• Remember, this is a social league. Chill attitudes are always welcomed. So, meet some new people, and have a good time.

• There should be equal playing time for all players, regardless of gender.

• You always need your team T-Shirts. They are our only way of identifying you and not having them hurts your team’s ranking!

• Please treat our referees with respect.

• Any aggressive behavior will not be tolerated and may result in suspension or expulsion from our leagues; let’s avoid that.

• Please be on time. We recommend showing up at least 10 minutes early to avoid any confusion and the chance of Forfeiting.

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Overly Competitive Players

All Texas Sports & Social Club leagues are intended to be recreational. Any player deemed to be excessively competitive and/or overly aggressive may be removed from competition at the discretion of Texas Sports official or game day coordinator.

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Conduct: Referees have the last word. Excessive arguing will result in at least a yellow card. Refs may issue yellow cards as a warning and “cooling” off for players who are either dangerous or dissenting. If a yellow card is issued the player is sent off and cannot return for 2 minutes and your team plays a man down, no matter if a goal is scored during the 2 minutes. If the referee deems a players repeated misconduct to warrant a red card, it will be issued. If a red card is issued the team has to play a man down for the remainder of the game and the player may have to sit at least one additional game, pending review by the league.

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Sportsmanship Rating:

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Teams will be awarded a sportsmanship grade based on their conduct:

 

• A (4.0) - Above and Beyond Conduct and Sportsmanship

• B (3.0) - Good Conduct and Sportsmanship

• C (2.0) - Average Conduct and Sportsmanship

• D (1.0) - Below Average Conduct and Sportsmanship

• F (0.0) - Poor Conduct and Sportsmanship

 

Teams must maintain a 2.5 AVERAGE in order to be ELIGIBLE for the playoffs

Once in playoffs, the team must maintain a 2.5 average in order to remain in playoffs 

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Number of Players

8 Players will play at once; at least 3 of which must be from each gender.

 

A minimum of 5 players from your roster and/or pre-registered substitutes is needed to start or continue a game.

 

• If a team is short of the required number of players in a specific gender, they may play down.

• A team must have a minimum of 5 players to start.

• Any team with only 1 player from a gender participating must play down with a maximum of player at 5 from the other gender. Teams may not play with 0 (zero) players from a specific gender. The opposing team will play with up to maximum amount of players allowed on the court.

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Game Length/Structure and Scoring

Games will consist of (2) 20 minute halves with a running clock and a 3 minute break at the half (brief halftime, if time permits).  

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Regular season may end in a tie.

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If for any reason the game should be cancelled with more than half of the game played, the game and the score is considered final. Playoff games tied after regulation go directly to penalty kicks. Kicks must be taken by 3 men and 2 women, in any order. All shootout kicks are worth one point. If, after 5 kicks, the score is still tied, kicks will be made with remaining players, up to 8 total players with the normal rule regarding female players (regardless of whether player(s) were sent off), with no player kicking twice until everyone has gone. If one team has more players than the other team before the kicks start, then the team with less players will reduce their players to equal that teams amount.

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Win: 2 points Loss: 1 point

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Beginning the Game

Opening kickoff will be determined by a best of 3 games Rock, Paper, Scissors by the team captain. 

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• There are no offsides rules.

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Goals

Goals are scored when the ball completely crosses the goal line. Goals are worth 1 point.  In the event of an own goal, only one point will be awarded.

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Out of Bounds

• Is when the ball wholly crosses the boundary or when the referee signals for out of bounds.

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Gender Rules

A female teammate’s touch must occur on every possession started before midfield. A female touch is not needed on a kick-off. The touch can take place on either side of the field. If a goal is scored and this did not happen, the goal is waived off and a goal kick is awarded to the opposing team. If a pass is stolen on the opposition’s side by a male, he is allowed to continue to goal and score without a female touch. In order for a play to be considered stolen, the defending player must play the ball and not merely deflect the ball.

