View the extra time rules

1. The tournament is the HKFC Citibank International Soccer Sevens 2013.
2. The tournament is organised by the Hong Kong Football Club in conjunction with the Hong Kong Football Association and will be played in accordance to FIFA Laws of the Game except as amended within these Tournament Rules and Regulations.
3. The tournament comprises matches between teams of seven players per side on a pitch that is approximately 90 metres in length by 55 metres in width. There shall be no application of the offside law.
4. The tournament is open to all clubs/teams, both local and overseas, and who have been invited by the Organising Committee.
5. All participating teams should note that by accepting an invitation to participate in this tournament, they are deemed to accept and agree to abide by the Tournament Rules and Regulations as contained.
6. The tournament will take place at the Hong Kong Football Club on Friday 24 May, Saturday 25 May and Sunday 26 May 2013. The draw is made by the Organising Committee which reserves the right to seed teams at its discretion.
7. Each team is allowed to register a maximum of 10 players. Their names must be registered on prescribed forms and handed to tournament officials at the briefing meeting held on or before Friday, 24 May 2013.
8. The tournament will be played on the following basis:  

   Citibank International Cup, Shield and Plate

   The Main tournament will involve 16 teams and will be played initially in a league phase followed by a knockout phase. The league phase will comprise four groups each containing four teams. Each team will play the other teams in their respective groups on Saturday, 25 May.

   The top two teams in each group will proceed to the quarter-finals of the Main Cup knockout competition. Thereafter, the losing Cup quarter-finalists will contest the Shield knockout competition, which will consist of semi-finals and final only. The third and fourth teams in each group will proceed to the quarter-finals of the Main Plate knockout competition. All matches in the Main Cup, Shield and Plate knockout competitions shall be played on Sunday, 26 May.

   While there is no upper age limit applied to the participants in the International Cup, Shield and Plate tournaments, participants must have reached the age of 16 by 1 January 2013.

   Citibank Masters Cup and Plate Competitions

   The Masters tournament will involve 12 teams and will be played initially in a league phase followed by a knockout phase. The league phase will comprise three groups each containing four teams. Each team will play the other teams in their respective groups, with one game on the evening of Friday, 24 May and two games on Saturday, 25 May.

   The top two teams in each group, plus the two third-placed teams with the best records, will proceed to the quarter-finals of the Masters Cup knockout competition (see Rule 14 for further details). The remaining four teams – that is, the third-placed team with the third best record and the three fourth-placed teams – will proceed to the Masters Plate knockout competition, which will consist of semi-finals and final only. All matches in the Masters Cup and Plate knockout competitions shall be played on Sunday, 26 May.

   Teams in the Masters tournament should register a minimum of five players who each must have reached the age of 40 by 24 May 2013, and a maximum of five players who must have reached the age of 35 by 24 May 2013. The total number of players in each team must not exceed 10.

9. The starting times for the tournament are as follows:
   • Friday, 24 May 19:00
   • Saturday, 25 May 09:00
   • Sunday, 26 May 08:00
10. Team sheets for each game must be handed to tournament officials at least 10 minutes before the kickoff of each and every game using the tournament team sheet pro forma. Team sheets shall contain the full names of all players and their shirt numbers. The team sheet shall identify separately the seven players who are to start each game and those who are available as substitutes. The registration officials will be located at the announcers’ desk in the main stand.
11. Substitutions will be allowed at any time during a game up to a maximum of three players only. Substitutes shall enter the field of play at the halfway line after the player they are replacing has left the field of play. The players so substituted cannot re-enter the field for that particular game.
12. No players are allowed to play for more than one team for any reason whatsoever.
13. In all league games, points will be awarded as follows:
    • Win 3 points
    • Draw 1 point to each team
    • Loss 0 points
14. In both the Main and Masters tournaments, if two or more teams finish level on points earned, the team that has scored the greater number of goals will be placed higher in the table. Should there still be a tie after applying this rule, the team with the greater goal difference will be placed higher in the table. Should there still be a tie after applying this rule, the “head to head” result between the teams will be taken into account, so the winning team (in the event the match was not a draw) will be placed higher in the table. Should there still be tie after applying this rule, the team placing in the group will be decided by a sudden death playoff between four players as described in Rule 20. If more than two teams are tied after applying the above rules then group placings shall be decided by sudden death penalty kicks.  

    In the Masters tournament only, if two teams from different groups have identical records in terms of group standing, points earned, number of goals scored and goal difference, then the overall ranking will be decided by a sudden death playoff between four players as described in Rule 20. If more than two teams from different groups have identical records in terms of group standing, points earned, number of goals scored and goal difference, then the overall ranking will be decided by sudden death penalty kicks.

