Rules of ACTION6

Unless where otherwise provided below, the rules of FIFA will apply.

Terms and Conditions – Individuals that set foot onto the field to play ACTION6 has read, understood and agreed to the Terms and Conditions of play.

1. Spirit of the Game
1.1. ACTION6 is a social brand of soccer. The aim of ACTION6 is to provide a fun and enjoyable environment in which to play 6-a-side soccer. It is also expected in ACTION6 that teams not engage in negative (or “game-killing”) tactics.  Players must conduct themselves in an appropriate fashion at all times and ill-discipline will be dealt with seriously.
1.2. The authority of the referee: Each match is controlled by a referee who has full authority to enforce the Rules of ACTION6 in connection with the match.
1.3. Decisions of the referee: Decisions will be made to the best of the referee’s ability according to the Rules of ACTION6 and the ‘spirit of the game’ and will be based on the opinion of the referee, who has the discretion to take appropriate action within the framework of the Rules of ACTION6.

2. Field Dimensions & Goals
2.1. Minimum Dimensions: 44m Long/25m Wide.
2.2. Goals: Width must not exceed 3m and height must not exceed 2m.

3. Uniforms
3.1. Teams are expected to be in matching coloured jerseys.
3.2. All jerseys are required to have a visible number on the back.
3.3. Bonus Uniform Points will be on offer for teams between Rounds 3-7 that have satisfied section 3.1 and 3.2. Teams that do not satisfy 3.1 and 3.2 will still be able to participate in most circumstances.
3.4. A player who is not in at least the same coloured jersey may be refused entry onto the field if the referee feels that he/she will not be able to distinguish that player from the opposition.

4. Team Composition
Mens: 6 players on the field; plus up to 5 reserves (11 players total).
Mixed: 6 players on the field; plus up to 5 reserves (11 players total). A maximum of 4 on-field players can be male.

5. Registration
5.1. At the beginning of each season, individuals must register in order to play ACTION6. Registration can be done online – instructions will be emailed to the Team Captain.
5.2. A player is registered when they have registered online agreeing to the Terms and Conditions. Registration for one-off games can be made in writing at the fields but the registration is only valid for that particular night.
5.3. It is the responsibility of the player to ensure they are registered.
5.4. Teams are able to register a maximum of 11 players but must do so before the end of Round 8. Anyone not registered at that point is prohibited to play Finals in Rounds 9 and 10.

6. Insurance
6.1. Insurance – All registered players are covered by ACTION6’s insurance policy. In the event of injury, please ensure you report this to both the match referee and the Venue Manager on the night of the injury (this is critical).
6.2. Even minor injuries/potential injuries must be reported. A failure to report the injury to either the Referee or Venue Manager on the night of the incident may void that player’s right to make a claim.
6.3. To make a claim, please contact ACTION6. You must be a registered player to make a claim.

7. Duration
7.1. Games are to run for 45 minutes in total (2 x 20 minute halves with a 2 minute break for halftime allowing 3 minutes at the end of the game set aside for signing the scoresheet and any other administrative tasks with regard to COVID-19 Precautions).
7.2. Should the game start late for whatever reason, the half-time break can be reduced at the discretion of the referee.

8. Forfeits
8.1. A team must have a minimum of 4 players to field a team.
8.2. A team has 5 minutes from kick-off to take the field. If the team is late, the opposition will be awarded 1 goal for every minute it is late after that 5 minute period has elapsed. If after 10 minutes, the other team has still not taken to the field (with the minimum numbers required), the game will be forfeited unless the opposition captain agrees to play in what time is left. If the opposition Captain agrees to play, their team will have a 5-0 headstart.
8.3. Forfeited games equate to a 5-0 scoreline in favour of the non-forfeiting team.

9. Competition Points / Bonus Points / In-Game Points
9.1. A win is worth 4 points. A bye game is worth 4 points. A draw is worth 2 points. A loss is worth 0 points.
9.2. A bonus point can be obtained from scoring 5 goals or losing a game by 1 point (not applicable to bye games).
9.3. A maximum of 3 bonus points can be obtained by a team in one game (does not include uniform bonus points).
9.4 1 bonus point per week from Rounds 3-7 where the entire team is in perfect uniform standard (same coloured shirts with visible numbers).

