The Rules of FIFA will generally apply except for the Summer Football rules listed below.
CLICK HERE to download a copy of the playing rules. (updated 20/11/24)

1. PLAYING RULES
(b) There is no offside.

(c) There is no slide tackling. A free kick will be awarded to the opposing team for any slide tackle.

(d) There are no throw-ins. If a ball goes over the sideline play is resumed by a kick-in at the point the ball crossed the sideline. When kicked the ball must be stationary and on or behind the sideline.
The minimum distance an opposing player may be from a kick-in is 5 metres. A goal cannot be scored directly from a kick-in.

(e) All free kicks (apart from penalties) will be indirect. The minimum distance an opposing player may be from the ball in a free kick situation is 5 metres.

(f) Penalties to be taken from a spot 6 metres out and in line with the middle of the goal. Goalkeepers cannot be changed immediately after a penalty or free kick has been awarded (unless injured).

(g) There is unlimited interchange which can only be done when the ball is out of play. When interchanges the player leaving the field must do so before the replacement player enters the field.

2. GOALKEEPING.
(a) Goal kicks. If the ball has been made dead behind the goal-line by the opposing team, it is a goal kick and play can be restarted by either a place kick, a punt kick from the goalie’s hands or a throw i.e. the ball does not need to be placed on the ground as per a traditional goal kick. The most important thing is to restart the game with the minimum loss of time.

(b) The overarching rule of a goal kick is that the ball cannot be propelled by any means past the halfway line on the full. If a ball is kicked or thrown over the halfway line on the full, an indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposition nearest to where the ball crossed the half way line.

(c) Similarly, in general play, after gaining control of the ball by using his/her hands, the goalkeeper cannot kick or throw the ball over the half way line on the full. Catching, picking the ball up, or patting it down, is considered to be having control over the ball (punching the ball away for a save is not considered having control).

(d) The only time the goalkeeper can kick the ball over the halfway line on the full is from general play where they have not used their hands (e.g. after receiving a pass from a teammate / when clearing the ball / making a save with their feet).

(e) The goalkeeper cannot pick up or touch the ball with his/her hands directly from a kick-in by a teammate (as this will be adjudged as a back-pass). As with a backpass made during general play, this will result in an indirect free kick to be taken on the edge on the “D” adjacent to where the offence occurred.

(f) The goalkeeper must release the ball within 6 seconds of gaining control of the ball in his hands. If not released, this will result in an indirect free kick to be taken on the edge on the “D” adjacent to where the offence occurred.

3. REGISTRATIONS
(a) To keep Manly Warringah Summer Football primary a club based tournament no team can register or play more than two (2) “Rep” players.
A “Rep’ player is defined as…..
 A Manly United or Youth League player.
 A player in the Skill Acquisition Programme (SAP)
 A player in the Manly United Development Squad.
 Any player outside the above categories in an equivalent "Rep" program as determined by the Summer Football Grading Director.
Exceptions to the above are Development Squad players that are all playing for the same winter club team, and Manly United all girls teams who are playing in a boys summer football competition.
NOTE: Separate divisions for teams with Manly United and other “Rep” players are available.

(b) All games are played 6v6 (including goal-keepers) except for the boys U/6 and U/7 age-groups who will play 7v7 (including goal-keepers).

(c) The minimum number of registered players in all teams is seven, except for the boys U/6 and U/7 age-groups where the minimum number of registered players is eight.
Additional players may be registered at any time during the tournament.

(d) Players wishing to register in more than one team must first seek permission from the Tournament Manager. Players can only register for two teams if those teams play on a different day. This rule does not apply to SAP teams that play in their own competition.
A discounted registration fee for the 2nd team applies.

(e) No unregistered player shall take the field of play.
Any team playing an unregistered or suspended player will lose competition points as determined by the Disciplinary Committee.

(f) Girls can play in a boys team.

4. PLAYING STRIP
(a) A player cannot take the field unless he/she is wearing the official competition shirt. If a player does not bring their playing shirt to the game they must show ID at the admin desk and obtain a bib for that game.

(b) It is the responsibility of each team to provide their own shorts and socks. All players in the same team must make an effort to wear the same (or similar) colour shorts and socks (shorts do not have to be the same color as the socks).

(c) No player can take the field without shin pads.

5. BORROWED PLAYERS
NOTE: In keeping with the spirit of Summer Football the following rules are NOT to be used to simply "stack" a team with stronger players.
The borrowing rules are primary designed to avoid a team forfeiting and allow a "fair" games to be played.

