Soccer rules
Uniforms
For safety reasons, all items of jewelry (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, leather bands, rubber bands, watches, hair barettes, etc.) are forbidden and must be removed before a player can enter the field. No exceptions are made for recently pierced ears or similar circumstances. Using tape to cover jewelry is not permitted. Soft ties or hair bands are permitted to restrain long hair, but cannot be worn on the wrist while playing.
The Laws of the Game require each player to wear:
a shirt with sleeves (for U10 and above, each jersey should have a number that is unique on that team; tape can be used if necessary to modify a number to achieve uniqueness)
shorts
socks
shin guards (must be completely covered by socks)
appropriate footwear (metal cleats are NOT permitted)
Players may wear hats with soft brims (no baseball caps). Cold-weather gear may be worn under the uniform shirt, and appropriate sweatpants or leggings my be worn in place of shorts on cold days. Hoods should not be worn, and should not be visible over the uniform shirt.
Laws of the Game
The Mount-Baker Lakewood Soccer club, as a member of the Seattle Youth Soccer Association, uses the same rules as soccer teams and leagues around the world. Those rules are set and maintained by the International Football Association Board, which updates them annually. New rules normally go into effect July 1 of each year.
Modified rules for U7-U12
To promote enjoyment of the game and facilitate learning the basics of the sport, SYSA and its member clubs use modified rules for its younger players as recommended by US Soccer. The changes to the rules affect ball size, field and goal size, the number of players, the offside rule, and the build-out line, and prohibit heading for players U12 and below.
Additional guidance
Field sizes specified in the documents above are FIFA and USSF recommended dimensions. Adjustments to fit physical constraints or permanent field markings are sometimes necessary and are permitted under the rules of competition.
For ages U7 to U9, no referee is provided. For ages U10 and up, SYSA makes every attempt to assign one or more referees to every game. In cases where there is no referee, each side should provide a center for each half. If one team has a parent, sibling, or coach with a current referee certification who volunteers to referee the entire game, that is permitted with the agreement of the coaches.
The build-out line for ages U7-U11 is a line established half-way between the midfield stripe and the penalty area on each half of the field. For goal kicks, and whenever the goalkeeper has the ball in hand, members of the opposing team must retreat behind the build-out line before the goalkeeper is required to play the ball, and must remain there until the ball is played. At these ages, the goalkeeper is not allowed to punt or drop-kick the ball when they have it in their hands, but may release the ball at their own feet to dribble or pass it, or may throw it or roll it to a teammate. The goalkeeper does not have to wait for the opposition to retreat beyond the build-out line to take the goal kick or otherwise play the ball, and opposing players need not retreat further and may move up the field as soon as the goalkeeper has played the ball.
The build-out line is also used as the limit of the scope for offside offenses for U9-U11. For older ages, a player cannot be guilty of an offside offense while in their half of the field; for U9-U11, a player additionally cannot be guilty of an offside offense while on their side of the build-out line in the opponent’s half of the field.
Recreational soccer is meant to be enjoyable. SYSA makes every effort to have balanced leagues with teams that have comparable skill levels. If a game becomes unbalanced and the score lopsided, coaches are encouraged to use the 3-goal policy. This policy allows a team that is trailing by 3 goals to add a player to the field beyond the normal squad size, and a team behind by 6 goals to add a second player. If the goal difference reaches 9 goals, coaches should discuss mixing up the squads and scrimmaging for any remaining game time.