4th/5th/6th Grade

4,5,6 Rules & Game Play

• 2-30 minute halves (clock will be on the football score board)

• Coaches need to referee on their half of the field

• Substitute players every 5 minutes (clock will briefly stop)

• 6 vs 6 game play-BALLS ARE PROVIDED

  • 2 forwards-offensive players who score the goals, please work on keeping them near center field and towards your scoring goal. Forwards may enter the small goalie box, but may not shoot the ball to score from it.

  • 2 defenders-defensive players who help your goalie to protect from the other teams forwards. Please work on keeping them from crossing the center field, their job is to stay back and defend.

  • 1 rover or midfielder-this player is both and offensive and defensive player, they may help the forwards out as well as come back to defend with the defenders

  • Goalie-the only player allowed to use hands, but THEY MAY ONLY USE THEIR HANDS INSIDE THE GOALIE BOX AND PENALTY BOX. Generally this position is only substituted at half time, but you may substitute them every 10 minutes instead of 5 minutes. When the goalie gets the ball or stops a shot, they may run with the ball to the edge of the large penalty box and throw it to a teammate or drop kick the ball down the field towards your teams scoring goal

• The Game begins with a kick-off at center field, use rock-paper-scissors to determine the team kicking off. If your team isn’t kicking off, your players need to be outside of the center circle. Another player must touch the ball before the kicker can touch it again. 

• Penalties stop game play and the opposing team gains possession of the ball

  • Hand ball-any intentional contact with the ball from the upper arm and down is a hand ball(shoulders are legal). The ball is placed on the ground where the penalty occurred, the opposing team gets a stationary kick in the direction of their scoring goal. All players need to allow between 5 and 7 feet during this kick

  • Hand ball inside the penalty box-if the defending team has the penalty the “scoring” team gets a stationary kick from the end of the penalty box line and center to the goal, all players must clear the penalty and goal box with the exception of the goalie. If the “scoring” team has the penalty the goalie or defender performs a stationary kick from the end of the penalty box line and center to the field in the direction towards their scoring goal, all other players need to allow between 5 and 7 feet during this kick

  • Fouls-when there are elbows being thrown, excessive shoving or body contact, and intentional tripping this is a judgement call made by the coaches with players SAFETY being their top priority

  • NO SLIDE TACKLING!! 1 OR 2 VERBAL WARNINGS AND THEN YOU WILL BE DISMISSED FROM OUR PROGRAM

• Out of Bounds-if the ball crosses the sideline it is a throw in. The team who did not touch the ball last before the ball crossed the line gets the throw in. If the ball crosses the end line two things may occur. If the team that is defending touches the ball last, it is a corner kick. If the team attacking the goal kicks it out it is a goal kick

  • Throw in-both feet must stay on the ground, both hands must stay on the ball before and during the throw, the ball must come back behind the players head (during the first couple of games, let players have a second chance if their throw-in is incorrect: after players have been reminded and they still have an incorrect throw-in the team loses possession and the opposing team gets the throw-in).

  • Corner kick-the ball is placed on the ground at the corner of the field and the team kicks it in, towards their teammates or towards the goal they are attempting to score

  • Goal kick-is performed by the goalie or a defender, this is a stationary kick and the ball must be placed on the ground at the corner of the goal box all players (with the exception of the goalie)  must clear the penalty box. The ball has to make it out of the penalty box before play can begin.

• At half time switch sides, you will now be scoring on the goal you were just defending

• End the game in a huddle with a cheer for the other team