IHSAA, IGHSAU announce joint rule changes for high school soccer

Some new rules being put in place for the upcoming high school soccer season in Iowa
Some new rules have been approved for the upcoming high school soccer season in Iowa.
Some new rules have been approved for the upcoming high school soccer season in Iowa. / Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

A handful of new rules will be used for the upcoming 2025 Iowa high school soccer season for both boys and girls.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union announced the changes recently.

First, there will be no more regular season matches that feature overtime. Instead, the matches - much like they do at the collegiate and pro level - will be declared a draw following regulation play. 

If it is an in-season tournament, there will be penalty kicks used to determine who advances in the bracket. 

During postseason matches, there will be overtime, starting with a 10-minute period. A second 10-minute period will follow if the match is still tied, with penalty kicks used to settle things from there.

A continuous clock will come into play if a team is ahead by 10 goals in the first half of a match and will remain until either the score falls under 10 goals or halftime is reached. Once halftime comes, a 10-goal difference will result in the match being ended.

Below are a few other rules:

  • Five-Minute Sit Out for a Yellow Card: The Iowa adaption of players sitting out five minutes after receiving a yellow card is now eliminated and the NFHS rule will be applied.

That rule states 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.

  • 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.

The IHSAA soccer advisory committee recommended four times that were all approved by the IHSAA Board of Control. These will go into effect for the upcoming 2025 spring season.

  • Schools are permitted 17 matches per level, replacing the 15 previous dates which may include two tournaments. That is now the same as the IGHSAU.
  • All varsity matches are required to be played with two 40-minute halves. 
  • The maximum amount of halves a player can play in one day is four, down from six previously.
  • The maximum amount of halves a team can play in one day is four, down from six.

Published
Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in northcentral Iowa and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in 2022 focused on the state of Iowa. Along with providing coverage of football and wrestling, Dana also spotlights cross country, swimming, basketball, track and field, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball and softball. He began writing for High School on SI in 2023.