Rule 1. Team & Player Registration.

1.0 All players must be registered with the Vermont Amateur Soccer League (VASL) and the United States Amateur Soccer Association (USASA) through the Vermont State Soccer Association (VSSA) in accordance with the membership procedures and requirements contained in the VASL Bylaws.

(a) Youth players wishing to play in the VASL may do so only if they provide the League with written consent from the VSA Registrar and their legal guardian or parent.

(b) No more than twenty five (25) players may be registered with a team.

1.1. Player Passes. Players must have VASL name and picture identifications with them at all games for the referees to cross-reference with the team’s official roster. No person may play unless s/he has a picture identification and is on the team’s official roster. Each team must provide the referee with a copy of its official roster and all player passes prior to the start of each game. All cards are held by the referee during the game and returned to each team at the end of the game. The card of any player ejected from the game will be forwarded to the League Vice President of Discipline and Conduct.

1.2. A player may not play on two affiliated league teams simultaneously.

(a) A player may, however, play on a Select State or League All-Star Team.

(b) A player wishing to change teams must complete and sign a letter of transfer and transfer form indicating the transfer from the old team to the new team. The letter of transfer and transfer form must completed in full and signed by all parties and be sent to the League Vice President of Registration for approval or denial. The approval or denial of any transfer request is subject to appeal in accordance with Rule 5. Once the transfer is approved, the player may play with his/her new team.

1.3. Team Representatives. On forms provided by the league, each team shall submit two representatives’ names, addresses and telephone numbers to the League Secretary for the purpose of receiving League correspondence and attending Members meetings. Each team shall have one vote.

1.4. Fields. On forms provided by the league, each team at the time of annual registration shall designate its home field. Each team must have a field available for half of each season’s scheduled dates of play in order to register, either Monday or Thursday eveings for the Men’s Summer season, Tuesday and Friday evenings for the Women’s Summer season and Sundays for the Spring and Fall seasons. Fields must be located within Vermont. All new field locations must be approved by the League officers.

1.5. Registration Period. The player registration year shall follow the USASA registration period for each year. A special registration process for a VASL Fall season, Inoddor Season and/or short sided events may be estatblished by the VASL Board of Directors in conjunction with the the League Registrar and VSSA.

1.6. Fees and Bond. Each team must pay annual team registration as well as individual player registration fees to maintain affiliation with the VASL, VSSA, USASA and USSF. All new or reinstated teams must post a $100.00 bond fee with regular registration fees. This bond may be applied towards any unforeseen League charges that may accrue (such as fines for missed meetings) and must be replenished by the team if so used by the League.

Rule 2. Rules of Play.

2.0. FIFA. Unless otherwise provided in these Rules, the FIFA "Laws of the Game" 2001 shall apply to all VASL games.

2.1. Substitutions. Substitution shall be unlimited in number, subject to the consent of the referee only at the following times:

1. Prior to the taking of a goal kick.
2. After the referee stops play for an injury.
3. After a goal is scored.
4. At half-time.
5. After any other stoppage time with referees permission.

2.2. Game Clock. The official game clock is held by the Referee. Regulation season games shall consist of two 45-minute halves. If a game¹s start time is delayed, the Referee has discretion to shorten or extend the game by a corresponding amount of time. There will be no overtime period except in championship, playoff or tournament games.

2.3. Field Conditions. The home team will be responsible for providing a lined field in reasonable playing condition with regulation size limits, with corner posts and nets and designated bench areas located away the midfield line and substitution area.

2.4. Game Schedule. Regular season games must be played on the scheduled day and on the scheduled field, unless rescheduled by agreement of both teams and notification of the Referee Assignor, Referee and League Vice President of Scheduling twenty-four (24) hours prior to the game. If teams agree to reschedule they must each provide notification to the Referee Assignor and League Vice President of Scheduling at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the scheduled game. If a team does not show to a scheduled game or has not notified the other team, Referee Assignor, Referee and League Vice President of Scheduling of cancellation due to sudden changes during the day of the game (rain, etc.) two (2) hours prior to the start of the game, this team will forfeit the game and such team will be assessed by VASL to pay the full referee fee.

(a) No team will be allowed to cancel or forfeit more than two (2) of its games in any season, excluding those games canceled due to unplayable conditions. If this occurs, the team may be dropped from the League for one (1) year or charged a $50.00 fine, at the discretion of the VASL Board of Directors

(b) Summer games must start at 6:15 p.m., unless otherwise agreed by the teams and approved by the League Vice President of Scheduling with proper notification to the Referee Assignor. During the Fall season, games may not be scheduled to start after 4:00 p.m. Games will start if each team has at least seven (7) players. The Referee may leave the field fifteen (15) minutes after the designated start time if the game cannot be started (that is, if each team still has less than seven (7) players).