10. Safety
10.1. No hats, jewellery or watches may be worn. The referee will ask that all players remove such items before the start of play. It is the players’ responsibility to ensure they are not wearing such items.
10.2. Fingernails must be trimmed.
10.3. Only prescription glasses are allowed – sunglasses are not allowed. A player wearing prescription glasses does so at their own risk and will accept responsibility for any injuries that are inflicted upon any other player.
10.4. The referee is to ensure that any injury is attended to as soon as possible.
10.5. Any player that experiences a loss of blood will be ordered from the field and will need to clear or remove the blood in order to return to the game.
10.6. Shin protectors are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to be worn. Players not wearing shin pads do so at their own risk.
10.7. Players must be at least 14 years of age to play ACTION6. [It is the responsibility of the Team Captain to ensure appropriate steps are taken to gain parental/guardian approval for any player that is 14 – 17 and to ensure no player is under the age of 14].
10.8. Player safety when extreme weather (electrical storm) occurs is paramount. Venue Managers will use available specific information from official weather services to determine threats. If specific information is unavailable, the 30 Seconds Rule will be invoked. If the time elapsed between observing lightning and hearing the associated thunder is 30 seconds or less, play will be suspended until such time that more than 30 seconds passes between the lightning flashing and there being associated thunder. The decision to suspend/cancel play in the event of an electrical storm rests solely with the Venue Manager.

11. Misconduct
11.1 The referee has the power to penalise a player for misconduct. What constitutes misconduct is a matter for the referee to decide. It includes but is not limited to striking another player, being over-zealous with a tackle, verbal abuse directed at another player or the referee, time-wasting/deliberately slowing down the game, and any action which is deemed not to be in the Spirit of The Game.
11.2 ACTION6 Referees will have a strict policy against any dissent shown towards Referees. Any dissent/constant verbal abuse towards the referee can result in a player/s being penalised or being sent off the field depending on the nature of the offence.

12. Substitution
12.1. Unlimited substitutions can be made but these must be made from the end of the field to the side of the goals. Players must substitute next to the goals they are DEFENDING ONLY.
12.2. Players coming onto the field must not enter onto the field until the other player has crossed the goal line. A failure to abide by these rules may result in a free kick to the non-infringing team on halfway (or where they have the ball – whichever provides the most advantage).
12.3. When substitutions occur, the player coming onto the field can take up any position on the field including “goalie”. When changing the goalie, the referee MUST be notified in all circumstances.

13. Goal Areas
13.1 Players can enter, kick (or head) the ball inside the goal area (the “D”) only the “goalie” is permitted to handle the ball inside the goal area.

14. Start of The Game/Start of Play (“kick-offs”)
At the beginning of a half or after a goal is scored, the team that has elected to start (or has just been scored against) must place ball at halfway and on the referee’s whistle, this ball can be kicked backwards or passed forwards to your team. The defending team must be at least 5m from the ball at the start of play.

15. Free kicks and Penalties
15.1. Players must be at least 5m from the ball for all free kicks. A maximum of 2 people can be in the wall for all free kicks.
15.2. Where the infringement has occurred inside the goal area (the “D”), a penalty kick will be awarded. The player electing to take the penalty must do so from 1m from the edge of the “D” and can only have a 2 step ‘run up’. The defensive team is allowed to have a goalie in place but all other defenders must stand on the edge or beyond the “D”.
15.3. Free kicks must also be taken within 5 seconds of referee blowing whistle for free kick. Discretion will be shown by the referee if the free kick is award near the goal area and a defensive wall (max. 2 players) is established.
15.4 All free kicks are ‘direct’ free kicks.

16. Out-of-bounds
16.1. A ball that is kicked or headed out over the sideline is to be kicked in by the other team (as opposed to a throw-in in regular soccer) at the point where the ball crossed the sideline. The defending player must stand at least 5m back from a kick in. A goal cannot be score directly from a kick in (it must touch another player first). The player kicking the ball in must pass to another player.
16.2. A ball that is kicked or headed out over the goal line by the attacking player results in a goal kick being awarded to the other team. The player taking the goal kick must place the ball inside or on the “D” and must pass to another player (i.e. cannot pass to themselves/dribble the ball out of the “D”). If a player fails to pass to another player, a direct free kick will be taken from the spot where the player touched the ball for the second time.
16.3. Where the ball is kicked or headed out over the goal line by the defending player, a corner kick will be awarded to the attacking team. The player taking the corner kick cannot kick to themselves and must pass to another player. A goal can be scored directly from a corner.
16.4. Juniors Competition Safety: Only the goalie may enter the “D”. All shots on goal must be made outside this area. If an attacking player is found inside the “D”, a free-kick will be awarded to the goal keeper. If a defending player is found inside the “D”, a free-kick will be awarded to the attacking team 2 metres outside the “D”. A wall is allowed with a maximum of 2 players at any given time.

