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MJL
MISO Junior League
A Youth Division of the Major Island Soccer Organization (MISO)
Rules and Regulations
Revised August 2011
SECTION 1. GENERAL
A. All MISO Junior League (MJL) games shall be played under the current “Laws of the Game” published by FIFA, and US Club Soccer (USCS) rules, policies and procedures, subject to the following MJL Rules and Regulations. In the event FIFA, USCS, MISO and MJL Rules and Regulations do not addresses any MJL issue, MJL in its sole discretion shall make those determinations.
B. It is the responsibility of the participating club/team to become familiar with the FIFA, USCS, MISO and MJL rules.
SECTION 2. CLUBS/TEAMS ADMITTANCE INTO MJL
A. Clubs/Teams requesting admittance into MJL shall submit a completed Club and/or Team application form. Incomplete forms may be returned in which case a decision on the Club’s/Team’s acceptance shall be deferred until completed forms have been received. Applications and fees must be submitted to the MJL Registrar on or before the date as specified on the current year’s form.
B. A Club’s/Team’s status within MJL will be defined as follows:
1. A Returning Club will be any Club that had three (3) or more Teams participating in MJL during the previous MJL season. A New Club is any Club seeking membership with MJL that does not qualify as a Returning Club.
2. A Returning Independent Team will be defined as a Team that:
a. participated in MJL during the previous MJL season,
b. has a minimum of seven (7) returning players,
c. and is playing or applied to play out of the same Team name with which it played during the previous MJL season.
3. For the purposes of this subsection a Returning Player is defined as any player who has a valid Player Pass for the team in question, and played a minimum of five (5) MJL League and/or MJL League Cup games with that team during the seasonal year.
4. The Board of Directors may make an exception for Teams not meeting all the above requirements based on a recommendation made by the Competition Committee.
5. New Clubs/Teams will be considered on probation for their first year in MJL. MJL reserves the right to deny admittance to New Teams.
C. Priority of Admittance into MJL:
1. Returning Teams will be given priority in admittance to MJL.
2. Premier teams from other (non-MJL) Competitive Leagues may be given priority over New Teams. For these purposes, a Premier Team from another Competitive League is defined as a “Premier level” Team that participated with another Competitive League during the previous season, but in all other aspects.
D. All application fees and the Performance Bond shall be returned if the new applicant is not accepted (this does not apply to teams withdrawing). Teams shall be deemed accepted when the Competitions Committee has tentatively bracketed them and the MJL Board has approved the tentative bracketing, and they have met the requirements in subsection F, below.
E. Any team that withdraws after its application is submitted will forfeit their BOND. Any team that withdraws after the deadline will forfeit their BOND AND APPLICATION FEEand will not be readmitted to the League.
F. When applying, teams must enter their appropriate age Division. Teams not meeting the requirements of the age division they’re applying for will be fined $100 and may be denied participation.
G. To complete a team’s acceptance, a completed roster of names and addresses listing a minimum of two (2) team officials and a minimum of eleven (11) registered players must be submitted to MJL on or before the deadline. The rosters may be verified with the Club Registrar at the discretion of MJL. If the minimum number of administrators and players cannot be verified, the team will be placed on a waiting list. This roster will be utilized for MJL mailing purposes.
H. When any Team/Club in good standing determines that they will not apply for the next regular MJL Season, they must inform and may request the return of the team’s performance bond that was paid on their original application to MJL. This must be done in writing to the MJL Offices, and a registered Team Administrator must sign the requesting letter. ONLY in the case that no registered Team Administrator is capable of signing the letter, the team’s Club President may sign. The request must be made within six (6) months of the requesting team’s last scheduled MJL game, or the bond shall be forfeit.
I. The Board of Directors may deny a Club’s or Team’s admittance to MJL based on the Team’s or Club’s violation of League, State or National Association, or other organization rules, or due to excessive disciplinary problems caused by members of the Team or Club including but not limited to the administrators, players or spectators.
SECTION 3. TEAMS/CLUBS
A. Team application and season fees shall be as determined by the MJL.
B. A Club shall consist of three (3) teams in different age groups organized as a soccer club.
C. Clubs/Teams shall be considered in bad standing and shall not be allowed to participate in League and/or League Cup competition until all fees are paid.
D. Each member of the team must be registered with one (1) USCS club only.
E. Each team must submit to MJL, before the respective season deadline, the following:
1. Team name and colors.
2. All respective forms and monies.
a. Late payments will be assessed a $50 late fee.
b. All returned checks will be assessed a $20 service fee.
SECTION 4. AGE GROUPS
Age Divisions shall be comprised of players who are born, before the first day of August of that seasonal year.
MJL will combine age groups as shown below. Teams will then be ranked by strength and split into “Gold” & “Silver” Divisions, provided the number of entries allow it. Ranking of teams will be based on their previous MJL standings, as well as Regional Qualifiers, State Cups and other Leagues’ results/standings.
However in certain cases where growth demands it, the MJL reserves the right to revert to single age groups competition.
UNDER 19 years of age (U19, U18 & U17 combined)
UNDER 16 years of age (U16 & U15 combined)
UNDER 14 years of age (U14 & U13 combined)
UNDER 12 years of age (U12 & U11 combined)
SECTION 5. PLAYERS
A. An Active Player is a USCS registered player listed on a team's current MJL roster.
B. An Inactive Player is a player currently registered with USCS but not listed on any MJL roster.
C. Only Active Players on teams registered with MJL will be eligible to participate in MJL games.
D. Players in the U11–U13 ages, will not be allowed to up by more than 2 age groups.
E. Players will be limited to play in a maximum of 2 games per day.
SECTION 6. COACHES
A. An Active Coach is a USCS registered coach listed on a team's current MJL roster.
B. Only Active Coaches will be eligible to participate in MJL games.
C. Coaches may be registered to coach on more than one team.
SECTION 7. ROSTERS
A. The Roster submitted to the league shall include all Active Players and Active Coaches registered to participate in MJL for a particular season. It is the responsibility of the individual club/team to provide the MJL the latest exhaustive club/team roster.
