Pink Turf Soccer League 2024 Rules of Play

Last updated April 15th 2024 by the Collective

Equipment

• All players must have shin guards which should be covered by socks. 

• All players must have soccer cleats. Metal studs, football and baseball cleats are prohibited.

• Jewelry is to be removed or taped/covered. Watches must be removed. Fitbits and Apple watches must be covered by a sweatband.

• Regular eyeglasses are not allowed; contact lenses or special sports spectacles must be worn during play. (In the spirit of making the league accessible and affordable, there may be some exceptions for people who need their eyeglasses to see and do not have other options. Wearing regular eyeglasses can be dangerous to the wearer and they must accept the risks of doing so.)

• Knee braces with hard plastic or metal must be covered. Every part of the brace must be covered by adequate padding and soft fabric to ensure the safety of other players in the event of a collision.

• Players cannot wear baseball caps or any other headgear with a peak that might injure another player or obscure a player’s vision. The only exception to this is goalies - with the referee’s approval, goalies may wear a hat to shield the sun. Headscarves are always permitted.

• Players must wear their PT uniform or a jersey of the same colour with their number on the back.

Player safety

• Players are prohibited from leaving their feet and going to the ground in an attempt to play the ball. This includes playing the ball from the ground even when other players are not around. Slide tackles are completely prohibited (including for goalies). Slide tackling is defined as an attempt to take the ball from another player with a sliding, foot-forward motion where the player goes to ground. Goalkeepers are permitted to go to ground in an attempt to block or capture the ball, but they must make contact with the ball first and foremost, and must not slide into attacking players. They should not lead with their feet, and must keep their cleats down.

• Under no circumstances, static or sliding, must any player lead with their cleats up as this is dangerous play and risks serious injury.

• If a player is down on the ground for any reason, they cannot continue to play the ball. Playing the ball or attempting to play the ball while on the ground will result in a free kick awarded to the other team. 

• Players are to play to the whistle.

• Respect the calls made by the referee on the field of play. Do not argue the call or the rules. 

• Goalie contact is not allowed and contact with the goalkeeper will result in a free kick, or card, depending on the severity of the incident and repeated offenses.

• Safe play: players should be aware of their own capabilities, reaction times and strength. Pink Turf is a recreational league, and as such player safety is the first concern. No player should seek to deliberately endanger another player on the field, and accidental injury to another player may result in punishment from the league, depending on the nature of the incident. There is a wide range of player abilities and we ask that everyone apply common sense when contesting a ball.  Both players share the responsibility of being safe and not using excessive force.

• Fighting will not be tolerated and any incidents may be reviewed by the transformative and restorative justice committee and may result in removal from the league.

• Anyone who is bleeding on the field of play must remove themselves immediately from the game. The player can only return when the bleeding has stopped or the wound has been covered.

Weather

• It is the referee’s decision to cancel a game. 

• In the absence of a field closing notification, players must show up at the field. The referee shall have the sole authority to cancel the game due to weather. If a team does not show up to the field (in the expectation that the game will be canceled), they may forfeit the game. Games canceled due to weather or field conditions are made on a game-by-game decision - the canceling of a game earlier in the day does not mean later games are canceled. Games take place during an 8 hour window, so the conditions can change quickly from game-to-game, or during a game. 

• Rain will not prevent a game taking place unless it is accompanied by lightning, or the level of rain is such it could potentially damage the field for future weeks. Again, this is at the discretion of the referee.

• Poor air quality (for instance from wildfire smoke) may lead to game cancellations. The league will handle poor air quality using the following criteria: 

• The following Ontario Government site will be used to determine the current and forecasted Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)

• https://www.airqualityontario.com/aqhi/today.php?sites=33003

• At 10am on Friday, the Collective will review the AQHI forecast for Saturday. A decision will be made based on the worst AQHI forecasted at any time on Saturday

• At AQHI of 4 to 6 there will be mandatory water breaks during all games

• At AQHI of 7 + games will be canceled (all games canceled)

• If AQHI reaches 7 + unexpectedly on Saturday games will be canceled for the rest of the day. The decision will be made by the Referee Coordinator and/or the Collective.

