INJURIES

Please note all injuries on the game report. Provide as much detail as possible. In the event of a serious injury, seek medical attention for the injured player, as appropriate. 

BEFORE THE GAME

• Call the hotline (713-267-1517, option 2) after 7:30 am on Sunday to check on women's games. Call the hotline (713-267-1517, option 1) after 3:30 Sunday/5 pm Monday to check on coed games. Assume games will be played if the hotline message has not been updated. You will be compensated if you travel to the field and were not notified that a game was cancelled. 
• In the event of inclement weather, if the league has not cancelled a game beforehand, the referee decides if field is playable; however; we ask that referees honor field owner requests to avoid damage to fields.
  
• Please check all player ID cards, rosters, and equipment. All players must have a player ID card specific to their team. The referee does not have to make an exception.
  
• No more than 18 players per team may be suited up for a game.
  
• Minimum number of players is seven. In coed, at least one of those seven must be a woman. No more than six men on the field at one time, including the goalkeeper. If a woman is in goal, only five men are allowed on the field. Number of women on the field is not restricted (other than 11-player limit).
  
• Home team is responsible for changing jerseys in the event of a color conflict.
  
• Please start each game on time. This is especially important for summer coed games played on unlighted fields.
  
• Teams have a 10-minute grace period from the published start time to field a team (minimum seven players, gender rules apply for coed) and take the field, prepared to play. A forfeit may be assessed if they are unable to do so. 
  
• In the event of a forfeit before the start of a game, collect your fee from any team(s) that is (are) present. Contact the referee assignor for fees from missing teams. Please make this call immediately.
  
• Collect your fee and a roster from each team before you start play.

DURING THE GAME

• Unlimited subss on goal kicks (both teams), throw-ins (team with possession), restart after a goal (both teams), and start of second half (both teams); injured players may be substituted (all at discretion of referee).
• COED: No sliding tackles The mere act of slide tackling the ball from an opponent shall be considered 'dangerous play' -- result is a caution and the restart is an indirect free kick.  However, if the player slide tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent, before touching the ball, a direct free kick will be awarded, and the player cautioned.  Otherwise, if the slide tackle is considered careless, reckless and/or endangers the safety of an opponent, a direct free kick will be awarded and a misconduct issued, up to and including a red card (send off).  Slide tackles in the open field, which in the opinion of the referee, are not near an opponent, are allowed.
• COED: there is no requirement for cautioned player to leave the field (since fall 2002).
• COED: Women's goals are scored as 2 points (including penalty kicks); men's goals are scored as 1 point.
• An individual player may score an unlimited number of goals.
• Women's games consist of two 45-minute halves (no tiebreakers). Coed games consist of two 40-minute halves, except in the summer when they may be shortened for darkness.
• In the event of abandonment due to rain or other reason, a game is considered complete after 60 minutes of the game have been played. Please note the minute in which the game was abandoned on the game report form.

AFTER THE GAME

Record goals, cautions, ejections, injuries, etc. on game card. Referee keeps game reports at end of game and submits it to HWSA via:

FAX (preferred): 
832-201-8978 (all leagues)

MAIL:
Women's league (fall and spring)
Ayse Ramirez
Referee assignor can provide self-addressed, stamped envelopes

Coed league
Chris Harrison
Referee assignor can provide self-addressed, stamped envelopes