Stacked Soccer 3v3 Rules (FIFA)
Games will be played with the official FIFA soccer rules. Any exceptions to the FIFA rules will be listed below.
Roster
Every team has to hand in a roster with all the player names and their Date of Birth.
Number of players per team:
A teams can roster a maximum of 6 players – three field players and three substitutes. Teams are allowed to roster less than six players if they choose (A team must have a minimum of 2 field players). Players may only play on one team per age group.
Game Duration
The games are 20 minutes straight. Home team will start with possession. Games during Pool Play that are tied after regulation play shall end in a tie. Games during the Playoffs / Championship Rounds that are tied after regulation play shall proceed to 3 Penalty kicks per team. The Referee has the official time on the field.
Substitution: Substitutions can be made on the fly.
Kick Offs / Kick Ins / Direct and Indirect Kicks / Goal Kicks / Penalty Kicks:
Kick Offs
May be kicked in any direction. You cannot score directly from a kick off (ball must be 100% over the mid-line to be considered on the offensive half of the field). The kick off is an indirect kick.
Kick-ins
The ball shall be kicked into play from the sideline, rather than thrown in. The ball is considered in play when the ball is touched and changes position. This is an indirect kick, and a goal cannot be scored from this kick.
Direct and in-direct kicks
All dead-ball kicks (kick-ins, kick-offs, free kicks) are indirect with the exception of corner kicks, hand balls and penalty kicks. Indirect kicks must only change position before the ball will be considered in play. If a free kick is awarded within five yards of the opposing goal box, the ball will be moved back to five yards from the box. It is the referee’s discretion where the ball will be placed.
Goal kicks
May be taken from any point of the end line. All Goal Kicks are indirect kicks.
Penalty kicks
Shall be awarded if, in the referee’s opinion, a scoring opportunity was nullified by an infraction (the infraction does not automatically result in a red card). Penalty kicks are DIRECT kicks taken from the center of the mid-line with all players (on both teams) behind the mid-line. Penalty kicks are dead ball infractions. If a goal is not scored, the defense obtains possession with a goal kick.
Five-Yard Rule
In all dead-ball situations, defending players must stand at least five yards away from the ball. If the defensive player’s goal is closer than five yards, the ball shall be played five yards from the goal box in line with the direction of play prior to the penalty.
Goal Scoring
A goal may only be scored from a touch (offensive or defensive) within the team’s offensive half on the field. The ball must be completely on the offensive half of the field, and cannot be touching the mid-line (Example: kick-off). If a player in their defensive half kicks the ball across the midline and the ball hits another player (offensive or defensive) in their offensive half, and the ball goes in the goal, a goal will be awarded. If a ball is kicked from the defensive half and is not touched before the ball rests in the goal, a goal kick is awarded to the defensive team. A goal cannot be scored from an indirect kick, such as a kick-in from out-of-bounds. See below for “Plane of the Goal / Net Interference.”
Goal Keepers / Off-sides / Slide Tackling / Hand Ball Clarification:
There are no Goalkeepers in 3v3 Soccer, we don’t play with offside and no slide tackling is allowed. If a player is sliding for the ball, contact with any player(s) from the other team is NOT ALLOWED. If a player slides and contact is initiated, a free kick shall be awarded. This does not prevent players from sliding to stop/intercept a ball where contact is not initiated during the slide. Example: a player may slide to save a ball from going out-of-bounds.
Hand Ball Clarification
Deliberate handling of the ball that denies a team of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity will result in the following: (1) A penalty kick (at the discretion of the referee) (2) A yellow or red card given to the player committing the hand ball (at the discretion of the referee).
Field Dimensions
The playing field is about 55 by 95 feet for ages U12 and higher. U11 and younger age groups play on a smaller field. The goals are approximately four feet high and 6 feet wide.
During official KICK IT Qualifiers, all age groups will play on a field approximately 55 x 95 ft in size.
The Goal Box
There are no goalkeepers in 3v3. The goal box is approximately six feet wide by six foot long located directly in front of the goal. The goals are four feet high by six feet wide. There is no ball contact allowed within the goal box, however, all players may pass through the goal box as long as they do not touch the ball while in the box. If the ball comes to a rest in the goal box, or on the goal box line, a goal kick is awarded regardless of who touched the ball last. Any part of the ball or player’s body on the line or inside the plane of the box is considered in the goal box and an extension of such. If a defensive player touches the ball after it has entered the goal box, the plane of the goal box, or an extension of the goal box (such as any part of the ball or player’s body on the line or inside the plane of the box), a goal will be awarded to the offensive team. If an offensive player touches the ball after it has entered the goal box, the plane of the goal box, or an extension of the goal box (such as any part of the ball or player’s body on the line or inside the plane of the box), a goal kick will be awarded to the defensive team, and a goal will not be counted if scored. The plane of the goal box extends upward infinitely. The referee’s judgment call and ruling on the field will not be overturned.
Plane of the Goal / Net Interference
A goal will be awarded if the ball strikes the netting portion of the goal, even if the ball is then returned back into the field of play without completely crossing the goal line. If the ball strikes the cross bar or goal posts, and simultaneously strikes the netting portion of the goal, the referee’s judgment will determine whether the netting prohibited the ball from crossing the goal line (which should be awarded a goal); or whether the bar or post prohibited the ball from crossing the goal line (which should NOT be awarded a goal). The referee’s judgment call and ruling on the field will not be overturned. In simple terms, the net should not be the source that will prohibit a shot from scoring as a goal.
Delay of games / forfeits / overtime
Delay of Game
The referee has the official time on the field and holds the right to take necessary action if he/she feels that a team is delaying the game. Any player may be cautioned with a yellow card if it is deemed by the referee that the player is intentionally wasting time, such as if a player intentionally kicks the ball long distances away from the playing field in order to waste time. The referee has the official time on the field.
Forfeits
Teams are given five minutes from scheduled game time, or from delayed start time due to unforeseen circumstances, before the referee issues a forfeit. The Soccer Tournament Director must approve all forfeits before the game is considered an official forfeit. The Kick It Tournament Director has the option to replay a forfeited game if deemed necessary. Any team forfeiting three games during pool play may be removed from the tournament. Any team forfeiting one game during the playoffs may be removed from the tournament.
Play-off Penalty Kick’s
If there’s no winner after the official game time the game will go to shout-outs. A coin toss will decide team-kicking order. The three players from each team remaining on the field at the end of the game will be the only players to kick for their team. The remaining three field players after overtime regulation will rotate, alternating teams with each kick. The first round of shootouts will consist of each player kicking once (round of 3 players shooting per team). The team with the most goals after the first round will be considered the winner. If the score remains tied after the first round of penalty kicks, the same 3 players will alternate in the same order in a sudden death penalty kick format until one-team scores unanswered. If one team has received a red card during the game and finishes with 2 players on the field, a remaining roster player (other than the red carded player) must be chosen to kick in the rotation of penalty kicks. If the red-carded player is the last remaining roster player, one of the two field players must kick twice.
