Rules and Eligibility

Contact the director or one of the team captains  (email addresses and phone numbers to the right) for clarification about the league and its rules.

  1. Men must be at least 27 years old to play HAPCO and women must be at least 27.
  2. Every player on the field must have signed a HAPCO registration/liability release form. The player must be in good standing with the league. All fees must have been completely paid. No pay, no play. It is the team manager’s responsibility to ensure that these conditions are met.
  3. Players may play only for the teams they have been assigned to by the League Director. Players may not join teams or swap teams without prior approval of the director. Players on the waiting list will not be allowed to play until they have been assigned to a team by the League Director.
  4. The game shall consist of two 45 minute halves if time permits. Early games shall end before the scheduled start time of the following game. New FIFA rules will apply to the toss to determine sides and kick off. Attacking women always take the opening kick-off.
  5. Men should attempt to minimize their infringement onto the positional responsibilities of women insofar as the flow of the game allows. Men in the field from either team may not enter the penalty area at the end defended by women. (The goalie for the defending women can, of course, enter the penalty area regardless of gender). An indirect free kick at the site of the infraction shall be awarded against the side committing the infraction. A side playing with 4 or 5 women on the field may not have a man take a corner kick at the end at which the women are on attack. If there are fewer than 4 women on each team, Rule 5 may be suspended.
  6. The maximum number of players on the field from one team shall be eleven. Any time that one team cannot field at least 7 players, or when both managers shall agree, the players from both teams shall be divided into two balanced teams of men and women. If there are fewer than 4 women on each team, Rules 5 and 6 (above) may then be suspended.
  7. Substitutions are allowed as often as desired under the direction of the referee. Substitutions shall occur during natural stoppages of play such as throw-ins or free-kicks. The referee shall signal permission for the substitution. An exception to the above procedure shall be during an injury. It is strongly recommended that when a player is injured , that the player remain down on the field until noticed by the referee, who shall then stop the game. Substitution for the injured player is then permitted (and recommended).
  8. No charging of any players at any time. If the charge is from behind or violent, the normal FIFA penalty of a direct free kick shall be awarded; otherwise the penalty shall be an indirect free-kick. HAPCO emphasizes the undesirability of contact while challenging an opponent. The referee shall consider the fairness of play secondary to the potential danger of each action.
  9. No slide tackling, ever. Slide tackling shall be considered a tripping offense and worth a direct free kick.
  10. According to FIFA rules, players are prohibited from addressing opposing players and the referee during the game. Only the managers may address the referees. (We only have one referee and no linesman – you cannot expect them to not make mistakes. Do not argue even if you are in the right).
  11. A player red-carded by the referee shall be barred from the remainder of that game plus the following week’s games. The team shall be allowed to introduce a substitute player.
  12. Players and their supporters are not permitted to bring dogs to the games.
  13. FIFA rules now require that all players wear shin guards & remove all jewelry, including watches.
  14. Verbal abuse is never appropriate. Any and every instance of verbal abuse will be treated as an immediate yellow card infraction. Two instances of this behavior will result in removal from the field, and the player involved will not play the following week. Repeated instances of this behavior will result in the director removing the player involved from any further league play.