RULES OF PLAY

FIFA

Laws of the Game shall apply as modified by USYSA and USYSNV as described herein. FIFA Rule Modifications

CREDENTIALS CHECK
CREDENTIALS CHECK-IN ONLINE [CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION]It is mandatory that upload your team documents in the online Credentials Check.  Player Cards are still required for each game.

Tournament Headquarters
Teams will be at the Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex located at 7353 Eugene Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89128, (MAP)

It is mandatory that upload your team documents in the online Credentials Check. Player Cards are still required for each game.

RULES OF PLAY

ELIGIBILITY

All properly registered teams in good standing and which comply with the Rules and By-law’s of the USYSA, USSSA, NYSA and US Club Soccer are eligible to compete in the Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup International Showcase and Tournament. Eligible players are those players whose names appear on the team’s official roster.

USA Teams

* Tournament roster must be submitted via the Gotsport.com website during tournament registration. Any player added after the credentials check deadline, must contact the tournament at checkin@gotsoccer.com  The rosters will freeze the Tuesday before the event.   No additions will be allowed after the rosters freeze. NO EXCEPTIONS!! (Roster Instructions)

* Travel Papers for US Youth Soccer. Region IV and US Club Soccer teams are exempt

* Guest Player Forms (up to [5] per team)

* Laminated current year State Player/Coach Passes or US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer, USSSA, AYSO, SAY. Passes must be all from the same organization. No mixing of association cards will be accepted. Teams submitting association cards will have to designate the association of the team. Any players that are not carded with that specific association will not be allowed to play.

* Medical Releases (Current year US Youth Soccer or US Club Soccer registration form) must be brought to each game but are not uploaded as part of the credentials check

(Failure to provide the needed paperwork for each player could prevent players from participating in the tournament.)

 Foreign Teams:

*Foreign Teams: Player Passes from appropriate FIFA affiliate. If your association does not issue Player Passes, you will be required to present Passports or proof of entry and/ or photo I.D. Copies of passsports wil be required at each game.

* Medical Releases (download here) Medical Release Form . (This release does NOT need to be notarized.)

SCHEDULE

Championship finalists will be determined by Tournament Scoring of the group stage matches. All matches will be played at the locations listed in the EVENT DETAILS section below. The tournament Director may flip some teams between select consolation games, to avoid match-ups between teams from the same geographic area.

ROSTER

Teams accepted to the Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup must have their complete rosters filled in at Gotsport.com prior to midnight Tuesday before the start of the tournament.  Instructions on viewing your team’s official Mayor’s Cup roster, are available by clicking this link. The maximum roster size is described in the EVENT DETAILS section below. Players may only be rostered and play for one team during the tournament.

EQUIPMENT

All players are required to wear shin guards! No jewelry may be worn in competition. Players shall wear approved cleats. All players must wear numbered uniforms with no duplicated numbers on a team. Players not in compliance will be CAUTIONED (yellow carded) and sent off the field until the requirement is met.

HOME AND VISITING TEAM

The home team is listed first on the schedule and must change jerseys in the event of a color conflict. The referee at the game will determine if there is a jersey conflict.  By tradition, the home team wears lighter colored jerseys. Information regarding player benches and spectator areas is described below in the EVENT DETAILS.   The home team will occupy the west or north side of the field.  No alcoholic beverages, pets, illegal drugs, or glass containers will be allowed on or near the tournament fields. The home team will provide a match ball.

COACHING

All Head coaches have total responsibility for the conduct of their other coaches, team officials, players, and spectators at all times.

The head coach is responsible for picking up players passes after each match from the Field Marshals, and signing game card.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

Periods of Play – U8-10 will play two (2) twenty-two (22) minute periods.  U11-U14 two (2) thirty (30) minute periods on Finals U15-U19 will play 2 thirty-five (35) minute halves.

Half Time Interval – No more than five (5) minutes

Tiebreaker –No added extra time, direct to FIFA Penalty Kicks

Allowance for time lost: Referees will not add time to a match except under the most extenuating circumstances. All preliminary matches will be terminated not less than five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled start of the next match on that field.

