TEAM REGISTRATION

All team registration is completed online using Sprocket. League information and offerings for the upcoming season, as well as registration links, will always be available on our website www.chicagofirefc.com/cfrs.

ONE TEAM PER LEAGUE

CFRS participants are permitted to play on (only) one team per league. If you play on a second team, in the same league, it is an automatic forfeit for that second team. This rule is in effect for all regular season and playoff games. You can play in multiple leagues just not on multiple teams within the same league. Players may also play on multiple teams in the same league ONLY if the league has multiple divisions and teams are not in the same division.

TEAM BALANCES

We require that your team balance is paid in full by the conclusion of the first week of the season. If you selected the Deposit + Payment option at checkout. Your remaining balance will automatically be charged to the saved payment method in Sprocket that was used to register the team. If you would like to make a payment sooner than the end of the first week or modify the saved payment method, this can be done in your Sprocket account. If your team paid in full at the time of registration, no further action is needed.

TEAM ROSTER

All players must ensure they are on their team’s roster (on Sprocket) prior to their second game. This is to ensure we have accurate rosters to communicate cancelations and to resolve any incidents that may arise. Captains are responsible for finalizing their roster prior to game two. If you need any assistance with your roster, please reach out to a member of staff. To participate in a playoff game, your full team must be on the Sprocket roster.

Rosters are locked after the second week of competition each season – this means no further changes may be made. Any team without a completed roster (minimum number of players needed for competition) will forfeit their match and incur the Forfeit Fee outlined in the Forfeit Policy.

*All players MUST be 18 years of age or older to participate in any CFRS program.

UNROSTERED PLAYERS

Teams that utilize players who are not rostered, registered, or a substitute not provided by CFRS will be issued a written warning. If this occurs again, the team will forfeit their match – even if the match has been played. Teams who use non-rostered and/or unregistered players during a Playoff* or Final will have their match forfeited. CFRS reserves the right to conduct roster checks at any point during the season.

FREE AGENT REGISTRATION

We offer individual sign-ups for all CFRS leagues. When an individual registers as a Free Agent, we try to place them on an established team. The amount they pay will be equal to a team’s per player amount in a given season. This will be established by the team captain for the team the Free Agent will be assigned to. Prior to rostering a Free Agent to a team, both the captain and Free Agent will have to agree to the transfer.

REFUNDS

CFRS will provide a full refund when it is requested at least two weeks prior to Kick-Off Week. Within two weeks we will offer a credit toward a future CFRS league. No refunds or credits will be offered if the request is made within one week of the season starting. Throughout the lead up to a new season our staff are happy to help teams find Free Agents. Teams that withdraw after the first week of the season are responsible for their full team balance.

APPLICABLE TAXES

All transactions are subject to a City of Chicago Amusement Tax of 9%. This is automatically applied to a team’s registration at checkout. If you select the Deposit + Payment option, the 9% City of Chicago Amusement Tax will be divided between the deposit and the remaining balance. All team registrations can be made via Credit Card (3.5% fee) or ACH (1.5% fee).

FORFEIT POLICY

If your team (Monday-Friday Leagues) needs to forfeit, you must do so by 7:30pm the day prior to your game. If you forfeit after the 7:30pm cutoff your team will incur a $175 fine. If your team (Sunday League) needs to forfeit, you must do so by 12:00pm Noon on the Saturday before. If you forfeit after the 12:00pm cutoff your team will incur a $175 fine.

For all CFRS leagues, if your team forfeits and provides no phone or email communication to the CFRS staff your team will incur an additional $50 fine on top of the $175 fine indicated above. That fine is paid out to the team you were scheduled to play against (as a refund or team credit). This fine must be paid before your next scheduled match, or your team may be subject to removal from the league.

This system is in place to ensure that each team receives a full season of eight games. If a team must forfeit, we will do our best to find an alternate opponent. If you are on a team that is struggling to find enough players, please let us know no later than 12:00pm of the day of the game and we will do our best to find your team substitutes. If your team shows up to a game with low numbers, we will again do our best to find subs on-site to get the game played. If, however, you still need to forfeit the game ten minutes past your start time, no fine will be incurred.

Any team who forfeits more than three matches in a single league may be excluded from early registration or future opportunities for league participation – at the discretion of CFRS Staff.

WEATHER POLICIES

The health and safety of the CFRS community is our top priority and we monitor all weather to ensure we uphold those standards. In the event of inclement weather, our on-site lightning detection system will sound, along with a flashing light from the side of the Fire Pitch. If this system sounds all participants must clear the fields and move inside or to their cars. The system will sound an ‘All Clear’ when it is safe to return to play.

The CFRS staff will monitor any incoming storms and cancel or delay games, as needed. We will play in the rain but not lightning. If we need to cancel or delay, we will communicate to all players at the earliest possible opportunity via email, and follow-up with a call/text to your team captains. Players must be on their team’s roster to receive this communication.