2.5. Reporting. Home teams are responsible for submitting game scores to the League Vice President of Records and Awards as soon as possible after the completion of a game and to the media.

2.6. Divisions. Divisions within VASL will be created and established at the discretion and direction of Board of Directors.

2.7. Relegation/Promotion. Team relegation and promotion will be determined and established at the discretion and direction of the Board of Directors.

2.8. Post Season Play. League Playoffs, Tournaments and Championship games and play and format shall be created and established at the discretion and direction of the Board of Directors. VASL Playoff games tied at the end of regulation time will be settled with overtime. Overtime shall consist of 2 - 15 minute “sudden-victory” periods. If the game remains tied after the 2 OT periods, the Penalty Kicks (PK’s) will be used to determine which team advances or wins. Each team will designate 5 PK takers. A coin toss will be used to decide which team will shoot first. The referee will decide which goal is to be used. Players eligible to take a PK must have been on the field at the end of the second OT period. Each eligible player must take a PK before a player may repeat. PK’s will be taken in rounds of 5 with the Team scoring the most PK’s advancing or winning. A Playoff game decided by PK’s will be recorded as a Tie with a Team advancing on PK’s, except in the case of the final league Championship, the Team scoring the most PK’s wins the game.

2.9. Non-League Games. Any team seeking competition with a non-VASL affiliated team must schedule those games as to not interfere with any regularly scheduled VASL game. This rule does not apply to the extent that USSF rules give the game against the non-VASL team priority over League play (such as is the situation with National Cup competition games).

2.10. Illegal Players. Protests involving illegal players must be submitted in writing to the President. The Conduct Board will hear and resolve the protest. See Rule 4 for Conduct Board procedures.

2.11. Red and Yellow Cards. Upon a Play’s receipt of a red card or a second yellow card, the Referee, via the official game report, will notify the League President and Referee Assignor. The player who receives the red card or second yellow card is ejected from that game and is suspended and unable to play the next game following the game in which s/he received the red card or double yellow card. The Referee Assignor will notify the team to be played next by the team with the suspended player. A player who receives a red card as the result of a fighting infraction will be suspended for the next two (2) games following the game in which s/he received the red card, and the opposing teams shall be so notified. Players may be banned from the League at the discretion of the Conduct Board. See Rule 5 Conduct and Conduct Board.

2.12. Uniforms. Teams must wear uniform shirts with numbers, shorts and socks. The home team is responsible for wearing alternative color shirts if the visiting team’s color matches the home team’s color. No player will be allowed in a game unless his uniform conforms with his Team uniform. Players wearing knee braces shall cover them so that no metal surfaces are exposed. All uniforms are property of VASL and shall not be used by any non-VASL team or non-registered VASL player. Violation of this rule will result in a $50.00 fine per incident to the Team whose uniforms are misused.

2.13. Referees. The League shall use USSF certified referees only. The League is responsible for the cost of paying the referees and the Referee Assignor.

2.14. Rosters. Rosters are due at the start of the game. Once the game starts and a late arrival shows up s/he may enter the game by providing his/her player pass to the assistant referee at midfield. Once rosters are updated with the Referee at half time they become final and no late arrival after half time will be allowed to enter a game.

2.15. Point System. VASL shall employ the "3-1" system. The "3-1" system awards three points for a regulation or overtime victory. In the case of a tie, each team will be awarded one point.

2.16. Standings Tiebreakers. End-of-season standings tiebreakers will be applied in the following order:

1. Total wins in regular season games.
2. Head-to-head record based on total points in regular season games.
3. Head-to-head won/loss record in regular season games.
4. Total points within division (or conference).
5. If number of games is unequal, then point percentage (the number of points earned out of the number possible (3) per game).
6. Ranking based on points earned against top four divisional (or conference) finishers.
7. Goals scored in regular season games.
8. Goal-difference in regular season games.
9. Point percentage outside division (or conference) in league games.
10. Lottery conducted by VASL at league office.

Rule 3. Team Responsibilities.

3.0. Mentoring. As part of the League’s “adopt a team” program, each team shall at the time of registration with the League designate a Youth Team(s) that the Mentor (VASL) team shall “adopt” and mentor throughout the VASL season in accordance with the following requirements. On the VASL “adopt a team” form, the Mentor Team shall designate the Youth team to be “adopted”, provide the Youth team’s contact name, address and telephone number and the Mentor Team’s Liaison with the Youth team. To qualify, a youth Team can be any organized town team, school team, CVYSL team, GMSL team, Nordic Spirit team, Capital Soccer team, and/or Far Post team. The Youth Team need not be registered with VSA. The Mentor Team shall throughout the VASL summer season undertake to do the following:

1. conduct two (2) youth team practice with at least four (4) Mentor Team members participating;
2. attend at least two youth games with at least seven (7) Mentor Team members present;
3. provide post game briefing to the Youth Team at two (2) of the games referenced in paragraph b above;
4. invite the Youth Team to attend two (2) Mentor Team games; and,
5. attend two (2) League-wide Youth Clinics, sending at least two (2) team members to both clinics.

