The Tournament Committee, the member soccer clubs of North Hempstead SAC (Albertson SC, Great Neck SC, Manhasset SC, New Hyde Park SC, and Port Washington SC), the Town of North Hempstead and ENYYSA will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by any team, club or individual if the tournament is canceled in whole or in part.

The Tournament Committee's interpretation of these rules shall be final and binding.

The Decisions of the Referees are Final and Binding.

The North Hempstead Cup Tournament is open to Boys and Girls travel teams, age groups U-8 through U-12. All teams are guaranteed three (3) games, with World Cup style play on Sunday, October 13th.

Teams will be seeded into groups with Major, Intermediate and Minor brackets offered whenever possible. The North Hempstead Cup reserves the right to combine age groups, if appropriate and to create alternate bracket groupings based on availability and level of teams participating.

Individual awards will be given to First (1st) and Second (2nd) place teams.

Pets are not allowed at any tournament facility.

This is a Patch Exchange Tournament.

Teams are expected to have an adequate number of team patches to exchange with opposing team players and coaches after each game.

REFUNDS

NO refunds will be given to teams who withdraw after rejections and/or acceptances have been notified.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

All participating teams must be properly registered and in good standing with US Youth Soccer (or its National equivalent) and sanctioned by their state or National Soccer Association.

Guest players will be allowed with up to a maximum of three (3) guest players playing solely with the purpose of maintaining a team's competitiveness. There shall be an unlimited amount of guest players allowed from the SAME Club, subject to no player being allowed to participate for more than one (1) team during the Tournament.

Each team must submit a Team Roster approved by the Club President, Registrar, or designated officer at the lime of registration.

All out of state teams must present permission to travel forms approved by their State / National Association at the time of registration.

All teams must also present a NOTARIZED Medical Release Form for each rostered and/or guest player at the time of registration.

All players must be born in the year of their age classification or later. Player registration cards duly authorized by a team's State or National Soccer Association, or equivalent shall be required as proof of age and eligibility.

PLAYER PASSES AND TEAM ROSTERS MUST BE PRESENT AT EACH GAME AND READILY AVAILABLE. IF REQUESTED.

No Player is allowed to be registered with more than one (1) team or to transfer from one team to another during the tournament.

LAWS OF THE GAME

All games shall be played in accordance with current FIFA laws, except as specifically modified by these tournament rules.

TOURNAMENT RULES

The North Hempstead Cup intends to apply the rules as presented in this document but reserves the right to rule as it deems necessary on any situation.

LAW I: TOURNAMENT AGE GROUPS

Under 08 – birth dates on or after January 1, 2017

Under 09 - birth dates on or after January 1, 2016

Under 10 - birth dates on or after January 1, 2015

Under 11 - birth dates on or after January 1, 2014

Under 12 - birth dates on or after January 1, 2013

LAW II: THE BALL

U-8 through U-12 - Size 4

LAW III: NUMBER OF PLAYERS

Teams shall be comprised of:

U-8 to U-10 - no more than a maximum of 12 registered players.

U-11 to U-12 - no more than a maximum of 14 registered players.

Number of players:

U-8 to U-10 - 7 v. 7 per side (6 field players plus goalkeeper)

U11 & U-12 - 9 v. 9 per side (8 field players plus goalkeeper)

Please note that U-8 will play by U-9 rules and player count

FIFA rules (e.g., throw-ins by either team, free kicks, corners, etc.) are modified to allow unlimited substitution with the referee's permission, at any stoppage in play.

Free substitution is allowed for all age groups. Players to be substituted at the next stoppage of play should be standing and waiting at the mid-field line.

LAW IV: FIELDS AND PLAYERS EQUIPMENT

The size of the field will be whatever the physical arrangement permits.

All members of the same team, except the goalkeeper, shall wear the same color and style jersey, shorts, and socks. All players on a team, except goalkeepers. must wear a number on the back of their jerseys measuring at least 6" in height. Each player must have a different number, which must coincide with the number on the team's Tournament Roster. All teams must have two (2) jerseys of different colors.

In case of color conflicts, the team listed as the Home Team in the Tournament Schedule must change jerseys unless the Home Team only has one (1) jersey.  Solely in such circumstance, the Away Team must change jerseys.

LAW V: GAME AND SCORE REPORTING

The Field Marshall is responsible to see that the scores of each game are reported on a timely basis to the Site Coordinator or Tournament Headquarters.

Each Coach will be responsible for verifying the accuracy of the game report prepared by the referee BEFORE the Field Marshall leaves the game site and reports the results of the match. No changes will be accepted once the game report has been filed / posted.

LAW VI: DURATION OF THE GAME

25-minute halves - Boys & Girls U-8 through U-12

The Home Team shall kick off and the Away Team shall have a choice of sides. The interval between halves shall not exceed five (5) minutes.

