New for 2021:
1st change does allow head coverings for religious purposes.
2nd change is a mercy rule. After a team has a 5 goal differential, the clock should not stop except for injury, at the discretion of the referee. If the score differential gets up to 9 goals, and you’ve played 15 minutes in the second half, then the game should be terminated.
Here’s the specifics from their website:
IIAAA/ISCA/IHSAA Soccer Mercy Rule:
Beginning with 2021-22 Soccer Season
• 5 Goal Differential = running clock [1st or 2nd half]
• 9 Goal Differential = Game is within 2nd Half – 9goal advantage has been achieved - AND 15 min sub-varsity / 20 min var. time has expired.
A Five / Nine (5 / 9) Goal-Differential Rule is in effect for the IHSAA tournament and regular season play.
On a goal that would make the game score a five (5) goal difference, a running clock will be initiated immediately upon the scoring of that goal. The only time the clock would stop would be for an injury requiring attention on the field based on the judgement of the official. This game would never return to normal clock management.
Once within the second half, a game shall be terminated (after 15 minutes for a sub-varsity contest and 20 minutes for varsity contests) when a team is ahead by nine (9) goals or more.
* posted: myIHSAA.net/Resources/Sport = Soccer
2019-2020 NFHS Soccer Rules Changes
3-4-3 NEW: The clock shall be stopped when a substitute by the team in the lead is beckoned on the field in the final five minutes of the second period only.
Rationale: Rule affected by change in 7-4-3.
4-3: Improperly Equipped Players (18-1-1u)
Cautions will not be issued for improperly equipped player(s).
If not immediately correctable, improperly equipped player(s) shall be instructed to leave the field of play when the ball next ceases to be in play. The player(s) may be replaced. The removed player(s), if not replaced, may re-enter at the next dead ball only after reporting to an official, who shall be satisfied the player’s equipment and uniform are in order. Play shall not be stopped for an infringement of this rule except that the referee may stop play immediately where there is a dangerous situation.
Rationale: The change corrects an injustice. For the far more serious infringement of illegal equipment, the offending team does not play shorthanded. For the less serious offense of improper equipment, they are required to play shorthanded. The change addresses this inequity.
5-3-1d: The officials shall:
(d) call out "play on" and, with an underswing of one or both arms, indicate a foul which was observed but shall go unpenalized because penalizing the offending team would give an advantage to the offending team. If the referee applies the advantage, which was anticipated but does not develop at that time, the referee shall penalize the original offense.
Rationale: This change permits the use of one arm to signal advantage.
7-4-3 NEW: The clock shall be stopped when a substitute by the team in the lead is beckoned onto the field in the final five minutes of the second period only.
Rationale: Coaches in the lead will make multiple substitutions in the later stages of the match. This tactic is being used as a time-wasting ploy. Adding this rule will help the game to be decided by the players and not a coach who is wasting time when in the lead. These substitutes are usually players from the far side of the field that take more time off the clock. This addition would stop this practice.
9-2-1: The game is restarted with a drop ball:
a. when the ball is caused to go out of bounds by two opponents simultaneously;
b. when the ball becomes deflated;
c. following temporary suspension of play for an injury or unusual situation and a goalkeeper is not in possession of the ball
d. when simultaneous fouls of the same degree occur by opponents.
Rationale: This rule changes the awarding of a free kick to a drop ball thereby possibly creating a scoring opportunity for a team underserving.
9-2-3: The ball is dropped by an official from waist level to the ground. Any number of players may contest a dropped ball (including the goalkeepers); a referee cannot decide who may contest a dropped ball or its outcome.
Rationale: This addition helps to provide clarity in the application of this rule.
9-2-5 NEW: ART. 5 . . . The ball shall be dropped again if it touches a player before it touches the ground or leaves the field of play after it touches the ground without touching a player.
Rationale: This addition helps to avoid confusion and allow the rule to be more equitable under the circumstances.
9-2-6 NEW: ART. 6 . . . If a dropped ball enters the goal without touching at least two players, play is restarted with a goal kick if it enters the opponent’s goal or a corner kick if it enters the team's own goal.
Rationale: This addition helps to avoid confusion and allow the rule to be more equitable under the circumstances.
9-3: In case of a temporary suspension due to injury or any unusual situation the game shall be started by a drop ball at the point where the ball was when the play was suspended (except as noted in 14-1-7), provided the ball was not in the goal area and not in the possession of the goalkeeper. 12-8-2
Rationale: This change will eliminate free kick opportunities that often create scoring opportunities that are not deserved.
2019-2020 NFHS Points of Emphasis
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury Prevention.
Pre-game Communication Between the School Administration and Game Officials.
Official’s Communicating Misconduct with Coaches.
IHSAA Suggested Guidelines - Management of Concussion
“Any athlete suspected of having a concussion should be evaluated by an appropriate health care professional that day. Any athlete with a concussion should be medically cleared by an appropriate healthcare professional prior to resuming participation in any practice or competition.”
The language above appears in all National Federation sports rule books as part of the suggested guidelines for the management of concussion. It reflects a heightened emphasis on the safety of athletes suspected of having a concussion, especially since the vast majority of concussions do not involve a loss of consciousness. The State of Indiana has laws (Ind. Code 20-34-7) which mandate a protocol to be observed in the event there is an athletic head injury or concussion sustained by a high School student in a high School practice or game. The following guidelines provide the IHSAA’s suggested procedures to be followed when a student athlete in a contest or a practice in an IHSAA recognized sport sustains a head injury or concussion.
Any high School student athlete suspected of having sustained a concussion or a head injury in a high School practice or a high School contest:
should be removed from play at the time of the concussion or head injury is sustained,
should be evaluated by an appropriate health care professional immediately, and
should not return to play in a practice or a game until the high School student athlete is cleared in writing to return to play by the health care professional who conducted an evaluation.
A high School student athlete should not return to play or practice any sooner than twenty-four (24) hours after the student is removed from play. After medical clearance by an appropriate health care professional, return to play should follow a step-wise protocol with provisions for the delay of the return to play based upon the return of any signs or symptoms.
The Official’s Role in Recognizing a Concussive Event:
If, during a contest, an Official observes a player and suspects that the player has suffered a head concussion or head injury by exhibiting concussive signs (including appearing dazed, stunned, confused, disoriented, to have memory loss, or the athlete is either unconscious or apparently unconscious), the Official should notify a coach that a player is apparently injured and advise that the player should be examined by an appropriate health care Professional.
If a concussion event occurred during a contest, and regardless of whether the student athlete returns to play or not, following the contest, an Official’s report shall be filed with the School of the removed player, including the athletic director, by the Official that initially removed the student athlete from play; this report may be found on the IHSAA website at www.ihsaa.org.
For purposes of this Concussion Guideline, an appropriate health care professional is an Indiana medical doctor (MD) or doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) who holds an unlimited license to practice medicine in the state of Indiana, and who has training in the evaluation and management of concussions and head injuries.
In cases where an assigned IHSAA tournament physician (MD/DO) is present, his or her decision regarding any potential concussion, or to forbid an athlete to return to competition, may not be overruled.