THE 2025 COASTAL FC SPRING CLASSIC
POLICIES
Please review the following policies. Any requests for exemptions to a policy must be received in writing a minimum of two weeks before the start of the tournament.
Refund Policy
Tournament registration fees are due as soon as invoice is received. Full refunds can be requested and issued, less a $150.00 administration fee, up to March 31st, 2025.
Requests for refunds must be made in writing, to the attention of the Coastal FC Spring Classic tournament director. Requests can be emailed to cmurphy@coastalfc.ca
From April 1st, 2025 no refunds will be issued, for any reason. In the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond control, credits towards future, or rescheduled events may be offered.
Tournament Acceptance/Insurance Policy
As a BC Soccer sanctioned tournament, entry into the Coastal FC Spring Classic shall be limited to teams, which are properly affiliated with BC Soccer and/or other Provincial/State Associations.
Teams participating from outside of BC must upload copies of approved travel documents to their team dashboard, prior to the tournament. The documents must come from the Provincial/State Association of which they are affiliated.
Only properly registered players, in good standing, shall be permitted to participate in the tournament.
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All teams are responsible for all registration, permits and approvals within their club/district and/or any other jurisdiction and governing body. We are not responsible for confirming player eligibility and/or insurability and trust all teams will comply with any/all policies put in place by their governing bodies in regards to player/team eligibility to participate in this or any other sanctioned tournament.
Stay and Play Policy
All teams traveling from out of town, requiring accommodations must stay at one of the Coastal FC Spring Classic host hotels. Host hotel information can be found on your team dashboard or by clicking HERE.
Hotels vary by things such as price, amenities, star quality and reviews, so that teams can choose the option that suits them best. We try our best to provide a mixture of hotel types to accommodate everyone.
Bookings are first come, first served and once a selection is full teams must choose an alternate from the list provided. Periodically, new hotels will be added to the list of choices, without notice.
Any team found to have not booked at a host hotel will be removed from the schedule and no refund will be provided.
Teams are only permitted to book hotels once tournament registration is complete.
Guest Player Policy
Teams may use the services of a guest player so long as the following conditions are met:
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A player is not on the roster of another team participating in a competitive division in the Coastal FC Spring Classic. A player can only play on one team in the tournament. U9-U13 teams can play on multiple teams, so long as they are not playing down in age.
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If a team is from BC and the player is not registered with BC Soccer, the team must apply for a Short Term Event Player Permit for the player a minimum of 10 business days before the tournament date (May 2nd 2025). To obtain a permit:​
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Contact us HERE for information on getting a STEPP
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Teams participating in an approved tournament, wishing to use the services of a player registered with another team, shall first obtain written permission from the team & Youth District and/or Adult League with which the player is registered. Players registered with BC Soccer must use the form found HERE.
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If you have any questions contact us HERE.
Teams looking for players, or players looking for a team may email us at tmcculloch@coastalfc.ca and we will try and match each other up.
Photography / Video Usage Policy
By registering for this event, you are consenting to the use of any photographs and/or video recordings, of any team player(s) or staff member(s), taken by Coastal FC for use on our website, social media sites, and/or in any marketing materials.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
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General
Please keep in mind that the spirit of this event, for all levels, is to have fun and compete against other teams of similar ability. We understand that everyone likes to win; however, in the process, we expect that all teams respect their opponents and the match officials.
All teams shall be expected to play their first game as early as 8:00AM May 17th and their final game at 4:30PM on May 19th. Please consider this in your travel plans. Requests will be considered but not guaranteed.
Team Check-In
Teams are not required to check in at the park, all rosters, permits and documents must be uploaded to your team dashboard before the event.
Players are NOT required to check in.
Each team must provide a designated contact person, with an email address and phone number that will be used during the weekend, in the event that we need to communicate with your team.
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As part of the online check in process teams must have pre-submitted the following:
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Travel permit from Provincial or State Association (for non-BC based teams)
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A current roster (ALL TEAMS)
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Any STEPP permits or Guest Player permits ​
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Information on uploading information is available HERE
Rosters
Teams may use guest players (per our policy)
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Overage players are not permitted (unless written approval has been received from the tournament director). All players must be currently registered with their Provincial or State Association.
