TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR

The Tournament Director will have jurisdiction over all games played. All disputes will be resolved by the Tournament Director or designated representative.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

Coaches are responsible for the eligibility of their players ALL PLAYERS MUST BE FIFA REGISTERED PLAYERS WITH THEIR COUNTRY OR STATE AFFILIATES. In the United States almost, if not all, STATE ASSOCIATIONS such as the Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Utah, etc. are part of the United States Soccer Federation which is an Affiliate of FIFA. Most Canadian Providences are part of the Canadian Soccer Association and most Prefectures in Japan are part of the Japan Football Federation and are also Affiliates of FIFA.

For all players on the Team Roster that are presently registered as required above, Managers need to present, at the Managers Meeting, Player Passes or similar certification of registration as proof of eligibility; Player Driver’s License, Passport or other documentation to show they are of proper age for the Division in which they will be playing; and a facial photo, if not on a document presented above, to verify who they are if their eligibility is challenged.

All players on the Team Roster that are not registered with the USSF, the Canadian Soccer Association, the Japan Football Association or other FIFA affiliate may be registered electronically with the Hawaii Soccer Association at https://hawaiisoccer.affinitysoccer.com. No other form of registration is acceptable. A copy of the player’s electronic registration and proof of age are to be provided with the Team Roster at the Managers Meeting.

AGES OF PLAYERS

All players must be their respective ages in the year the tournament is held. As example, players in the Over 50 group can be 49 going on 50 before the date of the tournament understanding they will be 50 before the end of the year in which the tournament is held. Players may register in younger age groups. Players may not register on more than one team in each age group. Except for the Women’s 65 and Over and Walk Soccer, Team rosters shall have a minimum of 18 players and no more than 25 players. If a team uses players deemed to be ineligible, that team shall forfeit all games in which the ineligible players participated. Person with knowledge of ineligible players shall report same immediately to the Tournament Director. If the report is made after a match is underway the match will be terminated and a team fine of $500 assessed for each ineligible player participating in the match. Failure to immediately pay the fine will result in disqualification of the team from the Tournament.

Each player on the team shall wear a jersey with a different number and may not exchange it with another player for the duration of the tournament. Teams can have different numbers for their alternate jerseys. The Home Team shall change Jerseys when there is a color conflict. The team listed first on the schedule of games is the Home Team for example, A verses B, A is the Home Team.

The TEAM ROSTER shall be properly completed and presented to the referee at the start of each game listing the names and numbers of each player whether present or not.  Team rosters shall be frozen at the start of the first game of the tournament.

COACHES

ALL HAWAII TEAM COACHES AND MANAGERS SHALL BE APPROVED BY THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR OR DELAGATE.  No more than four (4) coaches, manager, trainers or interpreters will be allowed within the coaching box with the team. No one will be allowed behind the end (goal) lines. It is the coaches' responsibility to inform team supporters of these requirements and to see that it is observed. Coaches shall conduct themselves in a professional manner and are responsible for the conduct of their players and supporters. Coaches shall at all times encourage clean competition, good sportsmanship and abide by the rules of the tournament. Coaches may provide positive tactical coaching. Negative comments or complaints against any players, coaches, spectators or officials will not be tolerated. Improper conduct by any member of the coaching staff may result in their being removed from the field to distance of not less than 100 yards from the touch and goal lines. Should the coach not comply, the game will be terminated and the game forfeited by that coaches team.

Managers Meeting

A mandatory Managers Meeting will be held on the day before the first games of the Tournament. The purpose of the meeting is to: approve all team and player documentation, review the Schedule and Rules, provide a clear understanding of the roles of Coaches, Managers, Players and Referees and to respond to any questions. All Managers are to present a copy of their Team Roster and the supporting documentation to confirm each player’s eligibility.

In order to free-up your evening, Team check-in tines are from 4pm to 6pm. If anyone need additional time, it will be made available. Directions to the meeting site will be provided. Failure to attend the Managers Meeting will result in a payment of $200.

REFEREES AND REFEREE ASSISTANTS

All officials shall be USSF or FIFA certified and at all times shall impose the FIFA Laws of the Game and rules of the Tournament, including the following:

1. There shall be no slide tackling. A yellow card shall be given for the infraction and the team fouled awarded an indirect kick.

2. There shall be unlimited free substitutions at the stoppage of any play provided players wishing to substitute shall be at the halfway line prior to the stoppage of play.

