01 — Rules of Play

Rules of Play

Adapted from IFAB Laws of the Game modifications for small-sided (7v7) football and common indoor and tournament disciplinary systems. Referee decisions are final.

One-Day 7v7 Soccer Tournament · Official

Format Overview

Format: 7v7 — six field players plus one goalkeeper per side.
Group stage: every team plays two group stage matches. Results are used purely for seeding — every team advances to the knockout round regardless of group stage results.
Knockout stage: single elimination. Seeding from the group stage determines the bracket. Once eliminated in the knockout round, a team is done for the day.

Match Duration & Timing

Matches are 40 minutes, played in two 20-minute halves.
Halftime is 3–5 minutes, at the discretion of tournament staff based on the day’s schedule.
The clock runs continuously and is not stopped for cards, injuries, or routine stoppages, except at the referee’s discretion for serious injury or as needed to protect the schedule.
Tournament staff may shorten pre-announced warm-up time or halftime later in the day to keep the schedule on track. Teams should be ready at their field at least 10 minutes before kickoff.

Field, Ball & Equipment

Field size and goal size will follow the dimensions of the host venue’s fields (typical 7v7 fields run roughly 55–70 yards long by 40–55 yards wide).
Match balls (size 5), goals, water, and pinnies are provided by DMV ML.
Shin guards are recommended but not required. Moulded cleats, turf shoes, or athletic shoes are permitted; metal studs are not allowed. Players should coordinate a shirt colour with their team.
Goalkeepers must wear a jersey colour that is distinct from both teams’ field players.
If two teams have similar jersey colours, the team listed second on the schedule (or the away team) changes to a pinnie provided by DMV ML.

Team & Player Eligibility

Only individually registered players (per the tournament’s Registration Terms & Conditions) may participate. Unregistered players are not permitted on the field.
A team may start and continue a match with a minimum of five players (four field players plus a goalkeeper). A team unable to field the minimum is subject to forfeit of that match under Section 12.
DMV ML staff may check IDs at the field to confirm a player is on the correct, registered roster.

Substitutions

Substitutions are unlimited and may be made at any stoppage of play, with the referee’s acknowledgment.
A substituted player may re-enter later in the same match.
A player serving a yellow-card penalty may not be replaced by a substitute during the two-minute penalty — the team plays short-handed for that time (see Section 10).

Group Stage — Standings & Seeding

Three points for a win, one point for a draw, zero points for a loss.
Ties in the standings are broken in this order: head-to-head result, then goal difference, then goals scored, then fewest total disciplinary points (yellow = 1, red = 2), then a coin toss.
Group stage matches may end in a draw — there is no extra time or shootout in the group stage.

Knockout Stage — Bracket & Tiebreakers

The knockout round is single elimination. Bracket positions are assigned by group stage seeding, with highest seeds meeting lowest seeds first per standard bracket seeding.
If a knockout match is level at the end of regulation, the match goes to a single five-minute golden goal overtime period — the first team to score wins immediately and the match ends. Both teams play the full period if no goal is scored.
If the score remains level after the golden goal period, the match is decided by kicks from the penalty mark. Tournament staff may announce a modified tiebreaker procedure on the day if the schedule requires it.
A team that forfeits or is disqualified from a knockout match is eliminated from the tournament.

Laws of Play

Offside is not enforced (standard for small-sided 7v7 formats), unless announced otherwise by tournament staff before play begins.
All fouls result in a direct free kick unless otherwise stated. Opposing players must retreat at least six yards, or as marked on the field, until the ball is in play.
Goalkeepers may handle the ball only within their own penalty area.
Kick-ins or throw-ins (per venue convention) restart play when the ball exits the sideline; goal kicks and corner kicks restart play as in the standard Laws of the Game.
A team awarded a free kick, goal kick, or corner kick has six seconds to put the ball in play once the referee signals it is ready; failing to do so forfeits the ball to the opposing team at that spot.
The referee’s decisions on all matters of fact connected with play are final.

No Slide Tackling

Slide tackling by field players is not permitted at any time, for any reason, including tackles that win the ball cleanly.
Any slide tackle results in an immediate card. Depending on severity — contact, recklessness, or danger to the opposing player — the referee may issue a yellow or a straight red card at their sole discretion.
Goalkeepers may slide within their own penalty area to make a save.

Disciplinary System — Cards & Penalties

Yellow card: a two-minute time penalty. The carded player must leave the field immediately; their team plays with one fewer field player for the full two minutes on a running clock. The player may return once the two minutes have been served.
Red card: immediate ejection. The carded player takes no further part in that match, cannot be replaced, and their team plays the remainder of that match a player down.
A player who receives two yellow cards in the same match is shown an automatic red card and is ejected.
A player who receives two red cards, direct or converted, across the tournament day is banned from that player’s next scheduled match.
Cards and their penalties are decided entirely at the referee’s discretion based on the severity of the offence — a referee may issue a straight red directly for a serious foul without a prior yellow.
Yellow card counts reset at the start of each new match and do not carry over. Red cards accumulate across the entire tournament day for the purposes of the two-red-card ban.
A player serving a suspension under the two-red-card rule may not play in their team’s next scheduled match, but may return for the match after that, at DMV ML’s discretion.
Referees and tournament staff may issue longer bans, including a ban from future DMV ML events, for serious misconduct such as fighting, violence, or threats, consistent with the Registration Terms & Conditions.

Referee Authority & Sportsmanship

The on-field referee has full authority over the conduct of the match, including timing, fouls, misconduct, and safety.
Dissent, abusive language, or intimidation of referees, staff, or other players may result in a card under Section 10, regardless of whether the underlying play was a foul.
Coaches, players, and spectators are expected to follow the tournament’s Code of Conduct at all times.

Weather, Delays & Forfeits

DMV ML may shorten match length, adjust halftime, or modify the schedule on the day of the tournament to stay on time or respond to weather.
A team that is not ready to play with the minimum number of players within five minutes of its scheduled kickoff may forfeit that match.
In the event of a forfeit, the opposing team is credited with a win; the exact scoreline recorded for standings purposes is at DMV ML’s discretion.

These rules are adapted from the IFAB Laws of the Game modifications commonly used for 7v7 small-sided football, along with card and penalty systems used by other indoor and outdoor tournament organisers. DMV ML reserves the right to clarify or adjust any rule before or during the tournament as needed for safety, fairness, or scheduling, and referee and staff decisions on the day are final.