League website: https://dpleague.org/
League Rules: https://dpleague.org/resources/
REFEREE FRAMEWORK
Referee Fees
All costs of referees are the responsibility of the home club as agreed upon by conference. It is suggested that the home team pay the referees prior to the game upon arrival or through the arbiter system or direct deposit.
EQUIPMENT
1. Uniforms
Home team will be required to wear light colored FULL uniforms and away team will be required to wear FULL dark colored uniforms
i. Home teams will be responsible for changing in the event of a conflict, will choose their uniforms and visiting teams will be required to wear their contrasting uniforms.
ROSTERS
1. Game Roster Size
a. For U13 through U19 games, only 18 players from the roster will be eligible to participate in each game, and these players must be placed on the Game. Day Roster (showing players that will start and players eligible for substitution).
b. The bench and technical area is reserved for players and a maximum of five (5) registered club staff members, not including a registered Health Care Professional (HCP) or Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC).
2. Game Cards
a. The official game day roster must be provided on Game Cards and shall be presented to the referee prior to the game and should also include team staff. All teams are responsible for verifying the accuracy of rosters provided on all Game Cards and signing a completed copy from the referee crew after the game.
TECHNICAL FRAMEWORK
1. Game Length
a. All U13, U14 and U15 games will be two (2) 40-minute halves with 10-minute halftime
b. U16, U17 and U19 games will be two (2) 45-minute halves with a 15-minute halftime
2. Substitutions
a. All games will have a maximum of seven (7) substitutes per half with no reentry per half.
b. Teams can use a maximum of (5) moments per game for subs, with halftime NOT Classed as a moment.
c. Substitutions are allowed at any stoppage.
d. Games shall follow Rules of Competition Framework provided for at the beginning of each season.
3. Head Injury Substitution
a. The DPL has implemented a rule change to allow a player who is suspected to have suffered a head injury to be substituted while being evaluated.
i. The substitution for the evaluation of the concussion/head injury will not count against the team’s total number of allowed substitutions.
ii. However, a team must be in possession of at least one (1) substitution to implement this temporary substitution.
b. If the player is deemed by the HCP or ATC to not have suffered a concussion, the player may re-enter the game at any stoppage of play and must replace the original substitute; this head injury evaluation substitution will not count as a used substitution.
i. Furthermore, the temporary substitute will be able to re-enter the game at a later time.
c. If the player is not cleared to return to play by the HCP or ATC, the replacement player will no longer be considered a temporary substitution and the team will be charged a substitution.
i. Any discipline issued to the temporary substitute will count for the remainder of the game.
LAWS OF THE GAME, DISCIPLINARY MATTERS, DISPUTES, PROTESTS & APPEALS
1. Laws of the Game
a. General
i. Unless otherwise provided in these Regulations, all games shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game in force at the time of the competition and as laid down by the International Football Association Board. In the case of any discrepancy in the interpretation of the Laws of the Game, the English version shall be authoritative.
2. Field Conditions
a. Protests regarding the state of the field, its surroundings, markings or accessory items (e.g. goals, flag posts or soccer balls) shall be made in writing to the referee before the start of the game by the coach or administrator lodging the protest.
b. The league commissioner must also be notified of the protest prior to kickoff. If the field’s playing surface becomes unplayable during a game, the referee shall consult the league commissioner and both parties shall have the joint right to determine whether to delay, postpone or cancel the game.
3. Referee’s Decisions
a. No protests may be made about the referee’s decisions regarding facts connected with play, such decisions are final.
RISK MANAGEMENT
1. Overview
a. The DPL is committed to providing a safe environment for its members and participants, and to preventing abusive conduct in any form. Every member club and its personnel are responsible for protecting participants and ensuring their safety and well-being while involved in sponsored activities. The following guidelines of behavior and procedures have been adopted for member clubs, staff, volunteers and participants. All clubs, as well as parents, spectators and other invitees, are expected to observe and adhere to these guidelines. Violation of these guidelines may be used as a basis for a club or its staff’s suspension or other disciplinary action, or a staff’s disqualification from registration.
i. Abuse of any kind is not permitted within the DPL. Physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse or misconduct from players, coaches, officials, volunteers, parents or spectators shall not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to such forms of abuse as: insulting, threatening, mocking, demeaning behavior or making abusive statements in regard to a person’s race, gender, religion, physical or mental disability, nationality/ethnicity, sex or age.
2. Conduct
a. The DPL promotes respect and good sportsmanship throughout the league and encourages qualities of mutual respect, courtesy and tolerance in all participants, coaches, officials and volunteers.
v. Goal Safety
1. Home clubs are responsible for inspecting the goals and ensuring the safety of the goals.
2. However, should the visiting club become aware of a goal safety issue, they should immediately inform the home club and the game official about the issue.
3. The home Clubs should do the following:
a. Pre-Game Suggestions
i. Make sure that the goal is firmly secured to the ground with anchors
ii. Make sure that all connecting hardware (nuts, bolts, etc.) is properly attached
iii. Make sure that the structural integrity of the goal has not been compromised (cracks in welds or posts, etc.)
iv. Make sure that the goal is on a level (flat) surface
v. Check the net attachment system to make sure that it is secure and that there are no sharp edges
vi. Field Inspection
1. Home clubs are responsible for inspecting the field and ensuring the safety of the facility. However, should the visiting club become aware of a safety issue at the facility, they should immediately inform the home club and the game official about the issue.
2. The home club should do the following:
a. Inspect for foreign objects
b. Check for holes, hills or ruts
c. Inspect sprinkler heads to make sure that they are seated and properly covered
d. Ensure there is a restraining line for spectators at least five (5) feet beyond the touch line and outside of the bleachers and seating areas
e. Inspect the field and surrounding areas for any possible “attractive nuisances”
vii. Referee Responsibility for Safety
1. All determinations as to the safety of the field, the goals, the balls, player equipment are ultimately the responsibility of the referee assigned to the game.
2. Any field, equipment or ball conditions deemed by the referee to be unsafe must be corrected by the home club before play can begin or resume.