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2024 VPA SOCCER GUIDE

I. SEASON

  1. Soccer has been classified as a fall sport. The fall season may open on August 15th for girls and boys (all divisions), and conclude on November 2nd for all divisions (weather dependent).
  1. No school shall schedule more than fourteen contests, exclusive of playoffs sanctioned by the     V.P.A.
  1. All Vermont soccer coaches are now required to complete or must have already completed the NFHS concussion education program before the first practice of the Fall season. Coaches must remember that this requirement must be renewed every two years.
  1. As of the Fall of 2016, all coaches are required to have AED/CPR education and shall have training with their school’s Emergency Act Plan. This must be renewed every 2 years. 
  1. The following preseason training procedures have been adopted. During the preseason schools

 will follow these new procedures: 

a) teams may use double practices starting the first day of practice, however, the practices cannot total more than 3 ½ hours (max 2 hours for one practice and 1 ½ hours for the other) 

b) there is to be a minimum of a 3-hour rest period between practices (for recovery and hydration). During this 3 hours period, you cannot conduct any active training sessions (no walk-through) but you can do a classroom meeting. 

c) a scrimmage can be held at any time. There is no minimum number of practices required to participate in a scrimmage.

d) No team shall have consecutive days of double training sessions. 

e) a school must complete 10 practices before its first game.

Scrimmages and Jamborees

  • Scrimmage: A scrimmage is defined as and intended to be a learning situation, not a competitive event. A scrimmage is a practice and shall be treated as such. Scrimmages have unlimited timeouts during which coaches are allowed to provide instruction. Scrimmage can be conducted under the following regulations:
  • A team cannot play more than 20% of the maximum number of regular season games as scrimmages with other teams (schools) up to the conclusion of the regular season. Scrimmages are allowed in the postseason and are not a part of the 20%.
  • No admission shall be charged. While the public need not be denied admittance to a scrimmage, it shall not be played as a regular game.
  • Scrimmages are not bound by the length of game regulations, however, individual players cannot exceed the playing time of a regular season game.
  • A score is only to be kept by the quarter/period/inning/half and not as a regular game.
  • Jamboree (or Round Robin): A jamboree is defined as a scrimmage in which a team engages two or more other teams. Schools are allowed to use the equivalent of 2 scrimmages at a jamboree/round robin.

II. RULES

  1. The current issue of the National Federation Soccer Rules shall be the official playing rules for interscholastic soccer among member schools in the State of Vermont, except as varied by the Vermont Soccer Guide.  Any game that is stopped before the completion of the first half, is to be replayed in its entirety. The rescheduling of games will be conducted between schools.  If an agreement to reschedule a game cannot be met, the VPA Executive or Associate Executive Director, and Chair of the Soccer Committee will mediate.

B. Encourage each V.P.A. member school and coach to monitor the number of accumulated yellow and red cards and to develop a yellow/red policy for the team.

Note – in the 2024 soccer season, any team that acquires more than two ejections (of the 2 game variety) will be required to meet with the Activities Standards Committee before entering or continuing in the tournament. The purpose is to discuss steps being taken to address this situation. The VPA will keep a centralized accounting of red and yellow cards.

C. POINT OF EMPHASIS-the NFHS Points of Emphasis is located on page 78 of the NFHS Soccer Rules Book. Coaches are responsible for reading this information as the points will apply to coaching a team. 2024-2024  Rules Changes are on pages 2-3 of the NFHS Soccer Rules book. It is recommended that all schools have a pre-season meeting with  an official who can explain new and current rules for the year to the team.

D.         Ejection of Player(s) and Coach(es):

Three situations exist:

1. TWO (2) GAME SUSPENSIONS:

  • A player or coach who is ejected from a game for the following infractions which are harmful in nature shall be suspended from playing or coaching for that game and the next two contests. 