B. No team shall have more than eighteen (18) players on itsofficial MJL game card. However, any player within the same club may be rostered on an official MJL game card, subject to all MJL Rules and Regulations.
C. Each Team must consist of a minimum of 50% of players pertaining to the age group of the Division they’re playing in.
D. Any player listed on the official MJL game card shall be considered as having played under the name and shirt number as listed. The accuracy of the player entries on the official MJL game card is the responsibility of the team administrators (coaches and managers).
E. Failure to cooperate with a reasonable request to substantiate the legitimacy of any player who has played in a particular game shall result in a Disciplinary Committee investigation and hearing and may be subjected to all possible penalties.
F. A maximum of 2 girls may participate in a boys’ division game, subject to all MJL Rules and Regulations.
G. The penalty for any rostering infraction may include forfeiture, fines, probation, or suspension at the discretion of Disciplinary Committee.
SECTION 8. REGISTRATIONS
A. Registration of players and teams shall be valid for one (1) seasonal year (Aug. 1 – July 31)
B. Player and team’s registrations must be submitted prior to the MJL established deadline, including all monies due, forms, pictures and players’ passes.
C. Any player or coach not registered prior to the game cannot play or coach in that game.
D. All signatures must be original. Any team official or player found guilty of forging a signature will subject themselves and/or their team to severe penalties at the discretion of MJL.
E. Any team that allows a non-registered player to participate will forfeit that game.
F. Registration is revocable by action of the MJL. Any actions by a player or a team that is judged in conflict with the objectives, rules and / or regulations of MJL is grounds for revocation.
SECTION 9. PLAYER RELEASE AND TRANSFER
A. Any player released from an MJL Club/Team may be subject to MJL review before a transfer to another MJL Club/Team is accepted.
B. All player releases and transfers are required to be completed according to USCS Rules and Regulations.
SECTION 10. RULES FOR THE GAMES
The rules as listed in the last edition of the Federation Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) Laws of the Game and Universal Guide for Referees shall be adhere to with these exceptions:
A. There shall be no limit to the number of substitutions by a team during a league game and a replaced player may re-enter the game as a substitute for any other player.
B. Substitution by a team shall be unlimited and at any stoppage, at the Referee's discretion. Player(s) must be waiting at the mid-field mark prior to the next stoppage.
C. Game duration and ball size shall be as follows:
a. U17 - U19 - two 45-minute halves played with size 5 ball
b. U15 - U16 - two 40-minute halves played with size 5 ball
c. U13 - U14 - two 35-minute halves played with size 5 ball
d. U12 - two 30-minute halves with size 4 ball
e. The half-time interval shall not exceed ten (10) minutes.
D. In the event that a game must provide a winner, and at the culmination of such the score is tied, the game shall go on to Over Time (unless otherwise stated in the competition rules).
1. The Over Time shall be played in two (2) equal halves of 5 minutes, played in its entirety.
2. If the game remains tied after the two Over Time periods, the game will be decided via a penalty shoot-out according to FIFA rulings.
E. Games suspended by the referee because of player or spectator violence must be reported directly to the Disciplinary Committee. The Disciplinary Committee will make any other decision, which may be deemed necessary under the circumstances.
F. Agreement to play an unscheduled game establishes compliance with any and all League rulings.
SECTION 11. FANS & SPECTATORS and TECHNICAL AREA
Fans and spectators will have to place themselves in the opposite sideline from the team’s technical area. Only players and coaches registered with the participating teams are allowed on the team’s technical area. A maximum of four (4) registered coaches/managers, etc. will be allowed in the technical area.
SECTION 12. FORFEITS
Forfeits will not be tolerated. A $100 fine will be imposed to all teams forfeiting a game. After the second forfeit, a team may be further fined and suspended for the remainder of the season and may be reason for non-admission the following season.
A. To possibly avoid a forfeit fine, if a teamknows ahead of time of a future forfeit, it shall submit notice to the MJL in writing no later than noon of the previous Wednesday, and include reasonable explanation. If possible, the MJL may place the game in postponement status (all re-schedule fees apply)
B. If the game is not played, the forfeiting team shall lose by a score of 3-0.
C. If the game is played and the cause of the forfeiture is discovered later, the forfeiting team shall abide by these rules.
1. If it loses by a goal differential of three (3) or more, the game shall stand. Otherwise the score shall be recorded as 3-0.
2. If it wins, the goals scored by the forfeiting team shall be recorded as zero (0); the score for the other team, provided it is also not forfeiting and it is not less than three (3), shall stand. If the non-forfeiting team’s score is less than three (3), it shall be recorded as three (3)
3. If a tie exists, the forfeiting team shall have its goals nullified, its score being recorded as zero (0). The opposing team’s score shall stand as long as it is not less than three (3). If the non-forfeiting team’s score is less than three (3), it shall be recorded as three (3)
4. Forfeiture time shall be 15 minutes after the official game time (FIFA).
D. No Club/Team shall purposely forfeit or throw a game to gain advantage in the standings or to impede another team from advancing. This will be considered game fixing, and any team(s) found by the Disciplinary Committee to be guilty of such acts will be sanctioned by the MJL and may face suspension.
SECTION 13. SCHEDULE
A. The official playing year shall begin on August 1, and end on July 31, of the following year.
B. The schedule of games shall include a list of teams, days, times and fields, as well as indicating Home team (team listed first).
