Middle School Soccer Regulations
I. General Regulations
A. Rules
TSSAA Middle School Soccer follows the NFHS Soccer Rules Book. Regular season and postseason games for middle school will consist of two 30-minute halves.
B. Uniforms
The NFHS uniform rule regarding home (dark) and visitor (white) colors is waived for middle school soccer. When both teams are wearing the same color, the home team must adjust.
C. Game Administrator
A Game Administrator must be appointed by the principal of each host school to supervise every varsity athletic contest. The Game Administrator must be someone other than the participating coaches. Ideally it should be a principal, athletic director, or another school administrator, but it may be the principal’s or athletic director’s designee due to staff commitments. The Game Administrator of the host school is required to conduct one meeting which must include the coaches, officials, and security personnel prior to the start of each varsity contest. Included in the pregame discussion is to be a review of the expected behavior of everyone involved in the contest.
D. Filming
The allowance of videotaping, filming, or streaming of regular season contests is left to the discretion of the administration of the host school (or the game administrator if there is no host school).
E. Overtime Procedure
Breaking ties is not required during the regular season, but if districts decide to do so for postseason seeding purposes, districts shall decide whether or not to use one of the two tiebreaker options for regular season district contests prior to the start of the season. The options are as follows:
Penalty kick procedure outlined in the NFHS Soccer Rules Book.
Teams will play two 10 minute Golden Goal (Sudden Victory) overtime periods. At the end of the first 10 minute overtime, teams shall change ends. There shall be a two-minute interval between periods. If, at the conclusion of the two 10 minute Golden Goal (Sudden Victory) overtime periods, a tie still exists, the tie shall be broken with the penalty kick procedure outlined in the NFHS Soccer Rules Book.
After a 5-goal differential has been reached, the game clock shall run continuously except for heat timeouts and injuries. For the remainder of the game, the clock will continue to run continuously except for heat timeouts and injuries, regardless of the goal differential. If a 9-goal differential has been reached at halftime or at any time during the second half, the game shall be terminated.
II. Postseason Regulations
A. Classification is set in middle school for postseason purposes only. Schools must be competing in the season a state championship is being held in order to compete in the postseason (fall for girls soccer and spring for boys soccer). Classification for Girls Soccer and Soccer can be found by selecting the appropriate sport at the following link: https://portal.tssaa.org/commo...
B. Postseason Qualifying Procedures and Brackets can be found at the following link: https://tmsaa.tssaa.org/middle...
C. Field Size
The recommended field size for facilities hosting postseason contests is 110 yards by 65 yards. However, any facility hosting postseason contests must be in the range of field dimensions that are outlined in the NFHS Soccer Rules Book: The field of play shall be rectangular, 100 to 120 yards long and 55 to 80 yards wide.
D. Filming
Videotaping, filming, or streaming of postseason contests must be in accordance with the TSSAA Media Regulations and must be approved by the Tournament Director.
E. Overtime Procedures
Beginning with postseason play at the region semifinal round, the two 10-minute overtime periods will not be Sudden Victory. If at the conclusion of the two 10-minute overtime periods a tie still exists, then the tie shall be broken with the penalty kick procedure outlined in the NFHS Soccer Rules Book.
F. Mercy Rule (Goal Differential)
After a 5-goal differential has been reached, the game clock shall run continuously except for heat timeouts and injuries. For the remainder of the game, the clock will continue to run continuously except for heat timeouts and injuries, regardless of the goal differential. If a 9-goal differential has been reached at halftime or at any time during the second half, the game shall be terminated.
III. Officials
A. Only TSSAA-registered officials may be used in regular-season or tournament competition.
B. A minimum of two officials shall be used in each regular season contest, but three or four may be used.
C. During postseason play, with the exception of the state tournament, the officials shall be assigned by the assigning officer of the recognized local association of the host school. The state office shall select the officials for the state tournaments.