1. PURPOSE
This manual documents the methods, procedures, and guidelines for the SCYSA Challenge Cup. These annual tournaments decide which teams are Champions in the SCYSA Challenge Cup and will represent the South Carolina Youth Soccer Association in the U S Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships. In order to continue to improve the games, this manual may be updated by a majority vote of the SCYSA Board of Directors.
2. SCOPE
This manual is applicable to the annual SCYSA Challenge Cup. The U15 – U18 competitions will be held at the end of the fall season, and the U13 – U14 competitions will be held at the end of the spring season. U19 SCYSA Challenge Cup teams for both boys and girls must be formed by the date listed on the SCYSA calendar and may advance directly to the Southern Regional Championship without having to participate in a league or cup play. There will be a maximum of eight (8) teams in each age group (U13 – U18). These eight (8) teams will come from the Region III Premier League (maximum of two) and from the South Carolina State Challenge League. The First Round of the SCYSA Challenge Cup begins in a district with the top four (4) teams playing their games in their home District and the other four (4) teams traveling to play. Dates, times and locations of all Cup play will be set by the SCYSA Board of Directors and posted on the SCYSA website.
3. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS
FIFA Laws of the Game as amended annually
USSF Official Administrative Rule Book as amended annually
Policy on US Youth Soccer National Championships as amended annually
SCYSA Bylaws
SCYSA Administrative Manual
SCYSA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
SCYSA Annual Calendar
4. COMPETITION DIVISIONS AND AGE GROUPS
The SCYSA Challenge Cup is comprised of the following competition divisions and age groups:
Girls and Boys Teams U13 – U19. The winner of the SCYSA Challenge Cup in the U14 – U19 age groups shall advance to the U S Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships. SCYSA Challenge Cup Teams in the U13 age groups will not advance beyond the SCYSA Challenge Cup.
5. FEES
Fees for entry into the First and Final Rounds of the SCYSA Challenge Cup weekends are set prior to the SCYSA Challenge Cup by the SCYSA Board of Directors and will be listed on the SCYSA Challenge Cup entry form. In the event there are not enough teams (fewer than five) to form a viable age group, teams in that age group will be advanced to the Final Round of the SCYSA Challenge Cup.
6. PERFORMANCE BOND
Each team from the Region III Premier League participating in the SCYSA Challenge Cup shall post a separate performance bond in addition to the team’s registration fee. Each team from the SCSCL league will use the league bond for the SCYSA Challenge Cup. This performance bond must be in the form of a check payable to SCYSA with the name of the team placed on the check. A club shall submit one check per team for any or all Premier League teams participating in the SCYSA Challenge Cup. The bond will be destroyed at the conclusion of the team’s last game or required activity (e.g. awards ceremony).
A team’s performance bond will be forfeited by:
1. Improper registration
2. Failure to have an adult representative at the coaches’ meeting prior to the SCYSA Challenge Cup.
3. Failure to be ready to play at the scheduled time plus grace period of ten (10) minutes for any game.
4. Failure to participate in the entire awards ceremony if that team is a participant in the championship game.
5. Once a team has declared its intent to play by joining the Region III Premier League or the South Carolina State Challenge League, any failure to appear at state, regional or national cup matches in that same age group may result in the loss of its bond and a minimum suspension for one (1) year of the coach and assistant coach of the team in violation.
6. If a performance bond is forfeited, then a new performance bond must be posted before the team may continue as a part of the SCYSA Challenge Cup.
7. PLAYER/COACH/DIRECTOR OF COACHING(DOC) PASSES
Each player, coach and assistant coach in the SCYSA Challenge Cup must have an official U S Youth Soccer pass (ID card). The pass shall have the player’s/coach’s signature, the signature of the State Registrar/designee, the State Seal and a current photograph permanently attached. Players may not be photographed in hats or headbands and must sign their name as it appears on the front of the pass. All passes must be laminated. A coach must have a pass for each team he/she intends to accompany on the bench. Each DOC accounts for one of the four allotted coaches on your official South Carolina Youth Soccer Association roster. The club is allowed passes for two DOCs only.
