Rules

1. Tournament’s rules

At the Donosti Cup International Football Tournament teams from federated clubs, football schools legally constituted and schools playing in their country leagues can participate. The tournament will be played in accordance with FIFA and SPANISH FOOTBALL FEDERATION rules (F.E.F.). These rules are in reference to the matches played in 11-a-side and 8-a-side.

2. Competition system

Groups of 4 or 5 teams will play a one round league. These matches can be played in three or four days. In groups of five teams, two matches can be played in the same day according to schedule needs. The best two teams of each group will go into the Champion league. The third and the fourth ones will play the Play Off B series. The fifth one will be automatically eliminated.

Scoring System

• Won matches: 3 points
• Tied matches: 1 point
• Lost matches: 0 point

3. Categories

Boys

B18 Boys born after 1-1-02
B16 Boys born after 1-1-04
B15 Boys born after 1-1-05
B14 Boys born after 1-1-06
B13 Boys born after 1-1-07
B12 Boys born after 1-1-08
B11 Boys born after 1-1-09
B10 Boys born after 1-1-10

Girls

G18 Girls born alter 1-1-02
G16 Girls born alter 1-1-04
G14 Girls born alter 1-1-06
G12 Girls born alter 1-1-08
G10 Girls born alter 1-1-10

Length of the match

2 x 25 min.

Length of half-times

4 min. In all the half-times the teams will be asked to stay on the field.

4.- Special permits

It is allowed that one player who plays in the tournament plays in two different teams of the same club. The teams have to be from different categories and the player must be registered as explained in the 12th article.

In the categories B18 and G18 a maximum of 3 one year older players can play.

In the categories B16, B15, B14, B13, G16 and G14 a maximum of 2 older players can play.

In B10, B11, B12, G12 and G10 categories, older players will no be able to play.

In all of the girls’ categories boys will not be allowed to play. In the rest of boys categories there will be a maximum of 2 girls per team.

5.- Qualifying standards

1st phase (league)

If two or more teams have the same number of points, the order will be decided as follows:

• 1.- Difference of goals in favour or against taking into account all matches (General goal averages).
• 2.- Highest number of scored goals taking into account all matches.
• 3.- Results of matches between teams with the same amount of points (Individual goal average)
• 4.- Fair play. Less points in the suspensions (11th article)
• 5.- Computer toss

2nd phase (Qualifying round)

Draws in the play off will be decided by penalty kicks, without extra time, following the FIFA rules.


6.- Number of Players and Substitutes

Football 11

A team can register a maximum of 20 players and a maximum of 3 staff members on every match. Substitutions will be rotatives, which means that a player can get back in the field after being substituted. The substitutions must be made in three times maximum apart from the halftime, and the moment when the opposing team asks for its substitutions that it can also be used. All the substitutions must be made from the centre of the field, requesting authorization to the referee and once the game is stopped.

Football 8

16 players can play and a maximum of 3 delegates can be registered in every match in the categories B12, B11, B10 and G12. A maximum of 6 substitutions, including the one of the goalkeeper, are allowed. A substituted player may re-enter at the match. All substitutions must be made from the centre of the field, requesting authorization to the referee and once the game is stopped.

7.- Minutes

All minutes of the tournament will be on the computer (on-line). For this purpose, the delegates of the teams must provide the member of the organization in the field, the OFFICIAL ROSTER OF DONOSTI CUP with the corresponding t-shirt number half an hour before the match. It will be mandatory to know before the match who of the players and the couches will be on the field. It will be also mandatory, to check the result and the cards with the referee and the field staff.

8.- Clothing

All shirts will be numbered and must correspond to ones in players' list. Numbers must be on the backs of the shirts. In case of similarity of t-shirts, visitor players should change their shirt. (The visitor team is the one appearing last in the program).

9.- Football fields

All games will be played on artificial grass fields (except on Oiartzun, Bixente Lizarazu (Henday), Zarautz and Gal Stadium which are natural grass fields). It is strictly forbidden to use aluminium studs in the fields of artificial grass.

