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Diversity Cup

A 4 vs. 4 coed soccer tournament on October 14 through 15, 2023. The registration deadline for the event is Monday, October 9.

Team registration info Begin registration!

On this page:

Tournament Outline

  • 4 vs. 4 coed soccer tournament with a minimum of one player of the opposite gender on the field at all times.
  • Registration is free (max 8 players per team). Visit the registration page for more information.
  • Playing format: Pool Play Format Tournament over two days
  • This is a  double elimination tournament scheduled over 2 days: Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023.
  • Games will be played at the Student Recreation Center (SRC) Turf Fields on the Evansdale Campus.
  • The winning team will win free t-shirts.
  • Only open to WVU Students
  • No alcohol or tobacco products are permitted on or around the fields.

Eligibility and team registration

  1. The tournament is open to all students currently enrolled at WVU.
  2. Registration will be online only and is free (max 8 players per team). Incomplete registration forms will not be permitted to play. 
  3. Registration will be based on a first come first serve ending on Monday, October 9 at midnight,  or when the first 20 teams are registered.
  4. The maximum roster size is 8 players and teams play 4 vs. 4.
  5. A minimum of ONE player on the field at all times for each team must be from the opposite gender (e.g. 1 female and 3 males or 3 females and 1 male).
  6. Each team must create its own name. Team names CANNOT be derogatory, inflammatory, insensitive, hateful, or vulgar in any way.
  7. The team captain is responsible for completing the registration form and making the payment.
  8. Players may only be on one team roster. 
  9. Each player registered must complete the tournament waiver and show his/her WVU ID before he/she plays. Players who do not sign the tournament waiver and/or do not show WVU ID will not be allowed to participate (waiver forms will be available the day of the tournament).
  10. Each player must bring a white and a dark-colored shirt.

Tournament rules

Brackets

  1. No requests for schedule changes will be honored after the preliminary schedules are posted.

Forfeits

  1. A forfeit will be recorded as a 5-0 win. A forfeit will occur if one team isn’t present 5 minutes after the scheduled game time.
  2. A team shall be allowed a five (5) minute grace period after the scheduled kick-off time before the match is considered a forfeit.

Point System

  1. A win results in progression to the next stage of the tournament
  2. In the case of two teams being tied at the end of the game then a sudden death penalty shootout begins. A penalty kick in this tournament is a free shot from the ½ way line with no players in the half where players are attempting to score.

RULES & REGULATIONS

Facility

  1. Games will be played at the Student Recreation Center (SRC) Turf Fields on the Evansdale Campus
    Note: Please give yourself plenty of time to park and get to your games ahead of schedule. Remember all team members must be signed in and ready to play to avoid a forfeit.

Eligibility

  1. All participants will need to show their WVU Student ID to check into the game.

Mercy Rule

  1. A team leading by 10 goals with 10 minutes left or 5 goals with 5 minutes left will be declared the winner at that time.

Overtime Rules

  1. Overtime will be settled through penalty kicks. Teams will select one player to play as goalkeeper. Each team will have five attempts, and will attempt in alternating order. The team with more conversions in the five attempts will advance. If still tied after five rounds, an additional rounds of one kick per team will be used until one team converts and the other team misses. 

Player Equipment

  1. Teams are responsible for wearing uniformly colored shirts. The first team listed on the schedule will be considered the home team and will wear white shirts and the second team will be the away team and will wear dark shirts.
  2. The game ball will be provided at the start of the game
  3. All jewelry of any type must be removed.
  4. Head decorations, headwear, billed hats and bandannas are illegal. Only elastic headbands and hair control devices are permitted.
  5. Hard and unyielding items (guards, casts, braces, etc.) on the hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm or shoulder must be padded with a closed-cell, slow-recovery foam padding no less than ½-inch thick.
  6. No Metal Cleats or Rubber studs allowed; No Cleats allowed in Student Recreational Center.
  7. Soccer shin guards are optional, but strongly recommended.

The Team

  1. Substitutions are unlimited and will be permitted during dead balls only. Players will be brought into the game by the official. All subs need to enter the game in the substitution zone at midfield. The substitution area will be marked by cones.

