Brooklyn AYSO Rules - Winter 2024-25

Rules for All Divisions:

Equipment and Safety:

Shin guards are required and should be worn against skin, inside socks.
All items of jewelry (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, leather bands, rubber bands, etc.) are forbidden and must be removed. Using tape to cover jewelry is not permitted.
Players may only use sneakers or turf shoes. Cleats of any kind, including plastic soccer cleats, are not allowed.
No player will play with blood on them or their uniform. Cuts must be adequately covered.
No food is permitted in the field areas. Personal water bottles are allowed.
Only players and coaches participating in the current game are allowed in the bench areas. Families should assemble in the Mezzanine area and watch games from there. This is to conform with fire codes, and to respect Chelsea Piers rules and regulations.
No ball play of any kind is allowed except in the field areas.
The doors between the bench area and the field must be kept closed during active play.
The Chelsea Piers facility closes at 6:30 pm. Teams that play the last game of the day must leave the facility as quickly as possible.
Brooklyn AYSO players, families, and volunteers should respect the fact that the facility hosts other activities, and we should be mindful and respectful of others in the facility.

Game Structure:

All games must end at the end of the time slot, regardless of when they began.
Games should start as soon as possible, no later than 10 minutes after the time slot begins. Unlike the outdoor seasons, there is no time for practice and coaching before the game begins. The halftime break should last only 2-3 minutes.
The goals on both fields are surrounded by two “boxes.” The smaller “box” is the goal area, and the larger “box” which includes the goal area is the penalty area.

Field Rules:

Goal kicks must be kicked along the ground and not in the air. Failure to do so will result in a re-kick.
Goalkeeper distributions after a save must be played in with the hands, and not kicked or punted. Goalkeepers must release the ball within 8 seconds of making a save.
All free kicks are indirect.
Only goalkeepers and members of the defending team are allowed inside the attacking goal area. No one except a member of the defending team may play the ball inside the goal area.
There is no offside in any division.
No slide tackling is allowed, including in all divisions.
If the ball hits the referee, it remains live and in play, and play will not be stopped.
The ball may be played off the plexiglass walls on all parts of the field.
The ball is considered “out of play” when it hits the netting above the plexiglass walls, the ceiling, or anything hanging from the ceiling. If the ball hits above the touchlines, play will be restarted with a kick-in, and if the ball hits above the goal lines, play will be restarted with a goal kick or corner kick, depending on which team last played the ball.
A goal cannot be scored from a kick-in. Defending players must be at least three yards away when a kick-in, goal kick, or corner kick is taken.
Players are to play at least one-half of the game with rotation of the goalkeeper. A player may not be a goalkeeper for more than one-half of the game, except in 14U and 19U.
In 6U and 8U, a goal may not be scored directly from a kickoff, or from any point on the defending side of the halfway line. In 10U and above, a goal may be scored from a kickoff or from any other point on the field.
Only players and officials are to be on the field during the game, unless specifically requested to do so by the referee, or prior to game start, or during halftime.
When the game is completed, both teams, including coaches, will meet at the half-line mark and shake hands.
No criticism of referees is acceptable. Criticism of the referees by either coaches, players, families, or spectators will cause penalties to be called against offenders as provided for in FIFA and AYSO rules.
The Laws of the Game with AYSO modifications prevail, except as otherwise noted above and in the Division-Specific rules.

DIVISION SPECIFIC RULES

6U Division:

A Size 3 ball is used.
Teams play 4 vs. 4. There are no goalkeepers.
All players should compete up the field. The goal will remain unprotected by a keeper. No defenders can stand in front of the goal unless the ball is in the goal area.
Substitutions are made only at quarter breaks and half-time breaks, except for injury.
No intentionally heading the ball. A deliberate header will result in a free kick.

8U Division:

A Size 3 ball is used.
Teams play 4 vs. 4. There are no goalkeepers.
All players should compete up the field. The goal will remain unprotected by a keeper. No defenders can stand in front of the goal unless the ball is in the goal area.
Substitutions are made only at quarter breaks and half-time breaks, except for injury.
No intentionally heading the ball. Deliberate heading will result in a free kick.

10U Division:

A Size 4 ball is used.
Teams play 6 vs. 6, including goalkeepers.
Substitutions are made only at quarter breaks and half-time breaks, except for injury.
No intentionally heading the ball. Deliberate heading will result in a free kick.
For an infraction against an attacker in the attacking penalty area, a penalty kick will be taken from the top of the penalty area. The goalkeeper must have at least one foot on the goal line until the kick is taken.
There is no build-out line.

12U Division:

A Size 4 ball is used.
Teams play 5 vs. 5, including goalkeepers.
Substitutions are made only at quarter breaks and half-time breaks, except for injury.
No intentionally heading the ball. Deliberately heading will result in a free kick.
For an infraction against an attacker in the attacking penalty area, a penalty kick will be taken from the top of the penalty area. The goalkeeper must have at least one foot on the goal line until the kick is taken.

14U AND 19U (High School) Divisions:

A Size 5 ball is used.
Teams play 5 vs. 5, including goalkeepers. Substitutions are made only at quarter breaks and half-time breaks, except for injury.
However, if a certified, uniformed referee is present, with the referee’s agreement, Monitored Return Substitutions may be used:

Before a natural break in play (throw-in, corner kick, goal kick, kickoff, free kick) the coach will designate the substitutes and substituted players.
The coach will indicate to the referee that they wish to make substitutions and will have the substitutes ready to enter.
At a natural break in play, the referee will pause play, substituted players will leave the field through the doors, and the substitutes will then enter the field.
The substituted players must leave the field before the substitutes enter.
The referee will restart play once the substitutes have entered.
No substitute may enter the field without the referee's express permission.
For an infraction against an attacker in the attacking penalty area, a penalty kick will be taken from the top of the penalty area. The goalkeeper must have at least one foot on or above the goal line until the kick is taken.