Seattle RATS — Rules

Standard FIFA Laws apply with RATS modifications, plus league-specific policies below.

📘 General League Rules

Team Registration: Teams must register for the season they wish to play. The registration form lists fees, location/time preferences, and seasonal items. A completed form with the listed team fee is required for consideration.

Player Registration: All players must sign and submit a RATS Waiver Release before playing. This is mandatory for all players, paying or not.

Field Maintenance: Leave fields as found; do not leave waste. If a field is in poor condition before play, document (photos if possible) and report to the league so we can notify the park department.

Rescheduling Games: Requests must be mutually agreed by both teams and submitted 15 days prior to the original game.

Forfeits: No fee at this time. Please respect opponents who paid for 10 × 90-minute games—notify the league and the opposing manager of a possible forfeit at least 3 days in advance and make every effort to field at least 7 players.

A team must have a minimum of 7 players within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time.
Teams may extend the deadline by another 5 minutes if agreed by the referee and the legal team.
If the other team fails to field a legal team within the time frame, the game is a forfeit; the forfeiting team takes a loss.
After a forfeit is declared, the team(s) may scrimmage.

Make Up Games:

Early/Mid-season cancellations (unforeseen/weather field closure or parks cancellation): game will likely be rescheduled. The league will work with teams on day/date/time. If it cannot be rescheduled, teams will be refunded that game.
Late-season cancellations (unforeseen/weather/parks): teams will be refunded that game.

Ref No Show: If the referee is not on the field at game time, contact the league at 206-399-7592 and begin play as scheduled. If a substitute cannot be found, continue to play, self-officiate, and report the score. Both teams will be credited the referee’s pay.

Coed Gender Distribution: No more than 5 of any one gender may play on the field. Goalkeepers do not count as field players and may be any gender. We also offer a Koed division with a gender distribution of 6 males and 4 females.

Teams must have at least one of the other gender to meet the 7-player minimum.
If short on any gender and being “blown out,” options are: (1) persevere, or (2) effectively forfeit and continue as a friendly with any available players.

🏟 8v8 Rules (Modifications)

Law 1 – Field of Play

Cross-field on U11/12-size fields, with smaller goals.

Law 3 – Number of Players

Max 8, and a team must have 5 to start.
Coed: Max 4 males (GK gender does not count). Teams must have 2 females to start—teams may play with additional females but not additional males.
Goal Differential: If a team falls behind by 3 goals, one additional player may be added (male or female).
Substitutions: Allowed during live play or at stoppage without referee permission. Sub area is 10 yards long beginning at halfway. A substitute only enters after the replaced player has entered the sub area and left the field.

Law 7 – Duration of Match

Two 40-minute halves with a 5-minute halftime (may be shortened based on start time).

Law 11 – Offside

No offside on the short, modified field.

Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct

No slide tackling that creates contact or danger. Sliding to block a shot, keep a ball in play, score, or intercept is allowed if no player is put in danger (referee’s judgment).

Penalty Kicks: Awarded for offenses in the penalty area that would result in a DFK. All PKs are taken from the top of the penalty arc with all other players at the halfway line and the keeper on the goal line. Play is live at the whistle; the shooter may dribble, pass in any direction, or shoot.

Law 13 – Free Kicks

Opponents must be at least 8 yards away (or retreating) for all free kicks.
All are Indirect except corner kicks, kick-offs, and penalty kicks.

Law 16 – Goal Kick / Keeper Throw / Punting

Goal kicks and keeper throws (after gathering the ball in the hands) may not pass midfield without touching the ground or a player first. Violation: free kick at midfield for the opponent. Punting/Drop kicks are not allowed; restart with a free kick at midfield for the opponent.

⚽ Rules of Play

Official FIFA rules apply in all situations with these exceptions:

No slide tackles except within Men’s D1.
Shinguards are required. Players without shinguards will be sent off and may not return until wearing them.

🧤 Goalkeeper Rule Clarification

A goalkeeper may not keep control of the ball in their hands for more than six seconds. Control includes:

ball between their hands or between hand and any surface (ground/body)
holding the ball in an outstretched open hand
in the act of bouncing it on the ground or tossing it into the air

Once a goalkeeper has gained possession with the hands, they cannot be challenged by an opponent.

A goalkeeper may not touch the ball with their hands inside their penalty area:

if they handle it again after releasing possession without another player’s touch
after a deliberate kick from a teammate
after receiving it directly from a teammate’s throw-in

✋ Handball Rule Clarification

FIFA Law 12: a direct free kick is awarded if a player (other than the goalkeeper in their own penalty area) deliberately handles the ball.

Translation: not all hand-to-ball contact is a “handball.”

🔄 Substitution Rule Clarification

Players may be substituted on any stoppage of play.
The referee must be informed before any substitution; substitutes enter only after the referee signals.
Unlimited substitutions; any player removed may re-enter an unlimited number of times at stoppages.

📖 FIFA’s Laws of the Game

All other FIFA Laws of the Game apply.

🤝 Code of Conduct

Good sporting behavior will be observed in all games. Respect for players, coaches, officials, and spectators is essential for amateur competition and fair play.

3️⃣0️⃣ Over 30 Division Rules

Players must be 30 or over on December 31 of the current year, except:
Up to 2 players on each game-day roster may be exempt from being 30 or older.

If you believe an opponent is not within the rules, email info@seattlerats.org with details. Referees do not enforce this rule.

Teams found in violation will forfeit their game 0–3. Repeat violations: team may be moved out of the Over 30 Division and issued forfeits for all current games.

🚩 Misconduct & Player ID Policies

Player Identification

RATS operates on the honor system. Every player in a RATS game must be registered on the website and be prepared to present name and Photo ID (e.g., driver’s license) to the referee on request.

Yellow/Red Card: Photo ID must be presented by the offending player or manager prior to restart. If the player/manager refuses or fails to provide ID, the referee will abandon the match and report the events. Failure to provide ID may lead to further team sanctions.

Misconducts

Yellow Card: An official caution. The yellow-carded player must provide Photo ID as above before restart.

Red Card: An official ejection. The red-carded player must provide Photo ID as above and leave the field complex. The player may not be replaced; the team must continue with one fewer player of the same gender that was dismissed.

Patterns of Misconduct (Player & Team)

Player cautions (yellow cards): A player’s third caution in a season—and every caution thereafter—results in a one-week suspension.
Player send-offs (red cards): Reviewed case-by-case by the RATS judicial committee; automatic one-game suspension at minimum. Additional games, season suspension, or expulsion possible.
Team patterns / failure to produce Name/ID:
- Letter from the league to the Team Manager noting that continued participation requires honoring posted rules and registration materials.
- Multiple player misconducts reviewed by the judicial committee; consequences can include player suspensions, season suspension, or expulsion.
- Patterns of repeat misconducts or failure to produce Name/ID may result in the team missing next game(s) as forfeits or expulsion.
- Teams refusing to provide Name and Photo ID for misconducts may forfeit the match in question, be suspended from next game(s) as forfeits, and are subject to a financial fine up to $200, payable before their next match.

📬 Suspension Appeals

Suspensions for cautions and send-offs may be appealed to the RATS disciplinary committee.

Appeals must state the reason for appeal and be submitted within 24 hours of the suspension. The committee will exercise due process and offer its ruling within 3 days.

Appeals must be in writing; electronic submissions accepted at appeals@seattlerats.org.