Before kick-off

• Players must be 18 years or older at the time of the season’s start to participate.
• Players must be listed as part of the team roster.
• Subs are acceptable but must be existing players of the league - for playoffs or finals only rostered players will be allowed - referees will have the option to check the roster if necessary or requested by any team captain.
• Liability release waivers are required to be signed online prior to any participation in any league or event.
• Members that sign up are expected to attend on time to the majority of scheduled games; frequent absences or no-shows without prior notice may result in suspension, please work with your existing team captain to ensure enough players show up to participate.
• Free agent teams are formed based on player availability and self-assessed skill levels. While we do our best to balance teams, playing styles, team chemistry and competitiveness will vary.
• PANA Soccer League will work to organize and put together teams of free agents as adequately as possible; skill level and play style cannot be guaranteed. While we work to ensure a positive experience for everyone, and most teams will get along fine, if you encounter any issues, you may reach out to us at panasoccerny@gmail.com.
• If multiple complaints around a team’s skill level are received (e.g. and advanced skill level team playing in beginner), the team will remain in the league to prevent schedule disruption, but may be disqualified from playoffs. PANA Soccer League will do its best to avoid this and accommodate a solution that does not hinder every team’s chance to achieve playoffs through merit.
• To play, if a team shows up with fewer players than the standard format (e.g. fewer than six (6) in a 6v6 league), the team may still play as long as it has no less than four players, for both the 5v5 and 6v6 leagues. Teams may use non-roster players part of the league as substitutes to fill in the numbers needed for season games, not for playoffs or finals.
• For coed leagues: all teams must play with a minimum of one (1) female player on the field at all times. There can be as many female players on the field as a team wishes to have.
• In instances where there are no female players, the team must play one player down if they’re not able to find a substitute from other teams in the league. The team can request the opponent to let them play with an extra male player, at the exchange of a three (3) goal lead at the start of the game. This only applies to season games, not playoffs or finals. In the event this occurs during playoffs, the team must play the whole game with one player less.
• Roster changes are allowed for the first half of the regular season only (e.g. No changes after game 4 in an 8 game regular season). If a team experiences difficulties that prevent the team’s roster from meeting the league minimum requirements after the midway point, the captain must email customer service to request an exception.
• Roster checks can only be requested at the beginning of a playoff/final game.
• All games will be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game issued by IFAB  and are available for viewing at https://www.theifab.com/laws-of-the-game-documents/.
• Modifications made in these by-laws supersede and/or supplement the Laws of the Game.

Getting on the pitch

• Please note, referees will enforce stricter contact rules in indoor/small-sided games.
• All players must use shin guards - referees are allowed to check these at any time.
• No metal, steel cleats, or spikes are allowed.
• All players must wear the same color and an official PANA Soccer League shirt. Failure to wear the right jersey will result in two (2) goals awarded to the opposing team per non-compliant player.
• Goalies are exempt from this rule and can wear a different color shirt from their team and does not have to be an official PANA Soccer League shirt.
• Team Captains are responsible for keeping and distributing any unused jerseys to absent players. Failure to do so may result in the need to purchase additional jerseys.
• Free agents must pick up their jersey during Week 1 or arrange for someone else to do so. Missing jerseys may require replacement at the player's expense.
• Indoor games: goalkeepers must ensure the ball touches the ground before the halfway line with throws, goal kicks, or punts. If this rule is violated, the opposing team receives possession from the midfield sideline.Goal kicks cannot be direct goals; they must touch another player than the goalie before being counted as a goal.
• Indoor: when the ball goes out of bound, restart will be a kick-in. The ball may be kicked below or above the waist. Kick-ins from out of bounds, including corners, cannot be a direct goal.
• Free kicks that are not kick-offs, goal kicks, kick-ins or corner kicks, can shoot for a direct goal. Free kicks must wait for the referee’s whistle to start. The opposing team must allow the team taking the free kick 3 whole steps from the point of shooting to guarantee enough space to execute appropriately.
• Goalkeepers are allowed to slide inside their penalty box, for the purpose of blocking shots, make saves, or challenge fairly. Under no circumstances are slide tackles allowed. A slide tackle will result at minimum in a yellow card, that can be deemed a red card depending on the severity of the slide.
• If players slip or fall, a play may be paused by the referee to ensure their safety and other players. Players cannot continue a play on the floor.
• All subs (including goalkeeper) are only allowed during dead balls or when a goalie is in possession of the ball. Subs must be announced. If playing indoors, the doors must be shut/closed before resuming play.
• Indoor: If the ball hits the ceiling, netting, rafter or any overhead obstacle, it will be considered out of play. The play will then lead to a goal kick (when hit by a goal) or kick-in (when it hits on the side or ceiling).
• There are no offside rules for Indoor games.
• Goal keepers cannot pick up a throw in or pass back to them.
• Penalties will be kicked from the top of the penalty box. Keepers may move before the opponent takes the penalty, but they need to stand on the goal line at all times before the penalty kick. All players from both teams must stand behind the player taking the penalty kick.

