Tournament Sanctioning

Northern Lights Soccer Club (NLSC) is in good standing with the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association (MYSA), a member of the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).  All NLSC tournaments are fully sanctioned through the MYSA.

• Tournament Brackets
  • Our desire is to fill all brackets as shown below.  All brackets will contain a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 8 teams. We WILL NOT combine age brackets, unless a bracket only has 5 teams and the team moving into the bracket approves the move.
  • If a bracket does not have 6 teams we will not have that bracket in the tournament. 
  • In brackets with 6 teams, the brackets will be created with three teams each with cross-over matches.  The winner of each bracket will play for the championship game.
  • Teams that play the extra match, due to having 7 teams in a bracket, will have their scores averaged.
  • Each team will be scheduled to play a minimum of three games.  
  • All player passes will be presented before each game using the Affinity System
  • Any player may play for only ONE team in any given MYSA Sanctioned tournament.
• Anticipated Brackets:

• Results
  • All scores must be reported on the form provided by referee coordinator, and turned in to tournament headquarters.
  • Game results, including notification of teams advancing to playoff rounds, will be posted at the Tournament Headquarters and club website www.northernlightssoccer.org, and will be updated hourly, as Affinity allows, throughout the tournament.

     

  • Tournament Headquarters will be staffed through Sunday until all games are complete.

     

     

     

  • Tournament schedules, rules, and field maps along, with general information will be emailed one week prior to the start of the games.

     

     

  • If weather conditions force tournament officials to cancel the weekend’s events or shorten the event and teams do not get 3 games, a voucher will be supplied to each team for an amount based on tournament costs and games played for the next year’s tournament.Tournament cost amount to be decided by tournament officials.

     

• Tournament Headquarters/Directors
  • Tournament Headquarters are located at Elmcrest Park
  • The Tournament Director is: Andy Severance
  • Tournament Director email: tournaments@northernlightssoccer.org
  • Each playing site will have a Site Coordinator with phone access to the Tournament Director, should questions arise.

     

• Check-In Requirements
  • Check-in staff will be available beginning at 6:00 PM on Friday May 17(unless games are scheduled for Friday, information will be sent out with schedules if this is the case) through Saturday May 18 at 12:00 PM at Tournament Headquarters.
  • Coaches or Team Managers, please register no later than one hour before your first scheduled game at Elmcrest Park. Your roster will be frozen at that time.
  • Required Items at Check-In:
    • Player passes on Affinity, including any guest players.
    • Coach passes on Affinity.
    • Non MYSA teams will need laminated passes for tournament check in.Then Affinity will be used for game check in.
    • Non MYSA teams will need proof of insurance, permission to travel forms(If Necessary) and any other forms required by either MYSA or teams governing body
    • Medical release forms (you may use your own club’s medical forms or the MYSA liability/medical release form)
• Game Fields
  • Games will be played on quality soccer fields either at Elmcrest Park or an offsite field if necessary.
  • Teams will be notified of any offsite locations.  All venues are within 10 minutes travel time of each other. 
  • All directions are available at www.northernlightssoccer.org, and at tournament check in.
  • All areas being used are smoke -free, alcohol free, and drug free zones. Smoking or use of alcohol/drugs is strictly prohibited at any of the tournament sites.  
  • No animals are allowed at any tournament site.

     

     

     

• Registration and Fees
  • Registration will be accepted in the order received, provided room exists in the bracket being registered for. 
  • Fees are non-refundable if games are cancelled for any reason.
  • Fees:
    • U11-U12: $400
    • U13-U14: $435
• Players and Roster

   

  • U13-U15 teams will be allowed to roster a maximum of 18 players.
  • U11-U12 team will be allowed to roster a maximum of 16 players.
  • A player will only be allowed to play on one team.
  • Guest Players
    • A maximum of 3 guest players are permitted per team.
    • Guest players must be a registered USSF registered player with their state association who is age eligible.
    • Each guest player will need a signed MYSA guest player form.
    • All guest players must be at the C3 or City playing level.

       

       

• Awards
  • Awards will be given to 1st and 2nd place teams in brackets where a championship game is played.
  • Please head to the tournament headquarters immediately after a championship game to receive your awards.   