In the event inclement weather forces cancellation of a game after at least half of regulation time has been played, the game shall be considered official and the score at the point of cancellation shall be the final score.  The Filed Marshall shall make the decision on whether a game has been cancelled. The Field Marshall or Site Coordinator shall also have the ability to shorten a game due to excessive delays.

INJURIES

In the event of an injury, please contact your Field Marshall or Site Coordinator. Certified Medical Trainers are available to assist you.

CONDUCT

The North Hempstead Cup does not tolerate disruptive behavior on or off the field or at area hotels, by players, coaches, parents, or any other spectators. No alcoholic beverages may be present or consumed at the field sites. Players, coaches, managers, parents, and spectators are expected to always conduct themselves in a responsible manner. No team official or spectator may enter the field of play, regardless of the circumstances, unless the person has been given permission to do so by the Referee.

POSITION OF PLAYERS AND SPECTATORS ON THE FIELD

Both team's players and coaches shall share one side of the field while all spectators shall take a position on the opposite side of the field, behind the spectator restraining line. All persons affiliated with a team are permitted on the sidelines only, not behind the goal line. No individual may stand closer to the goal line than the 18-yard line. In case of any dispute, the Referee shall determine which side the teams share.

FORFEITS AND FAILURES TO SHOW

A team shall be awarded a five (5) minute grace period after the scheduled kick off time before the game is awarded to the opponent. A minimum of five (5) players constitutes a team (U-8, U-9 & U-10), a minimum of six (6) players constitutes a team (U-11 & U-12). If the minimum number of players are present, then the game may not be delayed past the scheduled start time.

In no case shall a team, which has forfeited a game, be declared a Division winner. A forfeit shall be awarded as three (3) points for the win.  The score of the game shall be recorded as a 1-0 victory for the non-forfeiting team. For tiebreakers, no bonus points shall be issued for the forfeited game. If a non-forfeiting team, involved in a forfeit, requires a tiebreaker, the bonus point's tiebreaker shall be omitted entirely from deriving the Divisional Champion. The remaining tiebreaker categories shall be in effect, with the 1-0 score utilized for the aggregate of goals scored, given up and goal differential.

TOURNAMENT PROTESTS

No protests shall be accepted.

In the event inclement weather forces cancellation of a game after at least half of regulation time has been played, the game shall be considered official and the score at the point of cancellation shall be the final score. The decision on whether a game has been cancelled or will be recommenced if weather improves (and if the Referee agrees to resume play) is made by the Site Coordinator. If a game must be stopped before halftime, the Site Coordinator rules on its rescheduling.  Such a game may be temporarily halted and recommenced, picking up where play stopped.

Regardless of weather conditions, coaches and their teams MUST appear on the field of play ready to play as scheduled unless officially notified not to appear by the Tournament Director (or Site Coordinator).  Failure to appear, (unless notified) results in forfeiture of the game. In case of inclement weather, the Site Coordinator or the Field Marshall may reduce the length of the game by 50 percent (no halftime break except to switch ends of the field}.  The Tournament Director, Site Coordinator, Field Marshall or the Referee may postpone or cancel any game. If the decision is made to postpone or cancel, that decision is final. Teams that continue to play shall be suspended from the Tournament.

TOURNAMENT STANDINGS AND TIEBREAKERS

Teams bracketed in a grouping of 4 will play every other team in their specific division. Teams bracketed in a grouping of 5 (or more) will not play every team in their division. Each team will be awarded three (3) points for a win, one (1) point for a tie and no (0) points for a loss.

The division winners and runners-up will be those teams with the most points and second most points. If two or more teams are tied for first or second place, the following tie breaking rules will apply:

1. Head-to-head competition (does not apply if more than two (2) teams are tied.

2. Most wins

3. Least goals allowed (all games)

4. Most shutouts

5. Goal differential (the winning team will be awarded bonus points for goal differential to a maximum of three). Thus, a winning team winning 3-0 or 6-3 or 5-1 would receive a maximum of three (3) bonus points.

6. Most goals scored (to a maximum of 5 per game)

7. If the teams are still tied after all tiebreakers, Co-Champions will be declared. First place awards will be awarded to both teams. There will be NO second place award in the event a Co-Champion is declared.

CARDS AND EJECTIONS

A player, coach or spectator receiving a red card will be ejected from the game and may NOT participate in the next scheduled game. The team may not replace an ejected player on the field of play. The Tournament Committee further reserves the right to eject any player, coach, or spectator from the Tournament permanently for flagrant violations of the rules of play.

All carded players, coaches and spectators will be reported to the Field Marshall and Site Coordinator.

Anyone receiving a red card for fighting will be ineligible for any remaining tournament play. Unruly parental behavior will not be tolerated.

In accordance with the USYSA Tournament Hosting Agreement, all red and yellow cards and other matters involving team conduct will be reported to LIJSL and ENYYSA.