2008 COUNTY CUP CLASSIC AT LUTHERVILLE
TOURNAMENT RULES AND INFORMATION

1) The decisions of all referees are final. The County Cup Classic Tournament Director has the final say on all other matters.

2) Players are not allowed to play for more than one team in an age bracket.

3) Teams are limited to using (1) roster players, (2) players called up from the "B" team of the same recreation council or CYO or, (3) younger players from the same recreation council or CYO. No Guest Players allowed. Since we cannot verify every player on every roster, we rely on the integrity of the players, coaches and parents.

4) Rosters must be turned in at the Ridgely Middle School tournament headquarters before the first game. NO EXCEPTIONS!

5) Forfeit time is game time. Forfeiting team is responsible for referee fees for both teams. Any team that forfeits a game intentionally or causes a game to be forfeited intentionally will not be eligible for a berth in the semi-finals or finals.

6) Shin guards are mandatory for all age groups.

7) Coaching is restricted to the center of the field, with teams being on the opposite side of the field.

8) Coaches are responsible for the conduct of their teams and fans.

9) The Under 8, Under 10 and Under 12 divisions will play 8 vs. 8. No off-sides rule will apply for the Under 8 divisions, except that referees will not allow "cherry picking". The Under 10 and 12 divisions will play the off-side rule. The Under 8, 10 and 12 age groups are playing on fields that are proportionally smaller than a regulation field. Therefore, penalty kicks and shootouts will be from the marked penalty kick area, rather than from the regulation distance.

10) The home team will be decided by the flip of a coin, conducted by the referee.

11) Home teams will have the right to select their side of the field, but will be required to change colors if opposing team jerseys are the same color.

12) Games will consist of 25 minute halves for all age divisions.

13) Two yellow cards will equal one red card. Any player or coach receiving a red card or two yellow cards must sit out the next game.

14) Divisional champions will be decided based on in-division games as follows:

3 Points for a Win
1 Point for a Tie
0 Points for a Loss

15) In case of a tie, the divisional champion will be decided as follows:

a) Head-to-Head Competition
b) Goal Differential within division; Limit 3 per Game
c) Goals Against within division; Limit of 3 per Game
d) Goals For within division; Limit of 3 per Game
e) Points including out-of-division games
f) Goal Differential out of division; Limit 3 per Game
g) Goals Against out of division; Limit of 3 per Game
h) Goals For out of division; Limit of 3 per Game
i) Penalty Kicks. Teams should be prepared to field 6 players on Sunday morning for tie breaking penalty kicks (5 shooters and a keeper).

16) In the event of a three-way tie, the tie breaker criteria will be used to eliminate one team; then the same criteria will be used to eliminate a second team, beginning with head-to-head competition.

17) Divisions with wild card semi-final berths will be filled with the team with the highest total points from all divisions. In the event of a tie, Rule 15 will be used, except that all games will count without regard to within or out-of-division games.

18) If a semi-final or championship game should end in a tie, the winner will be decided as follows:

a) Two Five Minute Periods (sudden death)
b) Penalty Kicks

19) In the event of a protest of the outcome of the game, such protest must be registered with the Tournament Director (Richard Deuber) and accompanied by a fee of $25. The fee will be refunded only if the protest is upheld.

20) The Tournament Committee shall have the right to designate a substitute referee as may be appropriate.

21) SIDELINE RAGE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. Discipline will be administered at the discretion of the referee.

22) The "County Cup" will be awarded to the champion in each division. The winning team keeps the Cup for the year as the reigning champion. The Cup, being a perpetual trophy, remains the property of LTRC Soccer and is to be returned for the tournament the following year.

23) Individual trophies will be awarded to the first and second place teams in each division. BU8, BU10, BU12, GU8, GU10 and GU12 will receive 14 trophies per team. All other divisions will receive 18 trophies.

24) Age cutoff for all players is August 1, 2008. Any team using an ineligible player will forfeit any games in which the player played. Coaches are expected to have ID cards or copies of birth certificates for all players along with a copy of their roster.

25) Game balls will be supplied by LTRC Soccer.

26) Referee fees are as follows for each team (subject to change):

27) Any game in process that is cancelled due to inclement weather will be counted as a completed game with the score at the time of cancellation becoming final.