A. Verbally harmful conduct. NO SUBSTITUTE IS ALLOWED FOR THE PLAYER.

B. Malicious physical contact.  (including fighting) NO SUBSTITUTE IS ALLOWED FOR THE PLAYER.

C. Taunting – No substitute is allowed.

2. ONE (1) GAME SUSPENSION: Rule 12-8-2I-when a player receives a second caution in the same game, he/she will be disqualified with a red card and the team will now play the remainder of the game without replacing the disqualified player (2021)

3. CURRENT GAME SUSPENSION:

An intentional handball that prevents a goal.  Ejection from that game only if the goal is 

                          prevented.  If a goal is scored, a yellow card is given and you then follow the yellow card 

                          procedures.

Accumulation of Yellow Cards. , All schools are required to keep track of the number of yellow 

   Cards accumulated by their teams as reported by officials.

MOUTH PIECES: It is recommended that all players wear a mouth guard that covers all upper molars, as well as upper front teeth.  Mouthguards are recommended to be worn in all practices and competitions and are recommended to all participants at all levels (e.g. freshman, junior varsity, and varsity for boys and girls).

OVERTIME: (Regular Season)

There will be a five-minute mandatory time out after the regulation time.

There will be two -10 minute sudden victory overtime periods. If the teams remain tied after the two overtime, a tie is declared.  

In 2024, the post-season tournament will be open to all schools who are VPA members.

It is the belief of the VPA that everyone is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the game. With that in mind, coaches, officials, and team captains will meet for a pre-game conference to discuss all game procedures and expectations. 

For the Fall 2021 season, the VPA has implemented a running clock rule. In the 2nd half, if there is a 5-goal deficit then the clock will continue to run unless there is a severe injury. 

2024 Soccer Rule Changes

***Please see page 2 of the NFHS Soccer rules book for changes.***

III. TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

A.  To qualify for tournament consideration, a team must have completed at least an eight-game schedule with three different schools by the time of the picks and submit an application.

B. All scores must be submitted prior to Oct 20.

LAST DATE TO PLAY GAMES:

Boys: Saturday, October 19, 2024

Girls: Saturday, October 19, 2024

TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS AVAILABLE:

Girls: Monday, October 21, 2024, Noon

Boys: Monday, October 21, 2024, Noon

PLAYDOWNS:

Boys & Girls: Div. 1, 2, 3 & 4 – Tuesday/Wednesday October 22/23, 2024

QUARTERFINALS:

Boys & Girls – Div. 1, 2, 3, & 4 –Friday/Saturday, October 25/26, 2024

SEMI-FINALS:

Boys & Girls- Tuesday/Wednesday, Oct 29/30, 2024

FINALS:

Boys & Girls – Weekend of Nov. 1-3, 2024

      *For the finals, the tournament director shall be responsible for determining, in case of   inclement weather, whether or not the game will be played, or continued if play has started.

IV. TOURNAMENT PROCEDURE

A. For playoff consideration, the minimum size of the field will be 100 yards x 60 yards, and meet regulations as set by the Federation Rule Book. 

Unsuitable Fields:

For tournament play, a school with an unsuitable field (due to size or condition), shall provide a backup field, with the approval of the committee.

B.   In the playoff games through finals the Select Royale Soccer Ball will be used by all schools.

C.   In games, all tournament games where a winner must evolve, the following procedure will 

         be used for breaking ties:

  • There will be a five-minute mandatory time out after the regulation time.
  • There will be a maximum of two 15-minute sudden victory overtime periods, eleven-on-eleven.
  • Teams will switch ends at the conclusion of the first eleven-on-eleven sudden victory overtime with a 2-minute break. If the score is tied after both sudden victories over time, each team will select any five players to take penalty kicks in an alternating fashion.  The order of kicks will be determined by a coin toss. The same players or different players may be selected for each round.  Additional kicks will be conducted in rounds of five.  The team scoring the most significant number of these kicks will be declared the winner.
  •  A game interrupted before the completion of the 1st half will be replayed in its entirety.  A game interrupted during the 2nd half will be replayed from the point of suspension unless both teams agree not to complete the contest, in which case the score will become final.

D. In the State Finals each school will provide two ball persons to run the sidelines.