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Sliding Tackles

No sliding tackles, period. If a slide is near a player, intentional or not, a free-kick foul will be called and a yellow card may be issued

 

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Penalty  Kicks, Corner Kicks, Free Kicks

Penalty Kicks:  Anyone can take the penalty kick.

Goal kicks or throws do not have to touch the field of play or a player, before crossing the midfield.

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Corner Kicks: Corner Kicks are direct kicks. You may not move the flag to take a corner kick

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Defenders should be at least 7 yards away from all free kicks, except when they are already on the goal line. Penalty kicks will be taken 12 yards from goal line in the middle. What is not covered in this league’s rules will be covered by latest version of FIFA Rules and interpreted by referee. All players will have to stand 5 yards behind the kicker.

 

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Officials (if applicable; see specific league for details.) 

Some leagues are self refereed. For self refereed leagues the League Coordinator will have the last word.

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Texas Sport & Social Club will provide officials for each match.

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Referees have the last word. Excessive arguing will result in at least a yellow card. Refs may issue yellow cards as a warning and “cooling” off for players who are either dangerous or dissenting. If a yellow card is issued the player is sent off and cannot return for 2 minutes and your team plays a man down, no matter if a goal is scored during the 2 minutes. If the referee deems a players repeated misconduct to warrant a red card, it will be issued. If a red card is issued the team has to play a man down for the remainder of the game and the player may have to sit at least one additional game, pending review by the league.

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Fouls/Violations

If a foul is committed,

• Soccer is a minimum contact sport. However, some contact may occur, as long as it is done in a legal manner. It cannot be done by play that is careless, reckless, or with excessive force.

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• Slide tackling a player is NOT allowed!  Doing so will result in suspension for the rest of the game.  If no opponents are nearby, a player may slide to intercept or direct the ball. No foul results.

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Fouls resulting in Free Kick

- Kicking or attempting to kick an opponent
- Tripping or attempting to trip an opponent
- Jumping at an opponent
- Charges an opponent
- Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
- Pushes an opponent
- Tackling

- Holding an opponent
- Deliberately handling or use of hands on the ball

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• 5 yards of distance from kicker to set up wall.  Ball is in play after it has been touched. 

• If the kicking team takes more time than 10 seconds to take the kick, it becomes the opposition’s free kick.

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Sending Off Fouls

 

• All fouls are referee judgement and the above fouls will result in playing down 1 person for duration of 2 minutes.  Player or substitution is allowed to re-enter after 2 minutes have been served or score by the opposing team. Arguing with the referee will be considered unsportsmanlike conduct and could result in ejection from the game and/or league.

 

Playoffs/Championship Overtime (PKs)

If at the end of regulation time in a Playoff or Championship game, each team will attempt PKs.

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The PK line up will consist of 5 players from each team (male, female, male, female, male). If after PK attempts are made by both teams and the game is still tied, sudden death kicks will occur  1 to 1 in the same gender order as PK all the way down the roster.  

 

Timeouts

2 to 4 minutes for half time and each team may call (1) one-minute time out per half (use or lose) when in possession of the ball.  Time out requests are made to the Texas Sports & Social Club Staff., if needed.

 

Substitutions

Are allowed on any stoppage at the discretion of the referee.  Player can only enter or leave the game in the substitution areas marked by their respective benches, and a player may only enter a game after the player they are replacing has left the field.  Failure to do so results in a caution and an indirect free kick is taken from where the ball was situated when the game was stopped to caution the player. There is no limit on the number of Substitutions per game. (See Pre-registered Players/Substitutes)

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Equipment

TXSports will provide field lines.

All players must wear shin guards.

