Sports Competition

Soccer Rules and Guidelines (Grades 2 to 12)

All players must participate in the spiritual Exam Competition.

The Team

• • Age groups are determined based on the school year completed as of June 2024.
  • A player can ONLY represent ONE church in ONLY ONE age group according to the above rule.
  • Each church can have up to 2 teams in the following age groups:
    • Elementary School (Gr 2-3)
    • Elementary School (Gr 4-5)
    • Middle School (Gr 6-8)
    • High School (Gr 9-12)
  • A minimum of 5 Players is needed to form a team .
  • Game is played with 5 players, including the goalie, playing at once.
  • The ideal number of players is 5. A minimum of 4 players is needed to start a
    game. If a team has fewer than 4 players 5 minutes after game time — it is a
    forfeit.
  • Rosters may only have a maximum of 10 players.

Equipment

• • • Each player must wear the appropriate footwear (indoor soccer shoes or sneakers if playing indoors/ cleats if playing outdoors).
    • Shin guards are strongly recommended.
    • Goalies may use their own equipment (gloves).
    • Baseball caps are not allowed to be worn during game play.
    • Jewelry, chains, rings, or earrings that could interfere (officials / coordinators
      opinion) may NOT be worn

Playing time

• • • Games will be 10 minutes long , running time. The clock will stop only at the Officials discretion.
    • Overtime: 5 minute overtime will be used and if still tied, then 3 penalties.
    • Substitutions. Teams can sub during dead play situations. All subs must
      inform officials before entering the game. Unlimited number of subs are allowed.

Rules of Play

1. 1. The game shall begin with a kickoff at the center circle (the ball can be kicked forward or backwards). Defense must stand outside the circle, no closer than 4 yards.
   2. Kickoffs will be used to start a half and after each goal scored
   3. The ball is out of bounds when it goes out of playing area or it goes off
      opposing team player
   4. When the ball is dead at the sideline, the ball is put into play by the opposing
      team player by throwing into play where it went out of bounds. Defense must
      stand 4 yards away.
   5. A corner kick will be awarded to the opposing team, when the player puts the
      ball out of bounds at their end line. Defense must stand 4 yards away.
   6. A goal kick will be awarded to the team, when the ball is put out of bounds at
      either end line by the opposing team player.
   7. All standard soccer penalties will be enforced: tripping, interference, or
      bodily contact; results in direct kick.
   8. Direct or indirect kicks will be played from the spot of where the offense was
      made.
   9. The goalkeeper may NOT catch the ball with his/ her hand if returned from a
      teammate. If that happens, it will result in an INDIRECT kick.
   10. Body Checking will NOT be allowed. The penalty for Checking is a Direct Kick.
       Intentional checking will result in a player being ejected from the game.
   11. Any penalties in the goal area shall result in a penalty kick.
   12. A Yellow card will be given to players committing harsh tackles. They must sit
       out for 2 minutes before they can enter back into the game. Two yellow cards
       will result in ejection of the game with a red card.
   13. Slide Tackling is Not Allowed and will result into a yellow card
   14. The offside rule will not exist in the match
   15. Good Christian conduct and sportsmanship is expected from all players.
       Any player failing to oblige will result in automatic ejection from the competition.

Ping Pong Rules and Guidelines

• All players must participate in the spiritual exam competition.
• Age groups are determined based on the school year completed as of June
  2024.
• Only one player is allowed to represent a church in a certain age group.
• Churches are encouraged to do an internal competition to select the players
  representing the church.
• A player can ONLY represent ONE church in ONLY ONE age group according
  to the above rule.
• Each church can have ONLY ONE PLAYER in the following age groups:
  • Elementary School (Gr 4 – 5)
  • Middle School (Gr 6 – 8)
  • High School (Gr 9 – 12)
  • Adults
• 2 players at a time
• Girls and boys can play against each other.
• Only one player can represent one church in each level (Elementary starting
  from 4th grade ,Middle ,High , & Adult)
• Location: Games will be played in the rooms next to the gym.
• Time: Game will be played up to 21 points
• If the ball hits the net during the serve, the point is repeated. Two consecutive
  nets are one point to the opponent.

All-Female Volleyball Competition!

We are thrilled to announce Volleyball competition exclusively for female participants. This event aims to highlight the talent and fellowship spirit among young girls and ladies within our ministry. Through sports, we seek to foster a sense of camaraderie, spiritual growth, and teamwork.

Participation Criteria

Age Group: The competition is open to females from Middle School and above, celebrating the talents of young girls and women in a supportive and inclusive environment.

One Team Per Church: Each church is invited to form and register one team of female players. This approach encourages unity and allows each congregation to showcase their best talents on the volleyball court.

Number of Players: 7 players per team are expected to be participating at any single game. However, there is no limit on number of players per team or church overall (i.e. 7 players will be playing in a game, but there can be more players as substitutes)

Event Details

Date and Venue: The final competition will take place on August 24th at St. Mary’s Church. We hope to host the games outdoors to enjoy the beautiful weather; however, should conditions not permit, we are prepared to move the excitement into the gym.

Team Creativity and Attire
Custom Team Jerseys: We encourage teams to express their creativity and team spirit through custom-designed jerseys to wear on top of the Mahragan T shirts. Feel free to be imaginative in the design and shape of your team’s attire, adding a church touch that represents your team’s identity and unity, for e.g. Intercessor Saint, a verse, Cross Design, Coptic artwork or letters, etc.

Spirituality and Fellowship

Participation in this competition is part of a broader Mahragan competition aimed at building spirituality and fellowship among the youth in the diocese. As such, it is a prerequisite that all participants are registered in the spiritual component of the Mahragan.

Encouraging Broad Participation: We warmly encourage female participation from all churches within the diocese. This competition is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen bonds, share experiences, and grow together in faith and friendship.

Let the Games Begin!

We are immensely excited to see the talent, creativity, and fellowship that will be displayed through this competition. This is more than just a game; it’s an opportunity to unite, inspire, and uplift each other in a celebration of faith, friendship, and volleyball.