Rules

1.   Masters Summer League (MSL) Geelong 2023 is a 10 team round robin competition, commencing on 7/1/2023 and finishing on 25/3/2023.

2.   Teams will play one another once in the round robin phase of the competition.

3.   A win is worth 3 points; a draw is worth 1 point; a loss is worth 0 points.

4.   At the end of the round robin, teams will be rank on points firstly, then on goal difference, then on goals scored. In the event of a tie, the winner of the round robin match played between the two teams will be deemed to have finished higher. If that was drawn, a penalty shootout will be scheduled to decide which team finishes in the higher position.

5.       There will be a Finals round on 25/3/2023, where 1st will play 2nd for the title (the “Grand Final”); 3rd will play 4th; 5th will play 6th; 7th will play 8th and 9th will play 10th.

Matches and Players

1.       Matches will be 60 minutes long, comprising two 30-minute halves. If agreed by both captains prior to play starting, the match may be 70 minutes long, comprising two 35-minute halves.

2.   There is no limit to the number of players who may play for a team in any round robin match or minor finals match. In the “Grand Final”, the maximum squad size is 16.

3.   Only players marked as in attendance by the referee via GoFootball prior to match start may take part.

4.   Unlimited player interchange is allowed – players to leave and take the field with referee’s permission, as per FIFA rules.

5.   “Fill-in players” - A team that is short of players may request “fill-in” player(s). These are player(s) registered to other teams, who agree to play for the team short of players. A team may request “fill-in” players only when they have 11 or fewer players of their own available. They may only add “fill-in” players until their squad reaches a size of 12. Such “fill-in” players must be approved by both the opposing captain and a member of the MSL committee or one of its delegates.

6.   “Casual” players – any team at any time may add “casual” player(s) to their team. These are player(s) not currently registered to the MSL who register via GoFootball and pay a casual registration fee ($16). They do not need approval from the other team or MSL committee to play.

7.       Players must be registered to their team and play a minimum of 5 matches (including as “casual”) during the home and away season to qualify for the Finals round. Games played as a “fill-in” for another team will be included in this figure. A maximum of one game played per round applies.

8.       No “fill-in” players will be allowed in the Finals round.

9.       Players must be on or after their 35th birthday on match day, except for the goalkeeper who needs to be on or after their 30th birthday on match day.

10.   If a team is found to have fielded an illegal player (for example, a non-goalkeeper player under 35 years of age, a goalkeeper under 30 years of age, or an unregistered player, or non-approved “fill-in” player) then the match points will be awarded to the opposing team, with a result of 3-0 or the actual result, whichever is preferred by the opposing team.

11.   Players must prove their age if requested by the MSL committee.

12.   A match abandoned for any reason prior to completion will be considered to have been completed if it has run more than 80% of match time; i.e. if 48 or more minutes have elapsed, with the score at abandonment being the final score. If the match is abandoned prior to 80% of match time having been completed, the result will be a 0-0 draw.

Heat and Uniform Policies

1.   If the official weather forecast at 9am on match day predicts a high temperature of 34 degrees or over, the MSL committee will take one of three actions:

a.       Reschedule the round to Sunday, if a significantly cooler temperature is forecast for Sunday; or

b.       Shorten all games to 40 minutes with later kick off times; or

c.       Cancel the round.

2.       Uniforms will not be required to match exactly between team-mates; however, it is preferred that they do. The referee will make final decisions about the legality or otherwise of non-matching uniforms.

3.       The team listed second on the schedule is considered the “away” team and will be responsible for bringing alternative strip to avoid strip clashes.

4.   No Jewellery to be worn during play.

Referees and Discipline (including Blue Cards and sliding rules)

1.   Referees will be appointed and paid by the MSL and may be FV official referees or casual referees.

2.   The Referee acts as a representative of the MSL, with their version and account of events being considered final.

3.   The MSL will endeavour to find neutral linesmen for each game. If unsuccessful in this, one assistant referee (linesman) to be provided by each team, beginning with the “away” team. If they do not have the numbers to provide this, the referee will make decisions on their behalf, or appoint an independent linesman as he/she sees fit.

4.   If the Referee fails to arrive, game is to proceed with each Captain arranging someone to referee a half each.

5.   Respect is to be the guiding principle of the league –

a.   Respect for your teammates and opposing players before, during and after the game;

b.   Respect for our referees at all times.

6.   Referees will have the power to issue Yellow and Red Cards as per FIFA rules, plus Blue Cards.

7.   A Blue Card to be shown to a player (including those on the interchange bench) in the following situations:

a.   Player slides illegally, endangering another player (see points 28-30);

b.   Player fails to respect the referee or the referee’s decision;

c.   Any other situation in which the referee sees fit to remove a player from the field to preserve the spirit of the competition.

8.   A player shown a blue card will be barred from playing for 10 minutes and cannot be replaced.

9.       Any combination of two Blue and/or Yellow Cards will result in a Red Card being shown, as per two Yellow Cards under full FIFA rules.

10.   In the interests of older player safety, sliding during play (leaving your feet and sliding along the grass) is considered illegal if

a.   it occurs within one metre of another player, AND

b.   it is considered by the referee to be potentially dangerous to that player.

11.   An illegal slide will incur an indirect free kick and a Blue Card. If the slide also resulted in a foul, it will result in a direct free and a Blue Card.

12.   The referee may issue a Red Card instead of a Blue Card if the slide is particularly dangerous.

13.   Penalties for Red Cards and other breaches of discipline will be applied as per pp.35-44 of the official FV GDT By-Law found on the Football Victoria official website, with the offence code and grading to be decided by the MSL Committee in consultation with the Referee. See https://www.footballvictoria.com.au/resources/clubs/rules-regulations

14.   A player or official indefinitely banned has the right to lodge a petition to be reinstated into the competition. The Disciplinary Sub Committee in reviewing a compelling and substantiated submission are to ensure adequate proof is provided that other League members are no longer at risk. The League members’ and referees’ wellbeing must be paramount in any such decision.

15.   The MSL Committee reserves the right to decline a player’s registration prior to season start (with full refund) and/or cancel a player’s registration mid-season (without refund) and require the player to prove their worthiness to participate in future competitions as the Committee sees fit.

Complaints

1.       Complaints of any sort to be directed to mastersgeelong@gmail.com or discussed in person with an MSL committee member (Simon Blanch, Ross Abraham, Barboros Kara).