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Indoor athletic wear is permitted.  Illegal equipment consists of:
A. Headwear containing any hard, unyielding, stiff material, including billed hats, or items containing exposed knots. 
B. Jewelry.
C. Pads or braces worn above the waist.
D. Shoes with metal, ceramic, screw-in, or detachable cleats.
E. Shirts or jerseys that do not remain tucked in. Any hood on a coat, sweatshirt, or shirt is not allowed either.
F. Pants or shorts with any belt(s), belt loop(s), pockets(s), or exposed drawstring(s).
G. Leg and knee braces made of hard, unyielding material, unless covered on both sides and all edges overlapped.
H. Any slippery or sticky foreign substance on any equipment or exposed part of the body.
I. Exposed metal on clothes or person.
J. Towels attached at the player's waist.

K. Soft casts cannot be heavier than the normal arm.

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Balls

Team captains are responsible for bringing a regulation-sized Soccer ball size 5. 

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Rough Play

Any rough or physical play will result in immediate expulsion from further league play and may result in a lifetime league expulsion. Please see TXSports General Policy for our official guidelines on this subject. It is recognized that incidental contact between players is inevitable; however, all players should go out of their way to avoid creating an unsafe play.  This rule supersedes all others. 

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Please note that on-site staff members have full autonomy when supervising games. Games may be stopped entirely, players may be asked to leave the playing area or be removed from the game entirely under their discretion.

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Rotation

There must be a fair rotation of all players through court positions. This means both men and women get time both on the bench and on the field. Referees may require Substitutions to ensure this.

 

Halftime Games and Theme Weeks

Halftime games are judged by the official, and the winning team will be awarded two points towards the Social Cup Champion Award. Ties will result in one points being awarded.

 

Theme weeks are judged by the percentage of the team’s players participating in the theme week, as judged by the ratio of players present and participating to number of players listed on the roster. The winning team will be awarded two points towards the Social Cup Champion Award. Ties will result in one points being awarded.

 

Balls

Game balls will be provided by Texas Sport & Social Club.

Regulation size 5.

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Forfeits

Teams should report to the gym at least 10 minutes before their scheduled starting time of the match. A game will be ruled a forfeit if any of the following occur:

• No one from one of the teams is present at game time

• The minimum number of players are not present (4)

• Not enough female players are present (2)

• Improper conduct by one or more players on any team

 

See Forfeit Policy

 

Teams will forfeit the first game of the match if they have not shown up by their scheduled time. After 10 minutes from start time, if the team still cannot meet the minimum requirement, the entire match will be called a forfeit and team will be assessed the forfeit fee. Exceptions can be made if a team is waiting on a couple of players (e.g. transit issues) with the understanding that the delay will cut time from the end of their match, and that the final decision is subject to the Referee’s discretion.

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Repeat Rule:

Competition is great, but a single team dominating the league consecutive seasons is not cool and not fun.

 

 

A team retaining more than three players that has won two championships seasons for which they have been registered, that team to will have to form two or more separate teams to promote balance in the league or withdraw their registration (no refund will be issued, league credit will be issued). The team will then have the opportunity to divide their roster (with no more than three retaining players) to form two separate teams with each subsequent roster approved by the Texas Sports & Social Club-Waco.

 

Teams that dominate leagues will be moved to a appropriate league or asked to separate if Texas Sports & Social Club staff believe that the team intentionally lost the Playoff or Championship game to circumvent the rules.

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Season Abandonment

Registered teams that miss two weeks of play will be considered to have abandoned their place in the league. Teams in this category will be contacted by a Texas Social Sports Club staff member to confirm their status. Teams failing to respond within two business days will be removed from the Season schedule and will forfeit their registration fees. Teams that do respond will be required to supply reasoning for lack of attendance and petition the league for reinstatement. Season abandonment and reactivation decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of the league management and must be resolved before returning to play in the current Season or in subsequent Seasons.

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Pre-Registered Player/Substitute

A team may pick up a substitute player for regular season games, when the have a roster player that will not be able to attend their scheduled game. The player who is subbing will need to create an account and purchase a game sub pack. 

