Fives Premier League Rules & Policies

Terms and Conditions for Registering Your Team for the League

Commitment to Play:
- By registering for the league your team commits to attending and playing all scheduled games. Missed games may result in charges and penalties.
Payment Policy:
- “No Pay, No Play” rule enforced. Ensure payments are made before the game.
Cancellations:
- Notify at least 24 hours in advance to avoid charges. Canceled games result in a 0-5 loss.
Code of Conduct:
- Players and spectators are expected to behave respectfully towards referees, opponents, and all participants. Any form of abuse, whether verbal or physical, will not be tolerated and may result in penalties, suspensions, or expulsion from the league.
Health and Safety:
- It is the responsibility of each player to ensure they are in good health and physically fit to play. The league, its organizers, and venue accept no liability for any injury, illness, or death that may occur before, during, or after participation in any game or event.
- Teams are responsible for their own first aid, though basic supplies are available.
Liability:
- The league is not responsible for any injuries, losses, or damages incurred before, during, or after participation in league activities.
- Teams and players participate at their own risk and are encouraged to have personal insurance coverage.
Communication:
- Teams must provide up-to-date contact information for their captain or primary contact person.
- All official communications from the league will be sent via Whatsapp or through the league’s designated communication platform.
Disciplinary Actions:
- The league reserves the right to impose penalties, including fines, suspensions, and expulsions, for breaches of these terms and conditions or other league rules.
- All disciplinary decisions made by the league committee are final and binding.

Payment for Leagues

Payment Per Game:
- Teams can choose to pay on a per-game basis at a rate of R350 per game. Payments can be made via cash, card, EFT, SnapScan, or Zapper.
- Teams must make full payment before the game starts; otherwise, they will not be allowed to play.
Upfront Seasonal Payment:
- Teams can pay for the entire 14-week season upfront for a total of R4480, which includes a discount of R420 and a R300 bar tab voucher for Fives Bar & Grill.
- To qualify for the discount and bar tab, the full payment must be completed within the first 3 weeks of the season. During these 3 weeks, teams must still pay the regular game fees, payments during these weeks will count towards the total.
- Pro-rata rates apply for teams joining mid-season.
- Teams paying upfront will not be charged for friendlies in the event you have agreed to reschedule the league game but still want to play a friendly game on the night.
Outstanding Balances:
- The company reserves the right to deny any team a game if they have an outstanding balance.
Cancellation and No-Show Charges:
- A team will be charged for the game if they:
  1. Cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice.
  2. Do not show up for their scheduled game.
  3. Do not confirm their participation by 17:00 on the day of the game.

Rules and Code of Conduct

Familiarization Notice:
Please acquaint yourself with the rules and regulations specific to Fives Premier League, as they may differ from other indoor soccer arenas.

Game Rules:

