The DC Premier League is an adult soccer league. Matches are meant to be competitive but played in a positive and fun spirit. The DC Premier League is a program of District Soccer, and the league expects all participants to uphold all tenets of the District Soccer Player Pledge.

The league is managed by District Soccer. As such, District Soccer staff reserves the right to exclude from the league any player who engages in violent conduct or persistently verbally abuses referees or other players, in either DCPL or District Soccer programs. Any player on the District Soccer Banned Players List is also barred from playing in the DCPL.

Fair play is essential to conducting an enjoyable league for all teams.

The DCPL features two league types: DCPL Men's (DCPLM) and DCPL Women's (DCPLW).

Players of all genders are welcome in DCPLM. Cisgendered male players are not allowed to participate in DCPLW. We encourage trans, nonbinary, genderfluid, and players of all other genders to play in our leagues as their authentic selves.

Section I: League Policies and Guidelines

A. Individual and Team Registration

1. Player age -  All players must be 18 years of age or older, with one exception: each team is entitled to carry no more than 3 underage development players. These players must be formally registered as such with league officials so that proper waivers, etc, can be completed in advance of matches.
2. All individual players must be registered for their team on the league website.
3. Payment - Throughout the registration process for each season, payment deadlines are made clear. By registering a team for the DC Premier League, team captains commit to covering the full team fee, either through individual player payments or paying the full team fee up front. Any individual player's dues not paid will be the responsibility of the team captain.
4. Player Refunds - If a player has signed up for a season and cannot participate, due to injury or change in availability, District Soccer will honor refund requests made before the start of league play. In the case that a player is refunded, the portion of the team fee he or she was responsible for covering must still be paid, either by a replacement player or an existing roster member, such as the captain. Ultimately, any fees not paid due to refunds given are the responsibility of the team captain.

B. Rosters

1. Size - Teams may carry up to 30 players on their roster.
2. All changes to rosters must be made by 3:00 PM (Eastern) on the immediate Friday before any Saturday or Sunday match for a player to be eligible for participation. Players added to teams after 3:00 PM on Friday will not appear on any roster for that weekend's games.
3. After a team has hit its max roster capacity of 30, captains can make no more than 8 add/drop changes to their roster. To do so, captains must reach out to league officials via email with the names and email addresses of involved players. Dropped players will not be allowed to rejoin their roster later in the season. No changes will be allowed after a team's final regular-season game, regardless of injuries.
4. Only Registered DC Premier League players are allowed to play on a given team. If a player signs up for a team, they are tied to that team for the remainder of the season, within that division. Players are allowed to be on rosters for two teams, as long as they are in separate divisions.
5. Only rostered players or staff will be allowed on the sidelines with teams.  Teams may roster up to 3 non-players, such as coaches and trainers, allowing them to join teams on the sidelines during games. These people will not count against your roster max of 30. Non-players may only be placed on team rosters by league administrators.
6. Cisgender male players are NOT allowed to participate in DCPLW games.
7. Players who do not appear on their team's virtual roster or do not provide an ID are considered ineligible to play.
8. In cases where a team is found to have fielded an illegible player, the match will be considered a forfeit with the match score recorded as 3-0 in favor of the opposing team.

C. Check-In Procedures

1. Referees will facilitate all areas of the following check-in process:
   • Game officials will cross-check virtual rosters with government-issued IDs as a means of verifying player eligibility. Anyone who is not on a team’s virtual roster or does not provide a government-issued ID is not eligible to play in that match.
   • This check-in process can only be done pre-match or at halftime. Players who arrive late to matches will not be permitted to play until they have been checked in (again, only at halftime). Exceptions will be made for teams without 11 players at kick-off. Once a team has 11 players, any further late-arriving players will be held to the halftime standard.

D. Equipment

1. Shin guards covered by socks are mandatory and are an absolute requirement for all players.
2. Footwear - Only soccer/athletic shoes are acceptable. No street shoes or metal cleats. Referees' decisions on footwear suitability are final.
3. Players are allowed to participate while wearing the following items: casts, braces, and unremovable jewelry (e.g., plug earrings). These items must be padded and/or completely covered by tape.
4. Each team shall be responsible for providing at least one suitable game ball.
5. First Aid - It is recommended that team captains bring First Aid materials (tape, ice packs, etc) to games, in case of injury. DC Premier referees are not licensed to provide First Aid.
6. League organizers are not responsible for any items lost or stolen during games or at field sites.

