Rules

Rocky Mountain Adult Soccer Tournament Rules

Divisions & Brackets

There are five divisions in the Rocky Mountain Adult Soccer Tournament: Open (18+) women, Open (18+) men, 040 men, O48 men, and adult (18+) co-ed.

The number of brackets and number of teams per bracket will be determined by the number of teams registering for the tournament. The plan is to have both Competitive and Recreational brackets for the Open Men’s and Co-Ed divisions if there are enough teams.

Team Check In

All team managers are required to check in and provide a printed roster with all signatures to the tournament headquarters tent. This can be done at the Pleasant View Soccer Complex between 30 and 60 minutes prior to your first game.

Rosters

All teams must submit a final roster no later than 30 minutes prior to the team’s first game, using the form provided in advance to managers. Each roster must be signed by each team player. No changes to team rosters can be made after 30 minutes prior to a teams’ first game. Teams may have up to 22 players on them. Players may play on a second team in a different division.

Player Age

Players must at minimum turn the applicable age by December 31 of the tournament year for each division. So a player turning 40 in November after the tournament is eligible for the O40 division in July even though he is slightly under 40 during the tournament.

Player Gender

Co-ed Division teams must have at least four members of each gender on the field at all times.

Player Identification & Wristbands

Each player must present photo identification to the referees from 15 – 30 minutes prior to a team’s first game to check in and receive a tournament wristband. Any players not present at the initial registration will be required to register at the tournament headquarters tent prior to playing any game.

All players must have a government-issued, photo ID with date of birth at the initial registration and at each subsequent game. Opposing team managers can request that referees check IDs of specific players before a game, during halftime, or immediately following a game. If a player does not have adequate photo identification, he or she will not play.

Wristbands should be kept on for the duration of the tournament. Any player that needs to acquire a wristband from tournament organizers after the team’s first game will pay a $5 fee.

Protests and Forfeits

All protests should be lodged with the tournament headquarters tent within 15 minutes after a game. All decisions of tournament organizers will be final.

Any team using a player who is not on the official roster will automatically forfeit any and all games in which that player participated.

Team No Shows

Tournaments don’t work if teams do not show up for games, even if they are mathematically eliminated from winning a bracket or division. Please don’t ruin the experience for others by not showing up for your scheduled games. Each player from any team that forfeits a game by No Show will not be able to participate in the following year’s tournament.

Weather

All games will be played regardless of the weather UNLESS the City of Boulder determines the fields are not playable or are unsafe, in which case we will have to readjust the schedule and potentially cancel scheduled games. Lightning delays that occur in the second half of games will result in those games being called and the current scored recorded as final. If there is a lightning delay in the first half, games will be postponed for a minimum of 30 minutes and then continued. In the event of cancellation of the entire tournament, organizers will make a determination whether to provide a partial credit to teams for the following year.

Trash and Recycling

The Pleasant View Soccer Complex has trash and recycling facilities. Please be a gracious guest and pick up after yourself and your teammates.

Foul Language

Foul language is not appropriate on the soccer field or on the sidelines in a community-based, fun tournament. All instances of foul language will result in an automatic yellow card. You have been warned.

Dissent

Dissent to the referee is a cautionable offense per FIFA rules. We will abide by this. RMAST is a fun tournament and there is no reason to be complaining to or arguing with the referees. You have been warned.

Point System

Teams will receive three points for a win and one point for a tie. For the bracket standings, the following tie-breakers are used:

  • Head to head result
  • Fewest red cards
  • Goal differential (counting maximum of three goal differential for any one game)
  • Most goals scored
  • Least goals against
  • Coin toss

Game Rules

All games will be played using FIFA rules except for these exceptions:

  1. All games will be two halves of 30 minutes each, with a five-minute halftime break.
  2. Games will be played with two on-field referees rather than a referee and two linesman.
  3. Unlimited substitutions are allowed.
  4. No slide tackling in the co-ed division.
  5. A player receiving a red card must vacate the fields and exit behind the fence to the parking lot. Said player will miss the next game. The Tournament Director has the right to extend the severity of the suspension and will do so for red cards involving violence or if a player refuses to leave the fields. This is a fun tournament and any instances of fighting or other illegal behavior will be dealt with by the Tournament Director and, if necessary, the police.
  6. Any player receiving a yellow card will immediately leave the field and not return until the next official opportunity to substitute. Any player receiving two yellow cards in the tournament will be suspended for the following game.
  7. Players may be of any gender in the O40 and O48 divisions. Co-ed Division teams must have at least four members of each gender on the field at all times.
  8. All bracket games will be left as ties. Championship games will be decided by penalty kicks if necessary.
  9. The team listed first on the official schedule will be considered the “home” team and will need to have alternate uniforms in case both teams are wearing the same or similar colors.