CPL League Rules

Spring 2023

Communication

The league will communicate the schedule and standings on this webpage. Changes may be posted on the home page or to the schedule pages. It is your responsibility to review the website, and schedule and to stay updated.

Group announcements will be made by email. Please give us two (2) email addresses that you check regularly. Add me [email protected] 303-941-3530 to your contact list so that our emails do not get marked as spam.

Season and Playoffs

Divisions with 7 or more teams will play regular season games plus a semi final and final. 6 teams or less will play a final. The number of regular season games will vary by division. A semifinal or quarterfinal may be added where appropriate.

Game Length

Game Length 90 minutes.  Games must kick off within 10 minutes of the scheduled time.   At that time all players must be checked in and on the field ready to play.  Referees will use their best judgement regarding extenuating circumstances.  Please communicate with them.  Get your players to arrive 45 minutes early.

Unlimited Substitutions

Substitutions may be made on a goal, goal kick, at half, while it is your throw in or when a player is injured (both teams). No substitutions on off sides, free kicks, or corner kicks.  If the other team is substituting, you may also.

Rosters 

Coaches MUST print two (2) copies of their roster and bring to the game to check in.

Every player must have a 2022-2023 CASA USSSA registration and show up on your roster. Roster size is unlimited but only 18 players may play for a team each game day. Move inactive players to page 3 in CASA. Print pages 1 and 2 for each game. You must provide a PRINTED roster to the referee that is less than 24 hours old.

Home field policy

With at least three weeks notice, a team may elect to host some of their home games away from the league home base of Broomfield Commons, Victoria or Country Estates. Home games must be within 10 miles of these venues. Priority will be given to clubs which can host two games consecutively. Exceptions will be made to reduce drive times on a case by case basis. Clubs that host games will cover the entire cost of the field. A single game may be scheduled only in the event that referees accept the match. If the league has difficulty assigning referees, there may be an added referee fee of up to $100 (covering actual league costs). Teams charging for admission shall provide the opposing team with 20 tickets.

Reschedule and Forfeit Policy

Teams asking for ANY game to be rescheduled must pay a $50 reschedule fee. Any game rescheduled within 7 days of the original date and time will be charged the full referee fees of $200 in addition to the $50 reschedule fee. Teams traveling to a tournament or other scheduled team event such as a wedding must provide the league with at lease three weeks notice.

Changes may be denied.  It is your responsibility to communicate with the league in a timely manner.  

Any team forfeiting a game for any reason will have 1 point deducted from their final standings. A team forfeiting more than one game in a season will be removed from the league and will receive no refund. 

A game day no call, no show forfeit incurs a fine of $100.   You must give the league and other team at least 90 minutes notice BY PHONE AND EMAIL.  If the opposing team drives to the field, they will receive the $100 directly from the team forfeiting. Refusal to pay the fine within three (3) days of the forfeit, will result in immediate removal from the league with no refund.

Unregistered Players

Coaches are NOT players.  A coach must be registered as a player to play.

Any team playing knowingly or unknowingly playing an unregistered or suspended player will automatically forfeit the game. It is up to you to know your player’s availability.

Suspensions

Any player found to use racial epithets shall be suspended for a minimum of three games plus a committee review for additional fines and suspensions. A second offense is a 6 games suspension plus additional fines.. A third offense is a 364 day suspension.

A player receiving a red card MUST immediately leave the field and stay 100 yards away.  You may not go back and talk to the referee after the game.  You could receive an extra suspension.  Managers and captains will may choose to follow up for the player after the game.

When a player receives a red card they must sit out until their suspension, and fine is paid. If the suspension is not noted on your roster, they still must sit or you forfeit and lose a point. Be proactive.

To pay a fine, click HERE

Fines must be paid by Wednesday 10am of the week the player wishes to return to play. This is not an automatic process, you must follow up. If you play a player that is suspended, you forfeit immediately regardless of whether you have been informed of the red card by the league or not. That player knows they got a red. They must sit until cleared by the league.

Please note that a player with a red must serve the suspension on the team they are on. They cannot count games in other leagues.

