TOURNAMENT RULES

Rosters:

For 2005-2012 age groups (11v11): Up to 22 players may register per team.

For 2013 and 2014 age group (9v9): Up to 16 players may register per team.

For 2015 and 2016 age groups (7v7): Up to 14 players may register per team.

 

Players may not play for more than one team in the tournament (unless special exception given by tournament). Teams cannot add players after the team has officially checked in for the tournament. Players must have jersey numbers and may not change numbers once registration is complete.

 

Age categories:

11v11 - Girls born on/after:

January 1, 2005/2006

January 1, 2007

January 1, 2008  

January 1, 2009 

January 1, 2010 

January 1, 2011 

January 1, 2012 

9v9 - Girls born on/after:

January 1, 2013 (size 4 ball)

January 1, 2014 (size 4 ball)

7v7 - Girls born on/after:

January 1, 2015 (size 4 ball)
January 1, 2016 (size 4 ball)

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Because of the different age category cut-off dates, dispensation is given to players on teams from England and possible other countries who are born on/after September 1 of the previous year. Other dispensations may be given under special circumstances. All dispensation requests must be submitted in writing to the tournament.

 

Jersey Colors:

The first team listed on the schedule is considered the home team and the second team listed the away team. Home teams will wear their lighter colored jersey and away teams will wear their darker colored jersey. In the event of a jersey color conflict, the away team changes jersey color. Both teams will be on the same side of the field, and spectators will be on the opposite side. 

 

Check in:

All teams from the USA are required to submit the following credentials for check in for the tournament:

• US Soccer affiliate (USYS or US Club Soccer) approved roster with all players listed.

• Player picture identification cards that are issued by their governing body (at all games as well).

• Any guest player loan forms that are required by the respective US Soccer affiliate organization for guest players.

• Signed tournament waivers from each player. 

 

All international teams are required to submit/present the following credentials at check in for the tournament:

• Tournament Roster.

• Travel permit from your respective National Football/Soccer Federation.

• Passport (or copies of passports) from each team member are needed to verify identification and age. Canadian teams will need player ID cards (instead of passports) if issued by your provincial soccer association/federation.

• Signed tournament waivers from each player.

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For more information on the check-in process and credentials need to check-in your team please see the "Check In Info" section.

 

Player identification cards/passports will be checked by the referee prior to each game. The player’s shirt number must be the same as the shirt number on the game roster/game report. If the numbers are not the same, the referee is instructed not to let the player take part in the game until tournament officials resolve the matter.

 

Guest Players:

All teams shall be allowed to have up to a combined total of 7 (11v11), 5 (9v9), or 3 (7v7) Guest Players. The maximum number of Guest Players from outside the club is 5 (11v11), 4 (9v9), or 3 (7v7). Players playing on a different team within the same club in which the player is registered will count towards the guest player maximum .

 

All Guest Players must meet the following criteria:

 

1. Must be a registered player with the appropriate governing body [USA teams] or provincial association of their national federation [International teams]. 
    

2. May not be selected from any other team that is participating in the tournament. If a Guest player is selected from any team which is subsequently invited to participate in the tournament, said player must return to her original team. If a Guest/Replacement player participates in a tournament game and the player's original team is subsequently invited to participate, said player must remain with the team for which she played the tournament game. 

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For more information about credentials needed for guest players see the "CHECK IN INFO" section of this website.

  

Game Durations:

Group games:

2005-2009 age groups = 2*40

2010-2012 age groups = 2*35

2013-2014 age group = 2*30

2015-2016 age groups = 2*25

 

Playoff games:

Quarter finals and Semi-finals (Saturday):

2005-2009 age groups = 2*30

2010-2012 age groups = 2*25

2013-2014 age group = 2*25

2015-2016 age groups = 2*20

 

Finals (Sunday):

2005-2009 age groups = 2*35

2010-2012 age groups = 2*30

2013-2014 age group = 2*30

2015-2016 age groups = 2*25

 

Halftime of all games will be 5 minutes in duration.

 

Referees:

All 11v11, 9v9 and 7v7 games will have 3 referees. 

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Build-out lines 7v7 categories:

For all 7v7 format games, build-out lines will be used. A horizontal line drawn from sideline to sideline half-way between the top of the penalty area and the midfield line, build-out lines will encourage possession and playing the ball out of the back. When a goalkeeper has the ball in hand or takes a goal kick, the opposing team remains behind the build-out line until the ball is put into play. This line also indicates where offside can be called, as teams cannot be called for offside between the midfield and build-out line. An offside offense can only occur between the build out line and the goal line in the teams attacking half of the field. The build out line serves the same purpose as the midfield line in reference to offside decisions, players may not be offside between the midfield line and the build out line.   New rules also ban headers as well as punts and drop kicks from the goalkeeper.