C. The schedule shall be finalized at least one (1) week prior to the start of each season.
D. The following steps must be taken when attempting to re-schedule a league game.
1. A team official must obtain approval to re-schedule the game from the other team’s official administrator before making any re-scheduling arrangements.
2. Game changes must be made at least two(2) weeks in advance of the scheduled game. The team administrator must notify MJL and referee assignor.
3. A $20 “re-schedule” fee must be submitted to the league, no later than the date of the original scheduled game.
4. The date of a “re-scheduled” game must be submitted to the Commissioner and Referee Assignor within two weeks of canceled game, but no later than two weeks prior the new date.
SECTION 14. POSTPONEMENTS
Request for game postponements may be issued for necessary / urgent matters only. A written explanation must accompany the request. Requests are not guaranteed to be accepted. If request is accepted, requesting team must follow same steps as Section 11, Article D (1-4).
SECTION 15. OFFICIALS
A. MJL will submit to Hawaii State Referee Association (HSRA) MJL’s modified FIFA rules. HSRA will provide these rules to officials upon request.
B. No official connected, in any way, to a team shall officiate (center or line) games for that team, unless such referee is approved by both teams in writing on the official MJL game card prior to the game being played.
C. The referee shall be the sole judge on the field of play and his or her decisions shall be final. No protest based on “referee judgment” shall be allowed.
D. Any complaints regarding referees shall be directed in writing to the MJL Office.
E. In the event that the referee fails to appear, a certified referee may be appointed with the mutual agreement of both teams. Signature on the official MJL game card by the team official of both teams shall constitute acceptance of the appointed referee.
F. All referees must have a current USSF Referee License. The three (3) Referee System (diagonal system) shall be used for all games. The two (2) Referee System is prohibited. Should one referee fail to appear or be unable to continue, a club linesman shall be appointed by and at the Referee’s discretion as a replacement. Should two (2) referees fail to appear or be unable to continue, two (2) club linesmen shall be appointed by and at the Referee’s discretion. But regardless of whether the Referee chooses to use club linesmen or not, the two (2) whistle system will not be used.
G. The Referee on the field must be a minimum of fourteen (14) years of age and at least two (2) years older than the age group that he/she will officiating.
SECTION 16. GAME STOPPAGE AND DELAYS
A. If for any reason a game is not played or is not completed, the MJL shall decide the standing of the game depending upon the reason for the game stoppage.
B. The MJL may reschedule the game, order the game to stand as played, order remaining time to be played at a later date, or order such other action(s) depending upon the circumstances as they are determined to be proper.
C. All games shall start at their scheduled time and the delay of a game for any reason shall not extend the start of the following game past the grace period for the following game.
D. The grace period shall be fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled game time.
E. A team must start a game with a minimum of seven (7) players in good standing, who are registered to that team. The players must be on the field ready to play at the end of the grace period or forfeit the game.
F. It shall be the responsibility of the Referee to start the game on time and he/she shall be the judge of the tardiness of teams.
G. The Referee shall check the Player Passes of the team in attendance and follow the normal procedure before the absent team shall be subjected to forfeiture.
H. The Referee may terminate or suspend the game, but only the MJL may determine the acceptance of a final score or the termination of a match be a forfeit by one or both teams.
SECTION 17. MEETINGS
Meetings attendance is mandatory for a Team/Club official. A $15 fine will be assessed to each team for meetings unattended.
SECTION 18. DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AND COMMITTEE
A. The Disciplinary Committee shall be composed of not less than three (3) and not more than five (5) members.
B. The Committee may meet to discuss any multiple games sanctions that it shall determine in its sole discretion. The team Rep of the affected team shall be notified of the time and location of the meeting. It is the team Rep’s responsibility to ensure representation at such meeting to defend their case. Once the Committee reaches a decision, it will be final. There will be no further appeals.
C. Any player, coach or manager serving a multiple games suspension in any MISO Division (Open, Juniors, Masters, Over 35, Cup competition, etc) shall be served in the same Division that the player, coach or manager committed the act that resulted in the suspension. In the event that such player, coach or manager is also registered with another MISO team he/she must also serve a one game suspension in his/hers next scheduled game. However, if the suspension cannot be served in that Division’s pending season, The Disciplinary Committee reserves the right to apply the suspension to other MISO Divisions.
D. Yellow Cards.
1. 3 Yellow Card = 1 Game Suspension minimum.
2. 6 Yellow Cards = 2 Games Suspension minimum, and must appear before the Disciplinary Committee.
3. 8 Yellow Cards = 3 Games Suspension minimum, and must appear before the Disciplinary Committee.
4. The penalty for all yellow cards after 8 will be decided upon by the Disciplinary Board and may include suspension for the remaining season.
E. Red Cards.
1. 1 Red Card = 1 Game Suspension minimum.
2. 1Red Card Referee Abuse (oral, physical or publicly) = 3 Game Suspension.
3. 1Red Card Violent Foul = 3 Games minimum.
4. 2 Red Cards = 3 Games Suspension minimum, and may be subject to a $30 fine.
5. 3 Red Cards = 5 Game Suspension or Reminder of Season, whichever is greater, and a $50 fine.
F. Violent Conduct.
The Disciplinary Committee will review any incident involving violent conduct such as fighting, striking, intent to strike or any conduct that inflicts injury. Factors the Disciplinary Committee may consider include (1) degree of any injury, (2) intent to injure, (3) whether the player, coach or manager was the instigator, retaliator or neither, (4) whether a weapon or physical object was used, (5) whether the player, coach or manager has a history of abusive conduct, and (6) any USCS guidelines.