All games shall be officiated using the three person diagonal system consisting of one center referee and two referee assistants on the touch lines. Referees must file a written report at the end of each game noting any actions requiring red or yellow cards.

Players receiving a red card or two yellow cards in the same game will be ejected and not be eligible for participation in the next scheduled game. Should an ejected player participate in the next scheduled game, the game will be forfeited and the player barred from participating in the remaining games of the tournament. A $500 dollar fine will be assessed for each ineligible player and failure to pay the fine immediately will result in team disqualification from the tournament. Each team must turn-in their Team Roster to the referee 10 minutes prior to the start of each game.

GAMES

All games will be played full field, with the exception of, the Women’s 65 and Over, Women's 70 and Over, Men’s 65 and  Over (8v8), Men's 70 and Over and Walking. Soccer will play 8 aside on a half field. 

For 11 aside games, 7 players are required to start a game. For 8 aside games, 5 players are required to start a game. All games will start on the times scheduled or as designated by the Tournament Director and there shall be no grace period.
Failure of a team to play at kick-off time shall constitute a forfeit and the team shall lose by a score of 1 to 0.

In the event games are postponed because of weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances, the Tournament Director will make every effort to reschedule the games at the earliest possible date and time. If the games cannot be completed, there will be no refunds.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

The Mayors Gold Cup format is to have 8 teams in each Division. Except for Walking Soccer the minimum number of teams in each Division will be six teams. Each 8 team Division will have two 4 team groups. Each 6 team Division will have two 3 team groups. Teams will play group games on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Championship and Consolation games, with standings based on point totals from group play, will be held on Sunday. Based on the total points achieved in the group play, the 1st placed teams in each group will play for the Division Championship.  Consolation games will have the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place teams play
each other.

All games will be 40-minute halves.    

Teams are awarded points as follows:

6 points for a win, 3 points for a tie, 0 points for a
loss, 1 point for each goal scored up to 3 goals, 1 point for a shut-out.

If there is a tie in points at the end of group games, the
final standings, in the group, will be decided by one of the following tie-breakers
in the order in which they are listed:

(1) Head to Head play

(2) Goal Difference (Goals for to a maximum of three (3)
goals per game minus Goals against)

(3) Fewest Goals Allowed

(4) Coin Toss except that for group games to determine the team to advance to the Championship game, the tie breaker shall be decided by penalty kicks in accordance with FIFA Laws of the Game.

Championship games which are tied at the end of regulation play shall proceed to two 10 minute sudden death overtime periods.   In the event no team scores in the overtime periods the game shall be decided by penalty kicks in accordance with FIFA Laws of the Game.

Consolation games, if tied at the end of regulation play, shall be decided by the above 4 tie breakers.

Mayor’s Gold Cup Tournament 2025

WALKING SOCCER

Rules of the Game

Walking soccer will be played in accordance with the IFAB Soccer Laws of the Game 2023-24, and the Mayor’s Gold Cup Tournament Rules and Regulations, as modified below.
Law 1: The Field of Play
Area Markings:
- The center circle has a radius of 3 yards.
- The corner arc has a radius of 1 foot.
- The penalty area is 12 yards wide by 7 yards long.
- The penalty mark on the penalty area line parallel to the goal line directly opposite the center of the goal.
- There is no goal area or penalty arc.
- The technical areas will be located on the same side of the field and will extend from a point no closer than 10 yards from the halfway line to the top of the penalty area. Only players and team officials (maximum of 4) listed on the roster may occupy the technical area.
The goals will be 7’ high and 21’ wide.

Law 2: The Ball: A size 5 soccer ball will be used.

Law 3: The Players: Walking Soccer will feature 8 v 8 play and will include a goalkeeper for each team. Walking Soccer is Co-ed.
By the start of the tournament, female players must be at least 45 years of age and male players must be at least
50 years of age.
The TEAM ROSTER shall be properly completed and presented to the referee at the start of each game listing the
names of each player whether present or not. Team rosters shall be frozen at the start of the first game of the
tournament and may not be altered without the consent of the tournament.
A maximum of 3 men per team may be on the field at a time. The goalkeeper may be of either gender so there may be a total of 4 male players playing at the same time if one of them is the goalkeeper.
Substitution procedures: Substitutions are unlimited on any stoppage with the permission of a referee, provided players wishing to substitute are at the halfway line prior to the stoppage of play. Players may re-enter after having been substituted. A match may not start or continue if either team has fewer than six players.

