Information: FAQ

Year End Tournament Rules and Procedures

IMPORTANT REGARDING SIGN-UPS

You MUST read this article before committing to do YET games. When you sign up for games, you should not officiate the same team twice in any elimination round. This means that once you sign up to do a match with a division of "Octo", "Qtr", "Semi", you should not sign up for the same gender and age group for the remainder of the YET. If you do, the assignor will likely move you off that game. Also, you must take care to allow time AFTER the game before signing up for your next game. These games may include overtime and kicks from the mark, which can easily add 30 minutes to a game. Also note the conflict of interest rules below - follow them strictly. You are not able to sign up to referee one of the finals. Tim will choose the referees, and assistant referees, that will be permitted to work those matches.

Conflict of Interest Warning

We understand that many of you are related to players that may be participating in the YET. You do not want to find yourself in a position where you can be accused of having some influence on a game, or upcoming game, that a relative of yours will play in. Since you don't know the names of teams that are playing after the first set of games, it is important that you avoid any chance that you could be a referee of your relative's games...or be a referee in a game that decides the next team your relative will play.

THEREFORE you are reminded that you should not sign up for any games that are of the same age and gender as your relative.

YET Rules

The official "Year End Tournament" (YET) rules are on the LWYSA web site. Click HERE to read them. It cannot be stressed enough that you MUST know these rules well. Preliminary rounds are played just like a regular season match. Games MAY end in a tie. Games with a division of "Octo", "Qtr", "Semi", or "Final" require a winner. The match list has a little symbol ( ) to remind you - "requires result". Please take the time to study the rules. Every game is important to a team's chances to move on. The players and spectators have a right to expect you to know the rules of competition. Make certain that you print these and bring them with you. Send a note to "refereementors@lwysa.org" if ANYTHING is unclear to you. Study the rules more than once before the tournament.

Shoot Out Guide

Once we get past the "Preliminary" rounds, every game must have a winner. These matches are designated with a "division" of "Octo", "Qtr", "Semi", or "Final". In the event that a game is tied after overtime, the winner of the match is determined by the "taking of kicks from the penalty mark", also known as a "shoot out". The procedures a referee must follow for this are very precise. This_document explains the procedures. In most cases, there will be a tournament official about to assist with the shoot out. However, they have other duties and it is possible you may have to do this alone. STUDY the document. As above, ask question BEFORE the event if you need to.

Duration of the Match

All games are played according to their normal season length. U10 plays 25 minutes. U11 and U12 teams play 30 minute halves. U13 teams play 35 minute halves. For matches after the Preliminary matches, if overtime is required, the teams play two 5 minute Overtime periods. THERE IS NO SUDDEN DEATH!!!! (i.e. No "Golden Goal")

Substitutions

READ THIS CAREFULLY! STUDY IT! During "regulation" play, Substitutions take place just as during the regular season. Either team may substitute on any dead ball, subject to your permission. However, if it is necessary for you to play Overtime periods, the rules for substitution change as follows:

• Coaches may substitute after regulation play - before the Overtime period begins.
• No substitutions are permitted during play during an Overtime period
• Coaches MAY substitute BETWEEN Overtime periods (this is a CHANGE from previous years)
• No substitutions are permitted once the second Overtime period begins. To be very clear, if the game ends in a tie after the second Overtime period - NO SUBSTITUION OF PLAYERS IS PERMITTED BEFORE CONDUCTING THE SHOOTOUT. The players that were on the field at the end of the second Overtime period are the ones that will participate in the Shootout.

The exception to this rule is that a player MAY be substituted if they are injured. If they are replaced because they are injured, they may not re-enter the match.

An important little twist does exist on this rule. Imagine that you notice a player is bleeding. You know that a player may not remain on the field if they are bleeding. Therefore, you stop play and ask the player to leave the field. If the coach chooses, they MAY play short, take care of the bleeding player, and the player MAY reenter the game (when you give permission), because the player has never been substituted. The same thing holds true in the case of any injury. The player has not been substituted out of the game until the coach sends in a replacement player. If the Overtime period ends while the player is still being treated, the coach still has the option to either substitute the player (as an injured player), or allow the player to participate in the shoot out.

Protests

Unlike previous years, Protests are not permitted during the YET. If somebody says they want to protest, have them contact a tournament official. Just to be prudent - make a note of when they indicated they would protest and the score of the game at the time. Be polite. Do not argue. Just acknowledge their issue, have them go visit a tournament official, and get the game going again. It is perfectly acceptable to say "Coach, what I saw was ______, therefore I did ______. I understand you may have seen things differently, but I have to make my decisions based on what I saw." Leave it at that and get the game going.