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Friendly Games:

Friendly games on Saturday and Sunday will be the same game length as the quarter final and semifinal games. Game duration may be altered by the tournament committee due to unforeseen circumstances or in case of inclement weather. Unlimited substitutions will be allowed for all age groups for friendly games.

 

Friendly Game Procedures:

Once you know your team does not advance (this will be Friday after your 3rd game), teams may go to the tournament headquarters tent located at the Ross Stewart Soccer Complex and request to play a friendly game. You can request a specific opponent, and the tournament will try to accommodate your request. Opponents are selected and friendly games are scheduled on a first come, first served basis. The number of friendly games that can be arranged is dependent on availability. Please note that we cannot guarantee all friendly games. 

 

Group Play and Point System:

During the preliminary stage of the tournament, teams are bracketed in groups of four or five and games will not have overtime periods. Games will be counted as: Win -3 points; Tie - 1 point; Loss - 0 points. In the elimination stage, games that end in a tie during regulation play will go straight to penalty kicks (per FIFA rules) to determine a winner (no overtime). 

  

Tournament Format:

How we determine the quarter finals after the group games:

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In case of 32 teams in an age class:

1. Just the bracket winners will qualify for the QF. We will rank all bracket winners based on our tie breaker rules. 

2. The top ranked team (best bracket winner) will play the 8th best bracket winner, the 2nd best bracket winner would play the 7th best bracket winner, etc.

 

In case of 12, 20 (or 24) teams in an age class:

1. The bracket winners will qualify for the QF. We will rank all group winner based on our tie breaker rules.

2. To complete 8 team for the quarter finals we will pick wildcards. These teams will qualify based on our tie breaker rules. We will rank these wildcards using our tie breaker rules.

3. The top ranked team (best bracket winner) will play the wildcard with the worst record, etc.

4. Teams who played each other in the bracket cannot play each other in the quarter finals. In that case the BW will play the next seeded WC

 

In case of 16 teams in an age class:

1. Group winners and numbers 2nd in each bracket will qualify.

2. We will rank the group winner and best number 2nd based on our tie breakers rules. The best bracket winner will be play the playing the team ended 2nd in the group with the worst record, etc.

3. Teams who played each other in the bracket cannot play each other in the quarter finals. In that case the BW will play the next seeded WC

 

In case of 8 team in an age class:

1. All 8 teams will qualify for the quarter finals.

2. The best team in bracket A will play the team with the worst record in bracket B.

 

Tie breaker rules:

• Number of points.

• Goal differential.

• Most goals scored

• Result of the mutual game/head to head competition.

• If teams remain tied, penalty kicks will be taken. If more than 2 teams are tied, the toss of a coin or drawing of lots will determine the tie-breaker.

 

Ties:

Tournament Playoff games that end in a tie during regulation play will go straight to penalty kicks (per FIFA rules) to determine a winner (there will not be overtime in the playoffs).

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Substitutions:

In 11v11 age categories substitutions will follow the "FIFA-7 Players per half” Substitution System.

• There shall be a maximum of 3 moments to make 7 substitutions in any half or in overtime.

• Once replaced, players cannot re-enter the game during that half of play.

• Water breaks (if any) will be considered a moment if substitution occurs.

• Half time is not considered a moment.

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In 9v9 and 7v7 age categories unlimited substitutions with re-entry are allowed for all games. Intentional time wasting will not be tolerated, and players and coaches are subject to caution at the discretion of the referee when/if it becomes obvious to the referee a team/coach/player is intentionally wasting time (multiple/frequent substitutions late in the game, fainting injury, etc.). In addition, the referee can add extra time to a game for lost time when they believe a team is intentionally wasting time.

 

Unlimited substitutions with re-entry will be allowed for all age groups for the friendly games on Saturday and Sunday.  

 

The official game report for each completed game must be verified (i.e., score, cautions, send offs) immediately after the game by the team coach or manager. Game reports that are not verified stand as submitted and may not be contested or appealed.

 

Send Offs and Cautions:

Players or Coaches sent off during a game are not allowed to play/coach in the next game. A player or coach receiving two cautions during the  preliminary round is not allowed to play in the next game, whether it be the preliminary round or the elimination stage. 

