Don Dennison

by Don Dennison, NISOA National Clinician

When you receive your new Rules Book this year, be sure to note the change in Rule 5.6.5  on page 27 which was not highlighted nor was it noted in the Major Rules Changes page appearing in the front of the book.  This change effectively removes the referee’s power to declare a forfeit.

In prior years, a forfeit could be declared if:

• A coach prolonged a discussion with the referee or refused to leave the field
• A team refuses to return to the field within three minutes after being ordered to do so
• An ejected player re-enters, or
• No game roster is submitted before the game begins.

Effective this year, the power to forfeit has been removed and the referee can now Terminate the game for these situations.  A decision concerning the result of the termination will now be in the hands of the Governing Sports Authority. The referee must, in such circumstances, file a report concerning such termination on the NCAA Soccer Central Hub website.