Cautions and offenses

• Yellow and red cards are issued under the same cardable offenses outlined by the USSF:
• Yellow card offenses: players receiving a yellow card are required to sub off for a minimum of two (2) minutes. The offending player’s team can substitute for the offending player. If the offense is deemed particularly egregious, though remaining short of a red card offense, the referee can have a player sit for four (4) minutes.
• Second yellow card offenses: a second yellow card offense requires the player to sit out for the remainder of the match. The team can substitute for the offending player and does not need to play down a player.
• Red card offenses: red card offenses are more severe and can have an impact on the rest of the season for both players and teams. All of these will be reviewed by the referee and organizer to determine if game suspensions are required.
  • Red card due to double yellow cards: player must leave the field and can’t play for the remainder of the game. They will receive no suspensions on future games, unless they receive another red card, regardless of the nature of how it occurs. The team can substitute the player with the red card during the game.
  • Direct red card: players must leave the field immediately; the team won’t be able to replace the player for the rest of the game, and will have to play the remainder of the game down a player.
  • Red card due to a foul - will result in a one (1) game ban.
  • Red card due to a physical altercation - if a fight breaks out, whomever receives a red card will be disqualified from the rest of the season, and will be removed altogether from the league.
  • Any intentional physical contact upon a referee or PANA Soccer League representative will result in a red card and suspension from the league indefinitely.
  • Disqualification due to verbal insults or arguments - if a player receives a red card due to arguing with the referee or another player, they will receive a two (2) game ban.
  • Multiple red cards - two (2) red cards in the season, regardless of their nature, will end in the disqualification of the player for the rest of the season.
  • Severity of incidents - organizers and referees will assess the severity of the incidents involving red cards to determine a course of action. Our mission is to have fun and enjoy the sport, while ensuring everyone can go home uninjured or hurt. This will be at the top of our list when deciding whether or not suspensions are required and to what extent.
  • If the red card is given to a substitute, that player will be suspended from playing for two games; this will not impact negatively or force a forfeit the team that requested the player to sub.
  • Players shown a red card by a referee must provide their name to the referee when requested. If they refuse, the team captain is responsible for providing the name of the player receiving the red. Failing to provide an accurate name will result in a forfeit of the game by the team. If the player is discovered to be unregistered, then the team that brought them to play will face additional sanctions and risk disqualification from the league.
  • Upon request by the referee or supervisor, ejected players may be called for a review by PANA Soccer League officials/organizers.
  • Whether or not there was a caution given to a player, an incident involving a player may be called for review should evidence arise after the fact.

Incident reporting

• Whenever a red card offense or incident occurs, we ask team captains to send a report of the incident to be formally processed and reviewed.
• Players can also report any issues or complaints regarding equipment malfunction, facility issues, referee delay/absence, etc. You may due so by writing to use at panasoccerny@gmail.com.

Game Duration

• Game durations may vary and will be stated by league
• In general, most games will have between 20-25 minute halves, with five (5) minutes of break at half time and between games.
• The game clock will start at the scheduled time to minimize delays that eat into future games. Attendance and timeliness are required for teams to be ready to go before the clock starts. We recommend arriving at least 10 minutes before the start of your game, to get ready and warm up or stretch.
• If a game is called due to weather or an unexpected event, the game will be considered complete if it has reached the halfway mark or beyond. 