Players On The Field

  1. Coed Rule: A minimum of ONE player of another gender for each team must be on the field at all times.
  2. Not complying with the Coed-Rule will result in the team being down one player from the same gender
  3. If the team shows up with only 4 members of the same gender the team will have to play without a player resulting in a 4 vs. 3
  4. If during the game the team loses its only other gendered player (e.g., injured), the team will continue playing with the existing three players but will not be able to replace that injured gendered player and will have to play 4v3.

Start of Play

  1. During the captain’s meeting, captains will play rock, paper, scissors to replace a coin toss at the beginning of the game. The team winning the "toss" will have the option of kicking off or defending the goal of their choice. At the start of the second half, the teams will switch ends and the other team will have the kickoff.
  2. The ball must move slightly forward (not backward).
  3. Opponents must be 5 yards from the center mark.
  4. The person kicking the ball is not allowed to touch or play it again until it has contacted another player.

Scoring

  1. A goal is scored when the entire ball crosses the goal line, in the goal, provided it wasn’t thrown, carried, or propelled intentionally by an attacker’s hand or arm.

Boundary Lines

  1. The ball is out of play when it crosses the sideline or end line.
    1. When the ball crosses the sideline: it is then put back into play by a throw-in taken from the exact spot the ball was declared out of bounds.
      1. While executing a throw-in, a player must remain grounded, meaning they cannot jump.
    2. When the ball crosses the end line and was last touched by an offensive team member: it is then put back into play by a goal kick, taken from the top of the restricted area box.
    3. When the ball crosses the end line and was last touched by a defensive team member: it is then put back into play by a corner kick by the offensive team. The kick must be taken from the nearest corner.
  2. A player may step on or over the line while playing the ball if the ball is in the field of play.
  3. Incidental contact with the ball within the Restricted Area Box will result in a Direct Free Kick awarded to the offended team. A yellow card will be awarded for repeat offenses by the same player.

Violations

  1. All free kicks are Direct Free Kicks. When there is a direct kick, players of the opposing team shall not approach within 5 yards of the ball until it is in play.
  2. You may score a goal on a direct free kick.
  3. Direct Free Kick: Awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following offenses:
    1. Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
    2. Trips or attempts to trip an opponent
    3. Jumps at an opponent
    4. Charges an opponent
    5. Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
    6. Pushes an opponent
    7. Holds an opponent
    8. Plays in a dangerous manner
    9. Impedes the progress of an opponent
    10. Commits any other offense, for which play is stopped to caution or dismiss a player
  4. There are no Penalty Kicks in regulation.
  5. NO SLIDE TACKLING

Penalties

Yellow Card Offenses

  1. A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he/she commits any of the following offenses:
    1. Is guilty of unsporting behavior
    2. Shows dissent by word or action
    3. Persistently infringes on the rules
    4. Delays the restart of play
    5. Fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick or free kick
    6. Enter or re-enters the field of play without the referee’s permission
    7. Deliberately leaves the field of play without the referee’s permission
    8. SLIDE TACKLING: without contact
  2. Two yellow cards to the same player results in a red card and an ejection of that player

Red Card Offenses

A player is ejected from the game and shown the red card if he/she commits any of the following offenses (team will play down a player):

  1. Is guilty of serious foul play.
  2. Is guilty of violent conduct.
  3. Spits at an opponent or any other person.
  4. Denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball.
  5. Denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick.
  6. Uses offensive, insulting or abusive language.
  7. Receives a second caution in the same match.
  8. SLIDE TACKLING FROM BEHIND – any attempt whether or not contact is made with the ball.

Definitions

Advantage
A discretionary judgment that allows an official to permit play to continue rather than stopping play to administer the foul. This concept is based on the premise that the foul did not put the offended team at a disadvantage, or the foul, if called, may take away from a favorable opportunity for the offended team. The foul may be subsequently called if the advantage does not materialize.
Handling
Deliberately playing the ball with one’s hand or arm. The hand or arm must move toward the ball, or the hand or arm must be carried in an unnatural position before an infraction of the rule can be charged.
Obstruction
The deliberate act by a player of running between an opponent and the ball or using the body as an obstacle when not in possession of the ball or attempting to play the ball.
Playing Distance
The distance between the player and the ball which the official judges to be adequate to control the ball. It will seldom exceed two steps (six feet).
Shielding
Movement by a player in control of the ball (within playing distance) designed to prevent an opponent from gaining possession or prevent him/her from tackling the ball.
Slide Tackle
A maneuver in which one or both feet slide on the ground in an attempt to tackle the ball which is in possession of an opponent.