Rules of the Game are subject to change prior to the start of the tournament.

Law 4: The Player’s Equipment: Numbers will not be required on player jerseys. The Home Team shall change jerseys when there is a color conflict. The team listed first on the schedule of games is the Home Team; for example, A versus B, A is the Home Team. Shin guards are required.

Law 5: The Referee: Each match is controlled by a single referee who has full authority to enforce the Rules of the Game in connection with the match to which they have been appointed, from the moment they enter the locality where
the playing area is situated until they leave. Protests of any referee decision are not allowed.

Law 6: Other Match Officials: There will be one referee for all matches.

Law 7: The Duration of the Match: The duration of the match shall be two 40-minute halves with a 5-minute break between halves. The referee has
discretion to add stoppage time. If a penalty kick needs to be taken or retaken, the half is extended until the
penalty kick is completed.

Law 8: The Start and Restart of Play: The referee will toss a coin to determine ends and which team kicks off. A goal may NOT be scored directly from the kick-off.
If the ball is kicked directly into the opponent’s goal on a kick-off, the restart is a goal kick; if the ball directly
enters the kicker’s goal, a corner kick is awarded to the opponents.
All opponents of the team taking the kick-off must be at least 3 yards from the ball until it is in play. If the kicker touches the ball a second time before it has been touched by another player, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team at the location the infringement occurred, unless the second kick is a DOGSO (Denying Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity) in the penalty area, in which case a penalty kick will be awarded to the opposing team.
If a player falls on their own during the game (no foul), play will be stopped, and be restarted with a drop ball given to the opposing team.

Law 9: The Ball In and Out of Play: Ball out of play: The ball is out of play when it has wholly crossed the goal line or touchline, when a height
violation occurs, or when the referee has stopped play. The ball is in play at all other times including when it touches the referee or when it rebounds off a goal post or corner flag and remains on the field of play.

Law 10: Determining the Outcome of a Match:
A goal can only be scored by the attacking team when they are in their attacking half of the field. Goals will not be allowed if the ball is struck from the defending half of the field, unless it is an Own Goal scored by the
defending team into their own goal. (Restart is a goal kick if not an own goal).
If a championship game ends in a tie, the winner will be determined by kicks from the penalty mark until a winner is determined. A player who has been sent off during the match is not permitted to take part.

Law 11: Offside: There is no offside in Walking Soccer

Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct: Except when a penalty kick is awarded, all fouls and misconduct will result in an indirect free kick awarded to the
opposing team of a player guilty of an offense. Defending players must be at least 3 yards from the ball when the kick is taken. When an offense is committed by the defending team in their own penalty area, the kick is taken 3 yards from the penalty area line, parallel to the goal line, nearest to where the offense took place, unless a penalty kick is awarded. In addition to the fouls listed in Law 12, fouls can also include:
- Running with the ball, onto the ball and off the ball (running on the field whether the ball is in play or not is prohibited). Walking is defined as always having at least one foot on the ground. Walking is heel to toe walking. (See Law 18 for more description.)
- Playing the ball while lying on the ground
- Deliberately heading the ball
- Goalkeeper punting/drop-kicking the ball
- Physical contact is not allowed and is regarded as foul play. Physical contact includes shoulder charging, pushing, or stepping across or obstructing an opponent. Advantage will be called if it is safe to do so and
unlikely to result in confrontation. Shoulder charging or stepping across or backing into an opponent will automatically be considered at least a careless foul. Slide tackling, or tackling from behind will automatically be considered to be at least a reckless foul (yellow card/caution). Causing physical contact
with a player in a manner likely to cause injury, or deliberate dangerous or brutal conduct, regardless of whether there is any physical contact (e.g., “blasting” the ball when other players are near enough to be hurt) will automatically be considered to be done with excessive force (red card/send-off).
- Height of ball restrictions:
- Ball height restriction is set at 6’ or the height of the goal, whichever is greater. The ball may not be kicked or deflected over the height restriction.
- If the ball exceeds the specified height, an indirect free kick will be awarded to the team opposite the team that last touched the ball at the point where the ball exceeded the height restriction, subject to the
penalty area exception listed below.
- A height restriction violation may only occur ON the field of play.
- If the ball exceeds height restrictions after hitting the goal post and stays on the field, no infraction has occurred and play shall continue.
- A height restriction violation will occur if the ball hits the crossbar.
- If the ball deflects off the goalkeeper in the penalty area in the process of making a save and exceeds the height limit or hits the crossbar returning to play, it is not regarded as an offense, but the ball must
be immediately deemed dead and play restarted with an indirect free kick by the goalkeeper’s team. If the ball goes out over the goal line, it is a corner kick for the opposing team.
- If the goalkeeper causes the ball to exceed the height limit (not a save), or if a height infringement occurs within the penalty area and is committed by the defending team, an indirect free kick will be
awarded at a spot 3 yards from the penalty area line nearest to where the offense took place.
- If a player commits multiple running offenses, excessive contact fouls, or a combination of both, the player is guilty of persistent infringement and may be sent off (Y/Y/R).
-A player, substitute or substituted player, or team official who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the field of play and the technical area.
- Abusive, threatening, insulting words or behavior towards any other player, referee, or any other participant will not be tolerated. This includes disrespect of the referee. At the discretion of the referee, a player (or substitute) may be sent off (red card) the field of play and must leave the area.

