1. Players & Play
a) For insurance reasons, appropriate footwear, shin‐guards and sports‐eyewear (if required) must be worn at all times during play. ‘Normal’ glasses cannot be worn during play.
b) Teams line out as per team‐sheet irrespective of numbers who have arrived for any particular game.
c) Goalkeepers may only be changed with prior permission of the Referee.
d) The ‘back pass rule’ (goalkeepers may not pick up the ball from a pass from one of their teammates) applies to all groups except to the Junior group.
e) Exclusion zones (a ‘Retreat Line’ where no attacking players are allowed intrude or challenge for possession) will apply for kick‐outs in Junior (Boys & Girls) groups, Inter group (Girls) and Inter‐1 group (Boys).
f) The Offside laws of the game will not apply during the tournament.
g) Goal kicks and kick outs from the hands must first land in that team’s own half. Otherwise, an indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposition from the edge of the offending team’s penalty box.
h) In each game, three (3) points will be awarded to the winning team, one (1) point will be awarded to each team in the case of a draw/tie.
i) Each game will be of two equal halves of 10 minutes each way, as determined, for each group, by the Tournament Director.
j) The duration of any Extra‐time, where a draw/tie occurs in a knock‐out game (Play‐Offs, Semi‐ Finals and/or Finals) will be determined by the Tournament Director.
k) Any player who is sent off or who receives two yellow cards during the tournament, will automatically miss his/her team's next game with no replacement permitted. All yellow cards will be rescinded after group stages. Players sent off during a knock‐out game (Play‐Offs, Semi‐ Finals and/or Finals) will not be allowed to participate in either extra‐time or a penalty shootout, in the event of a draw/tie.
l) In the event of a knock‐out match (Play‐Offs, Semi‐Finals and/or Finals) being decided by a penalty shoot‐out, five players on both teams must take a penalty. If there is a tie after each set of five penalties have been  taken, a sudden‐death shoot‐out ensues – players other than those who have taken the first five penalties will take part in the sudden‐death shoot‐out. If the sudden‐death shoot‐out continues until all players (or equivalent, where sides do not have the same number of players), then the first‐five may participate again. Scoring from rebounds will not count in a shoot‐out.
m) Penalty shoot‐outs will not take place in the Junior section(s), which will be decided by a ‘golden goal’ after extra‐time.

2. Guidelines for Deciding Placings
a) Placing will be decided in the order of, goals scored, goal difference, head‐to‐head (only if it applies equally, ie. round robin where all teams may not have played each other), and finally if any teams are still level, they go into a draw and first team drawn qualifies.
b) if three or four teams are all level on the above, the first two teams drawn out will qualify with the team drawn first being deemed the group stage winner.
c) There will be no play offs.

3. Groups and Teams
d) The tournament is limited by space constraints ‐ the club will do what it can to include everyone who registers in a team. However, this may not be possible, and the club will refund those who cannot be included. Club members will be accommodated preferentially.
e) The players will be divided into groups on the basis of age only, with a view to all players playing in a group of players that are relatively close in age to themselves, for reasons primarily of safety. All players of the same nominal age may not necessarily be in the same group; this will depend on the number of registered entries in the tournament. The Tournament Director will decide on the number of groups for each gender, based on the number of participants, and the availability of playing facilities.

4. Participation of Players:
a) Acceptance of an entry fee is no guarantee of participation. Entry fees will be refunded in full in the event that an individual’s participation is declined.
b) Elimination – a player who misses any Preliminary round match (those up to the Semi‐Final and Finals) may be eliminated from the tournament. The decision to eliminate a participant is a
matter for the Tournament Director having regard to the circumstances of the case. No exceptions (except in the case of a player injury or illness during the tournament, at the sole discretion of the Tournament Director) will be made if a participant misses two rounds whether consecutive or not; elimination will be automatic. There is no refund for eliminated players (see Section 5).
c) Should a player who was eliminated but reinstated, is subsequently found to have misled the tournament organisers, then he or she shall be eliminated immediately regardless of what stage the tournament is at. Where that player's team were complicit in the deceit then the Tournament Director, in consultation with the Organising Committee, may impose sanctions on that team.
d) A player cannot be included as a reserve player if they have had their entry declined under Rule 4(a) or have been eliminated under Rule 4(b).
e) Reserve players should, as far as is practical, be of the same gender/age as the player they are replacing. This decision will rest solely with the Tournament Director.
f) Reserve players cannot be used after third round games (Wednesday, or equivalent) or in Play‐Offs, Semi‐Final or Final games.
g) Reserve players cannot be used to replace a suspended or eliminated player.

5. Withdrawals and Refunds.
a) A full refund will only be made to a player who wishes to withdraw from the tournament, before teams have been announced.
b) If a player named on a team withdraws (after teams have been announced) up to the day before the tournament commences, 50% of the fee paid will be refunded.
c) No refund will be made in respect of any player eliminated (see Section 4).
d) Full or partial refunds will only be made by bank transfer or cash.

6. General
a) The Tournament Director and Organising Committee reserve the right to alter, amend, insert or delete any rule or guideline considered necessary or appropriate for the operation of the tournament without notice to any other individual or group.