ID cards/player passes are not required; however, proof of age of a player may be requested at any time at check in or by the referee or another member of the tournament staff.
Matches
Played in accordance with FIFA laws, distinct small sided rules are available HERE. Exception to the small sided rule document is at U9 & U10 teams will use the throw in and not the kick in when a ball goes out of the playing field.
Officials
U9 – U13 will have a referee, and U13 – U18 will have 3 officials on a best efforts basis. In cases where 3 officials are not provided, each team shall provide a lines person.
If your referee is not at the field 5 minutes before the start of your game, please visit the closest field marshal tent and let us know.
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Game Format
U9 - 7 v 7 (6 + GK)
U10 - 7 v 7 (6 + GK)
U11 – U12 = 8 v 8 (7 + GK)
U13 - 9 v 9 (8 + GK)
U14 – U18 = 11 v 11 (10 + GK)
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U9 – U13 will play 2 X 25 minutes (50 minute game)
U14 – U15 will play 2 X 30 minutes (60 minute game)
U16 – U18 will play 2 X 35 minutes (70 minute game)
All games will have a 5 minute half time.
All games must start exactly on time to maintain the tournament schedule. Failure to start the game on time may require the game length to be reduce accordingly.
All U9 – U13 games can end in a tie (no overtime played)
All U14 – U18 group games end in a tie
U14 – U18 Championship games cannot end in a tie. After regulation time, if the score is tied, the game will immediately go to penalty kicks (5 shooters)
Limited warm up time on the field before each game. Teams need to use the casual field space at the park. Note – leave ample time to get to your game field so that kick-off can be on time
Substitutions
Unlimited for all age groups at the referee’s discretion.
Schedule & Results
Will be posted online only - HERE
U9 – U13 As per LTPD, no results (scores or standings) kept.
U14 – U18. Scores and standings will be kept.
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Points/Scoring for U14-U18
3 points for a win
1 point for a tie
0 points for a loss
1 point per goal scored (maximum of 3 per game)
2 points for a shutout
Maximum number of attainable points per game is 8
Tie-Breaking Formula
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Head to Head
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Most Wins
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Goal difference
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Goals for
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Goals against
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Lottery
The tournament director will have the final say on all tie-breaking scenarios.
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Competition Formats
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Group of 4
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Will play all teams in group (3 round robin games)
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1st place vs 2nd place for gold medal
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3rd place vs 4th place for consolation game
Group of 5
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Will play all teams (4 round robin games)
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Final standings determined based on total points from round robin games
Group of 6
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Two pools of 3
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Play all teams in pool (2) and one cross over game (random team in other pool)
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1st pool A vs. 1st pool B for gold medal
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2nd pool A vs. 2nd pool B for consolation game
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3rd pool A vs 3rd pool B for consolation game
Group of 8
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Two pools of 4
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Play all teams in pool (3 round robin games)
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1st pool A vs. 1st pool B for gold medal
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2nd pool A vs. 2nd pool B for consolation game
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3rd pool A vs 3rd pool B for consolation game
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4th pool A vs 4th pool B for consolation game
Group of 7, 9, 11, 13
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One pool
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All teams play 4 randomly selected games in the pool
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Final standings based on total points earned
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Group of 12
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4 pools of 3
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Play both teams in your pool
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Top team of each pool advances to championship bracket
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1st pool A vs 1st pool B
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1st pool C vs 1st pool D
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Winners of 1st pool A/B vs winner of 1st pool C/D play in championship game
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Losing team of 1st pool A/B vs losing team of 1st pool C/D in third place game
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All other teams play in consolation bracket random 2 games
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Group of 10 or 14
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One pool
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All teams play 3 randomly selected games in the pool
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1st vs 2nd for gold medal games
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3rd vs 4th, etc… for consolation game
Protests
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Only protests regarding non-referee decisions will be permitted.
All protests will only be entertained if received, in writing, within one hour after the completion of the game in question. A $250.00 fee, payable in cash, must accompany all protests. Protests and fees can be delivered to the tournament headquarters. The protest fee will be fully refunded if the protest in question is deemed valid.