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At the start of the elimination stage, any coach or player with a single yellow card, will have that yellow card removed for purposes of accumulation yellow cards.  
 

A player or coach receiving two cautions during the elimination stage of the competition is not allowed to play in the next game. In case of continued bad conduct of players, teams, officials, or supporters, the team may be withdrawn from the competition and reported to their association. Coaches are responsible for the conduct of their team and supporters.
 
Any player or coach sent off during the tournament or any player receiving multiple cautions during the tournament may be required to attend a Disciplinary Committee hearing. Players must be accompanied by their coach and/or manager. Official Game Reports will be reviewed by the Disciplinary Committee, and they will determine if a hearing is necessary. Any hearing could result in the player or coach being required to sit out additional games or being withdrawn from the competition. Team officials will be notified as soon as possible if a hearing has been scheduled.

Concussion Rule:

U.S. Soccer recommends, and US Club Soccer requires, the immediate removal of any player who sustains a significant blow to the head or body, who complains about or who is showing symptoms consistent with having suffered a concussion.

 

For events with an on-site healthcare professional, this professional will perform applicable testing – SCAT3 or Child SCAT3 and modified BESS – to evaluate players on the field/sideline. Any player suspected of suffering a concussion will not be allowed to return to play until he/she

is cleared by the healthcare professional. No coach, parent/guardian or player may overrule the healthcare professional.

 

If a coach attempts to allow a player who had been removed from a game for concussion assessment and who has not been cleared to return to play by the on-site healthcare professional, the referee should immediately stop play, direct the player to leave the field, instruct the coach to select a substitute and issue a warning to the coach. If a coach persists, the referee is entitled to take necessary disciplinary measures against the coach.

 

For events without an on-site healthcare professional, no coach can permit a player who has been removed from a game for concussion suspicion/assessment to return to play until he/she is cleared by a healthcare professional. Referee responses and actions outlined in the previous paragraph should be taken against any coach who persists in trying to re-insert the player into the game without proper clearance by a healthcare professional.

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Modified substitution rule in regards to concussion protocol:

Any player suspected of suffering a head injury may be substituted for evaluation without the substitution counting against the team’s total number of allowed substitutions during the game.

  

If the player is evaluated by a healthcare professional or certified athletic trainer and determined to not have suffered a concussion, the player may re-enter the game at any stoppage of play. This player must replace the original substitute, and this medical substitution will not count as an official substitution. Additionally, the temporary substituted player may re-enter the game as a regular substitute.

 

Filing Protests:

All protests must be submitted in English to the Tournament Committee within three hours of the end of the game. Only protests that concern the Laws of the Game and ineligible players will be considered. All decisions will be in the best interest of soccer and may not be appealed. 

Subject to the foregoing, FIFA laws, as modified by USSF, USYSA and NTSSA rules, apply. Please note that per FIFA Laws of the Game number 4, the wearing of shin guards by players is mandatory. No player will be allowed to play without shin guards.

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Judgment calls by referees may not be appealed. Protests against any substitution violations will not be allowed after a game.

 

Disciplinary Committee decisions may not be appealed.

 

Interruptions and/or cancellations because of Inclement Weather, COVID-19 or any other reason:

In the event of inclement weather that results in suspended play, bracket/group games that have completed the first half may be considered complete games and may not be rescheduled. For Quarter-final, Semi-final and Final games, play will be resumed from the point of suspension if weather and field conditions permit (this may be the following day for Quarter-final and Semi-final games). The final decision will be made by the Tournament Committee and teams will be informed as quickly as possible.

 

In the event that the tournament is cancelled or altered due to weather or other unforeseen events, a refund of the entry fee (if any) or a portion of the entry fee (if any) will be determined by the Tournament Committee after all organizational fees and expenses have been calculated.

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If a team cancels or if the tournament gets cancelled because of COVID-19 or any other reason before February 28, 2024 we will charge $ 400.00 team (cancellation) fee. If the tournament gets cancelled between March 1 and the kickoff of the tournament, we will charge $ 700.00 team (cancellation) fee. If a team cancels after March 1 no refunds will be given.

 

The decision of the Tournament Director(s), in conjunction with the Tournament Committee, on any matter is final and may not be appealed. Tournament rules are subject to change. 

 

The Dallas Texans International Girls Cup is organized by Premier International Tours and hosted by the Dallas Texans Soccer Club. Dallas Texans teams that are selected to participate in this prestigious tournament are required to host an international team. If needed, the tournament organizer will reach out to other local teams participating in this event as well to help host International teams.

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