Rules version 2026-08-22

Genesis Open 8 is a competitive football league and championship organized by Genesis Futball Club. Competition, respect, discipline, accountability, family participation, and community are central to the event.

Competition & Rosters

The Fall 2026 competition is expected to run for approximately 10 weeks beginning on or around September 8, 2026, followed by a championship phase. The final schedule and championship format may be adjusted after registration closes.

• Maximum 8 players on the field per team.
• Minimum 5 eligible players required to start.
• Maximum 11 registered players plus 1 match-specific Guest/VIP.
• Registered players may only belong to one Open 8 team.
• Registered players require a Genesis roster entry and participation waiver. A player photo is optional and may be added later; Genesis uses a default player avatar until a real photo is uploaded.
• Government-issued ID is not required; approved aliases are permitted.
• Initial roster/payment deadline is generally one week before competition begins. Normal roster changes remain available through the published roster-change deadline; later changes require Genesis approval.

Guest/VIP

A team may declare one Guest/VIP immediately before a match. The guest does not need a permanent Genesis profile but must not be registered to another Open 8 team and must satisfy the applicable waiver and match-day eligibility requirements. Genesis has final authority over Guest/VIP eligibility.

Match Time & Forfeits

Matches consist of two 25-minute running halves with approximately 5 minutes at halftime. The match clock begins at the scheduled kickoff time.

• 0–5 minutes late: the clock is already running and the late team loses playing time.
• At 5 minutes: if one team is ready and the other still has fewer than 5, the ready team may grant up to 5 additional minutes.
• If grace is granted and the late team becomes ready, the ready team begins with a 1–0 lead.
• At 10 minutes without 5 eligible players: automatic 1–0 forfeit.
• The standard Genesis forfeit result is 1–0.

Five players are required to start, but a team that later falls below five is not automatically forced to stop solely because of numbers. The referee may still stop play for safety or serious disciplinary reasons.

Referee & Genesis Authority

The referee controls the match and has final authority over on-field judgment: fouls, cards, goals, time, substitutions, equipment, safety, restarts, and whether play may continue. Only the captain should address the referee during active play unless permitted otherwise. Genesis officials have final administrative authority over eligibility, standings, forfeits, fines, suspensions, appeals, scheduling, competition structure, rule interpretation, and matters not specifically covered.

Core Playing Rules

• No offside.
• Slide tackling is prohibited.
• Unlimited substitutions are permitted during stoppages, from the halfway line, with referee approval.
• All free kicks are direct unless Genesis expressly announces otherwise.
• No fast restart without the referee's signal.
• A designated goalkeeper receives no special hand privileges and may not intentionally handle the ball anywhere on the field.
• Qualifying fouls in the goal area result in a penalty from the halfway line into an empty goal.
• Throw-ins, corners, goal kicks, handball, dangerous play, and scoring follow the Genesis short-field rules administered by the referee.
• Each team should provide at least one suitable Size 5 match ball. Genesis backup balls are not guaranteed. Repeated failure may result in an equipment fine; lost time is not restored.

Cards & Discipline

Genesis uses Blue, Yellow, and Red Cards. Discipline depends on severity, repetition, context, prior behavior, danger, and impact on the family/community environment.

• Blue: generally 2–5 minutes off for lower-level misconduct, at referee discretion.
• Yellow: 5 minutes off; team plays short.
• Two Yellows: converted Red; ejection for the remainder of the match.
• Red: immediate ejection; team plays short; additional discipline decided by Genesis.
• 5 accumulated team Yellow Cards triggers the applicable team fine; once Genesis records the fine satisfied, the active Yellow count resets.
• 7 accumulated team Blue Cards triggers the applicable team fine; once Genesis records the fine satisfied, the active Blue count resets.

A suspension is not automatically purchasable. Genesis may approve a monetary penalty in place of all or part of a suspension, but serious or severe conduct may be declared non-convertible. Fighting, threats, violent conduct, severe referee abuse, deliberate dangerous conduct, and repeated serious misconduct may result in suspension, team sanctions, removal, future restrictions, or permanent ban.

Team Accountability & Family Environment

Teams are responsible for players, substitutes, managers, coaches, team representatives, and supporters reasonably associated with the team. Genesis Open 8 is a family/community event. Threats, fighting, harassment, referee abuse, field intrusion, or conduct creating an unsafe or hostile environment may result in individual and team discipline.

Standings

Win = 3 points, Draw = 1 point, Loss = 0 points. Actual goals remain part of the official record. For tiebreak purposes, Genesis may cap single-match goal-differential credit at +5 / −5 to discourage score-running.

Two-team ties are resolved by head-to-head, total wins, tiebreak goal differential, goals scored, fewest goals conceded, fewest forfeits, fair-play/disciplinary record, and Genesis determination if still unresolved. Multi-team ties may use a mini-table among the tied teams before returning to the overall criteria.

Disciplinary Abandonment

An offending team may never improve its competitive position by causing a match to end. If the offending team is already losing, Genesis may preserve the score at termination (for example, 5–0 remains 5–0). If the offending team is tied or winning, Genesis may award the non-offending team the standard 1–0 disciplinary result. Additional sanctions may also apply.

Weather, Field & Cancellation

Matches are intended to proceed rain or shine unless conditions are unsafe. Genesis or the referee may delay, suspend, shorten, reschedule, cancel, resume, replay, or otherwise resolve a match based on conditions and fairness. Genesis generally uses an initial lightning delay of approximately 20 minutes, which may be extended whenever conditions remain unsafe. A suspended or canceled game may be completed on another date.

No illegal drugs, alcohol, glass, dangerous items, or conduct prohibited by park rules are permitted at the playing area. Teams and supporters must keep sidelines and gathering areas clean.

Appeals & Matters Not Covered

Referee judgment calls are not appealable. Administrative or disciplinary issues may be submitted to Genesis for review, generally within 24 hours unless Genesis specifies otherwise. Filing a review does not restore eligibility unless Genesis expressly approves participation. Matters not specifically covered are decided by Genesis in the interests of safety, competitive fairness, sportsmanship, team accountability, the family/community atmosphere, and the integrity of Open 8.

Participation in Genesis Open 8 constitutes acceptance of these rules and properly announced amendments.