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Grievances
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The following process has been implemented to address any complaints or issues that arise throughout the event.
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Grievances must only be reported by a Team Managers by email to the Tournament Officials cmurphy@coastalfc.ca
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Any reports from anyone other than a team official will be deleted upon receipt.
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Provide a clear written account of the incident including – game number, time & location - name/names of persons involved
A Tournament Offical will respond to the grievance -
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All reports will be addressed in order of severity.
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All reports will be taken seriously; but not all will warrant further investigation.
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Some reports may not be addressed until after the event if they do not affect the outcome/running of the event.
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Conduct
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The Coastal FC Spring Classic has a zero-tolerance policy for verbal and/or physical abuse of any referee by players, team officials, parents or spectators and will take any infraction seriously (potential suspension for entire event or team expulsion from the tournament)
Players, coaches, and spectators are expected to conduct themselves within the Laws of the Game and generally accepted good sportsmanship. Displayers of temper or dissent are cause for ejection from the game and surrounding field area. Repeated violations may result in the suspension/expulsion of the team in question.
It is the responsibility of the Club/Team staff to control the conduct of its parents and other spectators. Failure to do so may result in a warning to the coach or person acting on the coach’s behalf.
If unacceptable behaviour persists, the referee may terminate the match.
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All participants should be aware that Field Marshals have the authority and right to remove any unruly or uncivil spectators from the game field perimeter and/or the field complex area.
Absolutely no alcoholic beverages are permitted in the park.
Failure to Show & Forefits
A team shall be allowed a five (5) minute grace period after the scheduled kick-off time before the match is awarded to their opponent.
Additional rules:
In no case shall a team, which forfeits a game, be declared a group winner. If an apparent group winner forfeits a game, the team with the next best record shall be determined the group winner.
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If a team is the cause for the termination of a game, that team will be considered to have forfeited the game. This decision may not be protested
Playing a suspended player is grounds for a forfeit.
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A forfeit shall be recorded as a 1-0 victory for the opponent. 5 points would be awarded
Inclement Weather
In the event of inclement weather, the tournament director will have the authority to:
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Relocate or reschedule any game(s)
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Change the duration of any game(s)
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Cancel any game(s)
A game is considered complete if less than 25% of the time remains.
No refunds will be provided and Coastal FC is not responsible for team’s out of pocket expenses in the event that the tournament is cancelled due to weather.
Additional Information
All teams are scheduled for four (4) games; however, at the discretion of the tournament director, the number of games may be reduced due to exceptional circumstances. The tournament is not liable for any expenses and no refunds will be provided.
The tournament committee or their official representative will be responsible for any rule interpretation. Their decision will be final.
The tournament committee, event operations staff, and Coastal FC are not liable for any injuries sustained by any participant in the tournament, on or off the field.
Parking
We expect the parks to be extremely busy throughout the duration of the tournament. Please leave yourself ample time to travel and find parking.
All field maps can be found HERE.
First Aid
There will be first aid/athletic therapy tent on site during the tournament. They are there to deal with basic injuries (cuts, sprains, etc), ankle taping, etc... For any serious emergencies, 911 is of course the only option. Ankle taping requires the players to bring their own tape or there will be a nominal cost for supplies. The first aid staff hours are 30 minutes prior to the 1st kickoff and immediately after the final game.
Official Game Rules
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U14 - U18 games played as per Fifa Official Laws of the Game
U13 and Under Retreat Line
The retreat line is initiated when the ball has gone out for a goal kick. All opposing players will ‘retreat’ to the markers indicating the retreat line and cannot pursue the ball until:
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The ball is received by a teammate OR, the ball travels over the retreat line OR, the ball leaves the field of play
For simplicity, the retreat line will be marked at the 1/3 line of the field.
See linked Retreat Line Rule Document for a simplified explanation.
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ENCROACHMENT OF THE RETREAT LINE: If the defending team encroaches across the retreat line before an opposition player touches the ball then the referee blows the play stopped and issues a re-take of the goal kick. If the opposing team repeatedly infringes the retreat line, an indirect free kick shall be awarded from the place where the offence occurred for not respecting the restart.