G. Any player entering or leaving the field during an altercation or possibility of such will be suspended for a minimum of 3 games and may be subject to a $25.00 - $50.00 fine.
H. Any player, coach or manager who repeatedly and/or unreasonably abuses (orally, physically or publicly) a referee or league official may cause his or her team to be fined and/or lose team points.
I. Any fan that engages in violent conduct during a game may cause the team the fan is associated with to be fined and/or lose team points.
J. Any violence towards a referee may be punishable by a lifetime suspension from the League and may be subject to a $50.00 - $100.00 fine.
K. Any team causing the termination of a game will forfeit the game regardless of the score at the time of termination.
L. All suspensions are effective immediately upon issue. Suspensions must be fully served prior to participating in any game(s), unless otherwise stated (refer to Sec. 17, C).
M. Any team playing a suspended player will forfeit the game and be fined $100.
N. In the event that a game, for which a player or coach was suspended, is postponed or re-scheduled, that game will count towards the suspension and the player or coach will have to serve such suspension when the game is re-scheduled.
SECTION 19. LEAGUE EXPULSION
The MJL may deny a Team’s or Club’s admittance to MJL based on the Team’s or Club’s violation of MJL, State or National Association, or other organizational rules, or due to excessive disciplinary problems caused by members of the Team or Club including, but not limited to, the administrators, players or spectators.
SECTION 20. COLLECTION OF FINES
A. The MJL will not be responsible for collection of a fine(s) incurred by a player, unless one of the following occurs:
1. The player does not return to the team on which the fine was incurred.
2. The team on which the fine was incurred does not allow the player to participate until such fine(s) has been paid.
B. In these situations only, the MJL may become involved in the collection of fines. The League must receive notification of outstanding fines within two (2) weeks from the close of the season in which the fine was incurred.
C. In the situation where the team allows the player to participate without payment of fines owed, the team will be wholly responsible for outstanding fines and will have forfeited MJL involvement.
SECTION 21. APPEALS
Appeals of MJL decisions (not including Disciplinary Committee decisions which are non-appealble) must be submitted in writing to the MJL President by an official team administrator within 72 hours of the challenged decision. A $50.00 deposit must accompany the appeal. The deposit will be refunded only if MJL finds in favor of the defendant. Once MJL comes to a decision on the appeal, it will be final. No further appeals will be allowed.
SECTION 22. UNIFORMS
Shorts and socks must be of the same color as the rest of the team. Team jerseys must be identical and shall not have duplicated numbers. Same jersey cannot be used by more than one player during a game. Players out of uniform will not be allowed to play. Change of team uniform’s colors must first be approved by the league.
SECTION 23. POINT SYSTEM AND TIE BREAKERS
A. Point System.
Win - 3 points
Tie - 1 point
Loss - 0 points
B. Tie Breakers.
1. Head-to-Head
2. Goal Differential
3. Goals Scored
4. Goal Differential in Head-to-Head (provided more than one [1] game was played)
5. If more than two (2) teams are involved, and teams are still tied after all previous tie breakers, then the
team with highest points and or goals from the games between the teams involved will win the tiebreaker.
6. Coin Toss
SECTION 24. PLAY-OFFS
A. Only those teams finishing in the pre-determined positions will qualify for the Play-Offs
B. In the event that a qualified team cannot participate, then the next team with the best record on the over-all standing would go in its place.
SECTION 25. PROMOTION AND RELEGATION (for future consideration)
In the event the number of teams is greater than the number of slots MJL can make available, MJL may implement the following Promotion and Relegation Rules:
A. The top two (2) finishers (Champions and Runners-up) in the “B” Division, shall be promoted to the “A” Division the following scheduled season.
B. The bottom two (2) finishers in the “A” Division shall be relegated to the “B” Division the following schedule season.
C. Teams may not refuse promotion or relegation.
D. In the event of a Division expansion, a Play-Off between the two (2) relegated teams and the 3rd and 4th place “B” Division teams would be used to determine which teams will occupy the added slots.
SECTION 26. USE OF MJL LOGO AND NAME
MJL must approve the use of the MJL logo and name including but not limited to use in tournaments, clinics, camps, events, and any promotion. Once approved, the organizers must follow the guidelines set by MJL.
SECTION 27. TROPHIES AND AWARDS
All cups and trophies provided by or donated to MJL shall be awarded in competition. If cups and / or trophies are given to MJL for perpetual use, they shall be competed for each season. Cup and trophy winners shall be held responsible for the safety of such cup or trophy while it is in their care. Any repairs that are necessary when the cup or trophy is returned to MJL shall be charged to the team and / or team members returning the award.
SECTION 28. SPONSORSHIP
Teams and players must respect any sponsorship to the MJL. Teams and players in violation will be sanctioned.
SECTION 29. LEAGUE SPONSORSHIP (Pending funds availability for such)
A. Criteria for teams.
1. Must be going to play in a USCS / USSF / FIFA soccer tournament out of state.
2. Must represent Hawaii and / or MJL in the tournament.
3. All team members are members of MJL.
4. All players must have been registered in MJL for at least one (1) year within the last three (3) years.
B. Reimbursement for teams.
1. MJL will pay the tournament fees, the amount not to exceed $200 per team.
2. Reimbursement is limited to one tournament per team per year.
C. Team Responsibility.
The team will be responsible to give MJL special assistance within one (1) year from date of event (i.e. help with MJL tournaments, field maintenance, etc.)
D. Criteria for Individuals.
1. Player(s) invited to try out for a USA National Soccer Team.
2. Player(s) must be a member of MJL for at least one (1) year.
E. Reimbursement for Individuals.
MJL will determine the dollar amount to be awarded.
F. Individual Responsibility.
The individual will be responsible to give assistance to MJL within one (1) year from date of event (i.e. put on a clinic, etc.)
