WWSL Rules

Revised as of 2/1/08

Rules of Play

WWSL General Rules of Play

Click here to download a Word document that outlines the Rules of Play and the League Rules (also outlined below) for the Westchester Women's Soccer League.

Please note that the rules contained in this document and on this website are intended to guide the WWSL on the primary issues likely to affect the league and largely follow FIFA. To the extent not inconsistent with these rules, FIFA rules apply to the WWSL. Any modifications to these rules and/or to FIFA supplementary rules will be agreed upon by the Team Captains in accordance with the governance provisions of these rules.

Indoor Rules

These rules also apply to WWSL's indoor soccer games except as impractical and/or as modified by agreement between Armonk Indoor Sports Center (AISC) and WWSL. In addition to the terms of the AISC/WWSL contract, some of the special rules applying to indoor soccer are as follows:

1. The number of players for indoor is 8 pursuant to Rule 3 in the Rules of Play document posted above.

2. Players must wear tennis shoes, indoor soccer footwear, or turf shoes-soccer cleats are not allowed.

3. Games will be 58 minutes in length, run as two roughly 28-minute halves, with NO half time. A horn or whistle will denote the start and end of each half, with teams switching sides in between the halves. All players should help remove any injured player as quickly as possible as AISC will not grant extended injury time.

4. Any ball hitting any light, rope separation barriers, or the bubble itself within the field of play is considered in play unless ruled as out of play by the referee. If ruled out of play, the referee awards an indirect free kick for the other team from the point of the infraction. Balls hitting the bubble by the end line will be ruled out of play.

5. Pursuant to Rule 11 in the Rules of Play document posted above, there is no offense of offside in WWSL indoor soccer.

6. All restarts, except penalty kicks, will be indirect and opposing players must give 5 yards on all restarts.

7. Penalty kicks will be taken at a spot and in a fashion determined by the referee.

8. Players/coaches who receive a Red Card cannot participate for the next 2 games. 2 Red Cards will result in permanent dismissal from the AISC. Referees have discretion to force the substitution of a player in place of issuing a yellow card.

9.AISC must have copies of each team's Official Roster and documentation of league registration before the first game.

League Rules

WWSL Governance

The WWSL shall have one League Director who shall make the day-to-day decisions for the WWSL. Important decisions of the League Director shall be made with input invited from all of the affected Team Captains from the respective indoor and outdoor teams as applicable and the League Director shall attempt to reach a consensus on important issues affecting the WWSL. If a consensus cannot be reached on an important matter to the WWSL, a vote will be held to determine the outcome on the issue. Each then active team will be permitted to cast 1 vote (via its Team Captain) to determine the outcome of the matter by majority vote. If the matter affects only indoor teams and/or indoor and outdoor teams, 1 vote may be cast by 1 Team Captain from each of the then active indoor teams and any other affected outdoor teams if not represented. If the matter affects only outdoor teams, 1 vote may be cast by 1 Team Captain from each of the then active outdoor teams. In the event of a tie, the League Director shall cast an additional vote to decide the issue.

WWSL Meetings

From time to time, the WWSL Team Captains will schedule informal meetings to discuss issues affecting the WWSL including for example, planning the then current upcoming season, areas of needed improvement and growth opportunities. All team Captains are encouraged to attend and to offer up ideas and solutions in a cooperative manner. WWSL social gatherings are also scheduled in a cooperative effort to promote camaraderie amongst all the teams and their respective participants. Attendance at these meetings is not mandatory, but should be encouraged to promote sportsmanship and friendly play.

Sportsmanship and Friendly Play

WWSL is a competitive amateur league and players are encouraged to play hard and to the best of their ability. However, players are required to conduct themselves fairly and in a sportswomanlike manner at all times and to observe the rules of the game. Repeated or egregious instances of fouls, misconduct and other unsportswomanlike conduct threaten the WWSL and will not be tolerated by the Team Captains. Any instances of potential or alleged unsportswomanlike conduct should be immediately reported to the relevant Team Captains and the League Director so that prompt and effective resolution of the issue can be made. Offending players may be suspended temporarily and/or permanently from playing in the WWSL at the discretion of the Team Captains and the League Director.

Player Age

All players must be at least age 18 and over. Currently there are no player cards or other league verification procedures and the WWSL operates on the honor system. However, it is the responsibility of each team captain to ensure that players meet the minimum age requirement.

Official Rosters

Each indoor and outdoor soccer team shall maintain an Official Roster listing the full name and jersey number of each player. Each team shall publish its Official Roster to all of the other Team Captains via email attachment prior to commencement of each season (fall, winter & spring). Rosters must also be supplied to our indoor field provider prior to the commencement of the winter indoor season (see Indoor Rules below). Players reflected on the Official Roster are permitted to play in WWSL games representing the team listing the player on the Official Roster provided the player is 18 years of age or older and provided the player meets the other requirements of these rules. Each player may only appear on one Official Roster for indoor soccer at a time and one Official Roster for outdoor soccer at a time. Team Captains may publish changes and additions and other changes to the Official Roster to the Team Captains freely as needed. In addition, it is understood that occasionally, in the event a team cannot field the minimum number of players necessary to field a game, players are shared amongst teams. Such sharing is allowed but must be disclosed to and expressly approved by the opposing team's Team Captain before commencement of the game. Teams are not allowed to substitute players not appearing on its then-current Official Roster during a game without express disclosure to and permission from the opposing team's Team Captain. Likewise, last minute Official Roster revisions (revisions made within 48 hours of a game) are subject to the same rule requiring prior disclosure to and permission from the opposing team's Team Captain. If the opposing Team Captain does not agree to allow a non-rostered player or a late-rostered player to play the player may not play in the game.

Home Team Field Responsibility

Each hosting team is responsible to ensure the field is paid for and in playable condition for the scheduled game (for example, it is mowed, has goals, nets, corner flags, lines, etc. as necessary).

Insurance

Each team is responsible for payment of its own costs for insurance. Currently, the league has a group policy spanning from fall to summer and each team is responsible to make its proportionate share of the annual insurance payment in a timely manner.

Indoor Facility Fees

Each team is responsible for timely payment of its own costs for indoor facility fees (inclusive of referee fees) for the winter schedule.

Website and Other Fees

Each team is responsible to timely pay its share of other reasonable fees, including for example, a proportionate share of a reasonable fee for website maintenance.

Referees Fees

For indoor games, the cost of the referee is subsumed within the facility fee. For outdoor games, each team is responsible for payment of the referee on each of the dates the team is scheduled to host a home game as reflected on the then-current schedule. Payment is due to the referee assignor prior to the commencement of the game and should be mailed to the appropriate address: Chordas Inc., c/o Leon Feigenbaum, 7 Pine Brook Drive, White Plains, NY 10605. The Referee hosting team confirms referee assignment via email to the referee assignor, , by Tuesday prior to the game.

Cancellation and Inclement Weather

If cancellation of a game is necessary for any reason, please call the referee assignor, Leon Feigenbaum, as soon as possible (914.681.6075) and call & email the other Team Captain as soon as possible. Team Captains should confer about inclement weather and attempt to reach a consensus. Games are generally played in light rain unless lightening is present or the field is otherwise unplayable.

Remove Trash From Fields

In order to facilitate our continued retention of quality field space, please do not leave trash on the field following games and/or practices. Team Captains should make sure that players remove all trash brought to the field before their departure following the game and/or practice.

Waiver Forms

Each team may require its players to execute a waiver of liability form as a condition of participation in the WWSL.