as determined each season and shown on the leagues published calendar.

At game time, if there has been no league cancellation, it shall be the sole responsibility of the referee to decide whether the game will go on or not due to inclement weather or unsuitable playing surfaces. If, during the course of the game the referee determines that the weather has deteriorated to the point where safety is a concern, the referee may stop the game for up to fifteen minutes. If, after fifteen minutes the game cannot be restarted, then, if the game is in the second half, and the coaches agree, the game can be called complete.

If the game stoppage was in the first half and cannot be restarted, then the game will be rescheduled for replay.

Coaches must report these games to the League office within 12 hours of the game by phone, fax, or email. Do not assume the League will know that the game has been cancelled as severe weather can be fairly localized.

C. Game Postponements: Teams must honor their scheduled game commitments. See Rule 2. In exceptional circumstances requests for postponements will be considered for compassionate grounds on less than 14 days notice. The Executive will decide what action is appropriate and inform both teams.

D. Rescheduling: The Executive will reschedule all legitimately cancelled, postponed and suspended games not covered above or by automatic rescheduling. Coaches may not reschedule their own games. Games will be rescheduled on the first available suitable dates following the originally scheduled games.

Where a team entered in a tournament encounters a conflict of any kind, between a regularly scheduled league game and a tournament game, or games, the CISL will not cancel the league game. Teams not honoring their game commitment in this instance will forfeit the game and points will be awarded to their opponent. Teams will be given at least 48 hours notice of the time and place of a rescheduled game.

Rule 5 - Games

A. Time Limits and Ball Sizes for games in the League shall are follows:

Age	Halfs on or before July 31	Halfs after July 31	Halftime Break	Ball Size
12 12 8aside	30 25	25 25	5 5	4 4
14	35	30	5	5
16	40	35	5	5
18, Snr WMN C	45	40	5	5

When three is a delay in the start of the game, each half of the game will be shortened by the same amount so that the game will end at the scheduled time. For example: An U-12 game that starts 15 minutes late will play two 22 minute halfs before August 1st and two seventeen 17 minute halfs if the game is played in August.

B. Uniform and Uniform Numbers: All players’ uniforms will carry a number and all players on the same team and participating in the same game must wear the same colour uniform which includes socks, jersey and shorts. Each jersey must bear a different number. It is the responsibility of the coach to make sure that all players are identified on the game sheet by name and uniform number. Referees have the right to deny a player’s participation in the game if they do not comply with this rule.

 

C. Fielding of Teams: When a team has 7 players at the field, after the scheduled start time, the game will be started. If a team fails to field a team with a minimum of 7 players, within 15 minutes after the scheduled starting time, it shall lose the game by default. If during the course of any game a team’s roster falls below 7 players due to injury, player ejections or other cause the game will be abandoned and rescheduled by the League. When there is a delay in the start of the game, each half of the game should be shortened by equal amounts of time so that the game will end at the scheduled time.

When a team fails to show for any scheduled game, the Clubs of those teams will be responsible for paying all game fees and costs associated with that game to the CISL Treasurer within

72 hours of being advised of the costs. The League reserves the right to suspend the team if the fees are not paid.

If a team defaults a second game in the playing season, the team will be expelled from the League unless its Club pays the outstanding fees and posts a performance bond equal to “the game fees for that division” x “the number of games remaining to be played”. At the end of the season, the Club will be refunded the performance bond less all game fees and costs associated with any further defaults.

D. Home Team: The team named second in the schedule shall be the home team and shall be responsible for providing two game balls (suitable to the referee), nets and corner flags. The away team is required to assist the home team by erecting one net. Failure to provide nets and corner flags may result in a forfeit game.

Registered referees shall be paid by the home team, at the field, before the game. Fees will be set from time to time by SNS, and published in the League Handbook.

E. Colour Clash: In the event that the colours of the two opposing teams clash, the AWAY team is required to change its colours.

F. Coaching is permitted only from the area of the team’s bench. The player bench/coaching area shall be defined as: a 10 metre area on one side of the halfway line, not closer to the touch line than 1 metre, and not behind the goal line or within 10 metres of the corner flag. The referee shall designate on which side of the field teams will locate their player benches. Spectators and others will watch the game from the other side of the field opposite the teams.

G. Substitutions may be requested from the assistant referee at any time. In the absence of assistant referees, coaches may request substitution at any stoppage of play. Teams may substitute up to five players at a time and there is no limit to the number of overall substitutions. Substitutions shall be made only with the referee’s approval and shall be carried out as quickly as possible from the halfway line. Players leaving the game must leave the field before their replacement may enter. Referees will give direction to teams as to when substitutions may be made during a game. Some differences in procedure may occur from game to game as Referees may handle substitutions differently at their discretion.

H. Incomplete Games: Any team official removing a team from the field before the end of the game without permission of the referee shall forfeit the game and be subject to a review by the discipline committee.

A referee who stops a game prematurely shall forward within 48 hours a written report of the circumstances to the League office; the Executive shall determine the action to be taken.