SECTION 1. GENERAL
A. All MISO Junior League (MJL) games shall be played under the current “Laws of the Game” published by FIFA, and US Club Soccer (USCS) rules, policies and procedures, subject to the following MJL Rules and Regulations. In the event FIFA, USCS, MISO and MJL Rules and Regulations do not addresses any MJL issue, MJL in its sole discretion shall make those determinations.
B. It is the responsibility of the participating club/team to become familiar with the FIFA, USCS, MISO and MJL rules.
SECTION 2. CLUBS/TEAMS ADMITTANCE INTO MJL
A. Clubs/Teams requesting admittance into MJL shall submit a completed Club and/or Team application form. Incomplete forms may be returned in which case a decision on the Club’s/Team’s acceptance shall be deferred until completed forms have been received. Applications and fees must be submitted to the MJL Registrar on or before the date as specified on the current year’s form.
B. A Club’s/Team’s status within MJL will be defined as follows:
1. A Returning Club will be any Club that had three (3) or more Teams participating in MJL during the previous MJL season. A New Club is any Club seeking membership with MJL that does not qualify as a Returning Club.
2. A Returning Independent Team will be defined as a Team that:
a. participated in MJL during the previous MJL season,
b. has a minimum of seven (7) returning players,
c. and is playing or applied to play out of the same Team name with which it played during the previous MJL season.
3. For the purposes of this subsection a Returning Player is defined as any player who has a valid Player Pass for the team in question, and played a minimum of five (5) MJL League and/or MJL League Cup games with that team during the seasonal year.
4. The Board of Directors may make an exception for Teams not meeting all the above requirements based on a recommendation made by the Competition Committee.
5. New Clubs/Teams will be considered on probation for their first year in MJL. MJL reserves the right to deny admittance to New Teams.
C. Priority of Admittance into MJL:
1. Returning Teams will be given priority in admittance to MJL.
2. Premier teams from other (non-MJL) Competitive Leagues may be given priority over New Teams. For these purposes, a Premier Team from another Competitive League is defined as a “Premier level” Team that participated with another Competitive League during the previous season, but in all other aspects.
D. All application fees and the Performance Bond shall be returned if the new applicant is not accepted (this does not apply to teams withdrawing). Teams shall be deemed accepted when the Competitions Committee has tentatively bracketed them and the MJL Board has approved the tentative bracketing, and they have met the requirements in subsection F, below.
E. Any team that withdraws after its application is submitted will forfeit their BOND. Any team that withdraws after the deadline will forfeit their BOND AND APPLICATION FEEand will not be readmitted to the League.
F. When applying, teams must enter their appropriate age Division. Teams not meeting the requirements of the age division they’re applying for will be fined $100 and may be denied participation.
G. To complete a team’s acceptance, a completed roster of names and addresses listing a minimum of two (2) team officials and a minimum of eleven (11) registered players must be submitted to MJL on or before the deadline. The rosters may be verified with the Club Registrar at the discretion of MJL. If the minimum number of administrators and players cannot be verified, the team will be placed on a waiting list. This roster will be utilized for MJL mailing purposes.
H. When any Team/Club in good standing determines that they will not apply for the next regular MJL Season, they must inform and may request the return of the team’s performance bond that was paid on their original application to MJL. This must be done in writing to the MJL Offices, and a registered Team Administrator must sign the requesting letter. ONLY in the case that no registered Team Administrator is capable of signing the letter, the team’s Club President may sign. The request must be made within six (6) months of the requesting team’s last scheduled MJL game, or the bond shall be forfeit.
I. The Board of Directors may deny a Club’s or Team’s admittance to MJL based on the Team’s or Club’s violation of League, State or National Association, or other organization rules, or due to excessive disciplinary problems caused by members of the Team or Club including but not limited to the administrators, players or spectators.
SECTION 3. TEAMS/CLUBS
A. Team application and season fees shall be as determined by the MJL.
B. A Club shall consist of three (3) teams in different age groups organized as a soccer club.
C. Clubs/Teams shall be considered in bad standing and shall not be allowed to participate in League and/or League Cup competition until all fees are paid.
D. Each member of the team must be registered with one (1) USCS club only.
E. Each team must submit to MJL, before the respective season deadline, the following:
1. Team name and colors.
2. All respective forms and monies.
a. Late payments will be assessed a $50 late fee.
b. All returned checks will be assessed a $20 service fee.
SECTION 4. AGE GROUPS
Age Divisions shall be comprised of players who are born, before the first day of August of that seasonal year.
MJL will combine age groups as shown below. Teams will then be ranked by strength and split into “Gold” & “Silver” Divisions, provided the number of entries allow it. Ranking of teams will be based on their previous MJL standings, as well as Regional Qualifiers, State Cups and other Leagues’ results/standings.
However in certain cases where growth demands it, the MJL reserves the right to revert to single age groups competition.
UNDER 19 years of age (U19, U18 & U17 combined)
UNDER 16 years of age (U16 & U15 combined)
UNDER 14 years of age (U14 & U13 combined)
UNDER 12 years of age (U12 & U11 combined)
SECTION 5. PLAYERS
A. An Active Player is a USCS registered player listed on a team's current MJL roster.
B. An Inactive Player is a player currently registered with USCS but not listed on any MJL roster.
C. Only Active Players on teams registered with MJL will be eligible to participate in MJL games.
D. Players in the U11–U13 ages, will not be allowed to up by more than 2 age groups.
E. Players will be limited to play in a maximum of 2 games per day.
SECTION 6. COACHES
A. An Active Coach is a USCS registered coach listed on a team's current MJL roster.
B. Only Active Coaches will be eligible to participate in MJL games.
C. Coaches may be registered to coach on more than one team.
SECTION 7. ROSTERS
A. The Roster submitted to the league shall include all Active Players and Active Coaches registered to participate in MJL for a particular season. It is the responsibility of the individual club/team to provide the MJL the latest exhaustive club/team roster.