8. TEAM ROSTERS
Rosters are frozen at a date chosen by the SCYSA Board of Directors. No player may be added or transferred to a team after the team roster is frozen. No player may participate in more than one (1) State Cup during a seasonal year. The roster will list the team coach, team assistant(s), and all team players. For U17 and U18 a game roster will be limited to 18 players for the match. The game roster is a copy of your Official SCYSA Roster with a maximum of 18 players shown for game day. Any other players listed on the Official SCYSA Roster must be marked through the game roster if it contains more than 18 players. Only players listed on the game roster are allowed on the bench. All U14 – U19 Championship teams of the SCYSA Challenge Cup will sign a U S Youth Soccer Blue Roster upon completion of the final round. These rosters will be signed in the presence of the Cups and Games Director/designee. The Cups and Games Director/designee will sign each roster as a witness to its validity.
9. RED CARD TRACKING FORM
All U13 – U18 SCYSA Challenge Cup teams shall continue using the red card tracking form through the First Round of the SCYSA Challenge Cup and present the completed form signed by the head coach to the SCYSA Director of Cups and Games/designee prior to the start of the Final Round of the SCYSA Challenge Cup.
10. PLAYER EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORMS
All teams shall wear matching uniforms consisting of jersey, shorts, and socks. Every field player shall have a unique and identifiable number attached to his/her jersey. Additional garments may be worn to protect against the elements, but all players must present a uniform appearance and all extra clothing is subject to the approval of the referee. Socks must be pulled up over each player’s shin guards and all shirts must remain tucked in for the duration of all matches. No jewelry of any type may be worn during a match under any circumstances. All players, including the goalkeeper, must wear shin guards during the duration of all matches. Additional equipment or clothing worn to reduce the chance of injury or to protect existing injuries shall be used only with the approval of the referee. The referee is the sole judge of whether player equipment, casts, or protective or other assistance devices shall be allowed as prescribed in the FIFA “Laws of the Game”. In general, hard casts will be allowed only if they are (a) wrapped in their entirety with a half inch of foam or other cushioning material and (b) are, in the opinion of the referee, safe. At the first indication that a player with a cast or other protective device is using it in an unsafe manner, or to gain an advantage, the player shall be removed from the match not to return for the duration of the SCYSA Challenge Cup or until the cast or device has been removed.
Should the referee in any match determine that the equipment worn by a player does not meet the FIFA criteria as documented for non-dangerous player equipment and prevents the player from match participation, that referee shall be required to submit a written report to the Tournament Committee detailing the reason(s) for the decision. The report is to be submitted within two (2) hours of the match’s completion.
11. TEAM ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for the SCYSA Challenge Cup, a team must be comprised of properly registered and rostered youth players and the team and its affiliate organization shall be in good standing with SCYSA. Any team having forfeited two (2) or more league games during the current cup season shall be reviewed by the SCYSA Board of Directors and may be deemed ineligible for play in the SCYSA Challenge Cup. A team shall compete in the Region III Premier League or the South Carolina State Challenge League to be eligible for the SCYSA Challenge Cup. The team shall play in the same age group at the SCYSA Challenge Cup as it played in league play. All teams U13 – U18 shall demonstrate continuity of rosters between league and cup play by maintaining a minimum of nine (9) players common to the rosters of both competitions. State Select/ODP Teams may not compete.
12. FORMAT
All U15 - U18 teams will declare their intention to participate in the SCYSA Challenge Cup when they register to play in the Region III Premier League or the South Carolina State Challenge League for the fall season. All U13 - U14 teams will declare their intention to participate in the SCYSA Challenge Cup when they register to play in the Region III Premier League or the South Carolina State Challenge League for the spring season. The U19 boys and girls SCYSA Challenge Cup teams may be formed to participate in the Southern Regional Championships.
FORMAT FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF THE SCYSA Challenge Cup
13. SCYSA CHALLENGE CUP TEAMS - SEEDING
· Seeding for the SCYSA Challenge Cup First Round will be based on each team’s league standings (Region III Premier League or SCSCL) for results for the season just completed. The teams (two maximum) playing in the Region III Premier League will be seeded one (1) or two (2) based on their standing in the Region III Premier League and the first six (6) teams from the South Carolina State Challenge League will be seeded three (3) through eight (8).