10.- Puntuality

Match timetables will be strictly respected. The team must be ready 15 min before the kick-off. Any team not appearing at the field will be declared loser by 3 - 0.

5 minutes before the start of each game, both teams will be ready in the access tunnel to go with the referee to the field. At the referee's signal the teams will come in two rows behind him and before the match begins, the two rows will look at the stands and they will do a sports greet.

11.-Penalties

Any player sent off with a direct red card will be suspended for one or more matches or sent off for the rest of the competition (depending on the seriousness of the suspension). Any player accumulating 3 warnings (yellow cards) during the tournament will be suspended for the next match. The cards will be accumulated throughout the whole tournament and will not be cleared for the next round of the tournament. Only if the player gets to the Champions league or the Play Off B final, the fine will be eliminated, except for those players who got a red card that will keep the suspension.

If the player is playing in different categories, he/she can’t play the matches until he fulfils the suspension in the category where the player is registered. If the player is registered in different categories, the penalty will be applied in the category where the player corresponds according his/her age.

11-a-side

If a team had 6 players or less, the match would be abandoned and the result will be decided by the committee of competition of the tournament.

8-a-side

If a team had 5 players or less, the match would be abandoned and the result will be decided by the committee of competition of the tournament.

In case of draw and as the 4th criteria to be classified, the accumulation of cards will have a negative value to be classified (Fair Play, Sportsmanship rate), having the values of 1 point per yellow card, 2 points per double yellow card and 3 points per direct red card. The sum of these points will be made only and exclusively by the sanction reports of the organisation.

Any team showing bad behaviour during the competition (wrong protests to referees’ decisions, arguments with other teams responsible and the organisers) could be automatically sent off. All the serious expulsions will be reported to the National Federation of the country of the affected player.

Teams are responsible for their supporters' behaviour. All cases of severe expulsions will be reported to the player’s football federation by giving the names of the implicated players.

Delegates are responsible of their player’s behaviour and attitude to/with referees, team partners, opponents, spectators, organization and the facilities where matches will be played (changing rooms, benches, paying grounds…)

The organization will check the changing rooms with both team delegates before and after each match. The delegate will have to sign in case of any damages in the benches, changing rooms or field produced by the player, delegate or team.
The teams that demonstrate a passive attitude in the matches and are left to lose one or more matches to classify in the PLAY OFF B will be expelled from the tournament.

12.- Registration of players and technical staff

Players in different categories

Each player, even if he/she is playing in more than one team, he/she has to be registered only in one of them, in the one that corresponds with his age.
To play in a second team (always from the same club) the coach will have to show the “List of players” where this player has to be registered before the beginning of the match –and following the instructions of the article n. 7 of the rules- and enter the player at the match official form.

13.- Referees
All tournament matches will be leaded by official referees from "Colegio Gipuzkoano de Árbitros" and official referees from different countries. The referee and the staff will be the highest authority in the field and he will be able to suspend the match if he detects any wrong behaviour or attitude.

14.- Protests

All protests must be written by the team manager not later than 60 minutes after the match is finished. The protest must be delivered to the information centre. A protest fee of 50 Euros will be paid at that time. This fee will be refunded if the protest is approved. The tournament committee will not consider protests regarding decisions taken by the referees.

15.- Competition committee

The competition committee meets everyday. They discuss about all the important things happened during the day. The decisions cannot be appealed, all participants must accept them. They will verify the age bracelets before every match.

16.- Playing program

The organising committee hast the right to change the groups, times and fields. This information will be given to all the team delegates. All these changes will be on the website and this will be the official way the organization is going to use to inform the teams.

17.- Balls

All matches of 11-a-side are played using size 5 ADIDAS or NIKE balls. In 8-a-side games size 4 NIKE ball will be used.
The organisation won't leave balls for trainings before the matches, so each team must bring their own balls.

18.- Insurance

All tournament participants are covered by a private insurance cover that encompasses all potential injuries that may occur during the tournament matches. The insurance cover includes hospital care at the private clinic Policlínica Guipuzcoa.
The medical transfers will be done by Empresa Ambulacias privada.