•  NEW JERSEY STATE INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION 1161 Route 130, P.O. Box 487 Robbinsville, N.J. 08691

RE: 2010 Soccer Rules Modifications

The NJSIAA Soccer Rules Interpreter is: Alan Brown

• 20 Clinton Place
• Metuchen, New Jersey 08840
• Cell Phone: (732) 841-5323
• ajmwbrown@aol.com

Rule 1-6- - The Field of Play

• Section 6: The NJSIAA is requiring perimeter fencing or roping twenty-five (25) feet from the official side and endlines for VARSITY games. The obvious intent is to separate unauthorized people from teams, coaches, and official scorers. Where field configuration may prohibit full adherence (twenty-five (25) feet) or use of public parks or elementary school fields make fencing unmanageable, large rubber cones or other temporary markings are acceptable provided the spectator separation is accomplished. Adult supervision may be needed in these cases.
• If officials feel these conditions are not fulfilled, they are to play the game, but report the infraction to the administration of the home team and the NJSIAA Central Office.

Rule 3-4-1 – Field Player Replacing Goalie During Substitution

Section 5: Stop the clock for the change to be made.

Rule 4-2-8 - Player Equipment

• A protective face mask may be worn by a player with a facial injury. The mask may be made of hard material, but must be molded to the face with no protrusions. A medical release for the Player signed by a physician (MD/DO) shall be available at the game site. Procedure - All masks must be inspected by the State Rules Interpreter, Alan Brown, or his designee, to determine if the mask is dangerous or confusing. A note of approval must also be present along with said physician's note. State Rules Interpreter , Alan Brown, or his designees, initials must appear on masks .

• Article 1: Note: The (3) official system may only be used for any of the following contests:
• a. Night games
• b. Weekend games
• c. Local Tournaments
• d. NJSIAA Sectional, Semifinal and Group Finals
• e. Scrimmages
• f. NJSIAA approved

• Section 1 Length of Periods
• Article 1: The duration of Varsity games shall be two (2) equal halves of forty (40) minutes each. Junior Varsity (JV) and freshmen may play forty (40) minute halves upon adoption by individual conferences.
• Article 3: During the regular season, if less than one half (1/2) of a game has been played, the game will be rescheduled from the start.
• (New) State Tournament games suspended because of conditions which make it impossible to continue play, should be played to completion from the point of interruption. If the losing team at the point of interruption, does not want to return to complete the game, the game will be considered to be complete.
• Section 3 Tie Games - All Varsity games tied at the end of regulation time,MUST use the following procedure:
• Article 1: Up to two (2) "sudden victory" overtime periods of ten (10) minutes
• each will be played. The first team to score shall be declared the winner. If the score is still even, at the completion of the 2^nd overtime period, the game shall be recorded as a tie. In State Tournament games, if the score remains tied after the completion of the overtime periods, kicks from the penalty mark will be taken to determine the winner. In the State Finals only, if the tie remains after the completion of the second overtime, a co-championship will be declared.
• Teams that do not play overtime, other than for reasons of the elements, will both forfeit the game.

*** In League, Conference, or County Tournament games that require a team to advance, the game shall be recorded as a tie, if the score remains tied after the completion of the overtime periods.

