1) Club, Academy and Team Responsibilities
a) Member Clubs/Academies are responsible for the conduct of all players/ team officials and for team supporters at all times. Players, team officials and supporters shall conduct themselves in accordance with Ontario Soccer’s published rules and the League
b) Teams from outside of the Toronto Soccer Association (TSA) district must provide playing out permission from their district association a minimum of 48 hours before their first scheduled league game
c) Team officials and players must be registered with their respective district and in position of a properly authorised player book/card at all times
d) Team officials and players must appear on the game sheet and shall confine themselves to within 1 meter of the players' bench and outside of the playing area when not on the playing surface
e) A maximum of four registered team officials are permitted to appear on the game sheet
f) Team officials are not permitted to enter the field of play, unless they receive permission from the referee
g) Game balls shall be the responsibility of the home team. Size 4 for U9 to U12 and size 5 or U13+
2) Player Identification
a) All players must be in possession of properly authorized Ontario Soccer player registration books/cards at all games. Players may not participate in the game without a properly authorized Player Registration book/card. Teams, at their discretion, may inspect a player/team’s Ontario Soccer official books/cards of the opposing team. Inspection will take place prior to kick off and must not delay the start of the game. Upon request, teams may not refuse to have their books checked.
b) Game played under protest – If a team feels that the opposition are playing an ineligible player, they must advise the referee before the start of the 2nd half that they wish to play the game under protest. The team protesting must identify the player(s) (maximum of two) that they feel are ineligible. The referee will make note of these players on the game sheet so that the league may investigate.
c) Failure to produce the Ontario Soccer player books/cards will result in forfeit of the game and potential disciplinary action.
d) Only players and team officials with authorized Ontario Soccer registration books/cards may have their names entered on the game sheet and be deemed eligible to play.
3) Player Eligibility
a) All players shall be duly registered before playing
b) Rules and regulations as set out in Ontario Soccer’s Policies and Procedures regarding the signing and transfer of players shall apply.
c) Teams found to have used an ineligible player(s), shall forfeit the game(s) to its opponents. In the event that both teams are found guilty of using ineligible player(s), no points will be awarded. A team found guilty of using ineligible player(s) may be subject to disciplinary action.
d) Ineligible Player - Although the list below is not all exhaustive, an ineligible player is a player who:
i) Is not registered under Ontario Soccer policies and procedures
ii) Is registered under a false name.
iii) Is under discipline suspension
iv) Played under different name (used book/card from another player)
v) Played as a guest player without the appropriate approvals
4) Call Ups
a) Call ups only apply for the U13 – U18 age groups
b) Call ups must have a valid player book stamped for the current indoor season with their appropriate club/academy
c) Call ups are permitted to be used form a younger age group or lower level league (L7 Indoor House league)
d) Players cannot play more than two years above their birth year
e) Unlimited call ups may be used in all 11v11 leagues
f) Players that are being used as a call up must be noted/identified as such on the game sheet
5) League Games
a) Duration of all indoor games is 2 x 25 minutes; duration of 11v11 outdoor games is 2 x 40 minutes
b) Half time for indoor games will be one (1) minute. Half time for outdoor games will be four (4) minutes
c) Teams shall be given five (5) minutes of grace time from the scheduled kick-off time to field the minimum required number of players (4) for small sided games, (5) for 9v9 games and (7) players for 11v11 games.
d) In the event that one team does not field the minimum required number of players to start a game, it will be considered to have defaulted the game and shall forfeit the points. The opposing team will be awarded the win and a score of 3-0 will be recorded.
e) In the event that both teams are unable to field the minimum number of players to play the game, both teams shall be considered to be in default of the game and no points awarded.
f) In the event that a team does not show up for a regularly scheduled game, it shall be deemed that the team is in default of the game and will not be awarded any points. The opposing team will be awarded the win and a score of 3-0 will be recorded
g) 7v7 (U9-U10) and 9v9 (U11-U12) leagues will have no maximum or minimum roster for each team. There will be “game day maximums” as per below.
