For the 5-a-side, we have two significant rule changes.  The first is obviously the goal keeper.  The keeper must be limited in their use to keep the game fair.  We also included a hockey style “pulling the keeper” rule to help a struggling team put in an all out attack.

Five-a-Side Street Soccer – Laws of the Game

Failing a specific variation below, all FIFA Futsal rules will be enforced

• Court Size:
  • Minimum Size – basketball or tennis court
  • Recommended Size – two basketball or tennis courts side by side; tape should be used to enforce lines and mark the center; this is required if the courts have a gap between them
• Time:
  • 20 minute half
  • 5 minute half-time
• Goal:
  • Futsal style goals – 7′ x 10′ (2m x 3m)
  • Recommended – inflatable or modular/portable goals
  • As a safety measure, we recommend that the goals be weighted with a 22 lbs (10 kilo) sandbag, but never anchored
  • 11′ x 6′ goal box
• Goal Keeper
  • Goal keeper must throw, roll or pass the ball out
  • The ball must be touched by another player on the same team before crossing midfield
• 5 Second Rule (Optional):
  • Basketball style restriction preventing any player from standing inside the arch for more than five seconds
  • Players violating the rule must take a lap around the court before re-entering
  • Play continues while the offending player runs
  • We recommend this rule only when a team “pulls the goal keeper”
• Off-sides Rule:
  • No more than three players on the offensive side of the court
  • No shots are allowed from the defensive side of the field
  • Pulling the Goal keeper (Optional)
    • We have always liked the hockey idea of pulling the goal keeper; this allows the attacking team an extra player in the attacking end; however it leaves the goal open
    • We recommend implementing the 5 second rule to ensure the attacking team does not replace the goal keeper with a defensive player
• Restarts:
  • All restarts are from the ground
  • Restarts from the defensive side of the court must be passed to another player on the defensive side
• Substitutions:
  • A field player may be substituted at any time (except where the Powerplay rule applies)
  • Goal keepers may only be substituted at a stoppage
  • The departing player must leave the court before the arriving player can enter
  • All players must enter from the defensive end
• Powerplay rule (Optional):
  • A ball that is kicked far out of bounds must be retrieved by the player that kicked it
  • The opposing team may restart the game immediately and take advantage of the missing player
  • The retrieving player cannot be substituted
  • The player may re-enter to the game as soon as the ball is returned

Did we miss a rule?  Are you ready to start a league?  Tell us what you think and get out and play.

Street Soccer/Freestyle Soccer Demo at Soccer Nation

It seems like almost every other variant of soccer have been legitimized. Futsal has professional and amateur leagues around the world. Beach soccer has already had a televised world cup. Indoor soccer is common in many places. Even small-sided leagues have become more common. Still, street soccer or Calle Futbol remains unrecognized by FIFA or national associations.

Companies like Nike and adidas have created street balls and have excellent indoor shoes. Calle Republic and Monta are dedicated to the streets with full lines of apparel, shoes and balls. Some urban areas are converting empty parking lots and alleys to street courts. Unused tennis or basketball courts are being used for pick-up games. Even EA has a street soccer game.
We think it is time to set down some standard rules. We propose two main variants: 4 sided games with no keepers and 5 sided games with a keeper.

Four-a-Side Street Soccer – Laws of the Game

Failing a specific variation below, all FIFA Futsal rules will be enforced

• Court Size:
  • Basketball or Tennis Court
• Time:
  • 20 minute half
  • 5 minute half-time
• Goal:
  • Small pop-up style nets
  • With a 6 foot / 2 meter semi-circle arch for a basketball style key
• 5 Second Rule:
  • Basketball style restriction preventing any player from standing inside the arch for more than five seconds
  • Players violating the rule must take a lap around the court before re-entering
  • Play continues while the offending player runs
• Off-sides Rule:
  • No more than three players on the offensive side of the court
  • No shots are allowed from the defensive side of the field
• Restarts:
  • All restarts are from the ground
  • Restarts from the defensive side of the court must be passed to another player on the defensive side
• Substitutions:
  • A player may be substituted at any time (except where the Powerplay rule applies)
  • The departing player must leave the court before the arriving player can enter
  • All players must enter from the defensive end
• Powerplay rule (Optional):
  • A ball that is kicked far out of bounds must be retrieved by the player that kicked it
  • The opposing team may restart the game immediately and take advantage of the missing player
  • The retrieving player cannot be substituted
  • The player may re-enter to the game as soon as the ball is returned

Did we miss a rule?  Are you ready to start a league?  Tell us what you think and get out and play.

Now, things may be turning around. They moved the headquarters from New York to San Francisco to reduced costs. The league is now adding teams. This brings new capital into the league for operations, advertising and development.

Tuesday, the newest team will be announced. Sahlen sports, owner of the W-League champion Buffalo Flash, will expand the WPS into Western New York. The new team will be based at Sahlen Sports Park, in Elma, New York. Their home games will be split between Rochester, at the 14,000-seat Rochester Rhinos Stadium and the newly-expanded Niagara Field on the campus of Niagara University in Lewiston. This gives the WPS six soccer-specific stadiums among its eight teams.