B. No team shall have more than eighteen (18) players on itsofficial MJL game card. However, any player within the same club may be rostered on an official MJL game card, subject to all MJL Rules and Regulations.
C. Each Team must consist of a minimum of 50% of players pertaining to the age group of the Division they’re playing in.
D. Any player listed on the official MJL game card shall be considered as having played under the name and shirt number as listed. The accuracy of the player entries on the official MJL game card is the responsibility of the team administrators (coaches and managers).
E. Failure to cooperate with a reasonable request to substantiate the legitimacy of any player who has played in a particular game shall result in a Disciplinary Committee investigation and hearing and may be subjected to all possible penalties.
F. A maximum of 2 girls may participate in a boys’ division game, subject to all MJL Rules and Regulations.
G. The penalty for any rostering infraction may include forfeiture, fines, probation, or suspension at the discretion of Disciplinary Committee.
SECTION 8. REGISTRATIONS
A. Registration of players and teams shall be valid for one (1) seasonal year (Aug. 1 – July 31)
B. Player and team’s registrations must be submitted prior to the MJL established deadline, including all monies due, forms, pictures and players’ passes.
C. Any player or coach not registered prior to the game cannot play or coach in that game.
D. All signatures must be original. Any team official or player found guilty of forging a signature will subject themselves and/or their team to severe penalties at the discretion of MJL.
E. Any team that allows a non-registered player to participate will forfeit that game.
F. Registration is revocable by action of the MJL. Any actions by a player or a team that is judged in conflict with the objectives, rules and / or regulations of MJL is grounds for revocation.
SECTION 9. PLAYER RELEASE AND TRANSFER
A. Any player released from an MJL Club/Team may be subject to MJL review before a transfer to another MJL Club/Team is accepted.
B. All player releases and transfers are required to be completed according to USCS Rules and Regulations.
SECTION 10. RULES FOR THE GAMES
The rules as listed in the last edition of the Federation Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) Laws of the Game and Universal Guide for Referees shall be adhere to with these exceptions:
A. There shall be no limit to the number of substitutions by a team during a league game and a replaced player may re-enter the game as a substitute for any other player.
B. Substitution by a team shall be unlimited and at any stoppage, at the Referee's discretion. Player(s) must be waiting at the mid-field mark prior to the next stoppage.
C. Game duration and ball size shall be as follows:
a. U17 - U19 - two 45-minute halves played with size 5 ball
b. U15 - U16 - two 40-minute halves played with size 5 ball
c. U13 - U14 - two 35-minute halves played with size 5 ball
d. U12 - two 30-minute halves with size 4 ball
e. The half-time interval shall not exceed ten (10) minutes.
D. In the event that a game must provide a winner, and at the culmination of such the score is tied, the game shall go on to Over Time (unless otherwise stated in the competition rules).
1. The Over Time shall be played in two (2) equal halves of 5 minutes, played in its entirety.
2. If the game remains tied after the two Over Time periods, the game will be decided via a penalty shoot-out according to FIFA rulings.
E. Games suspended by the referee because of player or spectator violence must be reported directly to the Disciplinary Committee. The Disciplinary Committee will make any other decision, which may be deemed necessary under the circumstances.
F. Agreement to play an unscheduled game establishes compliance with any and all League rulings.
SECTION 11. FANS & SPECTATORS and TECHNICAL AREA
Fans and spectators will have to place themselves in the opposite sideline from the team’s technical area. Only players and coaches registered with the participating teams are allowed on the team’s technical area. A maximum of four (4) registered coaches/managers, etc. will be allowed in the technical area.
SECTION 12. FORFEITS
Forfeits will not be tolerated. A $100 fine will be imposed to all teams forfeiting a game. After the second forfeit, a team may be further fined and suspended for the remainder of the season and may be reason for non-admission the following season.
A. To possibly avoid a forfeit fine, if a teamknows ahead of time of a future forfeit, it shall submit notice to the MJL in writing no later than noon of the previous Wednesday, and include reasonable explanation. If possible, the MJL may place the game in postponement status (all re-schedule fees apply)
B. If the game is not played, the forfeiting team shall lose by a score of 3-0.
C. If the game is played and the cause of the forfeiture is discovered later, the forfeiting team shall abide by these rules.
1. If it loses by a goal differential of three (3) or more, the game shall stand. Otherwise the score shall be recorded as 3-0.
2. If it wins, the goals scored by the forfeiting team shall be recorded as zero (0); the score for the other team, provided it is also not forfeiting and it is not less than three (3), shall stand. If the non-forfeiting team’s score is less than three (3), it shall be recorded as three (3)
3. If a tie exists, the forfeiting team shall have its goals nullified, its score being recorded as zero (0). The opposing team’s score shall stand as long as it is not less than three (3). If the non-forfeiting team’s score is less than three (3), it shall be recorded as three (3)
4. Forfeiture time shall be 15 minutes after the official game time (FIFA).
D. No Club/Team shall purposely forfeit or throw a game to gain advantage in the standings or to impede another team from advancing. This will be considered game fixing, and any team(s) found by the Disciplinary Committee to be guilty of such acts will be sanctioned by the MJL and may face suspension.
SECTION 13. SCHEDULE
A. The official playing year shall begin on August 1, and end on July 31, of the following year.
B. The schedule of games shall include a list of teams, days, times and fields, as well as indicating Home team (team listed first).