E. Uniforms

1. All players must be wearing uniquely numbered, matching colored jerseys.
2. Numbers must be printed on jerseys. Fashioning of numbers with tape is not permitted, and a player wearing such a jersey will not be permitted to play.
3. In instances where two teams wear the same color, it is the responsibility of the away team (second team listed on the schedule) to provide an alternate shirt.
4. All teams are expected to have two sets of jerseys for use in games.

F. Regular Season Schedule

1. Schedules will be created based on the number of teams playing in each league.
2. Adjustments to the schedule are not final until approved by District Soccer. Teams may not reschedule their own games; this may only be done by a District Soccer league administrator.
3. District Soccer reserves the right to change field locations and times during the season, as needed. Every attempt will be made to give as much advance notice as possible to affected teams.

G. Suspended Matches

1. Field Closings - Games played on turf fields will go on even in the event of rain. Games are only cancelled due to severe weather. This is done out of concern for player safety.
2. District Soccer Hotline - If there are questions about game status, please check with the District Soccer Game Hotline: 202.656.8892
3. In the event of cancellations, District Soccer will contact all registered players via email and text message as quickly as possible.
4. Regular Season Suspended Games:
   • If a match has kicked off and is terminated before the end of the first half and the termination is not due to the conduct of one of the teams, the match shall be replayed in its entirety.
   • If a match is terminated after the end of the first half of a match, but before the end of the second half, and the termination is not due to the conduct of one of the teams, the match is considered complete.
5. Playoff Suspended Games:
   • If a match has kicked off and is terminated before the end of the first half and the termination is not due to the conduct of one of the teams, the match shall be replayed in its entirety.
   • If a match is terminated after the end of the first half of a match, but before the end of the second half with one of the teams winning, and the termination is not due to the conduct of one of the teams, the match is considered complete, and the team winning at the time of the termination shall be the winner.
   • If a match is terminated after the end of the first half of a match, but before the end of the second half with the teams tied, and the termination is not due to the conduct of one of the teams, the match shall be replayed in its entirety.
6. Rescheduled Games - If a game is cancelled, the league will reschedule if possible. If more than two (2) games are cancelled in a season, the league reserves the right not to reschedule games.

H. League Standings

1. Game results will be recorded and posted on the DC Premier League web page.
2. Teams are encouraged to review their respective league standings page periodically.  The Team Captain should notify the League Administrator of any errors.
3. A 3-3 draw will be posted for games cancelled and not rescheduled at the end of the regular season.
4. A 3-0 loss will be posted for a team that forfeits a game.
5. Tie-breakers are set and calculated automatically on our standings page. The first tie-breaker is Goal Differential, followed by Head to Head, and then Goals For. Should teams remain tied after factoring in the above tiebreakers, standing will be determined via a coin flip.

I. Playoff Rules

1. Qualification:
   • The top 4 teams in the first division of each gender category will qualify for the playoff rounds.
   • The first-place team in divisions beyond the first will automatically be promoted to the next highest division.
   • The last-place team in all divisions will automatically be relegated to the division below (should such a division exist).
   • The second and third place teams, in divisions beyond the first, will qualify for a single match playoff against the second and third to last place teams in the division above them. The winner of this match will be placed in the higher division and the loser in the lower division.
2. Eligibility:
   • To be eligible to play in the playoffs, a player must be on the team's final regular-season roster. No exceptions.
   • Teams must be fully paid to qualify for the playoffs.
   • Exact playoff rules will be determined by the number of teams in the league. They will be circulated to team captains prior to the start of those games.

J.  Spectators, Fans, and Pets

1. Spectators are allowed and encouraged to attend DC Premier League games.
2. Fan and spectator behavior is ultimately the responsibility of the team captain. Any fan or spectator who is verbally abusive, enters the field of play, or is disruptive to gameplay in any way will be asked to leave by referees. Team captains are considered responsible for the behavior of teammates, fans and may be penalized or suspended in the case of any extreme behavior from non-players.
3. We ask that all District Soccer-affiliated players and fans respect the specific rules set forth by individual facilities.
   • Pets are not allowed on the premises of any league playing facilities. Players and spectators must refrain from bringing any animal (except registered service animals) to games.

