Rules & Policies
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To ensure a safe, fair, and enjoyable experience for all participants, please review our tournament rules and policies. This section includes important information on gameplay regulations, roster guidelines, code of conduct, weather protocols, and more. All players, coaches, and spectators are expected to adhere to these standards throughout the event.
Event RULES
GAME TIME
- Group stage games will be 30 minutes long - no halftime
- Knockout stage games will be 20 minutes long - no halftime
gender and age based roster rules
Players must be at least 18 years of age on the date of the tournament.
District Soccer unequivocally respects the rights of players to determine and establish their gender identity as it pertains to participation in our tournament; we, as an organization, do not make that call for players or teams.
All genders, including trans, genderqueer, and non-binary players, are welcome to play in whichever competition is comfortable for them, including men’s+, women’s+, or CoEd competitions.
For CoEd 7v7 competitions, there shall be no more than 5 players of the same gender on the field at a time.
FORFEITS
Teams must be ready to play their game within 5 minutes of their scheduled game time. In CoEd competitions, if a team does not have a minimum of 4 players with at least 1 player of a different gender , then they are considered to have forfeited. In Men’s+ and Women’s+ competitions, a minimum of 4 players is required.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Field player substitutions may be made at any point during gameplay or stoppages (except for free kicks) and do not require referee consent. In the interest of game management, referees may choose to limit substitutions at any time.
Players must enter and leave the field from their team's bench. Failure to do so will result in an automatic yellow card. Goalkeeper substitutions may only occur during stoppages in play and with the referee's consent.
SLIDE TACKLING
Slide tackling is not permitted. A slide tackle is defined as going to the ground in such a way that creates a dangerous situation for an opponent (no matter where on the field or whether performed by an attacking or defending player). Included in sliding is lunging in such a manner that a knee or other body part touches the ground; it also includes unintentionally going to ground while slipping.
Performance of a slide tackle, particularly one that results in dangerous contact with an opponent, may be grounds for a yellow card or worse on the part of the referee.
Referees' discretion is final, and they will award either an indirect or direct free kick depending on the result of the play. Any slide tackles committed in the penalty area will result in an automatic penalty kick.
Players may slide when not creating a dangerous play, i.e., sliding to keep a ball in play. Goalkeepers can slide if attempting to block a shot or make a save. Some incidental contact with an attacking player may be allowed if the goalkeeper plays the ball. They are not allowed to slide to tackle an opposing player.
Free Kick Wall Distance
8 yards
OFFSIDE
Offside will not be enforced in this competition.
ATHLETIC PLAYS
Athletic plays (i.e., bicycle and scissor kicks) are allowed in the run of play, provided they do not create a dangerous situation for other players. Athletic plays deemed dangerous by the referee will result in an indirect kick being awarded to the opposing team.
GOALKEEPERS
Goalkeepers may punt, throw, or send goal kicks across the midline without restriction. A goalkeeper can score directly off a punt, but not from a throw or a goal kick.
MISCONDUCT
Yellow cards are not cumulative and do not carry over from previous matches.
Players receiving a yellow card caution will be required to substitute off the field for a minimum of 2 minutes. The referee will indicate when the cautioned player may return to the field. Should a team not have substitute players available, they will be required to play down a player until the referee indicates that re-entry is possible.
Any player receiving a red card during the group stage play will be ineligible for the rest of the group stage round.
A player receiving a red card in the last match of the group stage play will be ineligible for the first match in the knockout stage.
Any player receiving a red card during the knockout stage will be ineligible for the rest of the knockout stage.
TEAM CONDUCT/PLAYER CONDUCT
Team captains assume responsibility for team leadership, order, and discipline while participating in the DMV Cup. This includes modeling good sportsmanship and self-control for teammates. If any of this becomes an issue, captains should expect to be addressed by referees and/or tournament directors.
In registering for the tournament, players agree to abide by the District Soccer Player Pledge, which emphasizes expectations for participant conduct and behavior. Tournament directors assume the right to expel any individual in violation.
PLAYER ELIGBILITY
Players who are named on the District Soccer banned player list are ineligible to participate in the DMV Cup.
PLAYOFF SPECIFIC RULES
Knockout-stage Qualification
- Women’s+ Division:
- Top two teams in the division will play in a championship match.
- 3rd and 4th place teams will play in a consolation match
- Coed Divisions:
- All teams will qualify for the quarter-final round.
- Men’s+ Division:
- Top two teams in each division will qualify for the quarter-final round.
- Remaining teams will play in a final consolation match.
Should teams be tied on standings points, the following tie-breakers will be used to determine final regular-season seeding:
- Goal Differential
- Goals Scored
- Goals against
- Head-to-Head
- Coin Toss
Extra Time rules
Should games be tied at the end of regulation, Matches will move straight to a best-of-5 penalty shootout to determine the winners. Note: In the coed division, no gender may take more than two consecutive kicks.