C. The schedule shall be finalized at least one (1) week prior to the start of each season.
D. The following steps must be taken when attempting to re-schedule a league game.
1. A team official must obtain approval to re-schedule the game from the other team’s official administrator before making any re-scheduling arrangements.
2. Game changes must be made at least two(2) weeks in advance of the scheduled game. The team administrator must notify MJL and referee assignor.
3. A $20 “re-schedule” fee must be submitted to the league, no later than the date of the original scheduled game.
4. The date of a “re-scheduled” game must be submitted to the Commissioner and Referee Assignor within two weeks of canceled game, but no later than two weeks prior the new date.
SECTION 14. POSTPONEMENTS
Request for game postponements may be issued for necessary / urgent matters only. A written explanation must accompany the request. Requests are not guaranteed to be accepted. If request is accepted, requesting team must follow same steps as Section 11, Article D (1-4).
SECTION 15. OFFICIALS
A. MJL will submit to Hawaii State Referee Association (HSRA) MJL’s modified FIFA rules. HSRA will provide these rules to officials upon request.
B. No official connected, in any way, to a team shall officiate (center or line) games for that team, unless such referee is approved by both teams in writing on the official MJL game card prior to the game being played.
C. The referee shall be the sole judge on the field of play and his or her decisions shall be final. No protest based on “referee judgment” shall be allowed.
D. Any complaints regarding referees shall be directed in writing to the MJL Office.
E. In the event that the referee fails to appear, a certified referee may be appointed with the mutual agreement of both teams. Signature on the official MJL game card by the team official of both teams shall constitute acceptance of the appointed referee.
F. All referees must have a current USSF Referee License. The three (3) Referee System (diagonal system) shall be used for all games. The two (2) Referee System is prohibited. Should one referee fail to appear or be unable to continue, a club linesman shall be appointed by and at the Referee’s discretion as a replacement. Should two (2) referees fail to appear or be unable to continue, two (2) club linesmen shall be appointed by and at the Referee’s discretion. But regardless of whether the Referee chooses to use club linesmen or not, the two (2) whistle system will not be used.
G. The Referee on the field must be a minimum of fourteen (14) years of age and at least two (2) years older than the age group that he/she will officiating.
SECTION 16. GAME STOPPAGE AND DELAYS
A. If for any reason a game is not played or is not completed, the MJL shall decide the standing of the game depending upon the reason for the game stoppage.
B. The MJL may reschedule the game, order the game to stand as played, order remaining time to be played at a later date, or order such other action(s) depending upon the circumstances as they are determined to be proper.
C. All games shall start at their scheduled time and the delay of a game for any reason shall not extend the start of the following game past the grace period for the following game.
D. The grace period shall be fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled game time.
E. A team must start a game with a minimum of seven (7) players in good standing, who are registered to that team. The players must be on the field ready to play at the end of the grace period or forfeit the game.
F. It shall be the responsibility of the Referee to start the game on time and he/she shall be the judge of the tardiness of teams.
G. The Referee shall check the Player Passes of the team in attendance and follow the normal procedure before the absent team shall be subjected to forfeiture.
H. The Referee may terminate or suspend the game, but only the MJL may determine the acceptance of a final score or the termination of a match be a forfeit by one or both teams.
SECTION 17. MEETINGS
Meetings attendance is mandatory for a Team/Club official. A $15 fine will be assessed to each team for meetings unattended.
SECTION 18. DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AND COMMITTEE
A. The Disciplinary Committee shall be composed of not less than three (3) and not more than five (5) members.
B. The Committee may meet to discuss any multiple games sanctions that it shall determine in its sole discretion. The team Rep of the affected team shall be notified of the time and location of the meeting. It is the team Rep’s responsibility to ensure representation at such meeting to defend their case. Once the Committee reaches a decision, it will be final. There will be no further appeals.
C. Any player, coach or manager serving a multiple games suspension in any MISO Division (Open, Juniors, Masters, Over 35, Cup competition, etc) shall be served in the same Division that the player, coach or manager committed the act that resulted in the suspension. In the event that such player, coach or manager is also registered with another MISO team he/she must also serve a one game suspension in his/hers next scheduled game. However, if the suspension cannot be served in that Division’s pending season, The Disciplinary Committee reserves the right to apply the suspension to other MISO Divisions.
D. Yellow Cards.
1. 3 Yellow Card = 1 Game Suspension minimum.
2. 6 Yellow Cards = 2 Games Suspension minimum, and must appear before the Disciplinary Committee.
3. 8 Yellow Cards = 3 Games Suspension minimum, and must appear before the Disciplinary Committee.
4. The penalty for all yellow cards after 8 will be decided upon by the Disciplinary Board and may include suspension for the remaining season.
E. Red Cards.
1. 1 Red Card = 1 Game Suspension minimum.
2. 1Red Card Referee Abuse (oral, physical or publicly) = 3 Game Suspension.
3. 1Red Card Violent Foul = 3 Games minimum.
4. 2 Red Cards = 3 Games Suspension minimum, and may be subject to a $30 fine.
5. 3 Red Cards = 5 Game Suspension or Reminder of Season, whichever is greater, and a $50 fine.
F. Violent Conduct.
The Disciplinary Committee will review any incident involving violent conduct such as fighting, striking, intent to strike or any conduct that inflicts injury. Factors the Disciplinary Committee may consider include (1) degree of any injury, (2) intent to injure, (3) whether the player, coach or manager was the instigator, retaliator or neither, (4) whether a weapon or physical object was used, (5) whether the player, coach or manager has a history of abusive conduct, and (6) any USCS guidelines.
G. Any player entering or leaving the field during an altercation or possibility of such will be suspended for a minimum of 3 games and may be subject to a $25.00 - $50.00 fine.