Team Composition:
1. Number of players:
  1. For five-a-side: Maximum of nine players per team; five players on the field, including the goalkeeper.
  2. For six-a-side: Maximum of ten players per team; six players on the field, including the goalkeeper.
  3. Teams need to ensure that only the allowed number of players are on the field at any one point. If too many players are on the field, the referee will award a penalty to the opposing team.
2. Substitutes:
  1. Substitutes must wait outside the field and may not interfere with the game until a rolling substitution is made (the player leaving the field will need to do so before the player joining the field can).
  2. The referee does not need to be made aware of substitutions unless the keeper is being changed/subbed out.
  3. A team may have a maximum of 4 substitutes only.
3. Player Participation:
  1. Players may only play for one team per division each night (one Premier League team and one Championship team).
  2. Playing for a second team results in an automatic 2-goal penalty. Team captains should confirm with the referee as soon as the player enters the field.
Match Duration:
1. Each game lasts 40 minutes, divided into two 20-minute halves, with a 2-minute halftime (game time does not stop for injuries or interruptions due to the nature and structure of the league).
Tackling Rules:
1. No tackling from behind.
2. No Two-on-One challenges. Only one player can actively challenge an opponent in possession of the ball at any time. If a teammate comes within two meters of the opponent with the ball and is deemed by the referee to be interfering with play, the action will be considered a two-on-one challenge, resulting in a free kick to the opposition.
3. No slide tackles.
4. No playing the ball while on the ground (third point of contact). Should an accidental third point of contact occur (such as a slip or loss of balance), it will only be considered playing on the ground if the ball is played while there is still contact with any part of the body other than a player’s 2 feet.
Physical Contact:
1. No pushing, shoving, or elbowing. Referees will be stricter on challenges along the wall to prevent injuries.
Goalkeeper:
1. Back Passes to Goalkeeper:
  1. Back passes are allowed off the side wall only in order for the goalkeeper to handle the ball in the box.
  2. The goalkeeper may not handle a ball either directly passed back or done so off the back wall.
2. Goalkeeper Regulations:
  1. The Goalkeeper may handle the ball inside the semi-circle/box and has 5 seconds to release it once it has been handled. Should the goalkeeper not drop the ball to the floor or distribute it before the referee has finished counting down the 5 seconds, this will result in a free kick outside the box.
  2. The goalkeeper cannot bring the ball back into the box with their feet and pick it up again after having already handled it once. Doing so results in a direct free-kick on the edge of the box.
  3. Goalkeepers cannot score by throwing the ball into the opposition’s goal but can score from a dropkick (the ball must bounce on the ground before being kicked into the opposition’s goal).
Corner Marking Rules:
1. No tackling is allowed within demarcated corner areas, the opposing player cannot enter the corner until the referee has counted 5 seconds and the player with the ball is still in the corner. The player in the circle has 5 seconds to play the ball.
2. The referee will only start to count the 5 seconds once the opposing player is outside the corner marking (required space is given).
3. If the opposing player does not give the required space and moves outside of the corner, the referee may decide to award a free kick.
Free-Kick Regulations:
1. The opposition ‘wall’ must be 2 meters from the ball and contain only 1 player.
2. Movement towards the ball before the free-kick is taken results in conceding another free-kick.
Penalty Kicks:
1. Taken with one foot beside the ball, with one smooth striking motion allowed.
Scoring Rules:
1. Goals can be scored from anywhere on the court.
2. Direct shots from kick-off are allowed.
3. Goalkeepers cannot score by throwing the ball into the opposition’s goal but can score from a dropkick (the ball must bounce before being kicked).
Kick-Off Rules:
1. The ball may move forwards or backwards, but the team taking the kick-off must stay behind the line until the kick is taken.

Field Conduct Rules

Footwear:
1. Turf boots or soccer boots are permitted, provided they do not have metal studs.
Team kits/uniforms:
1. Matching tops/kits are not required as we do provide bibs in the event of clashing team kits, however we do recommend that each team agree on their own colour of t-shirt at the very least if they do not have a dedicated team kit.
  1. We can arrange to get kits from our supplier (Admiral) for your team with names and numbers (pricing upon request). Please contact us for more information on this.
Net Behavior:
1. Hanging on the nets is prohibited.
Personal Belongings:
1. You may store personal items behind the goal as long as they do not interfere with play. This is done at your own risk. Lockers are also available in the clubhouse.
Respect Towards Referees and Players:
1. Verbal abuse of referees or opposition players is strictly prohibited and may result in a yellow or red card.
2. Swearing or foul language, whether directed at referees, opponents, or spectators / supporters is not allowed and will result in a yellow card. Persistent foul language will lead to a red card.
Supporter Conduct:
1. Teams are responsible for the behavior of their fans and supporters. Misconduct by fans may result in points deduction or a player receiving a yellow or red card.
Finality of Referee Decisions:
1. The referee’s decision is final. If you have any questions about a decision, please speak with the manager on duty. Note that the manager will not overturn a referee’s decision.
Communication with Referees:
1. Only the team captain may approach the referee regarding a call. Any player who does not adhere to this rule may receive a yellow card.

Cards

Blue Card (Referee Ordered Cooldown):

Issued when a referee deems a player’s play to be overly aggressive.
The player must be substituted and can return after 2 minutes.

Yellow Card:

The player must leave the field for 2 minutes.
The team plays with one player down during this time.
After 2 minutes, the player or another substitute can return to the field.

Two Yellow Cards:

Receiving two yellow cards results in a red card. (See red card for associated consequences)

Red Card:

The player who receives the red card will be ejected from the game and will not be allowed to play the rest of the game. The team must play with a player down for 5 minutes after which point any other player may return to the field.
A red card can be issued for a second yellow card or for serious offenses including:
- Denying a goal or obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (except goalkeepers within their penalty area).
- Denying a goal-scoring opportunity as the last defender by committing a foul.
- Deliberately fouling a player without any attempt to play the ball.
- Spitting at any person.
- Violent conduct.
- Using offensive, insulting, or abusive language and/or gestures.
Swearing at the referee results in an automatic red card and a minimum three-week ban. No excuses will be accepted.
The player who receives the red card will also receive a minimum 1 week ban.
The red card incident will be reviewed and if need be the ban will be increased.