15. Each league game will last seven minutes each half with a one-minute break between turnaround.
16. In the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Main Cup and the semi-finals of the Main Shield, all games will last 10 minutes each half with a two-minute break at half-time.
17. In the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Main Plate, the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Masters Cup, and the semi-finals of the Masters Plate, all games will last seven minutes each half with a one-minute break at half-time.
18. All finals of all competitions will last 10 minutes each half with a three-minute break at half-time.
19. Time keeping for each game will be at the sole discretion of the referee in charge for that particular game.
20. In the event of a tie at the final whistle of any knockout game in the Main Cup and Shield competitions or Masters Cup competition (ie excluding the Plate competitions), extra time will be played.  

    The extra time played will be a sudden death playoff between four players from each of the two teams for a time period of up to a maximum of four minutes with the “golden goal” rule applying, ie the first team to score will be declared the winner. If a team has had a player sent off in normal time, then the opposition will be allowed to field five players in the sudden death extra time period (thus retaining their one-man advantage).  

    Any of the players from the registered squad of 10 can be selected to start in the sudden death period of extra time, apart from any player who has been sent off in normal time of that game. Substitutions are not permitted within the period of sudden death extra time except in the event of an injury to a player, in which instance the referee will have sole discretion in deciding whether to permit such a replacement. If a player is sent off during the sudden death extra time period, he cannot be replaced.  

    The kickoff in a sudden death playoff will be by way of a “drop-ball” at the centre spot.

    If there is no score at the end of the four minutes, the winner will be decided by penalty kicks.

21. In the Main Cup and Shield competitions, for all knockout games the penalty kicks format shall comprise each side taking five penalty kicks with the greatest score after each side has taken five penalty kicks determining the winner. In the event of a tie after each side has taken five penalty kicks a sudden death penalty kicks format shall apply, ie the first team to miss a penalty when the other team scores, after both teams have taken an equal number of penalty kicks, shall lose and the other team will be declared the winner.
22. In the Masters Cup competition, for the quarter-final and semi-final games, if the match is tied at the end of the sudden death extra time the result will be determined by sudden death penalty kicks. For the Masters Cup final, if the result is tied at the end of the golden goal extra time, the five penalty kicks format shall apply followed by sudden death penalty kicks if the teams are still level.
23. For all knockout matches in both the Main and Masters Plate competitions, all games that are level at the end of regulation time will be decided by sudden death penalty kicks (ie, no “golden goal” extra time and no five penalty kicks format).
24. For all games decided by the penalty kicks format any one of the 10 registered players is eligible to take a penalty kick apart from any player who has been sent off during the game. No player can take a second penalty until all of the remaining eligible players in that squad have taken a penalty.
25. Times shown on the draw are indicative only. The tournament normally can run ahead of schedule. Team managers and captains are advised to be available at all times and to check with tournament officials on the next scheduled game.
26. Team officials are responsible for getting their team on the field by the time shown on the draw or as advised by the tournament officials. Five minutes grace for late arrivals may be permitted at the discretion of the tournament officials but after this time has elapsed the team which is on the field ready to play will receive a walkover with three match points and two goals for. A minimum of five registered players must be on the field for a match to commence.
27. If a player is shown a red card by the referee he will be suspended from the next game in which his team plays. Any player accumulating two red cards will be banned from the tournament. Any player accumulating two yellow cards will be suspended for the next game. There will be no carry over of yellow cards from the league phase to the knockout phase, ie all players commence Sunday’s play with no yellow cards on their record.
28. All matches will be officiated by the Hong Kong Football Referees Association. Their decision on the field is final and no appeal against their decision will be entertained.
29. In the event of clash of colour, the first named team in the draw shall change. Teams are expected to bring two full kits with them for the tournament which are of contrasting colours. No team will be allowed to play without jerseys or with unnumbered jerseys.
30. The Organising Committee reserves the right to alter the format of the tournament due to inclement weather conditions.
31. All disputes, queries or objections not covered by the above rules shall be referred to the Organising Committee whose decisions shall be final and binding.
32. The Hong Kong Football Club officials and employees and the Soccer Sevens Organising Committee accept no responsibility for any damage or loss or injury caused to participant players or spectators during the duration of the tournament.
33. Clubs/teams are strongly advised to ensure that their players are adequately insured. The Hong Kong Football Club, however, will provide touchline physiotherapy assistance when and if required and a tournament doctor will be in attendance during all three days of competition.
34. In the event of an injury to a goalkeeper, the Organising Committee may, at their discretion, allow a replacement goalkeeper to be registered during the tournament.