CFRS staff will work with team captains to organize make-up games. If a game is canceled during the first half of play, the remainder of the game will be made up. If the game is canceled after five minutes of the second half, the result at the time of cancelation will stand.

SEASON FORMAT

The standard CFRS league will run a six game (six week) regular season followed by two weeks of playoff/consolation matches. Each team will have eight games. Generally, the top four teams in your league will qualify for the playoffs (semifinals – week seven / finals – week eight). All other teams will have consolation matches during weeks seven and eight. While this is the standard format there may be exceptions to this format based on Fire Pitch field availability and other circumstances.

PLAYOFF TIE BREAKERS

CFRS uses the following tie breaker system for all leagues and tournaments: Points > Head to Head > Goal Differential > Total Goals Scored > Coin Flip. Our points system is consistent with all FIFA sanctioned competitions: Win = 3 points / Tie = 1 point / Loss = 0.

Playoff matches that end in a tie will proceed to a three-player shootout. If teams remain tied after each team kicks three times, they continue alternating kickers until one team wins. Coed teams must alternate kickers.

SPORTSMANSHIP RULE

This rule will be implemented in any game where one team goes up by seven goals. If a team goes up by seven goals, the opposing team may add one additional player to the field. This additional player may remain on the field only if the goal difference is seven or more goals. Once the goal difference is below seven goals, the team with an additional player MUST remove the added player from the field so that sides are level once again. No team may bring on more than one additional player.

This is an adult recreational league, and we want to create an environment where teams and players enjoy their experience, be competitive, and prevent severely lobsided results.

RED CARD POLICY & SANCTIONS

*CFRS enforces a zero-tolerance policy towards any physical or verbal violence, discrimination, and racism in any form.

Referees are responsible for managing all elements of a game and their decisions are final. A player receiving a red card is not eligible to play in the remainder of the game in which they received the red card. Red card fines may be imposed to individuals and/or teams based on the severity of the player altercations.

Any player who receives a Red Card MUST leave Fire Pitch property. This includes the fields, Pub97, and all other entities on CFFC property. The game will not resume until the Red Carded player has left the premises. Failure of the Red Carded player to do so may result in the game being forfeited by that player's team and/or further disciplinary action.

CFRS and Chicago Fire FC will review all serious incidents, in consultation with the ISSA, by collecting written and/or verbal statements from the player(s) involved, as well as teammates, match officials and spectators. If any player(s) fails to support our investigation, they will also be subject to disciplinary action.

Player or team conduct intended to promote or provoke physical or verbal altercations will be reviewed and is subject to possible disciplinary action or suspension. Any provocation to incite violent conduct will not be tolerated.

An individual player’s sanctioning is confidential and will only be shared with the affected player and their team captain. All reports and statements collected by CFRS staff are also confidential and will not be shared with any involved party.

SUSPENSIONS

CFRS is an affiliated program of the Illinois State Soccer Association and therefore stays in line with their Bylaws and those set out by U.S. Soccer.

CFRS will impose sanctions for all red card offenses, per the following guidelines. All suspensions are at the discretion of CFRS and Chicago Fire Football Club. All red card incidents are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by CFRS staff after obtaining all available reports and statements. Any suspensions issued will be communicated directly to the player(s) involved in writing via email, as well as to their team captain.

• Two Yellow Cards – Possible One (1) to Two (2) game suspension*
• Serious Foul Play – Three (3) game suspension*
• Abusive Language – Two (2) to Three (3) game suspension*
• Violent Conduct – Three (3) game suspension to Suspended the remainder of the season*
  • Possible $50 Player Fine (Cannot return to play until paid)
• Assaulting a Player/Official – Permanent Expulsion from CFRS*
  • Reported to Illinois State Soccer Association
• Racist, Homophobic and/or Sexist Language – Permanent Expulsion from CFRS*
• Team Violent Conduct – All players subject to removal from CFRS leagues*

*All suspensions are at the discretion of CFRS staff and individuals with Red Card sanctions are NOT eligible for any form of refund or credit.

ZERO TOLERANCE REFEREE ABUSE POLICY

Referees play a vital part in operating our leagues. CFRS uses an experienced referee assignor to schedule referees for all CFRS games. All referees are certified through the United States Soccer Federation and are required to undergo recertification yearly.

We understand that you may not always agree with the decision of a referee. However, the referee’s decision is final. The only player on the field that should be respectfully addressing the referee with a question surrounding a call is the Team Captain.

CFRS will NOT tolerate any form of verbal or physical abuse towards referees on or off the field.

Any player that harasses a referee is at the referee’s discretion for sanctioning. This includes a warning, yellow card, or red card. Players given a red card will be subject to the Red Card Policy above.