Pre-Game

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Uniforms

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Teams that receive shirts must utilize them each game of 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. Team captains should account for potential absences and coordinate with teammates to ensure enough shirts are available on game day. 

Teams that opt-out of receiving shirts must wear matching shirts/jerseys. Players will not be allowed to enter the court if they are not wearing their team's jersey. 

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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.

Indoor shoes are highly recommended.

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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. One warning will be given. This will be followed by expulsion. 

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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. 

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Game Structure
 

Games include two 20-minute halves, with a 2 minute half-time break. Game clocks begin on-time, regardless if teams are prepared to begin or not. 

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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 4 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. If a game starts late due to a team not being prepared, the opposing team will begin with a 2 goal advantage. 

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Substitutions
 

Subs must be made with the approval of the referee. This can take place 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 4 players ready to play on the court 10 minutes into the start of the game clock, they automatically forfeit the game. 

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Forfeits will result in a 3-0 win for the opposing team. The 3 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. 

A goal may not be scored directly off of a kick-in. The ball must be touched by another player after the ball is kicked in from a kick-in, goal kick, or free-kick.

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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 at least 3 feet away from the ball.

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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 ground.

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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 field 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 a member of 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 tackle will count as a foul if the player tackled or attempted to retrieve the ball from the opposing team.

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Exceptions: Players may slide in an attempt to reach the ball if an opposing player is not in the immediate vicinity. Players may also slide 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. 

Differentiation of slides and slide tackles will ultimately be up to the interpretation of the referee in that moment. 

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Goalkeepers
 

Keepers are the only players on the field 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 lines (Goalkeeper Area) 

 

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, the keeper has 6 seconds to release the ball. ​​

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