Ambassador Cup
These rules have been adapted for our use. We ask that all players taking part read and abide by these rules, and play the game in a good sporting spirit. In the event of any dispute or disciplinary hearing, the decision of the board of the Stockohlm Gaels is final.
Panels / Teams
A playing team consists of 7 players and a up to 5 substitutes, who may be called into the game at any stage. A team may make unlimited substitutions and substitutions must be made at the halfway line on a pre-designated side of the pitch. A team who repeatedly fails to comply with this rule shall be given a warning. The referee may award a 45 metre free kick against a side that breaches this rule. A further offence shall result in the player coming onto the pitch being given a yellow card as well as a 45 metre free kick being awarded.
Every team shall have a goalkeeper, and six outfield players.
All teams will wear their own distinctive colours. In all football matches the goalkeeper will wear a different colour jersey to the rest of his team. If there is a clash in colours between teams, a coin shall be tossed to decide which team shall be required to wear a change in colours (wear bibs).
The Game
All matches shall be 13 minutes per half in duration with a 1 minute half time interval.
The ball is officially in play once the referee has given the signal for the game to start or restart.
The ball will remain in play until:
• the referee signals the game to stop
• the ball has passed over any of the boundary lines
• the ball is touched in play by anyone other than a player
Passing / Running With The Ball
The ball can be struck with the hand and kicked. Players may kick the ball from the ground or out of their hands. When a player is making an attack with the ball in their hands they may not exceed the maximum of four consecutive steps. If the player wants to continue the move he/she must either bounce the ball off the ground or toe-tap it.
A toe-tap is to release the ball from the hands to the foot and kick it back to the hands. A toe-tap can also be known as a solo.
A player may not lift the ball from the ground whilst kneeling or lying on the ground, nor may a player hand-pass the ball whilst on the ground, whilst in control of the ball. The player must first return to his / her feet before hand-passing.
A legal ‘hand pass’ is committed by a player who makes it apparent to the referee that a clean underhand striking action has occurred (to clearly show that the ball was not thrown).
The Tackle
A defending player may try to dispossess an attacking player by one of two methods:-
- Tackling ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’ i.e. making fair contact with his shoulder to the other player’s shoulder to try and unbalance him. The defender may not use his hip or elbow in the tackle, and one foot has to be on the ground during the whole tackling procedure. A player may use the shoulder to push a player away from the ball whilst both of them are chasing a ‘fifty-fifty’ ball i.e. no team is in proper possession of the ball.
- In Gaelic football he may attempt to knock the ball from the attacker’s hands with the open palm. Only one hand can be used, and the defender cannot try to pull it from the attacker, he must knock it cleanly from his possession.
If either of these rules is breached, the referee awards a free to the attacking player. Consistent personal fouling by a player may warrant a booking from the referee
Sliding tackles are not permitted. A free will be awarded against such an offence. It may also warrant a yellow card. Sliding pick-ups are also prohibited.
As a player is kicking the ball from his hands, a defending player may not tackle the player using his leg.
Dead Ball – The restart
If the ball goes out over the end line off one of the defending players a ’45’ metre free kick is awarded to the attacking team. An attacking player will then take a free kick forty-five metres from the goal. (Equivalent of corner kick in soccer)
If the ball goes out of play over the sideline the referee will award a ‘sideline kick’. The player taking the kick must kick the ball out of their hands or from the ground. Under no circumstances can the player throw the ball into play as is the case in soccer.
If the ball goes over the end line without going off a defending player, the game shall be restarted from within the small parallelogram (6 metre box). If a point or goal is scored, the game is restarted anywhere within the large parallelogram.
Square Ball
If an attacking player is within his opponents’ small parallelogram before the ball enters, it is deemed a ‘square ball’, and a free out to the defending team. However, if the ball enters before him, or enters, is cleared and played back into the small parallelogram before he has time to exit, a foul is not called.
Scoring
A ‘point’ is scored when the ball is played over the crossbar between the posts by either team. A ‘goal’ is scored when the ball is played over the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar by either team. A goal is equal to three points.
If a defender plays the ball through his own goalposts, whether by foot or by hand, the appropriate score is awarded to the attacking team. A defending player may score an own goal with a hand pass
Referees / Umpires
The referee is the official in charge of the game. The referee for group games will be assisted by one (two if available) sideline official, who will be responsible for monitoring substitutions. The side line official may also report any off the ball incidents that are not permitted within the rules. Umpires will also be used and non playing teams may be asked to provide these.
The referee’s decision is final, but the assistants may be called upon for additional input into a decision made by the referee. The linesmen and umpires, also known as officials, act as extra ‘eyes’ for the referee.
Substitutions
A team may make unlimited substitutions from the half-way line / side line.
A player substituting on must wait until the player being substituted off reaches the half-way / side line before he / she can enter the field of play. A player who is replacing a player who gets injured and is removed on the pitch at any other area other than the pre-designated substitution zone, must wait until the referee signals that the he /she may enter the field of play.
Fouling
There are many ways that a player can commit a foul.
Technical fouls include:
• throwing the ball instead of hand passing it,
• deliberately placing your body over the ball therefore ‘killing’ the ball,
• wrestling the ball from an opponent who has caught the ball,
• to bounce the ball more than once consecutively after catching it.
Pulling: No player may pull the jersey of an opposing player during the game, whether it is whilst running for the ball, tackling an attacking player, or during quiet periods of play. Consistent pulling of an opposing player’s jersey may warrant a booking, and if the foul is committed at a later time and noted by the referee, this mandates a sending off.
Pushing: A free is awarded if one player pushes an opposing player, whilst chasing him, tackling him, or if one player is in front of another for a catch and the payer behind pushes his opponent to get a better chance of catching the ball.
Players will not usually be booked for committing technical fouls as they are seen as minor offences. However players will be Red Carded for aggressive fouls:
• Striking an opponent with any part of the body
• kicking or attempting to kick an opponent
• stamping on an opponent
• behaving in a dangerous fashion towards an opponent
• striking or attempting to strike an official
All of these acts constitute aggressive fouls.
The third form of foul is ‘Dissent’. And a player may be booked or red carded for such an offence.
If a player has to be booked twice, he is ‘sent off’, as is a player if he is red carded. A player who is sent off shall be suspended from participating in the following game.
This section deals with fouls committed by a player on another player.
Frees & Penalties
If a foul is committed outside the fourteen-yard line, the free is to be taken by a player on the attacking side, from either the ground or the hands. If is taken from the hand, he is not allowed bounce the ball, throw it from hand-to-hand, etc., before the free is taken.
For any foul committed inside the 14-yard line, but outside the large parallelogram, are brought out to the 14-yard line, perpendicular to the end line. The free may be taken from the ground or hand, and the same rules apply to the free taker if the free is being taken from the hand.
If a personal foul to an attacking player is committed within his opponents’ large parallelogram, a penalty to the attacking team is awarded. Penalties are one-on-one frees taken from the 14 yard line, directly in front of the centre of goal. In Gaelic football only the defending goalkeeper. All players (except the player taking the penalty and those on the line) must be 14 yards away from the ball and outside the 14-yard line, and may not encroach on these boundaries until the ball has been played. Recently, new markings to the pitch showing these boundaries have been introduced.
If a technical foul is committed by a defending player within his own large rectangle, but outside the small parallelogram, a 14-yard free is awarded to the attacking team.
If a technical foul is committed by a defending player inside his own small parallelogram, a penalty is awarded to the attacking team.