Law 13: Free Kicks: Free kicks will be taken from the spot of the offense unless:
- Free kicks to the attacking team for an offense inside the opponents’ penalty area are taken 3 yards
from the penalty area line, parallel to the goal line, nearest to where the offense took place, unless a penalty kick is awarded.
- Free kicks to the defending team in their penalty area may be taken from anywhere in that area. All free kicks, except penalty kicks, are indirect.
All opponents must be at least 3 yards from the ball until it is in play.
Where 2 or more defending players form a defensive “wall”, all attacking players must remain at least 1 yard
from the “wall” until the ball is played. If an attacker is less than 1 yard from the wall when the kick is taken (unless caused by the defensive team), an indirect free kick will be awarded to the defenders.
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the player performing the free kick plays the ball a second time before the ball touches another player, unless the second touch is DOGSO in the penalty area, in which case a penalty kick will be awarded to the opposing team.

Law 14: The Penalty Kick:
A penalty kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offenses inside their own penalty area:
- Serious foul play
- Violent conduct
- Spitting at or biting an opponent or any other person
- Denies the opposing team a goal or obvious goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO) by committing an offense punishable by a free kick, including a handball offense.
All players other than the kicker and goalkeeper are located at least three yards from the ball, behind the penalty
mark, inside the field of play, and outside the penalty area.
A goal may be scored directly on a penalty kick.

Law 15: The Kick-in:
The kick-in is a method of restarting play that replaces the throw-in. The ball must be stationary and within 3 yards of the spot on the touchline where the ball left the field of play when kicked. The non-kicking foot of the player taking the kick-in must be on or outside the touchline when the kick is taken.
Opponents must be at least 3 yards from the ball.
A goal may NOT be scored directly from a kick-in. An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the player performing the kick-in plays the ball a second time before the ball touches another player, unless the second touch is DOGSO in the penalty area, in which case a penalty kick will be awarded to the opposing team.

Law 16: The Goal Kick:
The goal kick is taken from anywhere in the penalty area.
Opponents must remain outside the penalty area and at least 3 yards from the ball until it is in play.
A goal may NOT be scored directly from a goal kick. An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if the player performing the goal kick plays the ball a
second time before the ball touches another player, unless the second touch is DOGSO in the penalty area, in which case a penalty kick will be awarded to the opposing team.

Law 17: The Corner Kick:
Opponents remain at least 3 yards from the ball until it is in play. A goal may NOT be scored directly from a corner kick.
An indirect free kick is taken by the opposing team if the player taking the corner kick plays the ball a second time if it has not been touched or been played by another player, unless the second touch is DOGSO in the penalty area, in which case a penalty kick will be awarded to the opposing team.

Law 18: The Walking Rule
Running or jogging is not permitted by any player (including goalkeepers). Walking is defined as “always having at least one foot in contact with the ground.” A walking action will generally be determined as a progression of steps throughout which there is constantly one foot in contact with the ground; both feet are momentarily grounded with the advancing leg straightened. Walking is heel to toe walking. This includes no running with the ball, onto the ball, or off the ball. The referee will award an indirect free kick against any player who is seen to be not walking, at the spot where the running occurred, unless the offense is committed by the defending team in their own penalty area, in which case the kick is taken 3 yards from the penalty area line, parallel to the goal line.
The referee shall have the sole interpretation on deciding what is and what is not walking.