Tournament Policies
Individual and Team Registration
Team captains can either pay their team’s full fee or split the payment between a set number of individual players during registration. Captains who pay the full fee are required to still have their players join the team's roster and sign necessary participation waivers via the tournament’s registration system.
Payment: By signing a team up for the tournament, team captains commit to covering the entire team fee either through individual player payments or paying the full team fee. Any individual player’s dues not paid by the communicated payment deadlines will become the team captain’s responsibility.
Withdrawing from the tournament: Up until one month before the tournament (September 11th), teams may fully withdraw from the tournament and receive a full refund minus $50 to cover administrative fees. Should an individual player withdraw, the captain must fully cover that cost or find a replacement player.
All DMV Cup programs are now open for free agent registration. If enough free agents register for a program, they will be placed on a team together to compete in the 2025 DMV Cup in the order they registered. Registering as a no-cost free agent does not guarantee that you will be placed on a team, but it does allow team captains to see that you are interested in playing in this program and reach out if they need additional players on their roster. Captains will be able to view all players registered in a program by logging into their DMV Cup Dashboard and selecting their program from the menu, and can contact free agents who are registered to add players to their roster (guide). The first 12 players to register in the Men's+, Women's+, and CoEd Casual programs will be assigned to a free agent team to compete in each respective division for a fee of $75; if we do not have enough free agent interest to run a free agent team, those players will receive a refund and will be available to be picked up by another team participating in their division.
RosterS & Eligbility
As long as team fees are fully covered, rosters may be as large or as small as a team likes.
Players may only appear on one team roster in a given division of the tournament.
All participants must be at least 18 years of age to play.
Equipment
- Shin guards are mandatory and must be covered entirely by socks.
- Soccer turf shoes (recommended), cleats, or other athletic shoes are mandatory; no street shoes or metal cleats. Referees’ decisions on footwear suitability are final.
- Watches are not permitted during play unless covered by wrist sweatbands or padded covering.
- Referees may also ask players to remove non-essential eyeglasses or hats.
- District Soccer is not responsible for any items lost or stolen during games or at District Soccer field sites.
Uniforms
Teams must supply their own jerseys in a matching color. It is recommended that an alternate color set be made available in the event of color clashes.
Custom Jerseys are available for purchase at a discounted rate via District Soccer’s apparel partner, the League Brand, until August 24th. If interested, details can be found here.
In games where teams will be wearing similar or the same colors, it is the responsibility of the team listed second on the schedule to change colors. Teams should come prepared with an alternate set of jerseys. District Soccer may make available a limited number of pinnies for use.
Schedule
The schedule will be released before the beginning of the tournament - captains will be notified.
Weather Related Cancellations — District Soccer Game Hotline: 202-263-1143
In the event of inclement or severe weather, we will make every reasonable effort to proceed as originally scheduled. However, no refunds, exchanges, or credits will be issued due to weather-related interruptions, delays, or cancellations.
Our team continuously monitors forecasts and conditions, and we are committed to prioritizing safety while minimizing disruptions. In registering for the tournament, you acknowledge and accept that the weather is beyond our control and does not constitute grounds for a refund.
TOURNAMENT DISCLAIMER
DMV Cup representatives, District Soccer, or any sponsors of the DMV Cup shall not be held responsible for expenses incurred by any person, team, club, league, or any other association if the tournament is canceled in whole or in part.
District Soccer reserves the right to use its discretion for resolving matters not specifically provided under these Tournament Rules, and in any situation where the rules do not properly address a matter at hand.
Standings
Game statistics (wins and losses) will be recorded and posted on the tournament’s website. Players and captains are encouraged to review their respective standings pages periodically and notify tournament leadership of errors.
- Forfeits are reported as a 3-0 loss
For details on tie-breakers related to playoff qualification, please refer to “Knock-out Round Qualification Criteria and Extra Time Rules”
Fans and Spectators
Spectators are allowed and encouraged to attend DMV Cup games. Throughout the event, these individuals must remain in designated viewing areas. Only rostered players and approved coaches are allowed in game technical areas.
Fan and spectator behavior is ultimately the responsibility of team captains. Improper fan or spectator behavior will be addressed by referees and tournament leadership.
Pets
Pets are not allowed on any field located at The Fields at RFK. This applies to fans and players (unless they are a trained service animal).
Alcohol/Drugs
Alcohol is only allowed at the beer tent, and not at any of the fields.
Drugs of any kind are not permitted at the Fields of RFK.
Referee Decisions
District Soccer considers the in-game decisions of referees to be final. District Soccer will not authorize a replay of any match abandoned due to player behavior.
Should a match be abandoned, tournament leadership will determine how the match result will be appropriately recorded.