17. Slide Tackles & Playing Off the Ground & Slides
Player safety in our competition is paramount and we aim to create a fun, safe and enjoyable environment for all players.

17.1 Slide tackles are illegal in ACTION6. The result will be a direct free-kick to the opposition and the player that committed the slide tackle can be sent off for 2-5 minutes at the discretion of the Referee. The offending team is not allowed to substitute and must resume playing with no more than 5 players on the field of play. Multiple send-off offences may result in a forfeit if there are less than 4 players on the field of play.
17.2 Players are not allowed to play the ball off the ground (i.e you must be on your feet) The result will be a direct free-kick to the opposition.
17.3 There is no offence for sliding to keep the ball in play. If the slide is deemed to be dangerous and within playing distance at the referee’s discretion, the offending player will be penalised with a foul reverting back to 17.1.
17.4 The Golden Rule is to stay on your feet at all times. There does not have to be contact made to be penalised.
17.6 These Rules also apply to a goalkeeper who plays or attempts to challenge for the ball with his/her feet first.

18. Goal-keeper (“Goalie”)
18.1. The goalie is allowed to touch the ball with their hands if inside the “D”.
18.2 Goal keepers are allowed to drop kick/punt once they have held the ball. If a goal keeper decides to drop the ball to themselves after handling, they cannot pick the ball up again before it touches another player (no pass back allowed).
18.3. The ball may be passed back to the goalie but he/she cannot touch the ball with their hands if this happens. Handling by the goal keeper of a ball passed back will result in a direct free kick from the point of where the ball was passed back from the defender.

19. Offside Rule
19.1 No offside rule once kick off has occurred.

20. Discipline
20.1. ACTION6 has a 3-Step Process: Verbal warning, sin bin (5 minutes) and send-off (not allowed to re-enter field of play). In the event where an offending player has been sin binned, their team is not permitted to substitute player(s) and must resume playing with no more than 5 on the field of play. Multiple send-off offences may result in a forfeit if there are less than 4 players on the field of play.
20.2. Ill-discipline will not be tolerated by ACTION6. Rough play, aggression, foul-language, back-chat, verbal or physical threats will not be tolerated and will in most circumstances result in an automatic send-off. Rough play can include slide tackles or physical pushing.
20.3 Serious Offences – Serious offences such as striking another player and continued dissent to the referee will be reported by the referee to ACTION6. Depending on the nature of the offence, a suspension may be invoked. ACTION6 will be in contact with the offending team’s captain after the round to discuss the matter and will take necessary steps to ensure no further infringements will occur. ACTION6 also reserves the right to ban a player from the competition and future competitions if the player poses a danger to other players.
20.4. Please note, ACTION6 has a Zero Tolerance Policy when it comes to acts of violence and retaliation. ACTION6 takes such incidents extremely seriously. Any player or spectator involved in any violent act will be banned from ACTION6. The ban will in most cases, be for life and only if there are extenuating circumstances, will that player/spectator be allowed to return. ACTION6 will also escalate such incidents to the police where required.
20.5 Off-field Matters – The referee’s jurisdiction extends to the sidelines of the field he/she controls. Breaches of discipline are treated the same as if they have occurred on the field.
20.6. Post-game Matters – The referee’s jurisdiction also extends to incidents that may occur after the game has concluded. If an offence occurs after the final whistle, this will be reported and dealt with appropriately, by ACTION6.

21.0 Finals
21.1 For Semi-Finals if the game is drawn after regular time, the team that finished higher after the regular season progresses to the Grand Final.
21.2 In the event that a Grand Final is drawn at the end of full-time, the game will enter 1 x 5 minutes of golden goal extra time. If after this period, the scores are still level, the game will proceed to a Penalty Shootout as per FIFA Rules.

22.0 Intoxication
22.1 Nobody is allowed to consume alcohol at the grounds (spectator or otherwise). Any players found to be drinking will be asked to leave the premises. Furthermore, no player under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be allowed onto the field.