At the field

• Dog owners: players and spectators are welcome to bring their dogs to games but they remain the responsibility of their owner. We ask all dog owners to ensure their dogs are safely leashed on the sidelines. 

• Alcohol policy: Due to the potential risk of losing our field permit – and therefore risking the existence of Pink Turf Soccer league – any member or guests of members found consuming alcohol or illegal substances on the field will be asked to leave the field. If the offending person does not comply then the incident will be reviewed by the arbitration committee and this may result in removal from the league and/or forfeit of the game.

• Smoking policy: As of January 1, 2015, it is illegal to smoke tobacco and/or hold lighted tobacco within 9 meters of playgrounds, play areas, sporting areas and spectator areas adjacent to sporting areas.

• Water breaks: By agreement of the Team Representatives and referees at the start of the game, 2-minute water breaks may be used within each half. Once this decision is made, only by agreement of both team representatives and the referee can the water breaks be rescinded.

Attendance

• PTSL requires a player to attend 51% of regular season games during the summer season in order to play in the playoffs. If a player misses more than 51% of games and does not abide by the attendance policy, the player will not be able to play in the playoffs and may be removed from the team.

• A minimum of seven players per team is required to play. Should a team have insufficient players at the scheduled start time, the team will be allowed an additional 15 minutes for players to take the field. If during the 15 minute period sufficient players are dressed and on the field, the match will begin and the delay time deducted equally between the halves. After 15 minutes, the team that did not have sufficient attendance will default the game and a forfeit will be recorded.

• Borrowing players is not permitted (except goalkeepers, see below). If a team does not have enough players and must forfeit, then the field may be used for a friendly scrimmage game. Only Pink Turf registered players may participate in the scrimmage. 

• If a team needs to borrow a goalkeeper, the request must go through the goalie coordinator. Requests should be made to the goalie coordinator at least two days before the game (i.e. Thursday). 

• Goalkeeper subs may not be used to allow the goalkeeper to play on the field in order to avoid a forfeit

• Last minute goalkeeper substitution requests must go through the goalie coordinator

• If the goalkeeper is injured during the game the following options are available in this order:

• Look for someone on the same team to fill in as goalkeeper. (However, it is possible there won’t be someone who feels comfortable/safe filling in that position.) 

• Reach out to the goalie coordinator to provide a substitute.

• If neither of those options are available then both teams may agree to allow a substitute goalkeeper from another team to fill in.

If a substitute goalkeeper is utilized, the injured goalkeeper may not play on the field. 

• Substitutions are to be made at the half-way line, and only after the referee has given permission. Substitutions are unlimited. Substitutions can only be made on throw-ins (when your team is taking the throw-in, or if the opponent is making a substitution), on a goal kick, or after a goal is scored. If a player is injured, a substitute can come on for the injured player. 

Misconduct

• League members will not engage in any form of abuse or harassment towards players, officials, scorekeepers, or spectators. This includes the use of anti-Black, racist language and behaviour, homophobic and transphobic language on the field, on the sidelines and at Pink Turf social events. The use of profanity, obscene gestures, offensive remarks, sexual harassment, taunting or any other form of abusive behaviour is prohibited. There is zero room for hate in our community. Players will respect the decisions of the referee and will not engage in confrontational criticism.

• If a player is issued a yellow card, they are required to leave the field for at least 5 minutes as a “cooling off period”. The player can be replaced by another player so that the team does not have to play short-sided. 

• All red cards will be reviewed by an Arbitration Committee to decide on consequences. Recurring yellow cards may also be reviewed by an Arbitration Committee.

• Any questions or concerns can be brought to the attention of the Team Representative at any time. Only Team Representatives should address the referee with their concerns, either at half time or after the game.