Langkawi Invitational 2025 Rules

1) Tournament Format

Teams will compete in group stages on Friday 31st October and Saturday 1st November with knockout/championship matches on both Satuday 1st November and Sunday 2nd November. Tournament formats vary by age group. Please check your schedule on the official Maxim Cup app, available on iOS and Android.

2) Match Formats

Please refer to the full tournaments formats here

3) Age Cut-Offs

All players must abide strictly to the age categories as listed below. Female players may apply for a dispensation to play 1 age group below.

Female players may only be a maximum of 1 year older and a team may only register a maximum of 2 ’overage’ female players.

4) Player Eligibility

• Under 9: Born January 1st 2016 and later
• Under 11: Born January 1st 2014 and later
• Under 13: Born January 1st 2012 and later
• Under 15: Born January 1st 2010 and later

5) Player Registration

• All players must be registered via the Coaches Dashboard on the tournament app before kick off
• On event day, teams are required to report to the admin tent with their whole team no later than 30 minutes before the start of their first match to verify their players
• On event day, teams are required to report to the admin tent with their whole team no later than 30 minutes before the start of their first match to verify their players
• All players must produce their original IC or Passport when registering on day 1 of the tournament
• Players under the age of 12 with no photo ID may present their original birth certificate as a replacement. All players above the age of 12 must have a valid photo ID displaying their IC or passport number
• After verification by the admin team, players will receive a wristband which they must wear for the duration of the tournament. If a player loses their wristband or takes it off they must re-register and pay a replacement fee of RM10 for a new wristband. Any player that does not have a wristband will not be allowed onto the field of play
• All teams are required to have team kits with player numbers on the back of the jerseys
• A player may only play for 1 club/academy throughout the tournament. They may play in more than 1 age group as long as they are registered in both teams. They are not allowed to play for 2 teams in the same age group. For example, a player cannot play for Liverpool A and Liverpool B in the same age group but they can play for Liverpool in the Under 8 competition and Liverpool in the Under 10 competition, provided they are registered in both teams and meet the relevant age cut-offs.

7) Pitch and Footwear

Playing areas are grass pitches. Players may wear plastic-studded soccer shoes (metal-studded soccer boots are not allowed). Players must wear shin-guards throughout the course of the tournament.

8) Balls

The U9 and U11 age groups will use size 4 footballs. The U14 and U16 age groups will use size 5 footballs.

9) Red and Yellow Cards

Players shown a red card are sent off immediately and banned from play for one full match. Yellow cards will not be carried through the tournament.

10) Offside Rule

The offside rule is not applicable for the Under 9 and Under 11 age groups. For the Under 13 and Under 15 age groups, standard offside rules apply.

11) Scoring from Kick-off & Goal Kicks

Teams in the U9 and U11 age groups cannot score directly from kick offs or goal kicks. The ball must be touched by another player from the same team before a goal is scored.

12) Teams Tied in Group Stages

In the case that 2 teams are tied at the end of the Group stages, placing will be determined by the following order, in order: 1) Best goal difference; 2) Highest goals for; 3) Lowest goals against; 4) Winner of head to head match; 5) Sudden death penalty shootout.

13) Teams Tied in Knockout Stages

In the event of a tie in the Knockout Stages, matches will move directly to a round of 3 penalty shots. If no team has won after 3 penalty kicks we will move straight to a sudden death penalty shootout where a winner will be decided when 1 team scores and the other fails to score in the same round. Note: Only players on the pitch at the end of ordinary time may take a penalty.

18) Player Wristbands

Only players with a Maxim Events wristband will be allowed to enter the field of play. Wristbands should be collected from the registration tent on Day 1 of the tournament and must be kept on for the duration of the weekend. If a player loses or removes their wristband they must re-register at the admin tent with their original IC or passport.

19) Team Official Passes

Only coaches/team staff with a Team Official Pass will be allowed onto the fields. Each team will receive 2 passes. Please display your Coach Pass clearly at all times when on the field. Individuals without a valid Coach Pass or Player Wristband may not enter the field. No exceptions.

20) Golden Boot Competition

The Golden Boot Award will be presented to the player with the most goals scored in the tournament for each age group. If players are tied on goals the player whose team finished higher in the tournament will win the award.

Goals will be recorded by referees and crew using player jersey. It is the responsibility of the team to make sure that player jersey numbers are correctly registered in the app and that players are wearing the correct jersey number.

The Golden Boot trophy will be presented to winning player during their age group’s trophy presentation.

21) Golden Glove Competition

The Golden Glove Award will be presented to the goalkeeper of the team which concedes the fewest goals in the tournament for each age group. If teams are tied on goals conceded then the team which finished higher in the tournament will win the award.

The Golden Glove trophy will be presented to the winning team’s goalkeeper during their age group’s trophy presentation.

22) Bad Weather Protocol

In the event that lightning or bad weather causes a stop in play we will try to resume matches as soon as possible and adjust the schedule. If bad weather means we are forced to pause the tournament, a match result will stand if more than 70% of the match has been completed. If less than 70% of a match has been played at the time of the stoppage, the remainder of the match will be played once conditions are deemed safe by the organiser. This rule will only come into effect if the organiser deems there to be insufficient time to complete the tournament. In the case of severe weather, the organiser reserves the right to amend the schedule and formats in order to complete the tournament according to our principles of safety.