Tournament Organizer

The tournament is organized by “Dream Team Italy” in collaboration with the San Marino Football Federation and the San Marino Government: Tourism Secretary of State.

Overage

Maximum 3 overage players (max 1 year older – born on the previous year) are allowed to play at the same time during a game (only 2 for the A Category 7 a-side). You can bring as many overage players as you want, but only 3 players can play simultaneously in the playing field.

** except the Cat A and Cat B, girls cannot play with boys and boys cannot play with girls. Girls are able to play with boys only in the A Category without limit of numbers (and max 1 year older than Boys) and in the B category with a limit of 3 Girls players and same age of Boys (not older).

Football fields

The tournament will take place mainly on official football fields located in the territory of the Republic of San Marino as well as in a number of official football fields located in the nearby Adriatic Riviera.

Participating teams

Categories divided into rounds of 4/5 teams.

Tournament format

The tournament structure consists of preliminary rounds of 4 or 5 teams with only away games. Then final Phase. 4 matches are guaranteed.

Tournament schedule

All matches will be played both in the morning and in the afternoon from 08.00 to 20.00. The tournament has the right to change the groups, times and fields and in the case will be given advance notice to the teams.

Rules

Any dispute or decision not regulated in the present tournament rules, it will be settled by the tournament committee whose decisions are binding and irrevocable and according to the F.S.G.C. and FIFA rules. Decisions cannot be appealed.

Playing time

• Cat A: will last 18 minutes per half with a 5 minutes break. The final games will be played 20 minutes per half. Ball size N° 4
• Cat B: will last 20 minutes per half with a 5 minutes break. The final games will be played 25 minutes per half. Ball size N° 4
• Cat C: will last 25 minutes per half with a 5 minutes break. The final games will be played 30 minutes per half. Ball size N° 5
• Cat D: will last 30 minutes per half with a 5 minutes break. The final games will be played 40 minutes per half. Ball size N° 5
• Cat E: will last 20 minutes per half with a 5 minutes break. The final games will be played 25 minutes per half. Ball size N° 4
• Cat F: will last 25 minutes per half with a 5 minutes break. The final games will be played 30 minutes per half. Ball size N° 5
• Cat G: will last 30 minutes per half with a 5 minutes break. The final games will be played 40 minutes per half. Ball size N° 5

Final points

Points will be assigned according to current rules: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a defeat.

Delays

Teams have to be on time (which means 30 minutes before the games are scheduled) on the fields. The greatest allowable delay owing only to proven force majeure will be 15 minutes. Any team not showing at the appointed time and place for a match without a valid excuse will automatically be declared loser by 3 –0. Different dispositions / decisions might be taken by the San Marino Cup tournament committee, whose decisions are binding and irrevocable.

Number of players / Guest players / Substitutions

Clubs shall provide the organizers with the number of players taking part to the San Marino Cup according to their clubs of origin as well as with their enrolment form. Each team may have no more than Cat A: 18 Players per team and Cat B – C – D – E – F – G: 24 Players per team. Guest players are allowed.

A player can play with more teams registered in different categories (max in 2 categories), but not with more teams playing in the same category (we need to be informed in advance about this and prepare a special dispensation for these players).

Once the event starts, there will no longer be given a chance to change the player list and guest players among teams.

Matches will be played by two teams of 7 players each (boys or girls), including the goalkeeper for Cat A and 11 players for Cat B – C – D – E – F – G.

Each team may have 7 reserve players per match: no limits on the number of substitutions.

When a player has been substituted, he/she can re-enter.

The player list shall be given to the referee at least 15 minutes before kick-off and shall include no more than 14 players for Cat A and 18 players for Cat B – C – D – E – F – G, one of which shall be named the captain and another one shall  named vice-captain.

On the same list must be given the names of the lines-men and the 4 people that will be on the reserve bench with a maximum of 4 people per team.

The list of players handed to the referee must be accompanied by pertinent original identity cards / passport.

Only the first list given to the organizers will be valid. People not indicated in the list will not be admitted on the field.

Each team is obliged to have a linesman for each game, otherwise the management reserves the right to take action.

During the game, it is forbidden to parents / staff to access the field WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. The non-respect of this rule will be considered as invasion of the field and will lead to suspension of the game. Disciplinary actions will follow.

Before the game, each team is required to fill in at least 3 copies of the players list, one of which will be given to the referee, one to the opposite team and the last to their team. The match will not start until player lists from both teams are handed in. The referee is allowed to invalidate the game and attribute the defeat by 3 to 0 to the team responsible for the failure of players list deliver.

Teams are obliged to indicate overage players in the players list, in case of non-compliance of this rule, the tournament committee will apply the sanctions.

Age control

At the arrival to the tournament headquarter for registrations, each team will have to confirm the age and name of each player with original Passport or Identity card. Then we will deliver official roster printed out and validated.

Coaches / staff / chaperones / PLAYERS will be allowed on the playing fields only with an ORIGINAL PASSPORT OR IDENTITY DOCUMENT.