Forfeits

• If a team does not show up to play after five (5) minutes of start time (when the referee or officials call both teams to start the game), it will be considered a forfeit by the team not present. The winning team will receive a win with three goals (3) and points. The team that does not show up will receive a one (1) point deduction and three (3) goals scored against.
• A forfeit should be announced at four (4) hours ahead of the game time; if announced, the forfeiting team will not receive a point deduction, only the three goals against it. To communicate the forfeit, team captains must announce this on the shared captain’s chat for that season/league through WhatsApp. A group invite will be shared with captain’s to join.
• Forfeits due to not having enough players will be treated as unannounced and receive a one (1) point deduction.
• If a team forfeits twice during a season, it will be disqualified from playoffs, but may continue to play the rest of the season. Three forfeits will result in removal from the current league and suspension from future programs. These can be reviewed if a reasonable explanation for the missed games is presented.
• Attendance is quintessential for the success of our leagues; individuals are expected to show up and be ready to participate in all games. When a player can’t attend, it is crucial to communicate with your team ahead of time to organize and find substitutes. Missing games and forfeiting may lead to removal from the league.

Playoffs

• All leagues will have playoffs to decide the division champion for the season. 
• Depending on the number of teams, three (3) or four (4) teams will make the playoffs. The top teams throughout the season will make the playoffs, unless there is a scenario where a team is removed due to forfeits or other reasons. In this case, the next team on the standings will take their place.
• The standings will be determined by points; if a team is tied in terms of points, position will be determined by score differentials.
• Standings points will be appointed as follows:
  • Win - three (3) points
  • Draw - one (1) point
  • Loss - zero (0) points
  • Forfeit - one (1) or two (2) points deduction
• All players must be formally rostered to be able to play in the playoffs and finals.
• Penalty kicks: if tied by the end of a playoff game, teams will take five penalty kicks to determine the winner. If tied by the end of each team taking their five penalty kicks, then it will go into a one-on-one scenario, till someone leads and is determined the winner.
• The ball is placed on the top of the box and players can take as many steps toward the ball as they want. The keeper can move from side-to-side on the goal line, but cannot move forward until the ball is kicked. All other players must be outside the box and behind the kicker and remain still, as well as remain silent - no one should intentionally try to distract any player from taking or blocking the penalty shot.

Schedules

• A season’s schedule will be posted prior to the beginning of the season, showcasing the times for all times and the eight (8) season games, plus playoffs times.
• If match weeks are canceled due to disruption (e.g. weather), playoffs may be removed in favor of a “top of table” format in order to preserve the standard 8 regular season games. PANA Soccer League will do the best to reschedule and avoid this situation.
• Games may be canceled due to hazardous weather conditions (extreme temperatures, lightning, severe thunderstorm warning, tornado warning, hurricanes, field covered in a sheet of ice, etc.) or hazardous or severely limiting field conditions (e.g. field lights are not functioning or the majority of the field is covered in a sheet of ice). While this may be less of an issue for indoor games, in cases where this can extend to travel issues or safety concerns, we will consider it an option. If a game is cancelled, we will communicate this via the season’s chat and captain’s chat, plus an email notifying the league, with follow ups around rescheduling.
• If games are delayed as a result of weather or administrative failures, then the active game affected by the delay will be played in full and subsequent games will have delayed kickoff times (captains will be notified of the delay in the captain’s chat). If there is not enough time to complete all games, then the last scheduled game will be postponed and subsequently rescheduled.
• We cannot guarantee that all canceled games will be rescheduled, but we will do our most to ensure this is not the case.
• Players should be prepared for the possibility of playing rescheduled games at different fields, days or times in order to successfully make up for canceled games.
• If a reschedule date is not made available to teams, then the game will be canceled from the schedule entirely. Depending on the nature of the disruption (e.g. act of God, administrative failure, etc.) compensation may be provided to teams in the form of credits or discount codes.
• Teams offered reschedule dates are not eligible for credits or refunds.

Miscellaneous

• No alcoholic or substance use is permitted at any PANA Soccer League game. Players should not come under the influence of any substance. In certain events, there may be alcohol served; for these types of events, there may be a limit in how much players may drink and when. For everyone’s safety, players should not be in a state of intoxication that hinders their ability to behave properly and control their actions. In events where there may be alcohol served, only those 21 of age or older will be served; identification will be requested and required to be served any alcohol.
• Illegal drugs are not permitted at all PANA Soccer League sanctioned event.
• Clean up after yourselves - keep parks and fields clean. If you brought it with you, take it back with you or dispose of your garbage appropriately. Teams leaving messes will receive a warning on first offense followed by a loss of league points for future offenses.
• Certain rules may be subject to change as we grow as a league; any major changes will be communicated to anyone, to ensure minimized negative impact to anyone’s play time and experience.