MUST READ
REVOLVER FC
PDL REGULATIONS & RULES
(Player Development League)
REGISTRATION
Revolver FC is a Soccer Club for Adult Players with multiple programs from Pick Up, to 9v9 Coed Leagues, to Player Development, to International Exposure.
All Players must be 18 or older, with some exceptions of Players 16+, who can handle themselves physically and play at an equivalent level, ONLY with their parents written consent by signing a Club Liability Waiver.
The PDL League is a competitive recreational league. Games are played a full-size regulation soccer field, with 8' (ft) x 24' (ft) Goals and designated Goal Keepers.
TEAM ROSTERS & CHECKING-IN
The maximum amount of Players per Roster is 18. Once a Roster is filled with 18 independent players, any additional sign-ups will be added to a new Roster. The exception to this is for Teams that register as a whole Team together, in which case they may have up to 20 Players total. Players may not be on more than one Roster within the League.
All Players are required to sign their Team Roster-Waiver once per Season, prior to the first game played. It is each Player's responsibility to sign their Team Roster. If you do not sign you may not be allowed to play.
Referees are provided with Game Cards, which include each Team's Rostered Players. Referee's take a quick attendance each game, which will then be transferred to the Master Team Roster each week. It is a Player's responsibility to check with the Referees and make sure they are listed on the Game Card prior to each game.
If a Player’s name is not on the Game Card, they may not be allowed to play until they have confirmed with the Field Manager / League Administrator that they have registered and have signed their Team Roster-Waiver.
The Club is not allowing Guest Players for the PDL League. All Players must be registered and sign the Roster / Waiver.
COMPETITIVE RECREATIONAL RULES AND FIELDING TEAMS
Each Team shall field no more than 11 players at any one time (including a Goal Keeper). A Team must field a minimum of 7 Players from their own Roster in order to play and not forfeit
REVOLVER FC
PDL REGULATIONS & RULES
(Player Development League)
a game. Any fewer Players will constitute a forfeit. Teams may borrow registered Players from other Teams within the PDL League only to field a Team (to have up to 11 Players). But they must have at least the minimum number of Players (7) from their own Team's Roster in order not to forfeit. No Team will be allowed to borrow Players from another Team as substitutes.
Teams are not allowed to borrow other Team’s Players for Playoffs. All teams must follow their assigned Roster only and no added players will be allowed. In order for a Player to be eligible for Playoffs, they must play in at least 3 Regular Season games.
If a team is found to be playing with an illegal participant (non-registered Player) during a Regular Season Game, the participant will be dismissed and any goals they may have scored will not count. If a team is found to be playing with an illegal or borrowed Player in Playoffs, the game will be forfeited and the opposing team will be awarded the win.
BEGINNING OF GAME
As each Team alternates evenly between Home & Away throughout the Season, the Darker Color Team will be designated as Home and begin with the ball at the beginning of a game by default. The Lighter-Color Team will be designated as Away and will then receive the ball at the beginning the 2nd half of the game.
KICK-OFF
Kickoff consists of the ball being placed at midfield. Upon the Referee’s whistle to commence the game, the ball may be shot at the goal with the first touch.
GAME TIME
The game will be divided into two 35-minute halves separated by a 10-minute halftime, leaving up to 10 minutes to change the field between games. These times may vary if a game starts late. So Players should always make sure to arrive on time and be ready to go for kick off.
Referees will maintain a running clock and may advise both Teams when there is 5 minutes remaining in each half. Due to field availability, no added or stoppage time will be allowed. Any team intentionally delaying, (i.e. holding up Goal Kicks or Throw-Ins, kicking the ball far out of bounds, not retrieving a ball timely, etc.) will allow Referees (at his/her discretion) to issue a Yellow Card and/or turn the ball over to the opposing team.
Any canceled games due to weather will be official and stand as they finish, if they reach at least halftime. Any games that get canceled still in the first half will be rescheduled in-full the following scheduled Match Day, or if necessary at the end of the season, only if provided that field rental time allows.