Teams admitted

The tournament will admit teams belonging to those clubs that are regular members of their own Country Football Federation. As far as it regards foreign countries, representative or selected teams are admitted as well. For those countries where football is run through the school body, teams belonging to their school football federations are allowed as well. On an experimental basis also teams belonging to sport promotion bodies are allowed, but only if these bodies are member of the Olympic Committee of their country.

Equipment

Teams must wear different colored shirts. The referee shall order the first team on the referee’s report card to change their shirts in case two teams wear similar colors shirts. Each player must wear a numbered shirt. The goalkeeper must wear a shirt which colors, as that of his substitute, must be different from those of the 2 opponent teams.

In the event that there are players unable to wear a numbered shirt, the referee and / or the commission of the tournament can allow the regular course of the game if the players are in any case recognizable by the referee.

Shin-caps are compulsory. In case a player doesn’t use the shin-caps, at the end of the game, the tournament committee whose decisions are binding and irrevocable, is allowed to temporary withdraw his permission to play in the tournament.

Referees

Matches will be refereed by referees belonging to the Republic of San Marino official federation or by foreign referees belonging to their official referees’ associations as per federations rules. All matches for Cat A will be referred by 1 referee only and for CAT B – C – D – E – F – G by 1 referee for preliminary matches and 3 referees for finals 1st /2nd /3rd / 4th place.  Each team has to provide his own linesman.

Please note that the linesman provided by each team for the qualifications to the semi-finals matches, will only have a supporting role for the referee to indicate when the ball is out of play, but they can never indicate any offside or which team be for the throw-in.

At the end of the game the referee will give back to the teams the players documents as well as the game report signed by both teams.

Appeals

In case a team wants to appeal, a written appeal should be delivered to the head referee, by the tournament offices, by and not any later than 2 hours after the end of the match. Appeals received later will not be accepted. Each appeal must be delivered along with a fee of Euros 250,00. This amount of money will be returned only if the appeal is considered valid.

Participation to the matches

It is mandatory for all teams to play every match included in the schedule. In case a team happens not to play one of the scheduled matches without motivating the absence with proven reasons, this team will not only be considered the loser of the match, but it will also be relegated to the last position in its round.

Disciplinary actions

If a player receives 3 yellow cards while playing the official games of the tournament, he/she will be automatically excluded from the following game. The Yellow cards are reset after the end of the preliminary round. When a player receives a red card, he/she will not play the next match, different judge decision can be taken. All disciplinary actions will be handled by a judge appointed by the tournament committee.

In case of a red card a player is obliged to immediately leave the football field and heading to the changing room. The excluded player is not allowed on the bench. The match will not start again until the player has left the pitch.

Suspension of games

Due to bad weather conditions, the grass field could be replaced with a field on dirt. Only the referee can decide in case of bad weather conditions if the match can start or not. When a match starts only the referee can decide to suspend the match for a few minutes or definitely. In case the referee decides to stop the match (which cannot restart again or played again) the score existing at the moment of the suspension will be the ending result. If the match is a ¼ of final match or semi-final and if the moment of the suspension there is still a tie between the 2 teams, if possible, the referee will allow the 2 teams to take 5 penalties to decide the winner. If, also this is not possible than the winner will be decided by draw under the referee control. The referee is authorized, in case of extreme hot weather, to suspend the match (2 minutes: every time he thinks it is necessary) to allow players’ hydration and relief. (Referee’s decision is binding and irrevocable).

Only the tournament committee can decide, in exceptional cases, to replay the suspended match or the unplayed match in a different time/day.

Fair Play rule

We inform clubs that the handshake between players and coaches of the two opponent teams before the beginning of the match will be considered a compulsory rule.

NOTES

Note 1: flying substitutions are not allowed.

Note 2: players replaced during the game cannot re-enter during the same match.

Note 3: maximum 24 players can be listed per team (except Cat A – 7 a-side – that are 18 Players in the list).

Note 4: maximum 7 substitutions are allowed per game per team.

Note 5: a player can play with more teams registered in different categories (max in 2 categories), but not with more teams playing in the same category (We need to be informed in advance about this and prepare a special dispensation for these players).

Note 6: except the Cat A and Cat B, girls can’t play with boys teams and boys with girls teams. Girls are able to play with boys only in the A Category without limit of numbers (and max 1 year older than Boys) and in the B category with a limit of 3 Girls players and same age of Boys (not older).

Note 7: additional note from the tournament office: maximum 3 overage players (max 1 year older – born on the previous year) are allowed to play at the same time during a game (only 2 for the A Category 7 a-side). You can bring as many overage players as you want, but only 3 players can play simultaneously in the playing field.

Note 8: Each player T-Shirt need to have the number on the back.

Note 9: The Soccer pitches will be both natural grass and astroturf, bring with you the right footwear (You can’t use Metal/Aluminium Studs on astroturf Pitches).

Note 10: For preliminary tournament matches, a person of your staff will do the linesman. The tournament organization will provide linesman only for finals.

Note 11: Age control: before arrival all players must confirm their age. We’ll need to check original Passport / Identity card during the tournament check-in. All teams are oblige to bring with them original Passport/ID to play tournament matches. No copies will be accepted (min. 4 matches guaranteed per team).