(a) A team must field a minimum of four (4) players (including any borrowed players) or forfeit their game.
Boys U/6 and U/7 Teams.
Can only borrow a maximum of three (3) players in the one game.
Can only borrow players to bring the team up to seven (7) players (e.g. if your team has five players, you can only borrow two players to fill in and bring your team up to seven players.)
Girls U/7-8 and Boys U/8 and above.
Can only borrow a maximum of two (2) players in the one game.
Can only borrow players to bring the team up to six (6) players (e.g. if your team has five players, you can only borrow one player to fill in and bring your team up to six players)

(b) A team cannot field more players than the number of registered players in that team. (i.e. if your team only has five registered players, you cannot borrow a player to bring your team up to six players)

(c) In competition grades (U/11 and above), players cannot be borrowed from a team in a higher division.

6. ADDITIONAL PLAYING RULES FOR MIXED OPEN & MIXED O/35
(a) No more than two (2) of the five (5) field players can be male (this rule does not apply to the goalkeeper who can be either male of female).

(b) A goal (including penalty goal) scored by a female player will count as two team goals. This does not apply to an "own goal" which will count as one goal.

(c) A goalkeeper cannot cross the half-way line. Should this happen a free kick will be awarded on the half-way line where the infringement occured.

(d) All players must strictly abide by the spirit in which the Mixed Divisions are intended to be played.
     Rule 7(a) will be firmly applied by the referees in the Mixed Divisions, including a strict interpretation of excessive men v women shoulder/shoulder challenges.

7. CAUTIONS, RED CARDS & TEAM FOULS.
(a) All players must abide by the spirit of Summer Football which is biased towards being non-contact and played primary for enjoyment and practice.  Any unnecessary aggression or forceful challenges, slide tackling or tackling from behind will result in a free kick and a possible yellow or red card.

(b) Should the players in a team commit a total of four contact fouls within any 18 minute half each subsequent contact foul (the 5th, 6th, 7th etc) by the same team in that half will result in the opposition team being awarded a penalty kick, taken as per Rule 1.(e)

(c) Any player who accumulates three yellow cards in the tournament will receive a one game suspension.

(d) Any player receiving a red card cannot be substituted in the game and that player will receive an appropriate suspension as determined by the Disciplinary Committee. Any appeal by the player must be made in writing and received within 48 hours from the date of the suspension being announced. Appeals received after this time will not be heard and the suspension will stand.

(e) To enforce the ethos of this tournament, the Disciplinary Committee has the authority to impose an appropriate suspension on any player (or team) who does not abide by the rules or the spirit by which the rules are intended.

8. TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE
(a) Games are played over two halves with each half being eighteen (18) minutes with a one (1) minute break for half time. Games will start and stop by the referee’s whistle.

(b) Competition Points will be awarded as follows for grades U/11 and above:
3 points for a win. 1 point for a draw. 0 points for a loss.
(A forfeit will be treated as a 0-5 score with 3 points awarded as a win to the other team.)

(c) The maximum winning goal difference in any game is 9 goals.
e.g. a 13-2 win will be counted as 11-2

(d) It is the responsibility of the winning team (or the home team if a draw) to confirm the final score on the referee’s card and return it to the administration desk immediately after the game.

(e) There is no competition table for U/6 to U/10's.
Football Federation Australia guidelines ask that the emphasis of these younger players be towards developing ball skills (and having more fun) instead of just simply playing to win.
Consequently, the draw for the U/6-U/10 grades may be amended during the tournament (if required) to minimise the number of one-sided high scoring games.

9. FINALS
(a) If teams are equal on competition points at the end of the last round, the finals placing shall be decided by the following order.
 The team with the better goal difference. (i.e. goals for less goals against)
 If still equal, the team with the most goals scored.
 If still equal, the win-loss result in the game/s between the teams.
 If still equal, a toss of the coin will decide the higher placed team.
 As all grades from U/10 and under are non-competitive, these teams will play either a regular game on finals night or a game as selected by the grading committee as appropriate for the occasion.

(b) The Major Final to determine the competition winner will be between the teams finishing 1st and 2nd at the end of the last round.
All other teams will also play on finals night based on their standings after the last round, i.e. 3 v 4, 5 v 6, 7 v 8 etc.

(c) If the Major Final between teams 1 v 2 ends in a draw, the team finishing higher on the competition table (1st) will be declared the tournament winner. There will be no extra time or penalties played in the finals.

(d) If any round on the draw is designated as “TBA” then games for this round may be played based on the team’s position on the table after the previous week. There will be no “knock-out” type semi-final games and every team will play on finals night.

(e) If, for any reason, games are unable to be played, priority will be given to complete a full round of the draw before playing any additional rounds. In the unlikely event of being unable to replay every game on finals night only the Major Final (between teams that finished 1st and 2nd) may be played to determine the tournament winner.

(f) To be eligible to play in a Major Final a player must have played at least three (3) previous games for that team or seek approval from the Tournament Manager.

10. REFEREES
(a) Official referees will be appointed to all games.
(b) In the unlikely event of no official referee being available, either team can provide a suitable referee via mutual agreement (it is permissible for each team to referee a half). If no agreement can be reached between the teams the match will be abandoned and no competition points awarded.