Disciplinary Action

Fighting or Violent Conduct:
- Any player found guilty of fighting or any form of violent conduct will face a minimum suspension of 4 weeks, pending a meeting with management.
- A second offense will result in an indefinite ban.
Red Card Penalty:
- Receiving a red card, either during or after the game, results in an automatic one-week minimum ban, which may be extended depending on the severity of the incident.
Yellow Card Accumulation:
- Accumulating three yellow cards within an eight-week period results in a one-week minimum ban.
- After the eight weeks, previous yellow cards are disregarded.
- If a player receives another card after returning from a ban within the same eight-week period, they will face a minimum ban of six weeks.
Combination of Cards:
- Two yellow cards and a red card within the same period result in a minimum ban of three weeks. The red card will be reviewed to determine if a longer ban is necessary.
- Two red cards in one season lead to a minimum six-week ban, and both the player and team captain will be required to attend a meeting with management.
Referee’s Authority:
- The referee’s decision during gameplay is final.
- Post-game, team captains may discuss decisions with the referee.
- If a grievance arises, the manager on duty can mediate, but cannot overturn a referee’s decision.
Respect and Conduct:
- Maintain control of your temper, and voice any grievances calmly and respectfully.
- It is the responsibility of every Fives Premier League community member to treat others with dignity and respect.

General

Punctuality:
- Teams have a 3-minute grace period if they are late. After this, the opposition is awarded one goal for every 2 minutes the team is late.
Cancellations:
- If a team cancels, regardless of the notice period, they lose the match 0-5 and the opponents receive 3 points.
- Cancellations made with less than 24 hours’ notice will still incur a charge.
Rescheduled Games:
- Teams must request rescheduling at least 12 hours before the game.
- Each team is allowed a maximum of two reschedules per season.
- The opposing team must agree to the reschedule; if they do not, and the requesting team cannot play, the requesting team will lose the match and incur a charge if the request was made less than 24 hours before the scheduled game.
- Once a rescheduled game is confirmed, the teams are liable for the game regardless of when it is played.
Friendly Matches & League Scoring:
- If a team participates in a friendly game (not against their scheduled league opposition), they will be awarded a 5-0 score for their league match.
- If a team chooses not to participate in a friendly game, the league match will be recorded as a 0-0 draw, as points cannot be awarded if a match does not take place.
- The full price will be charged for friendly matches. This is because the only change is the non-availability of the official opposition. The friendly match will still include a field, lights, bibs, balls, a referee, and an opposing team to ensure a competitive fixture.
- Teams are not specifically notified of friendly matches by default. Teams wishing to receive notifications about friendly matches must request to be notified.
Cancellation Limits:
- Teams may cancel up to 2 games per season without charge, provided cancellations are made at least 24 hours in advance.
- Additional cancellations or those made with less than 24 hours’ notice will incur charges.
Weather and Unforeseen Circumstances:
- In the event of severe weather (lightning, hail or heavy downpour) or other unforeseen circumstances, the FPL team will communicate any cancellations or changes as soon as possible.
- If a game is canceled by the FPL team due to such conditions, it will be rescheduled without penalty to the teams.
- If more than 50% of the game has been played before the game has to be stopped due to weather conditions that will be the final score for the game.
Player Participation:
- Players may only play for one team per division each night (one Premier League team and one Championship team).
- Playing for a second team results in an automatic 2-goal penalty. Team captains should confirm with the referee as soon as the player enters the field.
Referee Selection:
- Teams cannot choose their referees as it goes against the spirit of the game.
Score Finality:
- Scores cannot be altered after the game has concluded.

League Structure

Divisions:
- The league consists of two divisions: the Premier League (First Division) and the Championship (Second Division).
Winners:
- There will be one winner for the Premier League and one winner for the Championship each season.

Promotion and Relegation

Relegation:
- At the end of each season, the bottom two teams in the Premier League will be relegated to the Championship.
Promotion:
- The top two teams in the Championship will be promoted to the Premier League.
Opting Out of Promotion:
- A team promoted from the Championship to the Premier League can choose to remain in the Championship under the following conditions:
  - There is an available spot in the Championship.
  - The team agrees to forfeit any and all prizes if they win in the subsequent season.

With this policy, we aim to maintain a competitive and fair structure within the league, ensuring opportunities for all teams to progress and compete at appropriate levels.

Fives Premier League 5-A-Side Rules & Conduct