Hebron Area Soccer Association Micro Rules (U8)
The Field
The field of play is 30 yards wide by 40 yards long.
The centerline will run from side boundary to side boundary and will be 15 yards from the end lines.
The center circle will have a radius of 5 yards and will have with a 9-inch center mark.
The goal area is a semi circle with radius of 5 yards, with the center being placed 12.5 yards from the boundary line on the end line.
Each corner will have a 1-yard arc, from end line to boundary line, centered on the corner.
The goals are 36" high and 54" wide and will be anchored to the ground.
Equipment
Ball - Size Three
All Players are required to wear shin guards.
All players will wear their team uniform to participate. Team shirt must be the top item of clothing. Jackets, Turtleneck, sweat shirts, etc. must be worn under team shirt.
Team Shirt must be tucked in.
Cleats are not required. If cleats are used they must be soccer style cleats. Metal cleats are prohibited.
Players
Each team will have 4 players on the field at a time.
There will be no goalie.
Substitutions will occur during stoppages of play; including line changes, fouls, injuries, or as necessary at the discretion of the referee.
Line Changes - when a team has 8 or more players, on-field players must be substituted for players on the bench with each line change. If playing with 7 players, no one player shall play more than 2 lines changes consecutively.
If a player is under disciplinary action and will not play, the coach and game official must be notified before play starts.
** Please keep in mind the objective is to provide all members of your team equal playing time.
Referees
There will be one referee to control the game and facilitate players on each team. When a referee is not available, a coach from a non-participating team will be asked to facilitate play.
Length of Game
A game will consist of 40 minutes divided into two halves by a 5-minute halftime.
A game will start immediately at the top of the hour.
Wednesday and Thursday game times will be 6:00pm and 7:00pm. Saturday games will be at 9:00am, 10:00am, and 11:00am.
The game clock will run without interruption and line changes will be at the first natural stoppage following 4 minutes.
Line changes will be called out by the game official.
At the game official's discretion, the game official may add as much as 2 minutes of extended time. This extended time must be declared by the game official at the beginning of the final shift of the first half or the game. This extended time should only be used to provide the last shift with as close to a full shift as possible. (i.e. Last shift starts at 17 minute mark. Official will declare 1 minute of extra time giving the last shift 4 minutes. Last shift starts at 19-minute mark. Official will declare 2 minutes of extra time giving the last shift 3 minutes.)
It is important the game official and coaches keep the game moving at all times. Line changes should occur quickly.
Start of Play
A coin toss will be held at the beginning of the game (team listed 2nd on schedule will call "Heads or Tails" before the coin is tossed) and the winner will decide which goal to attack in the first half. The other team will kick-off the first half. At the start of the 2nd half, playing sides will be reversed, and the winner of the coin toss will kick-off the 2nd half.
The ball is placed on the center mark for kick-off.
During Kick-Off, all players must be on their (defensive) side of the field and the opponent must be 5 yards away from the ball.
The referee will signal the ball in play once this condition is met.
A player from the side taking the kick-off must move the ball forward and may not touch the ball a second time until it has contacted another player. Violation of the forward rule will result in a re-kick. Violation of the "touching rule" will result in an indirect free kick for the opposing team at the point of infringement.
After a goal is scored, the opposing team will receive the ball for kick-off from the center mark.
Out of Bounds
The ball is out of play when the entire ball crosses over the end line or boundary line. This is a judgment call made by the game official only.
The ball will be awarded to the opponent of the player touching the ball last before it was out of play. This will be determined by the game official only.
The game official will declare possession of the ball and the possessing team will place the ball on the boundary line and kick it back into play. The "second touch" rule will apply in the same manner as it does for kick offs.
If the ball is out of bounds on the end line (goal line), the offensive team will be awarded a corner kick (direct kick) or the defensive team will be awarded an end line kick (indirect kick) based on declared possession. The corner kick must be from the corner on the side of the goal where the ball passed the end line. The end line kick can be from either side of the goal but must be from the point where the goal arc intersects the end line. Opponents must be 5 yards from the ball on all re-entry kicks.
Scoring
No score will be kept. Please remind your players, "We play because it is fun!"
For purpose of play, a goal will be signaled by the game official when the entire ball crosses the goal line.
Additional Rules
There will be no off sides, however the game official (and coaches should as well) will encourage players to be an active part of play.
The goal arc is a dead zone. No player shall enter this area. If the ball rolls dead in the goal arc the game official will declare a dead ball and will award the ball based on the out of bounds rules for the end line.
If a player is in the goal arc or makes contact with ball, play will be immediately stopped, the official will inform the player of the infraction, and possession will be awarded based on the same principle of the dead ball in the goal arc. All goal arc infractions will be called by the game official only.
Fouls
The game official has the option of awarding an indirect free kick for the following:
-Kicking or attempting to kick another player.
-Tripping another player.
-Charging another player.
-Striking or attempting to strike another player.
-Pushing.
-Holding.
-Handling the ball with arm or hand to gain an advantage.
-Playing in a manner deemed unsafe by the game official.
Free Kicks
All free kicks will be indirect except corner kicks and the kick-off.
A goal may not be scored on an indirect kick unless the ball has touched another player.
The game official will direct the placement of the ball on a free kick.
The opponent must be 3 yards away from a free kick except where otherwise stated.
The "second touch" rule applies to all free kicks.