· The Region III Premier League and the South Carolina State Challenge League will operate under an identical points formula. Three (3) points are awarded for a win; one (1) point is awarded for a tie, and zero (0) points are awarded for a loss. A forfeit will be treated as a loss. A team ready to play whose competitor forfeits shall be awarded a win (3 points). No points will be allowed for any team forfeiting (0 points). In any case, where both teams forfeit, 0 points will be awarded. Wins, losses and forfeits will be determined by the League in which the team participated. The team with the highest points percentage from the Region III Premier League will be seeded number 1 and the second highest points percentage from the Region III Premier League will be seeded number 2. The team with the highest points percentage from the South Carolina State Challenge League will be seeded number 3 and so on through number 8. If two or more teams are tied on percentages at the end of the season, the following tie breaking procedures will be used:
a. Head to head competition (if three teams are tied go direct to b.)
b. Goal differential with a maximum differential of three (3) goals per game
c. Total goals scored
d. Fewest total goals allowed in all games
e. Fewest red cards
f. Coin toss
· The highest seeded teams through number 4 will play their First Round games in their home District.
8 Team Bracket
1st Round Final Round Final Round Championship
Saturday Sunday
___1___
vs __________
___8___
vs __________
___4___
vs __________
___5___
vs __________
___2___
vs __________
___7___
vs __________
___3___
vs __________
___6___
7 teams would be the same as 8 with the #1 seed having a bye
6 teams would have the same format as 8 with the # 1 and # 2 seed having a bye
5 teams would have the same format as 8 with the # 1, #2 and # 3 seed having a bye
4 teams or less will all go directly to final round
FORMAT FOR the FINAL ROUND OF THE SCYSA CHALLENGE CUP
14. FINAL ROUND OF THE SCYSA CHALLENGE CUP
If four teams advance to the Final Round of the SCYSA Challenge Cup, they will play one game on Saturday, and the winning teams will play each other for the Championship on Sunday. The other two teams will play on Sunday to determine the third (3rd) place team. (If the 1st or 2nd place team cannot play in the Region III Premier League the following year, the 3rd place team would be asked to play.)
With three (3) teams, number 2 will play number 3 on Saturday and number 1 will have a bye and play the winner of Saturday’s game on
Sunday for the Championship. With two (2) teams, there will be one game on Sunday for the Championship.
FIRST ROUND AND final round OF the scysa CHALLENGE CUP
15. Determination OF WINNERS FOR First and FINAL Round GAMES
All matches shall be played to a conclusion, including overtime periods. If still tied after two overtime periods the match will be decided by kicks from the penalty mark using FIFA guidelines with only those players on the field at the conclusion of play eligible to participate
16. DECORUM
Coaches are responsible for the behavior of all players, coaches, parents, and spectators associated with their team. Coaches and their players shall be located on the opposite side of the field from the parents and fans.
The only persons allowed on the team bench during a SCYSA Challenge Cup match are those players and coaches listed on the approved Official SCYSA State Roster with a maximum of four (4) coach/assistants. All players and coaches shall have approved SCYSA player/coach passes and must be checked in at the field by a tournament official before being allowed on the bench.
The only exceptions to this rule shall be:
- Any medical emergency requiring outside assistance
- During half time intervals, visitors may approach the team bench with the approval of a tournament official.
Upon verification by a Tournament Official or their designee, any team with unauthorized persons at their team bench when the match begins or at the start of the second half of play shall result in the head coach for that team paying a $50 fine to the Tournament Director at the conclusion of the match. This fine must be paid before the coach will be allowed to coach another match.
17. Dismissals
If a player or coach is dismissed from any match, the player’s/coach’s pass, together with the game report of the incident, shall be turned over to the Tournament Committee or its designee by the referee. The minimum penalty for a dismissal is that the player/coach shall not be permitted to play in the remainder of the current match and the entirety of the team’s next match. This penalty may be increased at the discretion of the Tournament Committee. If the red card/ejection was given in the last game of the SCYSA Challenge Cup, then the player/coach will sit out the first game of subsequent league play and the first game in any State Cup in the next seasonal year (no matter which club he/she played/is playing for). The club, league, and district shall be notified of the red card/ejection by the Tournament Committee. The player’s/coach’s pass shall be returned following the disciplinary period. The coach will not be allowed to return to any venue of that SCYSA Challenge Cup in any capacity for the duration of the suspension.
18. aDEQUATE Rest
All teams are entitled to adequate rest between matches. A minimum of three hours between the scheduled start of two successive matches is considered to be adequate rest.
