Official Rules

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: August 1st, 2026

Format & Structure

  • U11 – Aug 1st 2015-July 31st 2016
  • U12 – Aug 1st 2014-July 31st 2015
  • 9v9 format
  • Teams divided into groups of 4
  • Teams move on to Quarters, Semis and Finals

Match Schedule

  • Games played over 3 days
  • Teams scheduled for up to 2 games per day

Match Format

  • 30-minute halves
  • 5-minute halftime
  • Heading is allowed
  • Unlimited substitutions (with referee permission)

Roster Rules

  • Maximum roster: 16 players
  • Players must be registered to the club they represent
  • All players must have valid player cards
  • No guest or borrowed players allowed
  • Rosters are final once the tournament begins

Eligibility

  • Players must play for their official club team only
  • No guest players
  • No mixing of players across teams or clubs
  • Players can only play for one team

Points System (Group Stage)

  • Win = 3 points
  • Tie = 1 point
  • Loss = 0 points

Tiebreakers (in order)

  1. Head-to-head
  2. Goal differential
  3. Goals scored
  4. Goals against
  5. Penalty kicks

Three-Way Tie Scenario:
If more than two teams are tied at the end of preliminary rounds, the tie-breaker criteria list shall be used in order to advance or eliminate teams. Once one team advances or is eliminated, and if the remaining two teams are still tied, those two teams will then be compared beginning with criterion 1 (Head to Head) to determine ultimate placement. (See different examples below).

Example 1: Three-way tie:
Head-to-head cancels out since all 3 teams either beat or tied each other.
Team A Goal Differential +3
Team B Goal Differential +2
Team C Goal Differential +1. In the above example, Team A is first place, Team B is second place, and Team C is third place.

Example 2: Three-way tie:
Head-to-head cancels out since all 3 teams either beat or tied each other.
Team A Goal Differential +3
Team B Goal Differential +3
Team C Goal Differential +1. In the above example, Team C is eliminated. Since Team A and Team B are tied, those two teams will then be compared beginning with criterion 1 (Head to Head) to determine ultimate placement. In this case, Team B beat Team A 1-0 in pool play. Therefore, Team B is first place, Team A is second place, and Team C is third place.

Advancement & Finals

  • Championship Path: Quarterfinal → Semifinal → Final
  • In the event that the wild card is coming out of the same group, the tournament will determine that the Group A Winner will then play the Group C Winner, and the wild card will then play the Group B Winner.
  • All knockout games tied at full time will go directly to penalty kicks (no extra time)

Sidelines & Conduct

  • Players and coaches on one sideline
  • Spectators must sit on the opposite sideline
  • All participants must act respectfully
  • Abuse of referees or opponents may result in removal
  • Red Cards result in a 1 game ban for players and coaches

Game Rules

  • FIFA Laws of the Game apply
  • Shin guards required
  • No jewelry
  • Referee decisions are final

Minimum Players & Forfeits

  • Minimum 7 players required to start a match
  • Failure to appear within 5 minutes of kickoff results in a 1–0 forfeit loss

Game Completion

  • A match is considered official after one half is completed

Weather Policy

  • Matches may be delayed, shortened, or cancelled due to weather or safety conditions
  • No refunds for weather-related disruptions