Penalties, Violations & Suspensions
*All games are to be played under the recognized FIFA Laws of the Game, which can be found at www.fifa.com/worldfootball/lawsofthegame.html. The North Shore Indoor Soccer League (the "League") considers it your responsibility to familiarize yourself with these rules before you participate in the League.
*The rules listed hereunder are additions to FIFA’s Laws of the Game and have been specifically adapted for this facility and its indoor soccer leagues.
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Free Kicks, Penalty Shots & Corner Kicks. Defending players must remain a minimum of five metres away from the spot from which the free kick, penalty shot or corner kick is being taken. Players who do not comply with the five metre distance rule will be cautioned once before a yellow card is given. In the men's and women's league, the referee may award a penalty kick in the goal area if the foul prevented a goal scoring opportunity. In the coed league, all free kicks and penalty shots in the offensive half of the field must be taken by women. If the non-offending team is playing short-handed both its female players, all free kicks and penalty shots will be dealt with as 50/50 drop balls at the point closest to where infraction occured.
Yellow Cards. A yellow card shall be considered an official caution. Any player who receives a yellow card will be given a three minute penalty and their team will play short-handed for that time. If multiple yellow cards are handed out at the same time to a single offending team, that offending team will only play short-handed a maximum of two players at a time. The subsequent three minute penalties will start after the first three minute penalties have expired. A player accumulating three yellow cards over the course of a season will be subject to a one game suspension.
Red Cards. Players receiving one red card or two yellow cards in a single game will be promptly ejected from the game in play and suspended for a minimum of one further game. In addition, their team will play short-handed for six minutes immediately after the infraction occurs. Referees will provide a report to the League's Discipline Chair in all instances in which a red card is handed out. The report will outline the circustamces/actions that led to the handing out of the red card (or two yellows), and their reccomendation as to whether or not the gravity of the red carded player's actions warrants more than the minimum one game suspension. The Discipline Chair will review the referee's report and make a final decision as to how many additional games the red carded player will be suspended for. The Team Rep and Assistant Team Rep of the team the red carded player plays for will be notified via email if the player must serve additional game(s) suspension.
Appeals. A player who receives more than a single game suspension is able to appeal the disciplinary action; however, not the call itself. A written appeal from the player must be received by email at
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no fewer than five days prior to the player's next scheduled game directly after the incident.
Player Identification. All players who receive a yellow or red card must accurately and truthfully identify themselves to the referee. If the player refuses to do so, they will no longer be allowed to participate in the game and the team representative will then be asked/required to identify the player. If the team representative refuses to identify the player, or mis-identifies the player, the team representative will personally serve the full suspension in place of the player who was not identified.
Expulsion. Players will face expulsion from the League for fighting, deliberately trying to injure another player or verbally assaulting another player, referee or spectator. Expulsions are at a minimum for the remainder of the season, however depending on the gravity of the infraction the expulsion may be permanent.
Playing Suspended Players. Teams that allow players who they know are under suspension to play will be penalized with the forfeiture of all games the suspended individual participated in. The individual who was under suspension and knowingly played anyways will be penalized with the doubling of their original suspension.
No Going to Ground to Play the Ball / Slide Tackling. Players are not permitted to go to ground to play the ball at any time. The goal keeper is the only person permitted to go to the ground in the process of making a save and only in their designated goal area. Players should try and stay on their feet at all times. The penalty for going to the ground to play the ball is the awarding of a free kick to the non-offending team.
Slide tackling is an automatic yellow card. A slide tackle is when a player attempts to take the ball away from an opposing player by deliberately leaving his/her feet and sliding along the ground with one leg extended to push the ball away from the opposing player.
Spitting. Spitting on the field is not permitted, upon penalty of a yellow card.
Penalties and Violent Conduct. There is zero tolerance for violent conduct in the North Shore Indoor Soccer League. Any player/team/participant found to be conducting themselves in a violent manner may be subject to permanent suspension and/or expulsion from the League, even on a first offense. The League office reserves the right to determine the length of suspensions that fall into this category.
