Tournament Rules

Our Mission & Brackets

We strive to give you a great experience. Top competition with competitive brackets. Come join us for a great season of soccer fun in beautiful Southern California.

This season will focus on the 2026/2027 calendar year age matrix. We will offer the following Brackets:

  • 7v7 for U7-U10
  • 9v9 for U11-U12
  • 11v11 for U13-U19
SoCal Soccer Tournament Age Matrix

Team Registration & Rosters

Check-In Game Day:
All teams must check in at the field marshal table 30 minutes prior to each game. All players and a coach must be present at the time of the field check-in. A team that fails to report fifteen minutes prior to scheduled kick-off will forfeit the game. Failure to check-in will result in automatic disqualification from the tournament without a refund of the League fee.

Credentials:
Player Cards: Only Cal South / USYS 2025/2026 ID's will be accepted. All U.S. teams must provide valid player identification cards with a photograph. No player card, no play. All coaches must have a team binder which consists of Player Medical Liability/Media Release forms & Birth certificates for each player on hand.

Roster Limits:

  • Teams U7-U10 could register up to 12 players.
  • Teams U11-U12 could register up to 16 players.
  • Teams U13-U19 could register up to 22 players.
Club Pass Rule: A player may ONLY be rostered to one team as their Primary Team. Players may play no more than 2 games per day within the same club, but cannot play in the same flight/bracket. Players that play up in an age group as their Primary team may be club-passed to a team in their actual age group.

Rules of Play

FIFA Laws of the Game will apply as modified by USYSA as described herein. Referees have been instructed to start the game on time.

  • Ball Size: U13-U19 (Size 5) | U7-U12 (Size 4). The home team is responsible for providing 3 game balls subject to Referee approval.
  • Uniforms: Home Team: Light Color Jersey | Away Team: Dark Color Jersey. If there is a uniform conflict, the home team must change jerseys.
  • Substitutions: Unlimited. Substitutions may be made, with the consent of the referee, at any stoppage in play.
  • Equipment: All equipment will be approved at the discretion of the Center referee who will determine the safety and suitability of a player’s equipment.
  • Injuries: Delays of the game due to injury will result in appropriate time being added to the full game time, based on the judgment of the referee.

Scoring System

Determination of standings within a group:

  • Win: Three (3) points
  • Tie: One (1) point
  • Loss: Zero (0) points
  • Forfeit: Scored as 2-0. Winner receives three (3) points.
  • Red Cards / Ejections: Receive a one (1) point deduction. Coach ejections will also have a point deduction.

Tie-Breaking Procedure:

  1. Head to head results (Dropped if more than 2 teams are tied).
  2. Winner of most games.
  3. Least goals allowed in all games played within the team’s flight.
  4. Cumulative goal differential.
  5. Kicks from the penalty spot per FIFA Law.