Rules

Player Rules

AYSO matches are played in accordance with the current Laws of the Game 2007/2008, and AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches (this comprehensive guide includes important safety information, substitution rules, and short-sided games guide).

For an introduction to AYSO, rules of soccer, and codes of conduct, see About AYSO, and By The Book - The Game of Soccer.

Spectator Rules

The national media has been focusing on the negative, even violent, behavior of players, coaches and parents involved in youth sports. In an effort to counteract this trend of violence, AYSO promotes a program called Kids Zone, consisting of four parts:

  1. The Button. This is a pin-on button bearing the program's logo. This will be worn by program supporters at games, and will serve as a reminder of the importance of positive sideline behavior.
  2. The Sign. A large sideline poster, which lists positive behavior standards, designed to be posted at the entrance of participating fields. Parents and spectators who will abide by these standards are welcome -- all others are not.
  3. The Kids Zone Parent's Pledge, which we will request AYSO parents to sign and holds them to the Kids Zone standards.
  4. The Kids Zone video. Please watch this 12 minute documentary, which introduces AYSO's principles and its Kids Zone action plan to new participants.  Viewers will also watch a parent intervene to change another parent's negative behavior.

Local Rules

Field Conditions

The Oak Park Park District decides whether the Oak Park fields are playable. Call 708-524-0273 if you have any doubt. If the goals are wrapped with yellow tape, do not use the field.

Abandoned Games

Games that are at least one-half complete at the time play is abandoned are over and the result at the time of abandonment will be the final score. An abandoned game less than half complete may at the discretion of the league coordinator be considered null, recorded as a completed game, continued to completion, or replayed in full.

Field Conduct

  1. For safety and sanitation reasons, play shall cease until any and all dogs are removed from the playing field and the immediately surrounding grounds.
  2. Do not allow anyone to play on the goals or the nets. This is dangerous and expensive.
  3. Spectators should sit on the opposite side of the field from the players.

Number of players

When not many players arrive by the start of the game, coaches should negotiate a smaller number of players. For example, if one U14 team has only 11 players, and the opposing team has only 12, they may agree to play 9 versus 9, thus allowing some players to rest for one quarter of the game. Many people advocate for small-sided games, and Glen Buckley's research shows that another benefit of this is that with fewer players on the field, each player actually gets more quality touches of the ball per game, even though they spend less time on the field.

As we do not have sufficient volunteers to have a monitor for playing time, we only allow substitutions at half-time and at quarter breaks.

Match Duration

Our playing time is slightly shorter than that recommended in the AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches for the U08 and U10 divisions. The following is a summary of the duration of our matches

Weather permitting, coaches and referees must adhere to the schedule. Coaches shall have the lineup cards filled out before arriving at the field. If games run behind, the referee may shorten the length of the halves by notifying the coaches.

Results

The referee will record the score on the game cards after the game. There is no tie-breaking overtime or shoot-out in a regular season match.

Note: The winning coach must call in or e-mail the score to the division coordinator or designee within a day of the game. Otherwise, the score will be recorded as a tie. There are no exceptions.

AYSO governance

We are governed by the AYSO National Rules and Regulations and Standard Regional Guidelines.

Referee Resources

There are many useful links in the AYSO Referee Publications. Also, the United States Soccer Federation has many resources on its Laws of the the Game page.