High school soccer will have a whole different look this fall following the latest safety modifications approved by the MIAA COVID-19 Task Force last week. Among other rule changes, the act of heading the ball as well as any intentional bodily contact have both been outlawed for the fall season. Timeouts, slide tackles and cheerleaders are other things that will not be allowed this fall season.
The latest soccer-specific safety modifications approved by the COVID-19 Task Force are:
- Each bench area must be set up at least 10 yards from midfield. Team benches (or chairs) must be set up to ensure social distancing between players, coaches, trainers, etc. on the sidelines. Teams may end up having players stretched out far down the sideline. Each team may have no more than 3 adults in the bench area throughout the contest (coaches, volunteers, statisticians, trainers, videographers – are all included).
- Cheerleaders will not be allowed. This is to limit the number of people on the sidelines during games.
- The Timeout Rule will be suspended. No timeouts will be allowed.
- All games will be played in four equal quarters with a 2-minute break between quarters. Halftime will remain as 10 minutes. Each of the 11 players heading to the sidelines for two minutes may take their face covering off and get water from their own container. They should also use hand sanitizer at this time.
- All substitutes checking into the game should use hand sanitizer provided at the score table and check into the game “near” midfield but socially distant from others including game administrators.
- All players, coaches, referees, and other game personnel must wear a face covering during play except:
A player can take off their face covering at a point during the game when they are more than 10 feet away from an opponent. This is to take a “mask break.”
The default expectation is that the face covering will be on. Failure to have your face covering securely/properly worn according to these modifications/guidelines, will result in an indirect free kick for the opposing team as well as a yellow card for the player in violation.
- It is the responsibility of the head coach to certify that their entire team is wearing appropriate/approved face coverings prior to each contest. When the official asks the coach if the team is properly equipped, this will also include that the team has appropriate face coverings.
- If the game official feels that conditions are not safe in the bench area, as it relates to face coverings, they may issue a yellow card to the head coach for failure to enforce the face covering or social distancing rules in the bench area.
- The home team must provide at least eight balls to have available around the playing area that may be put in play at any time. Members of each team who are not on the field may assist in retrieving balls with their feet to get them back to the sideline/goal line.
- Balls must be wiped down or sprayed (with approved disinfecting products) by the game administrator after each quarter of play and at the game’s end.
- Goalkeepers may not spit on their gloves. They can wet them with a water bottle. If the coach/official sees this happen, gloves will be taken out of play.
- It is a violation to intentionally head the ball. It will result in an indirect free kick for the opposing team.
- It is a violation to place your hands on any part of an opposing team member’s body. It will result in an indirect free kick for the opposing team.
- It is a violation to intentionally make body contact with an opposing team member’s body. This includes “shoulder to shoulder” tackling, backing into them or any other intentional contact. It will result in an indirect free kick for the opposing team. However, a player is allowed to make unintentional contact with an opposing team member if the player is attempting to make “foot to ball” contact and the resulting contact with the opposing team member is below the torso, fleeting and minor in nature.
- It is a violation to attempt or to slide tackle. This will result in a direct kick.
- Persistent infringement of any of the above modified rules (III a-d) will also result in a yellow card.
- All players on the field MUST properly wear their face covering on every restart. No restart may be taken prior to the official indicating that play may resume. On each restart, the referees will whistle as usual upon the violation or stoppage of play, then they will pause to make sure all players are properly wearing the face covering, then whistle to indicate that play may resume.
- All players must maintain 6 feet of distance between themselves and all teammates and opponents at the commencement of all restarts.
- All indirect kicks must be played on the ground except for a goal kick which is addressed below.
- There will be no throw-ins. When the ball crosses the touchline, the restart will be a “kick-in,” which will be treated the same as all other indirect-kicks- including that the opposing team members must be at least 10 yards from the ball. The ball will be placed on the spot on the touchline where the ball went out of bounds or behind it.
- It is a violation to kick a goal kick in the air beyond the midfield line. If the ball does travel in the air beyond the midfield line without touching a player, the resulting restart is an indirect kick for the opposing team from the spot it crossed midfield.
- It is a violation for the goalkeeper to kick, punt, dropkick or throw the ball in the air beyond the midfield line. If the ball does travel in the air beyond the midfield line without touching a player, the resulting restart is an indirect kick for the opposing team from the spot it crossed midfield.
- The use of a dropped ball is suspended. To replace this procedure, an indirect kick will be awarded to the team whom the referees deemed to be in possession at the time of stoppage.
- The use of a traditional defensive “wall” is not allowed on any restart. Players may attempt to impede the path of the ball to the goal by standing in the way but they must be at least 10 yards away from the ball and at least 6 feet away from other players.
- Corner kicks are an indirect kick.
- Penalty kicks will be handled in the same manner of a penalty shootout in that the ball will be dead once it has hit the goalkeeper or goal. No rebounds allowed. All the typical rules of a penalty shootout apply. If a goal is scored – it is a goal. If the ball goes over the goal line but is not a goal, it is either a goal kick or corner kick depending on the call of the official. If the ball rebounds off the goal or goalkeeper and comes to rest in the field of play, the restart will be a goal kick for the defending team.
- If a player steps in the direction of the referee with intent to complain/argue, that player will be given a yellow card. If the player comes within 6 feet of an official to complain/argue, a red card will be issued.
- Referees are instructed to exit the field and facility immediately upon the final whistle. They are not expected to sign the game sheet this year. It is the responsibility of the game administrator/coaches to make sure the information on the game sheet is correct.
- Officials shall use alternative whistles such as electronic whistles; air horns are permissible.