19. Forfeits
A team that forfeits a game shall have their score recorded as a 0-3 loss, thereby awarding the other team played a 3-0 win over the forfeiting team.
20. Game Balls
Game balls provided by the SCYSA Challenge Cup sponsors and approved by the Tournament Committee and referee shall be used for the entirety of all matches if they are available. Each team shall also furnish a playable game ball to the referee at the beginning of each match. Size five balls will be used for all U13 – U19 matches.
21. Grace Periods
Teams not ready to play within 10 minutes after the scheduled starting time of any match shall forfeit the match. Any team not ready to play after this 10-minute grace period shall be reported to the Tournament Committee or its designee by the referee. The game shall be recorded as a forfeit. The team not ready to play shall forfeit its performance bond and may be sanctioned by the Tournament Committee.
22. Home Team
The team listed first in each pairing on the schedule is the home team. The home team shall change jerseys if, in the opinion of the referee, there is a color conflict.
23. Length of Matches And Overtime Periods
Under 19: Two 45-minute halves, two 10-minute overtimes *
Under 18: Two 45-minute halves, two 10-minute overtimes *
Under 17: Two 45-minute halves, two 10-minute overtimes *
Under 16: Two 40-minute halves, two 10-minute overtimes *
Under 15: Two 40-minute halves, two 10-minute overtimes *
Under 14: Two 35-minute halves, two 10-minute overtimes *
Under 13: Two 35-minute halves, two 10-minute overtimes *
* If any match is tied at the end of regulation play, two (2) full overtime periods as outlined above will be played.
If a match is abandoned by the referee for any reason not related to the performance of a team, it shall be replayed in its entirety per FIFA law. If a match is abandoned for cause due to actions of a team, coach, parent, or spectator, the Tournament Committee shall determine whether to allow the score at the time of termination to stand, to forfeit the match in favor of the non-offending team, or to replay the match in its entirety. The referee shall report, with explanation, all abandoned games to the Tournament Committee or its designee within one hour of the termination.
24. Protests
All questions relating to the qualifications of the competitors or interpretation of the rules, or any dispute or protest whatever, shall be referred to the Tournament Committee or its designee. The Tournament Committee shall then refer the protest to a protest and appeals committee appointed by the Tournament Committee. The decisions of the latter committee shall be binding on both teams.
To be valid and eligible for consideration, each protest must (1)(a) if involving the field of play, be lodged verbally with the referee and the opposing coach at the game site before entering the field of play, (b) be filed within 30 minutes of the conclusion of the game with an SCYSA tournament official and (2) be filed in writing with the SCYSA tournament official and include a protest fee in the amount of $250.00 (cash, cashier’s check, or money order only), five written copies of the protest (which must include a description of the grounds on which the protest is lodged), and five written copies of any information to be presented by witnesses.
All written copies of the protests must be received by the Tournament Committee or its designee within two hours of the completion of the game being protested.
All protests relating to the grounds, goal posts, bars, or other appurtenances of the game shall be entertained only if a written objection has been lodged with the referee and the opposing coach prior to the start of the game.
The Tournament Committee shall immediately upon receipt of a protest notify the team against which the protest is made and shall send a copy of the protest and all particulars to that team which will then have the right to defend its case with or without witnesses, should it desire to do so.
A lawyer shall not represent a team at the hearing of a charge or protest unless he is a bona fide member of one of the teams concerned (coach or assistant coach as specified on a team’s SCYSA Roster).
A plea of ignorance to the rules and regulations of the competition is not sufficient grounds for appeals or protests.
Judgment decisions of the referee are not subject to appeal or protest.
The protest fee will be refunded in its entirety if the protest or appeal is upheld.
25. RULES OF COMPETITION
All SCYSA Challenge Cup matches will be conducted in accordance with FIFA’s “Laws of the Game” and any additional requirements of the U S Youth Soccer Youth National Championship Rules (Current Revision), and SCYSA Administrative Manual (including all SCYSA Board of Directors updates).
26. SUBSTITUTIONS
Substitutions may be made, with the consent of the referee, at the following times:
· Prior to a throw-in in your favor.
· Prior to a goal kick by either team.
· After a goal by either team.
· After an injury by either team when the referee stops play (unlimited substitutions).
· At the beginning of the second half.
· When the referee stops play to caution a player, only the cautioned player may be substituted prior to the restart of the game.