    
     

• Severe Weather, Field Conditions & Cancellation Policy
  • Tournament officials reserve the right to shorten and/or cancel games as deemed necessary while following MYSA weather policies.  Lightning in the area or weather that could cause risk to participants may result in play being suspended.
  • If a game is suspended, the following procedures will be implemented:
    • Players and Spectators should move to vehicles or shelter upon a weather stoppage, but should not leave the area until games are declared complete, as indicated below.
    • If the Weather delay is shorter than 20 minutes, games will resume from the point of stoppage.
    • If the weather delay is longer than 30 minutes:
      • All games in progress will be declared complete, with the score at the stoppage as the final score.
      • Any games that were scheduled to begin during the weather delay will be delayed.  New game times will be communicated as soon as possible.
• Health & Safety
  • Players with plaster casts must be in compliance with MYSA safety guidelines. 
  • In the case of an emergency, the tournament will have emergency resources available.  
  • Tournaments will follow heat index guidelines.
  • It is each team’s responsibility to provide water, ice, and basic first aid.
  • Each team must provide medical release forms for each player upon check- in.
  • Each team will follow the concussion guidelines put forth by the state of Minnesota in Statutes 2010, sections 124D.10, subdivision 8; 128C.02, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 121A.
  • Teams will also follow the heading guidelines set forth by MYSA and can be found here; http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0112/0018/mysa_heading_guide.pdf

     

     

• Parent, Coach and Player Behavior
  • Parents and coaches are expected to behave in a manner reflecting the spirit of this tournament.
  • Any disrespectful, violent, or harassing behavior will not be tolerated.
  • Any parent that is asked by a referee or tournament official to leave because of disrespectful or unruly behavior will not be allowed back for the remainder of the tournament.
  • If a removed parent returns for another scheduled game, it will not begin until the parent reaches the parking lot.
  • Any coach that receives a red card will not be allowed to coach for the remainder of the tournament.No matter how many games the coach has remaining.
  • Any player receiving 3 yellow cards during the tournament will miss the next scheduled game.Example: Player receives 1 yellow card in each of his/her 3 guaranteed games, they will miss the playoff or championship game if the team qualifies.

     

     

     

• Rules of Play
  • FIFA rules as modified by MYSA, and as further modified in this document.
  • Red Cards: Red cards will follow MYSA/USYSA Rules.
  • Referees
    • A three-person referee system will be used for U11 and above.
    • Only USSF certified and currently registered referees will be used for center referees; club lines may be used in some cases.
    • All referee decisions are final.  Interested referees should contact our Referee Assignor, Charles Speckman at assignors@refassignors.com.
    • NO PROTEST WILL BE ENTERTAINED.

       

• Games
  • Each team will be scheduled to play a minimum of three games.
  • The Tournament Committee will not be held liable for any “no show” team.  Teams not showing for game will automatically lose the game and be deducted 3 points.  6 points will be awarded to the opposing team.
  • Teams listed first on the schedule are the home team, and are responsible to provide a game ball and resolve any jersey color conflicts.  Uniforms must be identical for all players. Sliders/under shorts must be the same color as the shorts and above the knee.
  • Both teams will occupy the same side of the field and the spectators of both teams will occupy the opposite side of the field. Tournament officials will determine which sides the teams will occupy as well as spectators.
  • Each game will be played under FIFA rules as modified by MYSA, and as further modified within this document.
  • Games may start as early as Friday at 5:00 pm, and as early as 8:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday.
  • MYSA teams must reschedule any league games that are in conflict with the tournament schedule. 
  • If games are behind schedule, tournament officials may reduce each half by five minutes to keep the tournament on schedule.

     

     

• Points and Tiebreakers
  • Games ending in ties will remain ties in preliminary rounds.
  • Playoff or championship games in a tie at the end of regulation play will proceed to two 5 minute overtime periods.  If the match is still tied at the end of the two 5 minute over-time periods, it will then be decided by kicks from the penalty mark following FIFA Laws of the Game. 
  • Listed below are the criteria for determining tournament points and ties
  • Highest number of points
    • Win = 6 
    • Tie = 3
    • Goals scored (maximum of 3 per match)
    • Shutout = 1
    • 0-0 tie equals 4 points
    • 3-0 win equals 10 points
• If teams have equal points in the standings the following will be used to break the tie.
  • Head to head
  • Most wins
  • Goal differential
  • Goals against
  • Goals for
  • Kicks from the spot

     

     

• Forfeits
  • Teams that forfeit a game may not advance to any award round.
  • A grace period of 20 minutes beyond the schedule kickoff time, or the completion of the preceding game will be allowed before a forfeit is declared.
  • Failure to complete a match, or teams leaving the field during play will result in forfeiture.
  • All forfeits will be reported to MYSA