On this page, I would like to document the Rules of Vets League, as we have been applying them since its inception.
The word "Veteran" in "Bangkok Veterans Football League" ("BVFL") is defined as follows:
This is a football league for players who are over 35 years of age. In other words, for the BVFL4 (i.e., 2008), players must have been born in the year 1973 or before.
A maximum of eleven (11) players per team shall be allowed to register in each monthly tournament, and proof of age shall be checked randomly during registration.
For the uninitiated, "football" is of course the "soccer" kind.!
In general, all "FIFA Laws of the Game" (dated July 2006) shall apply to BVFL. Major exceptions and clarifications are described below.
7-players-a-side
11-minutes-a-half
half-pitch (on natural-grass)
half-goals
no-offside
no-shinguards-no-play (as required by FIFA)
unlimited-rolling-subs
slide-tackle-foul (with 1 leg or 2 leg, i.e., stand on your feet, lads!)
yellow-card-sit-out-the-half
red-card-take-a-hike
shake-hands-after-each-match
enjoy-beers-at-the-very-end
BVFL Administration reserves the right to adjust the playing times and fixtures based on the number of participating teams every month.
Each team is required to ensure that all of its players are 35-year-old or older. BVFL Administration shall not check the age of each participating player in each monthly tournament; however, it may choose to ask the pictured-IDs of some players on a random basis or as may be contested by other team Captains. Any team found to have broken this age-limit rule shall be considered forfeiting their match/es in which the underage player/s have played with a score of 2-0 walkover.
In the Group Phase, each team shall be awarded with three (3) points for a win, one (1) point for a draw, and zero (0) point for a loss. In addition, 1 (and only 1) extra bonus point shall be rewarded to a winning team that can score 3 or more goals in a match. This means a maximum of 4 points per match for any winning team.
Yellow-Cards and Red-Cards:
In hopes of controlling rough and unfair play, any player receiving a yellow-card during either half of a match shall be sent off without being substituted until the end of that half during that match.
A player with 2 yellow-cards collected in 1 match shall automatically be sent off without being substituted, and is suspended for the next match. A player collecting a yellow-card in 2 consecutive matches shall also be suspended for the next match.
A direct red-card shall also lead to the player’s immediate dismissal from the match without being substituted, as well as a penalty of being banned from the rest of the matches in that month’s tournament, with the possibility of further disciplinary action by the BVFL Administration.
Yellow-cards and red-cards shall not be carried over to future monthly tournaments.
In case of 2 (or more) teams having same points at the end of the Group Stage, in order of precedence, the following 4 criteria shall apply so as to decide the group rankings:
(1) More goals scored
(2) Better goal difference
(3) Winner of the head-to-head match (if any)
(4) Winner of the sudden-death penalty-shootout
BVFL Administration shall award suitable trophies for each division champions as follows:
Division 1st:
Cup (1st)
Plate (5th)
Shield (9th)
Bowl (17th)
Fair Play: for the 4th overall team
Tournament: Last (BadCup!)
Special Occasions: "Life Time Achievement" Award
Any event not covered in these Rules shall be discussed and decided by the BVFL Administration during each monthly tournament in consultation with Referees and the Captains of the participating teams. Inevitably, but authoritatively, BVFL Administration’s decisions are final and binding!