League Rules | Germania Football Club, Poughkeepsie

League Style

Social amateur soccer

Match Length

2 x 25 minute halves

Team Fee

$900 per team

Format

6 v 6 at The Net

House Rule

Kick-Ins and Restarts

Kick-ins restart play when the ball goes out. All restarts are indirect, except penalty kicks and corner kicks.

Safety Focus

Sliding is only allowed to save a ball or block a shot, never into the vicinity of an opponent to win possession.

Gear

Please wear shin guards every game. Cleats are allowed at The Net.

League Spirit

This league is meant to build a strong local soccer community around Germania.
Play competitively, but keep the tone respectful toward opponents, teammates, and the referee.
Captains should help set the tone by keeping communication clear and making sure their teams represent the club well.

Game Structure

Games are played on Wednesday nights at The Net at Gold's Gym, 258 Titusville Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603, at 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM (6:30 PM and 7:30 PM on October 21 and 28).
Weeks 1-4 are the regular season. Week 5 (October 14), the playoff quarterfinals, is played at Germania at 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM.
Matches are two 25-minute halves.
Games are 6 v 6 on the field.
Please wear shin guards. Cleats are allowed at The Net.
There is one referee per match, so players are expected to use common sense and good sportsmanship.

Safety

No slide tackling toward an opposing player to try to win the ball.
A player may slide only to keep a ball in bounds or to block a shot, and only when not sliding into the vicinity of another player.
If a challenge is dangerous, reckless, or creates avoidable contact, expect the referee to treat it as a foul.
Players should stay in control and avoid arguments over close calls.

Refereeing

There is no offside rule in this league.
With one referee on the game, offside decisions would be difficult to call consistently, so play continues without it.
There are no throw-ins. When the ball goes out over the sideline, play restarts with a kick-in from where it went out.
All restarts are indirect, except penalty kicks and corner kicks.
If the ball hits the ceiling at The Net, it stays in play. If a goal comes directly off the bounce, it does not count: play restarts at the half line for the team that had the advantage.
Penalty kicks are taken from the indicated penalty spot.
Goalkeepers can kick or punt the ball over half field, and goal kicks can go over half field too.
Teams should be ready to play on time so the league stays on schedule for both game slots.

Discipline

Standard yellow cards are in play.
Two yellow cards in the same match result in a red card.
A team receiving a red card must play down for the remainder of the match.
Abusive language, persistent dissent, or dangerous play can lead to discipline beyond regular fouls.

Scheduling

If a team does not show for its scheduled game, the match is a forfeit by default.
The league will accommodate makeup games when both team captains agree.
Makeups will be scheduled on Wednesday nights when possible, around the regular slate and the field time the league has booked.
The league will always check with the teams before locking in a makeup time.
Captains should communicate availability early so rescheduling stays manageable.

Season Awards

Playoffs

All eight teams make the playoffs, seeded from the table after week 4.
It is single elimination over the last three weeks: quarterfinals 1 v 8, 4 v 5, 2 v 7 and 3 v 6, then semifinals, then the Championship Final.
Teams that are knocked out keep playing every week in placement games.
Common playoff tiebreakers, in order, are overall goal difference, total goals scored, then head-to-head record.
If a playoff match is tied at the end of regulation, the winner will be decided by penalty kicks.
Only players who are on the field at the end of the match may take kicks or serve as goalkeeper in the shootout.
Penalty kicks are best of 5.