Section 1: Introduction
NCAA Soccer is the collegiate variant of association football played by NCAA Division I, II, and III institutions across both men's and women's brackets. NCAA Soccer is governed by the NCAA Soccer Rules Book, which sits on top of the IFAB Laws of the Game with NCAA-specific modifications around clock management, substitutions, video review, and competition format.
The current edition is the 2025-26 NCAA Soccer Rules Book, in effect across the men's fall 2025 + 2026 seasons and the women's fall 2025 + 2026 seasons (NCAA Soccer at the D1 level is contested in the fall semester for both genders, distinguishing it from MLS/NWSL spring-summer professional schedules). Postseason: NCAA Men's College Cup and Women's College Cup.
This entry summarizes the major NCAA-specific mechanics. For the underlying universal Laws of the Game see the sibling FIFA Laws of Game entry; for NWSL professional rules see NWSL Competition Rules; for MLS see MLS Competition Guidelines.
Section 2: Equipment
The Ball
FIFA Quality Programme approved size 5 ball: spherical, 68-70 cm circumference, 410-450 g start-of-match weight, 0.6-1.1 atmospheres pressure (IFAB Law 2). Conference- or championship-issued match ball.
Players' Equipment (IFAB Law 4)
- Jersey with sleeves, shorts, socks, shin guards covered by socks, footwear (cleats appropriate to surface)
- Goalkeeper wears distinguishing colors
- Religious head coverings, prescription eyewear, soft headbands permitted
- Jewelry prohibited per IFAB Law 4
Goal Frames
Goals 7.32 m wide × 2.44 m high, white, securely anchored, fitted with nets (IFAB Law 1).
Section 3: Playing Area
- Rectangular field, length 100-130 yards (90-120 m); width 50-100 yards (45-90 m); typical NCAA D1: 110-120 yd × 70-75 yd
- Halfway line, 10-yard center circle, 6-yd × 20-yd goal area, 18-yd × 44-yd penalty area, penalty mark 12 yd from goal line, 10-yd radius arc from penalty mark
- Corner arcs (1 yd radius), corner flags required
- Technical areas marked at each bench
Surface: natural grass, hybrid grass, or FIFA Quality Pro approved synthetic. Home institution responsible for surface conformance.
Section 4: Players & Officials
Roster and Match Squad
- 11 players on field per team; team must have at least 7 players to start/continue a match
- Match-day roster: institution-defined; typical D1 squad 25-30 players
Substitutions (NCAA-Specific)
- NCAA permits substitution and re-entry — distinguishing it from FIFA/IFAB rules where substitution removes a player permanently
- Standard NCAA framework: unlimited substitutions during regulation; substituted players may re-enter beginning in the second half (specific re-entry rules per the rule book and conference)
- Concussion substitution permitted at any stoppage independent of normal substitution count
Officiating Crew
Center referee, two assistant referees, fourth official, plus replay/video review official at championship-level events (NCAA Tournament). Regular-season conference matches typically use 3-4 officials without VAR.
Bench
Head coach, assistant coaches, athletic trainer(s), and named substitutes in the technical area. Bench conduct subject to NCAA Sportsmanship Code; ejections carry suspension review.
Section 5: Rules of Play
Match Structure
- Two 45-minute halves; halftime up to 15 minutes
- NCAA uses a visible countdown clock managed in coordination with the referee — historically a key NCAA-vs-FIFA distinction; the referee remains the on-field clock authority and signals stoppages
- Regular season: tied matches end at full time (no extra time)
- NCAA Tournament: tied matches go to two 10-minute golden-goal extra-time periods, then penalty shootout if still level
Shootout Procedure (Postseason)
Five alternating kicks per team from the penalty mark; if tied, sudden death continues until a winner. IFAB KFTPM procedure with NCAA-specific implementation.
Goalkeeper Rules
- Goalkeeper may handle the ball within the penalty area
- IFAB 2025 amendment: goalkeeper has 8 seconds to release the ball after gaining hand control; failure is a corner kick to the opposing team (NCAA aligns with this IFAB change)
- Back-pass rule: goalkeeper may not handle a deliberate pass from a teammate's foot
Restarts
Throw-ins, goal kicks, corner kicks, free kicks (direct + indirect), and penalty kicks per IFAB Law 8-17 with NCAA-specific timing for restart pace. Drop ball used for stoppage restarts.
Section 6: Scoring
- Goal scored when the entire ball passes the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar (IFAB Law 10)
- Regular season: more goals at full time wins; level scores remain a draw (no extra time in regular season)
- NCAA Tournament: extra time + KFTPM if level after regulation
Standings
Conference standings typically use 3-1-0 points (win-draw-loss). Tiebreakers vary by conference and may include head-to-head, goal differential, goals scored, and other published criteria.
Section 7: Violations & Penalties
Cautions and Sending-Offs (IFAB Law 12)
- Yellow card cautionable offenses: unsporting behavior, dissent, persistent infringement, delaying restart, failure to respect required distance, entering/leaving without permission
- Two yellow cards in same match = automatic red card (sent off)
- Direct red card offenses: serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting, denying obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO), offensive language
- Sent-off player cannot be replaced; team plays short for remainder of match
NCAA Suspension Framework
- Player ejected (red card) is suspended for the team's next regularly-scheduled match (one-game minimum)
- Two ejections in a season: extended suspension review
- Yellow-card accumulation: typically tracked across the season; conferences set thresholds for accumulation suspensions
- NCAA Sportsmanship Committee reviews egregious incidents independently of on-field discipline
Penalties Awarded
Direct free kicks, indirect free kicks, and penalty kicks per IFAB Law 12-14. Penalty kick from 12 yd / 11 m mark; goalkeeper must be on the goal line at the moment of release.
Section 8: Safety Considerations
Concussion Protocol
NCAA concussion management protocol: any player with actual or suspected concussion is removed from play immediately and is subject to a graduated return-to-play assessment before being cleared. Concussion substitution permits an additional substitution beyond the normal framework. NCAA medical observers may be present at championship-level events.
Heat and Air Quality
WBGT-based heat thresholds for cooling breaks and play modifications. Mandatory water/cooling breaks at high WBGT. Air-quality-index thresholds apply for venues affected by wildfire smoke.
Field and Weather
Lightning detection halts outdoor play within the standard radius of detected strikes; resumption only after the all-clear interval. Field surface inspected pre-match; unsafe conditions cause delay.
Medical Coverage
Each NCAA-sanctioned game requires at least one certified athletic trainer on the bench. Championship-level competition adds team physicians and EMT/ambulance coverage on site. Emergency action plan with AED access required at every venue.