I. Reporting Match Scores: Teams are responsible for reporting scores online, within 24 hrs of the match. These scores will be considered tentative until receipt of an official game sheet. The League will only accept properly completed game sheets for official score reporting. The WINNING team must report the scores of both teams by submitting the original copy, or a fax of the original game sheet. The league recommends that both teams print off a copy of the game sheet and have it signed by the referee. This ensures that if the home team fails to report, the away team has a record they may report with. The League must receive a copy of a signed game report within 5 days of the game date or no points will be assigned (online score will be removed). Faxed copies are acceptable.

Teams shall be assessed a penalty of $25.00 for not submitting the game sheet on time.

Rule 6 - Referees

A. Referees are responsible for their scheduled game commitments. If unable to be present at a game, the scheduled official must report this to the League office, if prior to 24 hours of game time and if within 24 hours of game time, find a replacement qualified to do their game and notify the League office of the replacement. Assigned officials should sign each game sheet legibly to insure that they get credit for being in attendance, and for league follow-up as required.

B. Officials may be required to reimburse the League for any costs incurred because they did not show up for a scheduled game did not inform the league office or arrange for a replacement qualified to do their game. Officials shall be removed from the list of active referees for the League and any scheduled games will be reassigned to other officials until the costs have been reimbursed.

C. In addition to their normal game duties as outlined by their Association, Referees will within 4 hours of ejecting a player from a game, inform the League office, by phone, of the events that led to his/her action. A detailed, written report for all ejections must follow within 24 hours. Referees failing to report any cautions or ejections in accordance with these rules shall be removed from the list of active referees for the League and any scheduled games will be reassigned to other officials. Referees are to insure that game sheets are completed properly so that the League can identify the teams, date, time, field, score, discipline, etc.

D. Complaints by or against referees or officials shall be submitted in writing to the CISL.

E. Upon request, Clubs will be reimbursed for referee fees paid under the following circumstances: when games are cancelled at the field because of field and/or weather conditions; or when games are not played because a qualified official (see Rule 4-A) was not at the game. Requests will not be considered if game sheets were not filed with the League as required in Rule 5-I.

F. Where Referees are not paid at the field by the team responsible to pay all or half the game fees,, usually the home team, the League will undertake to pay the Referees within two weeks and the Club and team responsible are required to pay a sum equal to double the original referee fees to the League within two weeks.

Rules 7 & 8

The League follows the Discipline and Appeals Policy, Procedure and Punishment guidelines of Soccer Nova Scotia currently in effect and published online at: http://www.soccerns.ns.ca/documents.asp and contained in Section 14 Discipline, and Section 15 Appeals
 

A Discipline, Appeals and Protest Committee (the Committee) shall deal with all players and club or team officials reported for misconduct, and all protests arising out of League play unless otherwise provided for in these rules. The Discipline, Appeals & Protest Committee is usually comprised of (although not limited to) three volunteers from the CISL Board of Directors who can be considered neutral to any of the hearings pending. In situations deemed extraordinary, or where board members are unavailable, the President may, at his/her discretion, direct the Administrator as to who should comprise the Committee.

Rule 7 – Discipline & Appeals

A. The Committee will meet every Monday at 6:00 pm at the League office throughout the season as required. Any necessary hearings will be held the meeting next following the infraction or 10 days if the player requires. The Discipline committee will issue automatic suspensions immediately upon receipt of an official discipline report.

Soccer Nova Scotia Policies and Procedures related to discipline matters will be followed with the exception of incidents of Violent Conduct, whereby a player will be subject to a 10 game suspension.

B. Written complaints about the behavior of team supporters at CISL games, may be investigated by the Committee, and teams and/or clubs may be required to attend a meeting of the Committee to answer the complaint. Clubs and/or teams may be subject to sanction by the League. All written complaints must be supported by the Club whose team makes the complaint. Complaints submitted without a Club’s endorsement will not be responded to.

Further, any team accumulating 27 points during the course of the season will receive a warning letter from the league to correct its behaviour. Should a team accumulate 40 points the Coach will be called to appear before the Committee. Sanctions may be levied against any team behaving in an unsportsmanlike manner and may include game suspensions, loss of points, fines, costs, and expulsion from the league.

Rule 8 - Protests

A. The Committee shall deal with all protests arising out of League play, unless otherwise provided for in these rules.

B. All protests shall be submitted in writing to the League office no later than 24 hours after the incident or the end of the game being protested, weekends and legal holidays excepted.

C. All protests must be accompanied by a protest fee of $150.00 cash and paid by the club of the appellant.

All protest fees received by the league will be donated to Kidsport.

D. On receipt of a protest, the League office shall, within 72 hours, weekends and legal holidays not included, schedule a hearing and advise both parties of the time and place and the rules of the hearing.

Protests will be dealt with within 10 days of the date of the game.

Both parties shall have the right to attend the hearing; either may waive that right in writing, in which case the protest will be dealt with in their absence.

E. Hearings will be conducted according to the Soccer Nova Scotia rules and the rules will be given to both parties with the notice of the hearing.

