Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grade Rules

Rev. 8/28/19

1. Field and Equipment

a. Boundary Line:  35 x 45 yards

b. Goal Area:           4 x 5 yards in front of each goal

c. Ball Size:              Size 3

d. Build Out Lines (Optional): Blue lines painted halfway between penalty area and midfield line

 

2. Game Format

a. The game will be played with two 20 minute halves with a 5 minute half-time.

b. Teams will change sides after half-time. The game shall be terminated on-time, regardless of the time remaining to accommodate the next game time.

c. Each team will play with 4 players on the field. Goalkeepers are not used.

d. Parents and other spectators can only view the game from the same sideline as their team. Parents should not be behind the goal line or on the opposing team’s side. Home team selects the side.

 

3. ​Player Equipment

a. Shin guards are mandatory for all players and are to be worn inside the socks.

b. Footwear can be athletic shoes or soft-cleated shoes. Shoes with a toe cleat (e.g. football and baseball cleats) cannot be worn.

c. Non-soccer equipment such as watches and jewelry must be removed prior to entering a game.

d. Players with hard casts are permitted to play, provided their cast has been securely encased in bubble wrap or similar padding.

 

4. Referees

There are no assigned referees for this age. Coaches should facilitate and maintain the game from the sideline.

 

5. 4v4 Game Rules

a. Start/Restarts

i. Each half is started, as well as restarts after a goal is scored, by kicking the ball placed in the center of the field on the half line.  Players of the opposing team must be at least 3 yards away when the kick is taken. The ball is in play when it has been kicked and moves in any direction. After kicking, the ball must touch another player before the kicker can play the ball again.

ii. When the ball goes wholly across any boundary, whether on the ground or in the air, the ball is awarded to the team opposite of the player who last touched the ball and is kicked in. The player who kicks the ball in may not touch the ball again until another player has touched it.

1. When a ball goes out over the sideline the ball is placed on the line where the ball went out and is kicked in. 

2. When a ball goes out over the goal line by the attacking team the ball is placed 4 feet in front of the goal and is kicked in. When a goal kick is being taken, the opposing team must retreat to the midfield line. As soon as the ball is kicked, the opposing team may pressure the ball.

3. When a ball goes out over the goal line by the defending team the ball is placed in the corner where the goal line meets the sideline and is kicked in. The ball is in play when it has been kicked and moves in any direction.

iii. When play is stopped for a non-foul (e.g. injury) then the ball is restarted with a drop ball near the spot where the ball was when play was stopped. The ball is to be dropped to the team that had possession before the play was stopped.  Opposing team members should be at least 4 yards away when the ball is dropped. The ball is in play when it has touched the ground.

b. Goal Scoring

i. Goals can be scored from anywhere on the field, but the entire ball must pass below the cross-bar and between the goal posts for a goal.

ii. A goal can be scored directly from the kickoff and other direct kicks (e.g. corner kicks, direct free kicks).

iii. A goal cannot be scored directly from an indirect free kick or kick-in from the sideline. The ball must touch another player on the field of either team before going into the goal to count.

c. Free Kick Infringements

i. All infringements result in Indirect Free Kicks awarded to the opposing team—

1. The following are punished by the awarding of a free kick: tripping, pushing, punching, handling the ball, holding or kicking an opponent. Handling the ball means that a player picks-up, holds, stops or propels the ball with his/her hands or arms (not necessarily any time it hits a player’s hand/arm).

2. Dangerous play such as slide tackling, heading the ball, or impeding the progress of an opponent (obstruction), or any other offense for which play is stopped, will result in a free kick.

ii. The kick is awarded to the opposing team and is taken from the spot where the foul occurred. If the foul occurred INSIDE the goal area, then the ball is placed on the 4 yard line nearest to the spot of the foul.

iii. Players of the opposing team must be a minimum of 3 yards away from the ball when a free kick is taken.

iv. The ball is in play when it has been kicked and moves in any direction. The ball must touch another player before the kicker can play the ball again. 

d. Building Out - When a goal kick is being taken, the opposing team must retreat to the midfield line. As soon as the ball is kicked, the opposing team may pressure the ball.  

e. The offside rule is not enforced at this age.

f. Goaltending—There is no rule on goaltending, however, it is highly discouraged and Copper Mountain Rec Soccer strongly recommends the coaches get the goal tenders to come out and play.

g. Substitutions

i. Substitutions are unlimited and can be accomplished on the fly as well as when the ball is out of play. 

ii. The player being substituted for must come off the field before the substitute may enter the field.

iii. There is no stoppage time for substitutions. Play is continuous.

h. Additional Players

i. If a team is behind by 4 goals, a coach can add one additional field player. The additional player will be taken off the field if his/her team scores. An additional player can be added when 6 goals behind, and again at 8. If the losing team does not have additional players, then the winning team should consider taking a player off the field.​