REVOLVER FC
PDL REGULATIONS & RULES
(Player Development League)
SUBSTITUTIONS
There is no limit to the amount of substitutions each Team can make. All Substitute Players must notify the Referee before entering the game and may only do so with the Referees permission – there is NO substituting “on-the-fly.” Players being substituted must exit the field before a Substitute Player may take their place. Substitutions may occur during any stoppage of play, such as: Throw-Ins, Goal Kick, Corner Kicks, or after a goal is scored. Referees may allow or not allow Substitutions at their discretion (i.e. delaying game play, wasting time, etc.).
All substitutions must be made from the side of the field, not either end of the field (e.g. from behind the goals, etc.)
OUT OF BOUNDS
Anytime the ball goes out of bounds over either sideline, a throw-in will ensue. The person throwing in the ball must throw the ball directly overhead with both hands and keep both feet remaining on the ground, while out-of-bounds until the ball is released.
Anytime the ball crosses an end-line, a Corner Kick or Goal Kick will ensue: • last touched by a Defender, results in a Corner Kick. The ball is placed at the nearest corner and kicked in by the Offensive Team. Goals may be scored directly on corner kicks. Defenders must be at least five paces from the corner kick.
• last touched by Attacker results in a Goal Kick by the Defensive Team. Goal Kicks may be taken from anywhere inside the Goal Box. Offensive players must be at least ten paces from a Goal Kick.
THE GOALKEEPERS AND THE GOAL BOX
Normal play is allowed at all times inside the Goal Box. However, calls in favor of the Goal Keeper maybe at the Referee's discretion in consideration of player safety.
REFEREES
Each game is regulated by two Referees. Only Team Captain's should communicate with the Referees, on behalf of their Team. All communication with Referees should be respectful and professional. Referees have full discretion to issue cards and/or dismiss Players for inappropriate conduct.
Any touching, threatening, or abusive language and/or behavior towards a Referee will deem suspension from a game and/or the League, up to banning from all Revolver FC Events. If necessary, the Park will be notified of the offender's actions and the Police called to intervene and file a report. Any abuse towards the Referee will not be tolerated and action taken accordingly. Assault of any Sports Official in the first degree is a Class A Felony.
REVOLVER FC
PDL REGULATIONS & RULES
(Player Development League)
FIELD MANAGER / LEAGUE ADMINISTRATOR
The Field Manager / League Administrator is to be considered over the Referees and treated in the same manner. However, in the interest of fair play, no Referee call will be turned over. If a Player / Team has an issue, the Team Captain should address the Field Manager / League Administrator individually after games have completed; preferably post-Match Day. In certain situations, it may be necessary for the Field Manager / League Administrator to also converse with a Player involved in an incident, at the Field Manager's / League Administrator's discretion.
TEAM CAPTAINS
It is the Team Captain's responsibility to act in the best interest of their Team and the League, including intervening and helping defuse argumentative situations; assessing when Players may need a break physically, mentally, or otherwise; helping balance out substitutions; communicating among the Team; following up on Player attendance; communicating with the
Referee and/or Field Manager / League Administrator, etc.
OFF-SIDES
With a two-Referee System, there are no Lines-Men. Thus Off-Sides will be at the sole discretion of the Referees.
SLIDING
To help avoid confrontations, there is NO slide-tackling on another Player allowed. Slips and accidental falls will be up to Referees’ discretion.
THREE POINTS OF CONTACT (PLAYING ON THE GROUND)
As playing on the ground is considered hazardous, a Player cannot have 3 points of their body touching the ground when they strike the ball or it will result in an indirect Free Kick for the opposing team. Example: putting a knee down while both feet are on the ground to block a shot.
FREE-KICKS
Free-kicks may be direct or indirect at Referees’ discretion, based on regulation football rules. A free-kick is to follow these infractions: ∙
• Charging • Roughness
• Handball
• Dangerous Play / Kick
REVOLVER FC
PDL REGULATIONS & RULES
(Player Development League)
• Slide-tackles
Infractions incurred by the Defending Team inside the Goal Box will result in a Penalty Kick from the designated regulation mark.
