U10 Rules & Regulations

Size of Ball

Size 4

Player Equipment

Athletic shoes (with or without cleats) are allowed in all Utah North Youth Soccer games.

A player is allowed to wear tennis shoes to play.

They are NOT allowed to wear baseball or football cleats.

Players MUST wear shin guards and are completely covered by their socks to participate in any practice or match. The shin guards must be under the sock. If the shin guard is on the outside, this is NOT acceptable and the coach will ask you to switch the shin guard to be completely under the sock.

Absolutely NO jewelry is permitted during play. NO EXCEPTIONS!
This applies to the referees as well.
Tape over earrings is not permitted, even if the earrings are new and may not be removed.
If the jewelry may not be removed the player may not play.

The only jewelry allowed on the pitch is the watch worn by the referee to keep time.

Players will be inspected before the start of the match.

Duration of Matches

25 minutes halves
5 minute Halftime

Rules of Play

7v7 or 8v8 or 9v9 (including goalkeeper)
Goalkeeper CANNOT punt or drop kick the ball.
Coaches are NOT allowed on the field. Referees will be used from our trained youth referee pool.
- FIFA Laws of the Game - Law 5: Decisions of the Referee: Decisions will be made to the best of the referee's ability according to the Laws of the Game and the 'spirit of the game' and will be based on the opinion of the referee who has the discretion to take appropriate action within the framework of the Laws of the Game. The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final.
Offside will be called, however offside does not start until the build out line.
NO heading the ball
NO sliding in any form (to tackle or to kick). Players must remain on their feet.
Substitutions can be made when at any time the ball is kicked out of play.
When the ball goes wholly across any boundary, the game is restarted with the appropriate restart method. The ball is awarded to the team opposite of that of the player who last touched the ball.
- Over the sideline: A THROW-IN is performed on the line where the ball went out.
- Over the ENDLINE by the ATTACKING team: The ball is placed anywhere in the goal area and a GOAL KICK is taken.
- Over the ENDLINE by the DEFENDING team: The ball is placed in the corner where the endline meets the sideline and a CORNER KICK is taken.
If the throw-in is not performed correctly, the other team will be awarded the throw-in. NO REDOS.
The game is started with the ball placed within the center circle. Players of the opposing team must be eight (8) yards away when the kick is taken.
A goal can be scored directly from the kickoff.
Goals can be scored from anywhere, but the ball must pass below the cross-bar and between the goal posts for a goal.
Build Out Line Rule: When the Goalkeeper has the ball, whether during play from the opponent or from a goal kick, the opposing team must move behind the build out line, until the ball is played (must be kicked and clearly move). Once the ball is in play, then play resumes as normal. The players on the team with the ball, do not have to cross the build out line.
See Build Out Line rules for more details.

INFRACTIONS/RESTART

DIRECT FREE KICKS

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offenses against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:

Charges
Jumps at
Kicks or attempts to kick
Pushes
Strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)
tackles or challenges
trips or attempts to trip
Handball offense
Holds an opponent
Impedes an opponent with contact
Bites or spits at someone

All direct free kicks are taken from the place where the offense occurred and opponents must be 8 yds away, except:

If the offense was against the defending team and occurred in the penalty area, a penalty kick is awarded
If the offense was against the attacking team and occurred in the goal area, the kick may be taken from anywhere in the goal area

INDIRECT FREE KICKS

An indirect free kick, which means the ball must touch another player, is awarded if a player:

Plays in a dangerous manner
Impedes the progress of an opponent without any contact being made when the ball is not within playing distance
Is guilty of dissent, using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures or other verbal offenses
Prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from the hands or kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing it
Heading the ball
Punting or drop kicking the ball
The player taking the kick-off touches the ball again before another player has touched it
Offside call
All verbal offenses
Commits any other offense for which play is stopped

An indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area, commits any of the following offenses:

Controls the ball with the hand/arm for more than six seconds before releasing it
Touches the ball with the hand/arm after releasing it and before it has touched another player
Touches the ball with the hand/arm, when the ball has been deliberately kicked to him/her (the goalkeeper) by a team-mate
Receives the ball directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate

All indirect free kicks are taken from the place where the offense occurred and opponents must be 8 yds away, except:

If the offense was against the defending team and occurred in the goal area, the ball is placed on the long goal area line close to the occurrence
If the offense was against the attacking team and occurred in the goal area, the kick may be taken from anywhere in the goal area

The referee indicates an indirect free kick by raising the arm above the head; this signal is maintained until the kick has been taken and the ball touches another player or goes out of play or it is clear that a goal cannot be scored directly.
An indirect free kick must be retaken if the referee fails to signal that the kick is indirect and the ball is kicked directly into the goal.

BALL ENTERS THE GOAL

if an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the opponents' goal, a goal kick is awarded
if a direct or indirect free kick is kicked directly into the team's own goal, a corner kick is awarded

Balanced Teams

Every effort is made to balance teams strengths within each age division.

If a team is short on players, it is expected for the other team to share players to make equal teams on the field. A different player can be shared with the opposing team each half.

If a team is obviously stronger than the team they are playing, meaning only one team is making all the goals. Coaches will try to even out the teams by trading players after 4 goals have been scored by one team. This is why we have home and away jerseys.