i) U9 – U10 7v7 game day maximum will be “12”
ii) U11 – U12 9v9 game day maximum will be “16”
h) U13 – U18 11v11 teams may register (roster) a maximum of 18 players, minimum of 11 players
i) League standing purposes in the U13+ leagues, three points shall be awarded for a win, one point for a tie and zero points for a loss
i) In the event of a tie in league points, the winner shall be determined as follows:
ii) Goal Difference
iii) If still tied, Goals for
iv) If still tied, Goals against
v) If still tied, Most wins
vi) If still tied, Penalty kicks
6) Playing Laws
a) For all U9-U10 games – Ontario Soccer indoor rules of soccer will apply. Ontario Soccer Playing Rules for Indoor Soccer Laws are available online –
i) https://cdn4.sportngin.com/attachments/document/0127/5534/Indoor_Soccer_Rules.pdf
b) For 9v9 league games, the following rules will apply:
i) The maximum number of players on the field shall be nine players and the minimum number of players shall be five
ii) Unlimited Substitutions will be permitted on the fly within one meter of the half way line and the touch line on the team bench side of the field
iii) Throw ins will be the restart should the ball cross the touch line
iv) Offside law will be in effect
v) The penalty area will be proportional to the size of the field/goals
vi) An indirect free kick shall be awarded should the ball come in contact with the ceiling or a light fixture. The kick will be taken from the spot on the field directly below the point of initial contact
c) The U9 – U12 leagues will be played festival style. No standings or results will be recorded
d) The Retreat Line will be in effect for all U9-U12 league games
e) The retreat Line will be marked at the 1/3rd mark on each end of the field. The 1/3rd will be marked by two cones outside the playing area
f) When the goalkeeper has the ball at a goal kick or after making a save the opposing team members will “retreat” behind the designated retreat line
g) Once all the opposing players have retreated to the line the goalkeeper can successfully throw or pass the ball to one of his/her teammates
h) Once the teammate has received the ball the opposing players can then start to apply pressure to the player with the ball
i) For 11v11 league games, all of Ontario Soccer’s Playing Rules for Outdoor Soccer shall apply, save and except as follows:
j) An indirect free kick shall be awarded should the ball come in contact with the ceiling or a light fixture. The kick will be taken from the spot on the field directly below the point of initial contact.
k) Unlimited substitutions will be permitted on the fly within one (1) meter of the half way line and the touch line on the team bench side of the field
7) League Schedule
a) League schedule will be posted online on the League website. Week #1 schedules will be available two weeks prior to the start of the league
b) Games will be played as scheduled unless the game is postponed by the League or the referee
c) A game is deemed to be complete, if one half plus one minute has been played
d) A request for a schedule change must be submitted Thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled game day
8) Player Equipment
a) The player's equipment shall consist of their club/academy uniform with a number on the back of the shirt that corresponds to their number on the game sheet. It is mandatory for all players on the team to have the same shirts with different numbers.
b) The goalkeeper must wear a numbered shirt with colours that distinguish them from the other players on both teams as well as the opposing goalie
c) The number shall be permanently affixed to the player jersey. Footwear shall be running shoes, indoor soccer shoes (Flat sole), Turf Shoe's or outdoor cleats (Molded Stud). No metal cleats or six studs will be permitted.
d) In the event that the teams have the same colour shirt the home team must change
e) Shingards and Socks are mandatory at all times
9) Referees
a) All games shall have an assigned an Ontario Soccer registered referee(s).
b) Referees must be paid in full by both teams before the start of the game
c) The decision of the referee is final.
d) It is the responsibility of the referee to report ALL discipline issues that occurred in the game to the League within forty-eight (48) hours from the completion of the game. In the case of alleged referee assault, reports shall be forwarded by the Referee to TSA immediately upon receipt and a copy of such report shall be also provided to the League.
e) The Referee is responsible for sending completed game sheets and other official paperwork to the League within forty-eight (48) hours of the end of the game.
10) Discipline Administration
a) All league discipline shall be administered by the TSA
b) The Discipline by Review (DBR) process will be used for all cases as outlined in Ontario Soccer’s Published Rules.
c) In cases where Discipline by Hearing (DBH) is mandatory, the appropriate parties will be notified by the TSA
d) All parties have the right to request a hearing (DBH) and such requests will be made in writing to the League no later than 48 hours following the playing of the game. Hearing requests must be sent by a team/club/academy official.
e) An Ontario Soccer player book/card must be presented at all hearings otherwise there shall be no hearing held and the player shall be considered to have missed the hearing.
f) Failure to appear for a hearing will result in the immediate suspension of the player until a new hearing has been requested by the player.
g) Players, team coaches and officials whose names appear on game sheets after a suspension has been imposed are deemed to have participated in the game while under suspension. They will be subject to further disciplinary action.
h) Alleged referee assault, will be handled by the district association in which the player or team officials is registered. The Accused is automatically suspended from all soccer related activity, as per OS Rules, until the case has been disposed of.
11) PROTESTS AND APPEALS
a) Game protests must be made in writing to the league within 48 hours of the game being played. Protests may only be made by a team official. Team officials submitting a protest must appear on the game sheet of the game in dispute.
b) Game protests will be heard by the League in accordance with Ontario Soccer’s published rules. Any other protest will be heard by the TSA
c) No protest pertaining to the decision of a game official will be heard
d) Appeals of League decisions by a player, team official or club/academy official must be forwarded to TSA for processing within 5 days of the decision being rendered. A fee of $50 must accompany the appeal. If the appeal is upheld the protest fee will refunded