Pre-Game

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Rosters 

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Teams must have a visible roster of at least 6 men and 2 women on LeagueApps who will play throughout the season. Players who are not on this roster may not play in the league throughout the season. Captains have until the end of their second game of the season to add players to their roster. Captains should account for potential injuries or absences. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the league director. 

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Uniforms

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Teams will receive jerseys to wear for the season. Each player must wear the provided Manhattan FC shirt to play. If a player is wearing a different shirt, they will not be allowed to enter the court. 

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Players may wear any shorts and socks they would like, although it is preferred to have players match with their teammates so that the media we provide can look more professional. 

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Safety 

 

Shinguards are optional. By registering for this league, captains and the players on their team understand the risks involved in playing in our league. Participants can find the Player Waiver/Agreement here.

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While this is a competitive league, we expect players to conduct themselves in a manner that respects themselves, their teammates, their opponents, the referees, and the game itself. Players who continually pose a physical danger to others or are extremely disrespectful to anyone in the game will be removed from the league immediately.

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League & Game Structure
 

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League Structure
 

8 regular season games per team. A win earns a team 3 points in the league. A tie earns a team 1 point in the league.

Goal differentials will be the first tie breaker, followed by number of wins, followed by number of goals scored. 

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Top 4 teams play in semi-finals. Winners of semis play in the final. 

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In the event of a tie during the semis or finals, penalties will follow. 

5 penalty kicks per team in this order: male, female, male, female, male. 

Penalty kick takers must stay inside the semi circle during the kick. 

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1st place team receives medals and 50% off next season. 2nd place teams receives 25% off next season. Discount expires after the following season. 
 

Game Structure
 

Games include two 20-minute halves, with a 2 minute half-time break. 

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Game clock begins regardless if teams are ready to start on time or not. In the event of one team lacking a sufficient number of players, that team can choose to begin with a minimum of 3 players from their roster to not forfeit the game or they can choose to add extra players who are not on their roster to play the game and accept a forfeit. 

 

Substitutions
 

Subs can be made on-the-fly without having to ask the referee as long as it is made during a natural stoppage of the game (ex: the ball goes out of bounds, a foul is committed, etc.). 

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Forfeits

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If a team does not have at least 3 players ready to play on the court 8 minutes into the start of the game clock, they automatically forfeit the game.

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Forfeits will result in a 5-0 win for the opposing team. The 5 goals will count towards the winning team's goal differential. 

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We prioritize your overall experience in our league. If you expect to not have enough players to play in a game, please notify us as soon as possible and we will work to get you players so that the game can still be played and enjoyed, regardless of the forfeit and end result. 

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Gameplay

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Goals
 

Players may score from anywhere inside of the opposing team's half of the court.

Players, including the keeper, may not score from kicking the ball from their own half of the court.

 

If a player shoots the ball from their own half of the court and it hits somebody before entering the goal, the goal will not count. 

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If a player shoots the ball from their own half of the court and somebody intentionally changes the trajectory of the ball, the goal will count. 

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Outs & Restarts

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Anytime the ball goes out of bounds on a sideline, a kick-in resumes the game. There are no throw-ins. Before the kick, the player must place the ball on or very close to the line with their hand before playing the ball in. 

 

Kick-ins are indirect kicks. The ball must be released within 4 seconds at referee signal or as the player is ready.

The defending team may not stand directly in front of the ball during a kick-in. They must be at least 3 feet away from the line. Players may receive warnings and a yellow card after continuous offenses. 

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When the ball goes out of bounds on an end line, goalkeepers perform Goal Clearances. Goal Clearances are a throw or release of the ball from any point within the penalty area by the goalkeeper of the defending team. The ball must be released within 4 seconds at referee signal or as the goalkeeper is ready. Opponents must be outside the penalty area until the ball is in play. The ball may not be thrown or released past the half line without the ball touching the floor crossing the half line beforehand. 

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During a corner kick, the defending team must be behind the closest black line. 

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If the ball touches a part of the ceiling or a fixture touching the ceiling, a kick-in must be played from the sideline nearest to where the ball made contact.

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Free Kicks
 

Free-kicks resulting from a foul are Direct kicks (the player kicking the ball does not need to have the ball touch anyone before entering the goal). 

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Free kicks resulting from a hand ball are Indirect kicks (the player kicking the ball needs to ensure that the ball touches another player before entering the goal). 

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If requested by the team in possession, a wall will be created 3 feet away from the ball, at which point the ball must be played after the whistle is blown. The team in possession does not need a whistle blown if they do not want a wall. They only need to place the ball on the floor using their hands. 

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Fouls & Misconduct

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A player who receives a yellow card will have to be removed from the game for 2 minutes. Another player may substitute in for them. If a player receives two yellow cards in one game, they will receive a red card and will be permanently ejected from the game and the next game on their team's schedule.

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A player who receives a red card will be ejected from the game and their team will play with one less player on the court for the rest of the game. 
This player will also not be allowed to play in the following game on their team's schedule. 

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Yellow card offenses include but are not limited to: physical fouls, disrespectful behavior towards other players or referees, and excessive time-wasting.

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Sliding

Players may not slide to tackle or attempt to retrieve the ball from the opposing team. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to slide to tackle or attempt to retrieve the ball from the opposing team. 

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A slide will count as a foul if the player tackled or attempted to retrieve the ball from the opposing team.

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Players may slide in an attempt to reach the ball to score, as long as nobody from the opposing team is touched in the process. If an opposing player is touched by the player making the sliding attempt, the goal will not count. 

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Goalkeepers
 

Keepers are the only players on the court who are allowed to slide to tackle or attempt to retrieve the ball from the opposing team. 

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Keepers may touch the ball with their hands in the box outlined by the blue lines. 

 

Keepers may not touch the ball with their hands when receiving an intentional pass from a teammate. 

 

When the ball is in the keeper's hands, they may not throw or volley the ball over the half line without the ball bouncing on the floor of their own half as the ball is traveling. 

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When the ball goes out of bounds on an end line, goalkeepers perform Goal Clearances. Goal Clearances are a throw or release of the ball from any point within the penalty area by the goalkeeper of the defending team. The ball must be released within 4 seconds at referee signal or as the goalkeeper is ready. Opponents must be outside the penalty area until the ball is in play. The ball may not be thrown or released past the half line without the ball touching the floor crossing the half line beforehand. 

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Substitutions
 

Subs can be made on-the-fly without having to ask the referee as long as it is made during a natural stoppage of the game (ex: the ball goes out of bounds, a foul is committed, etc.). 

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