The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and the Iowa High School Athletic Association have jointly made changes for soccer which will take effect at the start of this upcoming 2025 season. For one, there will no longer be overtimes during regular season matches — that means games can end in a draw. The continuous clock will be added if a team is ahead by 10 goals. If there is a weather delay longer than 3 hours, then it can not be restarted. Finally, if a player gets a yellow card they no longer have to sit out 5 minutes.
Rules changes are below.
- Overtimes & Draws: No overtime will be permitted for any regular season match at any level. Regular season matches tied at the end of regulation will result in a draw.
- EXCEPTION: Regular season bracketed tournaments that require a team to advance to the next round. In this case, teams proceed directly to penalty kicks from the mark to determine which team advances to the next round of the tournament.
- Postseason matches are unchanged in overtime policy. Postseason will feature two sudden victory overtimes and penalty kicks to determine the winner. The first overtime of 10 minutes, followed by a second overtime of 10 minutes, then penalty kicks if the match is still tied after both overtimes.
- Continuous Clock: If a team is ahead by 10 goals in the first half of a match, there will be a continuous clock until either the score falls under 10 goals or halftime arrives. This is a change from having regular stoppage time kept regardless of the score in the first half.
- NOTE: The 10-goal margin of victory remains. If the 10-goal margin occurs in the first half, the match will conclude at halftime. If the 10-goal margin occurs anytime during the second half, the match ends at that point.
- Weather Delay Guidance: If there is a weather delay during a postseason match, no match may be started or restarted any time after three hours past the original start time.
- EXAMPLE: A match scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. may not start/resume after 10:00 p.m.
- Teams may mutually agree to end the match if there is a team leading during this delay. Rule 7-1-3 of the NFHS Soccer Rulebook allows officials and teams to end the match in the second half if there is a team leading. This provision provides officials and tournament hosts a timeline for teams to delay or start.
- Five-Minute Sit Out for a Yellow Card: The Iowa adaptation of players sitting out five minutes after receiving a yellow card is now eliminated and the NFHS rule will be applied.
- NFHS RULE 12-8 PENALTY:A cautioned player shall leave the field and may be replaced. Should a team with a cautioned player elect to play shorthanded, the cautioned player may not re-enter nor be replaced until the next substitution opportunity.