H. Any player, coach or manager who repeatedly and/or unreasonably abuses (orally, physically or publicly) a referee or league official may cause his or her team to be fined and/or lose team points.
I. Any fan that engages in violent conduct during a game may cause the team the fan is associated with to be fined and/or lose team points.
J. Any violence towards a referee may be punishable by a lifetime suspension from the League and may be subject to a $50.00 - $100.00 fine.
K. Any team causing the termination of a game will forfeit the game regardless of the score at the time of termination.
L. All suspensions are effective immediately upon issue. Suspensions must be fully served prior to participating in any game(s), unless otherwise stated (refer to Sec. 17, C).
M. Any team playing a suspended player will forfeit the game and be fined $100.
N. In the event that a game, for which a player or coach was suspended, is postponed or re-scheduled, that game will count towards the suspension and the player or coach will have to serve such suspension when the game is re-scheduled.
SECTION 19. LEAGUE EXPULSION
The MJL may deny a Team’s or Club’s admittance to MJL based on the Team’s or Club’s violation of MJL, State or National Association, or other organizational rules, or due to excessive disciplinary problems caused by members of the Team or Club including, but not limited to, the administrators, players or spectators.
SECTION 20. COLLECTION OF FINES
A. The MJL will not be responsible for collection of a fine(s) incurred by a player, unless one of the following occurs:
1. The player does not return to the team on which the fine was incurred.
2. The team on which the fine was incurred does not allow the player to participate until such fine(s) has been paid.
B. In these situations only, the MJL may become involved in the collection of fines. The League must receive notification of outstanding fines within two (2) weeks from the close of the season in which the fine was incurred.
C. In the situation where the team allows the player to participate without payment of fines owed, the team will be wholly responsible for outstanding fines and will have forfeited MJL involvement.
SECTION 21. APPEALS
Appeals of MJL decisions (not including Disciplinary Committee decisions which are non-appealble) must be submitted in writing to the MJL President by an official team administrator within 72 hours of the challenged decision. A $50.00 deposit must accompany the appeal. The deposit will be refunded only if MJL finds in favor of the defendant. Once MJL comes to a decision on the appeal, it will be final. No further appeals will be allowed.
SECTION 22. UNIFORMS
Shorts and socks must be of the same color as the rest of the team. Team jerseys must be identical and shall not have duplicated numbers. Same jersey cannot be used by more than one player during a game. Players out of uniform will not be allowed to play. Change of team uniform’s colors must first be approved by the league.
SECTION 23. POINT SYSTEM AND TIE BREAKERS
A. Point System.
Win - 3 points
Tie - 1 point
Loss - 0 points
B. Tie Breakers.
1. Head-to-Head
2. Goal Differential
3. Goals Scored
4. Goal Differential in Head-to-Head (provided more than one [1] game was played)
5. If more than two (2) teams are involved, and teams are still tied after all previous tie breakers, then the
team with highest points and or goals from the games between the teams involved will win the tiebreaker.
6. Coin Toss
SECTION 24. PLAY-OFFS
A. Only those teams finishing in the pre-determined positions will qualify for the Play-Offs
B. In the event that a qualified team cannot participate, then the next team with the best record on the over-all standing would go in its place.
SECTION 25. PROMOTION AND RELEGATION (for future consideration)
In the event the number of teams is greater than the number of slots MJL can make available, MJL may implement the following Promotion and Relegation Rules:
A. The top two (2) finishers (Champions and Runners-up) in the “B” Division, shall be promoted to the “A” Division the following scheduled season.
B. The bottom two (2) finishers in the “A” Division shall be relegated to the “B” Division the following schedule season.
C. Teams may not refuse promotion or relegation.
D. In the event of a Division expansion, a Play-Off between the two (2) relegated teams and the 3rd and 4th place “B” Division teams would be used to determine which teams will occupy the added slots.
SECTION 26. USE OF MJL LOGO AND NAME
MJL must approve the use of the MJL logo and name including but not limited to use in tournaments, clinics, camps, events, and any promotion. Once approved, the organizers must follow the guidelines set by MJL.
SECTION 27. TROPHIES AND AWARDS
All cups and trophies provided by or donated to MJL shall be awarded in competition. If cups and / or trophies are given to MJL for perpetual use, they shall be competed for each season. Cup and trophy winners shall be held responsible for the safety of such cup or trophy while it is in their care. Any repairs that are necessary when the cup or trophy is returned to MJL shall be charged to the team and / or team members returning the award.
SECTION 28. SPONSORSHIP
Teams and players must respect any sponsorship to the MJL. Teams and players in violation will be sanctioned.
SECTION 29. LEAGUE SPONSORSHIP (Pending funds availability for such)
A. Criteria for teams.
1. Must be going to play in a USCS / USSF / FIFA soccer tournament out of state.
2. Must represent Hawaii and / or MJL in the tournament.
3. All team members are members of MJL.
4. All players must have been registered in MJL for at least one (1) year within the last three (3) years.
B. Reimbursement for teams.
1. MJL will pay the tournament fees, the amount not to exceed $200 per team.
2. Reimbursement is limited to one tournament per team per year.
C. Team Responsibility.
The team will be responsible to give MJL special assistance within one (1) year from date of event (i.e. help with MJL tournaments, field maintenance, etc.)
D. Criteria for Individuals.
1. Player(s) invited to try out for a USA National Soccer Team.
2. Player(s) must be a member of MJL for at least one (1) year.
E. Reimbursement for Individuals.
MJL will determine the dollar amount to be awarded.
F. Individual Responsibility.
The individual will be responsible to give assistance to MJL within one (1) year from date of event (i.e. put on a clinic, etc.)