An expansion draft for the New York’s latest franchise is scheduled for late October. The team will draft players from among the current seven WPS teams.

Unveiling of Western New York’s Newest Major League Team

• WHEN: Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 10 a.m.
• WHERE: Sahlen Sports Park, 7070 Seneca Street, Elma, NY 14059
• WHAT: The Sahlen family, will officially introduce the team name and logo for their Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) Team, the newest major league team to come to Western New York.

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About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)

Headquartered in San Francisco, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is the world’s premier soccer league for women with seven teams across the United States featuring the best players from around the world. WPS completed its inaugural season in August 2009 as Sky Blue FC of New Jersey became the first-ever WPS Champions. In 2010, seven teams will each play 24-game schedules from April 10-September 12 including five original WPS teams – Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride (Bay Area), Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY) and Washington Freedom – and two expansion teams Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence. The top four finishers in the regular season will qualify for the 2010 WPS Playoffs scheduled for September 19-26. For more information, visit the WPS official website at www.womensprosoccer.com or follow all the news at www.twitter.com/womensprosoccer.

Core to the new agreement is a dedicated focus on youth development and programming to help shape the future of the sport in North America.

“The United States is a breeding ground for athletic talent and we need to ensure our homegrown athletes have viable opportunities to play soccer at the highest level,” said Patrik Nilsson, president, adidas America. “We need to accelerate the model for soccer development in North America to attract and keep elite talent engaged and excited about professional opportunities in the sport. We share a long-term vision with MLS to develop the game and are excited to foster the next generation of American soccer stars.”

adidas has been a partner of MLS since the league’s inception in 1996. In 2004, adidas and MLS announced an exclusive partnership agreement that named adidas the official athletic sponsor and product supplier, outfitting all league teams and supplying the league’s official match ball.

“One of the major reasons Major League Soccer has become one of the top soccer leagues in the world is due to the support and commitment of adidas,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “They have a clear vision for the sport in North America, and they see MLS as a cornerstone of that vision. Our extension with adidas is a major statement by an internationally respected brand that MLS is increasing in value and that our commitments to stadium construction, strategic expansion, player development and improvement in the overall quality of play are playing dividends.”

adidas is the global leader in soccer and partners with many of the world’s greatest soccer clubs and federations including Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Germany and Japan. adidas is an official partner of FIFA, UEFA and the Confederations of African Football. adidas also sponsors world-class athletes like Juan Pablo Angel, Jozy Altidore, Fredy Montero, Lionel Messi, Kaka, Steven Gerrard, Michael Ballack, Xavi, Frank Lampard and Andres Guardado, among others.

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About adidas

adidas is a global designer, developer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories with the mission to be the leading sports brand in the world. Brand adidas is part of the adidas Group, a corporation that includes brands such as Reebok, TaylorMade and Rockport.

About Major League Soccer

Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. MLS features many stars from the U.S., Canada, and around the world. MLS kicked off its 15th season on March 25, 2010. MLS features 16 clubs each playing 30 regular season matches in 2010. Those teams include Chicago Fire; Colorado Rapids; Chivas USA; Columbus Crew; D.C. United; FC Dallas; Houston Dynamo; Kansas City Wizards; Los Angeles Galaxy; New York Red Bulls; New England Revolution; 2009 MLS Cup Champion Real Salt Lake; San Jose Earthquakes; Seattle Sounders FC; Toronto FC; and, in their inaugural season, Philadelphia Union. Expansion teams in Vancouver and Portland will debut in 2011 and in Montreal in 2012. For more information about MLS, log on to the League’s official Web site at www.MLSsoccer.com.

“The early attendance spike is an encouraging sign of things to come, and the excitement from the World Cup will keep the ball rolling,” said Dmitry Kopylovsky, industry analyst with IBISWorld. “Additionally, MLS attendance is expected to keep building momentum throughout the summer as the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs end and there’s less competition for the consumer’s entertainment dollar.”

Although U.S. soccer has lacked the popularity of European leagues, MLS franchises are on the rise and now sell for more than $40 million – just behind the NBA and NHL. The Seattle Sounders had a fan base of 30,000 per game in 2009 – more than the Seattle Mariners baseball team. In 2011, expansion teams from Vancouver and Portland will be added to the league.

The addition of these clubs in 2011 will bring the total number of MLS franchises to 18, compared with just 13 in 2007. Since then, a team has been added to the league every year – and expansion is not limited to participation. MLS revenue has also experienced sustained growth in the past four years.

“The average revenue per MLS franchise has grown considerably in recent years,” said Kopylovsky. “In the past three years, clubs have experienced average revenue growth of 4.0 percent per year to an expected $14.4 million in 2010. Needless to say, the future looks bright for newcomers to the MLS.”

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About IBISWorld, Inc.

Recognized as the nation’s most trusted independent source of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers a comprehensive database of unique information and analysis on every U.S. industry. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, the company equips clients with the insight necessary to make better business decisions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information visit www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.