Players

Reserve teams may play up to 4 players on their 1st team. Players may play for both teams on the same day unless they have received a red card. Players may play up to the Premier Division but not down to the Elite Division.

A club with two men’s teams in the same division may play 2 players from each team up to their first team in the next division up. Players may not play down.

Over 30 division teams may play 3 players that are aged 25+ and a goal keeper of ANY age (18+).

Technical Area

Located from the edge of the center circle and run 10 yards down the line. Technical areas are not marked but please make sure to set up in the correct spot. Coaches must stay in the technical area.

Mass Confrontation Rule 

A mass confrontation occurs when more than two players (from either team) confront any of the referee crew.  All players that take part in a mass confrontation will be suspended for a minimum of 1 game.

Bench Clearing Rule

A player leaving the bench and entering the field for any type of confrontation will receive and automatic RED card. If more than two players leave the bench (bench clearing), for any type of confrontation or altercation that team will automatically forfeit the game.

Spectators

Fans may NOT sit with or on the same side of the field as the teams. Both teams must put their benches on the same side of the field. In Broomfield, the benches should be placed on the north side of each field, in-between fields 1 and 2 or 3 and 4. Everyone on your bench MUST be on your roster. Spectators must be on the outside of the fields, teams on the inside. The game may be stopped to ensure compliance.

Teams are responsible for their fans.  

If your fans block, impede, or distract the Assistant Referee on either side, they may be asked to leave.  If they refuse to move, or leave or escalate the situation, your team could forfeit the game. Spectators MUST leave if asked.

Rules of the Game

IFAB laws of the game can be found HERE.

Offside 

Rules have been updated. Please make sure to review them, specifically rules on deflections.

A section by section guide can be found here: http://www.theifab.com/laws#!%2Flaws

Jerseys

Each team must have two sets of jerseys available for every game. Player uniforms must match. This includes socks, shorts and jerseys. Jerseys must have numbers, no duplicate numbers on the same team.  

Away team changes but both teams are expected to work together.

Player transfer rule

When a player asks for a transfer the coach has 7 days to respond. If the coach does not approve or deny the transfer, the player can request the transfer to be automatically approved. A coach may deny a transfer if the player owes league fees or equipment. In no case can a coach require a player to pay back more than $100 in value, fees or equipment.

Tie breakers: 

1. Head to Head 

2. Goals Against 

3. Goal Differential 

4. Goals for

 5. Coin flip

Example 1: Two teams tied in the standings, and one team beat the other –Head to Head applies.

Example 2: Three teams tied in the standings and one of the teams did not play against one of the other  teams – Goals Against applies for all three teams.  In this instance a team that beat another team could still be knocked out due to a higher goals against.

Promotion and Relegation

At the end of each season (Fall and Spring), the winner of the Elite division is promoted to the 1st division. The last place team in the 1st division is relegated to the Elite division. The 2nd place team in the Elite Division may challenge the 2nd to last place team in the 1st division for promotion. The challenging team must pay a $400 game fee within 7 days of the Elite Division Final. The challenge game will be played as soon as is reasonably possible. Whoever wins the challenge game takes the 1st division spot.

In the event that a team drops out of the 1st division or that the 1st division is reorganized, we reserve the right to bring in teams from outside the league to fill an empty slot.

Video Policy

The CPL may request a copy of any video taken by a team or spectator. Video may be used by the league for promotional or disciplinary purposes. Video can be used to protest a game according to our protest policies HERE. Video MAY NOT be used to protest a red card.

In order to maintain the CPL’s high level of competition, teams may be removed from the league or relegated to a lower division by our competitions committee for showing a pattern of forfeits, games played short, blowouts, lower standards of competition or any combination thereof. A team that is removed may be invited to come back the next season in a lower bracket. All decisions made by the competitions committee are final.

Teams which consistently exhibit conduct which is unbecoming or likely to prejudice the interests or reputation of the league may be removed.

The league reserves the right to make decisions for the good of the game and the integrity of the competition.

Ver 1.7 03/13/2023