League Rules & Game Format

Vernon Soccer League

This league is all about fun, exercise, and community. Think of it as organized pickup soccer — friendly games, no referees, no stress. We’re here to play soccer and enjoy it.

Coed & Inclusive Play

Our league is coed and inclusive. Teams are created to be as balanced as possible, but we don’t enforce strict gender requirements during games.

Some weeks numbers are perfect, some weeks life happens — that’s okay. New players are always welcome, and we’ll do our best to make sure everyone fits in and gets playing time.

Teams & Players

  • Games are 7v7, including a goalkeeper

  • If a team is short on players, they can:

    • Borrow players from the opposing team

    • Borrow players from another game happening that day

    • Mix players to keep things balanced

The goal is simple: make the game happen.

Equipment & Team Colors

  • Outdoor cleats or trainers are recommended

  • No metal cleats

  • Shin guards are mandatory

  • Teams should wear matching colors

  • If there’s a color clash, one team switches colors

Game Flow & Timing

  • Games start at the scheduled time

  • Please arrive early to warm up and organize teams

  • Substitutions are allowed at any time

Game Rules (Common Sense Soccer)

  • Games are self-officiated

  • No referees

  • Free kicks are indirect only

  • No goals directly from free kicks or kick-ins

  • Kick-ins replace throw-ins

  • Goals can be scored from open play, corners, goal kicks, and kick-offs

  • We avoid penalties whenever possible — use common sense and keep playing

Goalkeepers

  • Goalkeepers are identified by gloves

  • Goalkeepers may use their hands inside the imaginary penalty area
    (We don’t have field markings — you know where the box should be ?)

Slide Tackling & Safety

  • No slide tackling, including blocking shots or passes

  • Play under control and be mindful of others

Scoring & Fair Play

  • A goal counts when the full ball crosses the goal line

  • To keep games balanced and fun, no player may score more than 3 goals per game

  • Share the ball, share the fun

Offside

There is no offside rule.
That said, no cherry-pick allowed,  play in the spirit of fair pickup soccer.

Final Score

Both teams must agree on the final score before it’s recorded.

Respect & Conduct

This is a friendly recreational league.

  • No violence or aggressive behavior

  • Respect all players and organizers

  • We’re all here to have fun and get some exercise

Unsafe or aggressive behavior may result in removal from the league to keep everyone safe.

Final Note

These are the base rules, but flexibility is part of the league. Teams are encouraged to adjust on game day if it helps keep things fair and fun.

At the end of the day, it’s simple:
We just want to play soccer.