MAJOR ARENA SOCCER LEAGUE ANNOUNCES 14-15 RULES

The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) today announced its rule changes for the 2014/15 regular season.

The MASL is the top level of arena/indoor soccer in North America and features 23 teams across the United States and Mexico. The top teams from the former MISL united with teams from the PASL to form the MASL in April.

MASL commissioner Kevin Milliken looks to bring these teams together to move forward as one league. "We have a lot of different backgrounds and philosophies. The most important thing is to kick off and play as one league then assess the impact of all rules at next year's owners meeting," Milliken explained.

The rules have been adapted and agreed to by the teams in the league and the result is several new rules and modifications to the previous PASL and MISL rules. These are some of the most notable:

Multi-point Scoring for selected Eastern Division teams - All games played at the Baltimore Blast, Harrisburg Heat, Rochester Lancers and the Syracuse Silver Knights will be played with multi-point scoring. The Detroit Waza Flo will continue to use single-point scoring along with the rest of the league in their home matches. Goals scored from on or outside the three point arc will be worth three points and goals scored from within the arc will be worth two in the four selected cities. The three-point arc will have a forty-five foot radius from the center of the goal line. This is the same system the MISL played with the last few years. 

Penalty Shootouts - All penal two-minute power play penalties will result in a shootout and if the shootout is converted, there will be no power play. If the shootout is not converted, a power play will ensue as live play continues. If both teams receive matching two-minute penalties, there will be no shootout.

Four Foul Penalty - Any player who accumulates four fouls in one half will be assessed a two (2) minute Power Play time penalty. A four foul violation will not result in a shootout as it's a non-penal infraction. There will be no team penalty for accruing six fouls.

Slide Tackles - Slide tackles will be allowed but the sliding player cannot initiate contact with the opposing player and/or slide towards a player in a reckless manner.

Three Line Pass - If any player, including the goalkeeper, plays the ball over three lines (two yellow lines and halfway line) in the air towards his opponent's goal line, without it touching another player, the perimeter wall or a referee on the field of play between the yellow lines, the referee shall award a free kick to the opposing team at the shootout mark of the first yellow line that the ball crossed. This includes the goalkeeper throwing the ball over three lines with his hands.

Game Roster - Home and visiting teams will each dress a maximum of fourteen and minimum of twelve players. In postseason playoff games, each team will dress a maximum of fifteen players but the extra player must be a backup goalkeeper. 

Timeouts - Each team shall be allowed a maximum of two sixty (60) second timeouts per half but no more than three timeouts in a game.

There are other new and modified rules and they can be viewed at www.maslsoccer.com