K. Forfeit Policy

1. If a team needs to forfeit a league game, they must alert District Soccer by 5:00 PM the day before their scheduled match. Confirmation of forfeits should be sent to info@districtsoccer.org.

L. League Discipline Policy

1. Yellow Card Accumulation - Once a player accumulates 5 yellow cards in a season, no matter the reason, they will be required to sit out one regular-season game. Yellow card accumulation does not carry over to playoff games. If a player were to receive their 5th yellow card in their final regular season match and is qualified for the playoffs, they will not be required to sit out for the playoff match.
2. Red Cards - If a player receives a red card, they should expect to sit out a minimum of one game, including playoffs. League officials reserve the right to issue longer match bans for instances of Serious Foul Play, Violent Conduct, or Abusive/Insulting Language. They also reserve the right to waive match bans assessed for tactical infractions. Tactical infractions have typically included Stopping a Promising Attack (SPA) or Denial of a Goal Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO), but may encompass other decisions. 
3. The above consideration will be extended to teams no more than twice per season. All bans will be communicated to team captains, whose responsibility it is to ensure that full suspensions are served.
4. Individual Red Card Accumulation - A player who receives their second red card in a season will be required to sit out a minimum of two games. Any player accumulating 3 red cards in a season will be banned for the remainder of that season, including playoffs.
5. Team Red Card Accumulation - At the point that a team receives 4 red cards in a season, they will automatically lose 1 standings point. For every subsequent card (5 and beyond), an additional point will be subtracted.
6. Match Suspensions For Players Playing in Multiple Divisions - Match suspensions for players playing on teams in multiple divisions will not carry over to other divisions, unless the suspension has been assessed for Violent Conduct or Abusive/Insulting Language. In instances of suspensions for violent conduct, suspensions for players will be enforced across all DCPL divisions.
7. DCPL adheres to guidelines published by US Soccer in regards to Referee Abuse Prevention. They inform league officials’ decision-making when player suspensions need to be considered.

M. Referee Decisions

1. District Soccer considers the in-game decisions of referees to be final. There is no appeal process.
2. While we appreciate and welcome feedback on all elements of our league, including referees, challenges to both calls and non-calls will not be reviewed or overturned by league management, nor will referee decisions be considered as justification for game(s) to be replayed.
3. Referees may use electronic communication devices, including, but not limited to, wireless headsets and beeper flags.
4. Referees may record games for their professional development. Any recordings made by referees will not be provided to teams or participants.

N. Player and Referee Feedback

1. Any feedback, issues, or complaints regarding league players and referees must be submitted through out Referee Feedback Form, so they can be accurately referenced and dealt with by league organizers.

O. DCPL reserves the right to exclude any team from this league based on prior season performance, behavior, and attendance.

Section II: Game Rules

All games in the DCPL will be played per the FIFA Laws of the Game, but at any time, we reserve the right to adapt the rules to follow local rules of competition.

A. Game Length

1. Games will consist of two 45-minute halves with a 5-minute halftime.
2. Games will utilize stoppage time, but there will be no more than 5 minutes of stoppage time allowed per half.

B. Forfeits

1. Teams must be ready to play their game within 10 minutes of the scheduled game time.
2. If a team does not have 7 players dressed and ready to play within 10 minutes of kickoff, they are considered to have forfeited.
3. If a team does not provide a roster or photo IDs to referees before the game, they are considered to have forfeited.

C. Substitutions

1. Generally speaking, unlimited substitutions may be made with the consent of the referee at the following times:
   • Throw In - either team
   • Goal kick - either team
   • Goal - either team
   • Injury- When the referee stops play, that team is allowed to substitute for the injured player. The opposing team is then allowed to substitute a single player.
   • Yellow Card - Referee may call for an immediate substitution of a carded player if they determine it helpful for managing game play.
   • While substitutions can be made in any scenario above, players must get consent from the referee before entering or leaving the field. In certain cases, the referee may choose to ignore a substitution request, given any number of factors.

D. Slide Tackling

1. Slide tackling is permitted.

E. Athletic plays

1. Athletic plays (i.e., bicycle and scissors kicks) are allowed in the run of play, so far as they do not put another player at risk.

The DCPL reserves the right to modify these rules at any time.