HAND BALLS
Hand Balls are at the discretion of the Referees. Normally, if the ball strikes the outstretched arm of any player it will result in a Free Kick for the opposing team. If a shot from the Offensive Team is within the frame of the goal, within the Goal Box, and strikes an outstretched arm or is blocked by an outstretched arm of a Defensive Player, this will result in a Penalty Kick. Protecting one’s own face and/or personal body parts with hands will NOT constitute a handball, as long as their hands and arms are against their body and not outstretched in any way. A ball-to-hand will not constitute a handball, as long the hands and arms are against their body and not outstretched in any way. Referees may choose to award “advantage play” in place of a Free Kick, if the opposing Team gains control of the ball as a result of the hand ball. A Yellow or Red Card may be given for intentionally blocking a goal with hands by any other Player than the Goal Keeper.
OVERTIME & PENALTIES
Due to restricted field time rental, there will be no Overtime in regular season games or Playoffs. If a game score remains tied at the end of regulation game time. Teams will go immediately to equalizing Suicide Penalties. The first Team to score and not be equally scored upon, will be considered the Winner by 1 goal. Penalties will alternate teams and continue until either a Kicker or Goalie misses.
SCORING / STANDINGS
A victory is determined by the team with the most goals, earning the winning team 3 points in standings. A tie counts as 1 point, and a loss gives 0 (Zero) points. Cumulative point total will determine Playoff seeding at the end of the regular season.
In the event of a tie in points, the better goal differential will determine the higher seed. If that is a tie, total of goals scored is the next determining factor. If that is also tied, lowest goals allowed yields the higher seed.
Playoffs are not guaranteed and are dependent on field availability within the Season. FORFEITS
Forfeits must be communicated to the League at least 1 (one) day prior to game time in order to give the League time to notify the opposing Team and a chance to adjust the schedule
REVOLVER FC
PDL REGULATIONS & RULES
(Player Development League)
and/or make alternate arrangements, if any. Forfeits which are not communicated in a timely manor can result in disciplinary action, since it is unfair to the other team playing (including but not limited to automatically forfeiting the following game whether played or not, fining the Team Captain and/or full Team, etc.).
YELLOW CARD
Yellow Cards are issued for any act that can disrupt the flow of the game. This includes aggressive or reckless play, profanity, intentional hand balls, kicking the ball far out of bounds to waist time, etc.
Referees will use their best discretion, as Cards are a last resort, to be sure the rules are being followed. However, this means any Player receiving a Yellow Card has been duly warned about their actions and/or behavior and should be very cautious not to incur another infraction, as it may warrant them a Red Card.
Additionally, two Yellow Cards in one game results in a Red Card. Any player receiving 3 Yellow Cards in the regular season will be suspended for one game.
RED CARD
Red Cards are given for any act that is intentionally dangerous, physically abusive, overly aggressive, etc. This may include bullying, wrestling, fighting, etc. and will consist of ejection from a game and suspension from the next following game. Additionally, a $25 fee will be imposed on any player receiving a direct Red Card and must be paid prior to playing in any following game. If a player receives a Red Card (or 2 Yellow Cards during the same game), they will be disqualified from the current game and must leave the facility. This includes all parking areas.
Red carded players have 2 minutes by the Referee’s watch to leave the facility. Their team must play down a player for the remainder of the game, and may not substitute for that player. This applies equally to Playoffs as well.
The red carded player will be suspended for the following scheduled Match Day, including double-headers, if any. Failure to follow this rule results in a team forfeit as well as a longer suspension for the red carded player. Any one player receiving two (2) Red Cards in one season will be suspended until the following season.
NO FIGHTING
There is absolutely NO fighting. Please walk off the field or substitute yourself out if you feel you’re near that moment. If a player is involved in a fight in any way, they will be suspended for the remainder of the current season. This includes retaliation. If the event occurs within
REVOLVER FC
PDL REGULATIONS & RULES
(Player Development League)
the final two regular season games or during Playoffs, the involved Players will be suspended for the following Season. Players may not be allowed back into the League at the discretion of the Club, depending on the severity of the situation. Any Substitute Players coming onto the field during any altercations will be red carded as well and subject to the same consequences. This is an Adult League for FUN and competitive RECREATION. Fighting has NO place here.