 TOURNAMENT SCORING

1. Tournament scoring is described in the EVENT DETAILS section.
2. For a forfeited match, the winner will be credited with a 3-0 win. A team abandoned by another team during a match will be awarded total points regardless of the score at the time of the abandonment. No points for the team abandoning the match.
3. No points will be awarded if neither team shows up.
4. Any team leaving the field prior to the determination of a winner shall forfeit the match.
5. A match is considered official upon completion of one half of play regardless of the circumstances of termination during the second half with final results based on the score at termination.
6. Final standings for the pool will be determined by the total number of points accumulated during pool play.

WILD CARDS

Wild Card may be used in a group standing to determine additional elimination round participants. Wild Cards are determined by taking all second-place teams and ranking them based on the scoring and tie-breaking methods described in these rules. A third-place team will not be considered for a wild card regardless of the number of points they received during group play.

SCORE REPORTING

The tournament director is responsible for reporting scores and posting them on the tournament schedule and results page on gotsport.com. Referees turn in-game cards to field marshals and marshals turn in cards to the tournament at Bettye Wilson. Official score is kept at headquarters (Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex) An official team representative shall sign and approve game cards after each match. It is the coach’s responsibility to check the game cards carefully and sign the game card to verify its accuracy. Most errors are because scores are transversed, and this can easily be corrected by coaches checking the score cards.

 TIE BREAKING WITHIN A POOL

Ties in pool standings will be broken by employing a tiebreaker. If more than two teams are involved in the tie, the first team to move ahead of the remaining teams will be awarded the highest place, and the tiebreakers continued until all ties are broken.

1. Head to head (if all teams played each other).
2. Goal Differential (max 5 per game)
3. Most Goals For 
4. Least Goals Against
5. Least amount of Red Cards
6. Kicks from the Penalty Spot in accordance with the procedure outlined in the FIFA Laws of the Game (site and time at the discretion of Tournament Director or held (1/2) hour prior to and at the site of the team’s next potential match. (11) players (U13-U19) or (9) players (U11-U12) or (7) players (U8-U10)from a team must be ready to participate within (5) minutes of appointed time or else that team will forfeit its opportunity to prevail in the tiebreaker.)
7. If three or more teams cannot be separated by tiebreakers 1-5, penalty kicks shall determine 1st, 2nd & 3rd. A coin toss will determine which team receives a bye from initial PK shootout. 2 remaining teams will participate in an initial shootout. The loser of the initial shootout will become 3rd place team. winner of the initial shootout will participate in an additional shootout against the team receiving a bye in the secondary shootout. The winner of the secondary shootout will become 1st in the pool. The loser of the secondary shootout shall become 2nd in the pool.
8. If a tie exists between two or three teams when all participants will be moving on to consolation games, the tournament will determine thier placement with a coin toss.  PKs will not be used to determine placement for teams moving on to consolution matches.

TIE BREAKING IN KNOCK-OUT MATCHES

If the score is still tied at the conclusion of play in any knock-out game, semi-final, or final, there will be no added extra time. Kicks from the Penalty Spots in accordance with the procedure outlined in the FIFA Laws of the Game will be taken until a winner is determined. No knock-out match shall end in a tie. Only the players on the field at the conclusion of regulation play may participate. (Center Referee will gather all the players on the field at the end of regulation play and not allow them to go to their respective sidelines. They are the players who will shoot the PK’s.) (Note: could be less than 11 (9 in U11-U12, 7 in U8-U10) players due to injury or ejection)

PRE-MATCH CHECK-IN

Teams must check-in with the Field Marshal at the Field Marshal tent (30) minutes prior to the time their match is scheduled to begin. At this time, player equipment will be inspected, player passes turned over to the Field Marshal, match cards checked and any other necessary instructions given.

The Field Marshals are at the matches to assist you with anything you might need and to handle the administrative concerns of the matches. They do not have any authority over any decision normally made by a referee. The Field Marshals will hold the player passes for both teams in their possession during the match; no exceptions.

PLAYER PASSES

If a team fails to pick up their player passes after a match, the passes will remain at the same complex which they were left. It is the team’s responsibility to retrieve them.