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• If a team is short the required number of players in a regular season game, they may invite players from other teams within the division. Subs from within the division are subject to the Referee’s discretion. Teams can only invite enough Subs from within the division to meet the maximum number of players allowed on court plus one additional player to rotate in.

• Substitute players from within the division should be the last one to cycle into the game (barring gender requirements). If players from a team’s roster arrive late, the Subs from within the division must rotate out.

• Substitutions from outside the division are allowed. Substitutions during the Playoffs are not permitted. Teams using pre-registered substitutes may not exceed the headcount of their original roster, and individuals may not serve as a pre-registered substitute player more than 3 times during a Season.

• Substitute players must check in with the Host onsite to receive a league issued pinnie to wear in the Game. Substitute players must leave a form of identification with the Host in exchange for the participation pinnie. The ID will be returned to the player when the pinnie is turned in after the Game.

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Team T-Shirts

Teams may purchase TXSportsWaco shirts or design their own.  All teams must bring a light color and dark color shirt.  All official players on the roster must have the same color shirt.

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While shirt customization is allowed, teams/players must abide by the following rules when personalizing shirts:

• No company names or logos

• No offensive language

• No design that obscures or alters the Texas Social Sports Club logo

Names, nicknames, numbers, and team logos are all welcome additions to the Team T-Shirts. Please also feel free to bedazzle, tie-dye, or apply patches to them, if you are so inclined.

 

Alcohol, Controlled Substance, and Safety Policy

Individuals (players, fans, or friends of players) will, at the discretion of Texas Social Sports Club, be ejected immediately if any of the following are true:

• found bringing alcohol, weapons, or controlled substances to any venue or sponsor bar in use by Texas Social Sports Club

• suspected of excessive pre-game alcohol consumption

• suspected of abusing a controlled substance

• deemed unruly or a danger to themselves or others at any time

Anyone who is ejected from one of our venues or sponsor bars will be required to petition the Club for reinstatement before participating in or attending any subsequent Texas Social Sports Club event.

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These policies are in place for the safety, enjoyment, and continued camaraderie of all players, the sponsoring venues, sponsor bars, and the entire Club.

 

Note: Players must wear appropriate colored, league-issued Team T-Shirts during games.

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Sportsmanship

 

Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Any participant that does not conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner will be removed from the game.

 

Types of Illegal Conduct:

 

Unsportsmanlike conduct includes the following:

 

-Arguing with an official or with other players.

-Abusive or insulting language to a player or official.

-Throwing the ball at another player in an unsportsmanlike manner.

-Abuse of the “honor system.”

-Harassing others

-Acting inappropriately when challenging a refs call

-Not maintaining an attitude that is consistent with Texas Sports SC’s core values

 

In the event of unsportsmanlike conduct the following penalties will be sequentially enforced:

 

1st SMH-Team captain has a talk with the individual, notifies the League Coordinator

 

2nd SMH- The League Coordinator has a talk with the individual and suspended for one game

 

3rd SMH-Individual switches to a different team of The League Coordinator’s choosing

 

4th SMH-Removal from league and/or club

 

Fighting: Fighting will result in a player’s permanent suspension from participation in Texas Sport & Social Club

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Ejected Participants

 

Any ejected individual must get approval by Texas Social Sports Club prior to attending or participating in future Club games, leagues, or hosted events, including Post-Game Parties. Attempted participation without approval is subject to further penalties. Rulings may include, but are not limited to, probation, game/league suspension, or permanent expulsion.

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Playoffs & Awards

Playoffs are single elimination tournaments with seeding based on regular season standings. The number of teams to make the tournament changes per season. The maximum goal differential for a single game will be capped at +10, forfeits will be recorded at 10-0.

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• Regular season team standings are determined by number of wins, then head to head, then point differential.

• Teams not advancing to the Playoffs will be awarded a Friendly Game if they choose.

• Top teams will advance to the Playoffs.

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MOST IMPORTANTLY!

THIS IS A SOCIAL LEAGUE: Have fun and make new friends. The game may or may not go your way!

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