Rules and regulations

At Wasa Footballcup, we follow clear rules to ensure that the tournament runs smoothly and fairly for all participants. Here you’ll find information about match times, competition format, referees, match regulations, protests, and scoring.

BnF means "back and forth" and HGG means "Half-game guarantee".

Competition format

Teams in each age group are divided into groups that play a round-robin format, where everyone meets each other once. The group standings are based on the standard point system: three (3) points for a win and one (1) point for a draw. If two or more teams finish with the same number of points, the ranking is decided as follows:

1. Points
2. Head-to-head points
3. Goal difference (head-to-head)
4. Goals scored (head-to-head)
5. Goal difference (overall)
6. Goals scored (overall)
7. Drawing of lots

For B/G6–9, the Finnish Football Association’s rules apply — no league tables or points are recorded.

Match regulations

▪️ A player may play in more than one team, but not in the same age group.

▪️ Each team must submit a player list before their first match. The number of players is unlimited.

▪️ Teams must be ready and changed 15 minutes before kick-off.

▪️ If both teams have the same shirt color, the away team changes jerseys. The goalkeeper’s shirt must always differ from the outfield players’.

▪️ Shin guards are mandatory for all players.

▪️ Any disputes are settled by the tournament jury. The decision is final and cannot be appealed.

▪️ The organizers reserve the right to make changes to the schedule or program.

v If a cup or final match ends in a draw, the winner is decided by penalty kicks: three penalties per team alternately, followed by one-by-one until a winner is determined.

Match duration

Regular match time is 2 x 15 minutes or 2 x 20 minutes, depending on age group. In A finals, match duration also varies: B12–15 and G12–15 play 2 x 25 minutes, while B10–11 and G10–11 play 2 x 20 minutes.

Ranking of teams

To determine placements in the table (for example, “best second-place team”), results are divided by the number of matches played when all groups have the same number of teams.
If groups have different numbers of teams, matches involving the bottom team are removed before ranking to ensure fairness.

Cards and suspensions

A player receiving a red card may not participate in the next match. Yellow cards are not carried over between matches. The tournament jury may impose further sanctions if necessary.

Protests

Protests must be submitted in writing to the tournament office no later than 30 minutes after the match. The protest fee is 100 €, refunded if the protest is approved. The team or person concerned must be given the opportunity to respond. The jury’s decision is final and cannot be appealed. Protests against referee decisions must be reported immediately after the match. Protests concerning match fields, equipment, or similar must be made before the match begins.

Walkover

If a team fails to appear within five minutes of the scheduled start time, has too few players, or is late without valid reason, the present team is awarded a 3–0 victory.
A team giving a walkover may be excluded from the tournament, and its matches may be voided.

Wasa Footballcup tournament jury

▪️ Jens Karlsson, president
▪️ Mika-Markku Karjala, results and referee coordinator
▪️ Casper Källberg, executive director

Questions about the rules?

Casper Källberg
+358 41 3132278
wfc@wasafootballcup.com