FORFEITURES

Teams failing to check-in (15) minutes prior to their scheduled kick-off time or failing to report ready to play within (5) minutes of scheduled kick-off time may forfeit their match. All teams must have a minimum of (7) players (11v11 & 9v9) (5) players (7v7)), present to start the match.  Teams that forfeit during pool play may continue on in pool play but not in semi or final matches.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Unlimited substitution at any stoppage with the discretion of the referee.

 INJURY

Referees will be instructed not to add time to a match except under the most extenuating circumstances. However, all preliminary matches will be terminated not less than (5) minutes prior to the scheduled start of the next match.

EJECTIONS/DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
Players who are ejected from a match must serve a suspension from future matches.

One Game Suspension
Two yellow cards in the same game
Abusive or insulting language
Denies opposing team an obvious goal scoring opportunity
Spitting at opponent.

Two Game Suspension
Violent Conduct, including fighting
Serious Foul Play

USYSNV rules prohibit any coach, team official or player ejected from a match, or suspended by the proper authority, to be within sight or hearing distance of the field of play during his/her suspension. A coach, team official, or player receiving two cautions (yellow cards) in a single match is considered to have been given an ejection (red card) for the purposes of game suspension and deducting points for the tournament competition. A player who has been ejected (sent off), shall not be replaced.

The coach/team official shall forfeit the carded coach’s, team official’s or player’s pass to the Center Referee who will give the pass and the match report to the Field Marshal. The coach, team official or player in question shall be ineligible until the pass is returned to said coach, team official or player by the Tournament Director.

Any coach or team official that is coaching more than one team in the tournament and is suspended on one team is automatically suspended from any other team or teams until the suspension has been served.

If in the opinion of the Center Referee, a match must be terminated for misconduct, the offending team forfeits that match and will be suspended from further play in all remaining matches which would be forfeited. Previous points earned and any right to a refund, awards or other consideration will be forfeited. In addition, the home league and State Association will be contacted.

Any verbal abuse directed at committee members, referees or other volunteers will also result in suspension and ejection.

Referees have complete authority during all matches and will not allow abusive or profane language, threats of any kind or any style of play that detracts from the Game of Soccer.

ALTERNATE MATCH SCHEDULING

The Tournament Director has the authority to alter the schedule, move matches to the next day or move match sites for the good of the tournament.   The committee may switch teams in consolation matches, in order to avoid matchups of teams from the same locale.

INCLEMENT WEATHER OR UNEXPECTED TERMINATION OF PLAY

Matches will be played in all weather conditions unless the Center Referee or Tournament Director determines the conditions are dangerous and/or life-threatening as per FIFA/USYSA/USYSNV regulations. The Tournament Director will do everything in their control to make sure all matches are played, but if it is out of their control, the standings at that time will be final. No refunds will be given!

Contingency Plan:

Plan A: All matches will be played as scheduled.

Plan B: Shorten all first-round matches to (15) minute halves.

Plan C: Plan B plus shorten all second-round matches the same.

Plan D: Plan C plus shorten all third-round matches the same.

Plan E: In the event, the fields become totally unplayable or the weather becomes a hazardous condition, it may be necessary to decide some matches with FIFA penalty kicks.

 DISPUTES

The Tournament Director shall settle all disputes and their decision shall be final. NO protests will be allowed.  Red Cards cannot be rescinded.

AWARDS

At the conclusion of the final matches in each age group, first (1st) and Second (2nd), place teams will receive individual player/coach awards. The first-place team in each age group will receive a Mayor’s Cup Trophy.

Awards will NOT be mailed to teams failing to stay for presentations.

NEVADA LAW:
The Nevada Legislature passed Law AB 474 in 2005 to protect sports officials, including referees and assistant referees. State law makes it a crime to threaten a sports official, verbally or physically, resulting in fines up to $2,000 and one (1) year in prison. If the victim suffers severe bodily harm, the punishment may be up to a $10,000 fine and fifteen (15) years in prison. (NRS 200.471 and 200.481)

The Tournament Director is the final authority in ALL matters!

Revised 10/22/21