ABUSIVE LANGUAGE
Swearing or cursing at yourself or someone else may result in Yellow or Red Card subject to Referee discretion.
REC DIVISION vs COMP DIVISION
In effort to create a fun and fair playing environment, the League may be divided into a Recreational “REC” Division and a Competitive “COMP” Division any given season, based on results from the first two Match Days.
In the event divisions are implemented, the League will use a “fluid” promotion and relegation system, in that the lowest Comp Division Team may be relegated and the highest Rec Division Team may be promoted as of the results of each game, instead of per season.
Teams may be assigned to compete across divisions to best fit the Schedule. However, the Club will make best efforts to assign teams to play each other as balanced as possible for the most fair competition.
CANCELLATIONS/RAIN-OUTS
Games may be canceled due to varying weather conditions, dangerous or unplayable field conditions, facility constraints, etc. The Club makes every effort to play all scheduled games as consistently as possible. Thus games will not be canceled unless absolutely necessary. That said, the Club most-often will not know if games have to be canceled until up to an hour before game time. However, we will do our best to notify players as far in advance as possible. If games are canceled, the League will:
• first post publicly on Revolver FC’s Facebook Page (@orlandoadultsoccer) • post to all Team Pages through the scheduling system
• notify all Team Captains through text message
• email all team-members
If a game is canceled on-site, we will attempt to contact those Teams still scheduled to play later that day. Depending on the time of cancellation, some Teams will unfortunately have to be notified on-site. If we do cancel, games will be reschedule for the next immediately available Match Day, bumping the whole schedule forward. In same cases, games that are
REVOLVER FC
PDL REGULATIONS & RULES
(Player Development League)
canceled may have to be moved to the back of the schedule and made up at the end of the season and/or on alternate days, depending on field availability.
GAME TIME REQUESTS
Teams may prefer to play at a certain time slot. However, not only is it difficult to schedule one Team at certain times, it is also unfair to the rest of the Teams in the League. We try to give every team a fair mix of times, fields, Refs, etc. It may be possible to adjust individual game times for teams on occasion. Any game time requests should be submitted via email well in advance of the requested game time.
SOCCER BALLS
As a courtesy, the League makes two size 5 soccer balls available for each game. This is not a requirement and the League cannot guarantee the quality of available balls, as many players use them to warm up and kick them against the fence, or decline to retrieve them when they kick them over the fence when warming up or during games.
If a ball is kicked out of bounds; over a bordering fence of the field, the kicking player should retrieve the ball immediately. Not after the game or at the end of the Match Day. The kicking player will not be allowed to continue playing until they have retrieved the ball kicked over the fence. If any player is worried about missing playing time while retrieving a ball kicked over the fence, they should be careful not to kick the all over the fence.
SHINGUARDS
Shinguards are not required, but they are highly recommended.
SPECTATORS
The Club and League highly encourages inviting colleagues, co-workers, family, friends, peers, and/or significant others out to observe games. However, please note that no spectator should interact with any opposing Team, Referee, and/or Field Manager / League Administrator in any way, unless approached by a Referee and/or Field Manager / League Administrator.
Spectators are expected to demonstrate the utmost sportsmanship, just as Players are. There should be NO bullying or derogatory comments toward opponents or officiators.
ALCOHOL
Consumption of alcohol is not allowed on or around the fields, as it is a Park and County Regulation. Please save the social drinking for the post-game bar or elsewhere other than at the fields.
REVOLVER FC
PDL REGULATIONS & RULES
(Player Development League)
PETS (ANIMALS)
Unfortunately, there are no pets, animals, dogs, cats etc. allowed inside the fence of the playing fields, with the exception of leashed Service Animals.
PACK-IT-IN / PACK-IT-OUT
Please help keep the Park clean and ensure the League's future use of the fields by cleaning up after yourself. Make sure to grab any liquid bottles, tape, wrapping, etc. when leaving. Pack-it-in / Pack-It-Out.
THANK YOU
Thank you in advance for reading and abiding by these rules. The Club and League reserves the right to alter any rules without notice, as well as enforce, and/or refer to on any and/or all rules at its discretion.