F. Any appeal from the Committee’s decision shall be made to the CISL Board in writing within 7 calendar days and the Board will deal with the appeal within 14 days.

Special Discipline

Where a team or player violates any of the Laws of the Game, rules and policies of the Canadian Soccer Association, Soccer Nova Scotia or the CISL; or

Where a team or team staff member or player behaves in any manner that indicates or demonstrates conduct which is prejudicial to the best interest of the CISL; 

Then the President of the CISL may:

I. issue a warning to any manager, player or coach about such conduct;

II. suspend one or more of the manager, coach or players of a team, or any combination thereof for not less than one and not more than five (5) games;

III. order the forfeiture of a game ;

IV. suspend a team from further CISL play until such time as they show cause to the CISL

Board of Directors as to why that team should be allowed to continue to play in the CISL

in the particular division affected or any other division.

In the event that a team is suspended, the affected team will have a minimum of seven (7) days from the date of written notification of its suspension to prepare their submission to the CISL Board of Directors.

The team affected may waive this preparation time in writing if it so chooses.

The CISL Board of Directors will meet no later than ten (10) days after the President has suspended a team to hear that team's reasons as to why they should be allowed to participate in the league.

The onus will be on the team to demonstrate why the suspension should be lifted.

 

Rule 9 - League Standings

A. Three (3) points will be awarded for a win; one (1) point for a tie; and zero (0) points for a loss.

If game sheets are not received as outlined in Rule 5-I, points will not be awarded. In the case of a tie only the home team will be penalized.

B. Any team forfeiting or defaulting any game for any reason shall be the loser; the score will be 3-0; and three (3) points will be awarded to the winning team.

C. If a team drops out of the League or is expelled from the League, The Executive will decide what should happen to the results of League games played.

D. Where two or more teams are tied in the standings of a play level at the conclusion of the season, the higher standing will be awarded according to the following:

Rule 1. The following rules apply equally to all the teams that are tied.

Rule 1a. If, after the application of a given rule, all of the teams are still tied, go to the next rule.

Rule 1b. If not all teams, but one or more subgroups of the teams are tied, separate these teams into groups and go back to rule 2 with each of the groups individually.

Rule 2. Win-loss records, counting only games between the teams that are tied.

Example 2.1. A and B are tied for third place at 4-2, and during the tournament, A has beaten B. Then, A gets third place and B gets fourth place. When only two teams are involved, this rule is commonly called “head-to-head.”

Example 2.2. A, B, and C, are tied for first place; they are all 3-2 after the six team round-robin. A has beaten both B and C, while B has beaten C. The records among the three teams only are: A is 2-0, B is 1-1, and C is 0-2. A finishes first, B finishes second, and C finishes third.

Example 2.3. A, B, and C are in a three-way tie. A has beaten B, B has beaten C, C has beaten A. The relevant records for all three teams are 1-1. This tie-breaker won’t work, and you must go on to tie-breaker #3.

Rule 3. Point differentials, counting only games between the teams that are tied.

Example 3.1. A, B, C are in a three-way tie for first place. A has beaten B 15-10, B has beaten C 15-12, and C has beaten A, 15-13. A’s point differential, then, is +5 and -2, which equals +3. B’s is -2 and C’s is -1. A finishes first, C finishes second, and B finishes third. Note that the three point differentials, in this case, +3,-2,-1, must always add up to zero. Note also that we do not use the point differential to choose the winner and then go “head to head” to choose the other two. This would be a violation of Rule #1, which says that we must apply a tie-breaker rule equally to all the teams that are tied.

Example 3.2. A, B, C are in a three-way tie for first place. A has beaten B 15-11, B has beaten C 15-12, and C has beaten A, 15-13. A’s point differential, then, is +4 and -2, which equals +2. B’s is -1 and C’s is -1. A takes first place. B and C are still tied. When, after the application of a rule, there are still teams that are tied, we go back to rule 2. Since B beat C, B takes 2nd place, and C takes 3rd. At this point we do not go onto rule 4.

Example 3.3. A, B, C are in a three-way tie for first place. A has beaten B 15-13, B has beaten C 16-14, and C has beaten A, 15-13. A’s point differential, then, is +2 and -2, which equals +0. B’s is 0 and C’s is 0. This tie-breaker cannot be applied, go on to tie-breaker rule 4, unless there are only three teams in the pool to begin with, in which case you should have played an extra point. See the discussion on three-team pools in Section 3.1.

Rule 4. Point differentials, counting games against all common opponents.

Example 4.1. As in example 3, above, A, B, C are in a three-way tie for first place in a four-team pool. A has beaten B 15-13, B has beaten C 16-14, and C has beaten A, 15-13. All three-point differentials are 0. Suppose all of them have played D; A beat D 15-9, B beat D 15-7, and C beat D 15-12. B takes first place (because their point differential against the common opponent, D, was +8), A takes second (by beating D by six goals), and C takes third (beating D by three goals).

For the purpose of Rule 4 defaults and forfeits will not count as common games.

End of Rules and Regulations