3.1. Meetings. Teams must attend all League meetings (four (4) a year). Failure to do so results in a $100.00 fine for each meeting missed. Any team missing two (2) meetings in a row also will forfeit their entire bond and incur a one-year no-play penalty at the discretion of the League officers. They also will have their membership in the VASL terminated and will not be eligible for reinstatement until a representative attends two (2) consecutive League meetings.

3.2. Status. Teams that wish to continue to receive mailings from the League but do not wish to participate in League play may do so by maintaining or replenishing their bond and by submitting a request for inactive status, subject to approval by the board of directors. Inactive status will be noted on the League contact list. Teams with inactive status are not subject to the $100.00 fine for meeting absences; however, they shall forfeit their vote on all subsequent League matters during the period that they are inactive. Whether such teams are permitted to resume play in the League is up to the discretion of the board of directors; if they are permitted to resume play, they are required to attend the next scheduled VASL meeting with full voting privileges, but again subject to the fine for non-attendance.

3.3. League Assistance. After one full year of having been incorporated into the VASL, all teams shall be placed in an administrative help pool to handle seasonal duties (for example, conducting league administration and business, etc.).

3.4. Fines. Failure to adhere to any of these team responsibilities, as determined by the League officers, may result in a team/player suspension, ban or fine of $100.00 per rule infraction at the discretion of the League Officers.

Rule 4. Conduct and Conduct Board.

4.0. Conduct Board. The Conduct Board shall consist of no less than three (3) Board of Directors and a registered player representative from each Division appointed by the President. Any decision by the Conduct Board shall require majority vote of all board members being present and such decision is final unless appealed in accordance with Rule 5.

4.1. Filings. Game protests, matters of conduct or referees issuance of a red card may be submitted by any person affiliated or not affiliated with VASL and must be submitted in writing and postmarked within seventy-two (72) hours of the game date. Six (6) copies of all protests must be mailed or hand delivered to the League President. Protests may include, but is not limited to, offensive conduct by any team, player or spectator that a person believes requires disciplinary action of VASL. Players or Teams who display an ongoing pattern of offensive conduct or an accumulation of red or yellow cards may be fined, banned or suspended from the League at the discretion of the Conduct Board.

4.2. Hearings. Within two (2) weeks of receiving a written filing, the League President shall convene the Conduct Board along with any other interested persons the President deems necessary for the purposes of conducting a fair hearing on the matter. The Conduct Board shall issue its decision in writing within 72 hours of the conclusions of the hearing. Parties to the hearing may bring any interested or affected persons to give testimony or evidence upon giving the League President at least 24 hours notice of who is to attend.

4.3. Red Card. Red card game suspensions are not subject to reversal by the Conduct Board. Referee issued game suspensions stand. Only the record of such suspension may be subject to reversal by the Conduct Board.

Rule 5. Appeals and Appeal Board.

5.0. Appeals Board. The full Board of Directors shall comprise the Appeals Board. Any decision by the Appeals Board shall require the vote of seventy-five percent of the full board and shall be final and binding.

5.1. Filings. A protest of any Board action, officers’ decision or an appeal of any decision of the Conduct Board may be brought before the full board sitting as the Appeals Board. Such protests or appeals shall be submitted in writing and postmarked within seventy-two (72) hours of notification of that action. Six (6) copies of all protests must be mailed or hand delivered to the League President.

5.2. Hearings. Within two (2) weeks of receiving a written filing, the League President shall convene the Appeals Board along with any other interested persons the President deems necessary for the purposes of conducting a fair hearing on the matter. The Appeals Board shall issue its decision in writing within 72 hours of the conclusions of the hearing. Parties to the hearing may bring any interested or affected persons to give testimony or evidence upon giving the League President at least 24 hours notice of who is to attend.

5.3. Fines. All fines are payable to the League and are due upon issuance. If a fine is upheld, not protested or not reversed on appeal, payment must be made no later than the next annual registration date. Failure to do so will void the registration of the team or player.

Rule 6. Miscellaneous.

6.0. Cautionable and Sending Off Offenses. VASL adopts and incorporates herein by reference the USSF “Professional Division Point System”, 2005, or most current edition, Seven (7) Cautionable Offenses and Seven (7) Sending Off Offenses.

6.1. Misconduct Towards Game Officials. VASL adopts and incorporates herein by reference the USSF "policy 531-9 ‹ Misconduct Towards Game Officials (former rule 3041), 2001 or its most current edition.