Rule 12. - Fouls and Misconduct

Section 8 Misconduct

• Article 3
• A. The NJSIAA emphasizes that a player, coach, or bench personnel guilty of flagrant physical or verbal misconduct is committing a disqualifying offense: violent conduct, taunting, spitting at an opponent, teammate or game official, serious foul play, the use of insulting, offensive or abusive language, or leaving the team area to enter the field to participate in a fight or altercation. The first such offense will result in a red card disqualification and a two (2)-game disqualification. A previous caution need not have been issued to the perpetrator. For each player sent off, the team must play short one person for the rest of the game. The official issuing the send off shall display the red card in one hand.
• Article 1 & 4
• B. Yellow card cautions are issued: for unsporting conduct, for persistent infringements of the rules, for dissenting from a decision of an official, for using incidental profanity or vulgarity, for a player, coach or bench personnel entering or leaving the field without having received permission from the official, for a coach guilty of his/her team being improperly equipped during the contest (Article 4a), for the use of video equipment to assist in coaching the game, and for the use of any tobacco products at the game site during the period of the jurisdiction of the officials..
• Article 3-d-1
• C. A player sent off for violation of playing Rule 12-8- Art.3(d)1 - A player intentionally handling the ball to prevent it from entering the goal shall not suffer the two (2) game disqualification. The team must play short one person for the rest of the game. The official issuing the send off shall indicate this by displaying the red card in one hand, and the yellow card in the other.
• Article 2 (A & B)
• D. A player, coach, or bench personnel shall be sent off for committing: any delayed, excessive or prolonged act(s) by which a player(s) attempts to focus attention upon himself/herself and/or prohibits a timely restart of the game, a second cautionable offense (Rule 12-8-2b). NOTE: THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS ON THE FIELD SHALL NOT BE REDUCED. The official issuing the send off shall indicate this by showing simultaneously both the yellow and red cards in the SAME hand (the team may substitute for the disqualified player).
• NOTE: B, C, and D above will not carry the NJSIAA 2-game disqualification.
• 2010-11 Constitution and Bylaws NJSIAA Rule 14: Soccer: Section 8
• A soccer player shall play in no more than three (3) halves during the same calendar day, with a maximum of nine halves per week. If a school elects to play a four game week (Rule 14, Section 6), an individual player may not exceed twelve (12) halves. This would include any combination of: freshman, sophomore, junior varsity and varsity competitions. Note: Overtime periods are a continuation of the second half.

Teams must be competing on a varsity interscholastic basis and must have:

1. checked off the appropriate entry designation on the INTENT FORM found in the 2010 Tournament Regulations, and followed all of the requirements so stated in the 2010 Tournament Regulations

2. Seventy percent (70%) of games played before the cutoff date (Oct. 22rd) must be against New Jersey Schools.

3. Any player with two (2) or more disqualifications in the current season, prior to the start of the NJSIAA tournament, will be unable to compete in said tournament.

4. Any varsity team accumulating three (3) or more player or coach disqualifications for flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct prior to the start of the NJSIAA tournament, will not be permitted to participate in same. Seeded teams will forfeit their right to compete if a disqualification limit is reached prior to the start of the tournament for the team.

5. Tie-Game Procedure

• Up to and including the STATE SEMIFINALS, if a regulation game ends in a tie, the overtime procedure will be as follows:
• (1) There shall be up to two (2), ten (10)-minute “sudden victory” overtime periods.
• A. Coin toss shall be held as in Rule 5-2-2(E).
• B. Teams shall change ends if a second overtime period is required.
• C. There shall be a two (2)-minute interval between periods.
• (2) If the score remains tied:
• A. The head referee shall choose the goal at which all of the kicks from the penalty mark
• shall be taken.
• B. Each coach will select five (5) players, on or off the field (except those who have been disqualified), to take the kicks.
• C. A coin toss shall be held as in Rule 5-2-2(E). The team winning the toss shall have the choice of kicking first or second.
• D. Teams will alternate kickers. There is no follow-up on the kick.
• E. The defending team may change the goalkeeper prior to each kick.
• F. Following five (5) kicks for each team, the team scoring on the greatest number of these kicks shall advance. The kicks shall end at the point where the advancing team has been determined.
• (3) If the score remains tied after each team has taken five (5) kicks: Each coach will select any five (5) players, whether or not a player participated in the initial five (5) kicks, to take another set of five (5) kicks in the same team order in a sudden victory situation, wherein if one team scores and the other team does not score, the game is ended without more kicks being taken.
• (4) If the score remains tied after the second set of five kicks, repeat Procedure (3).

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