Recreation Manual

RECREATION MANUAL (OUTDOOR) Last updated 3/3/2015

The purpose of this manual is to guide the administration of the league, set forth current league rules and inform the conduct of Coaches, Players and Parents participating in the Recreation Soccer Program of West Chester United Soccer Club. It is also designed to be a manual for the coach. The most current version of this manual will always be posted on the club’s website. Suggested updates to this manual can be sent via email to the current Recreation League Administrator or Age Group Commissioner. Recreational Soccer Mission Statement

West Chester United Soccer Club serves the children, youth and adults of West Chester and beyond, by providing a safe, positive, soccer experience. We provide programs that develop soccer skills, are fun, and allow maximum participation by children and adults of all skill levels. Our soccer programs foster a sense of teamwork, camaraderie and competitiveness, while balancing the need of all participants to develop the physical, mental and emotional skills to succeed. Section 1 – Rules and Regulations

Registration Process Each player shall require to be registered and payment made for each season, before they can be placed on a team. No player shall be placed on a team unless downloaded from the club’s registration system. No coach is authorized to accept a player based upon a parent’s statement. All player placements or trades must be authorized in writing by either the Recreation League Administrator or the division’s age commissioner (email will suffice).

Special Requests Understanding that there are legitimate car pooling issues, the club will attempt to honor ONE (1) request to play with ONE (1) friend per registered child, but this request must be a matching request. e.g. Johnny can request to be placed on a team with Jimmy, but Jimmy must request to play with Johnny as well. Non‐matching requests will not be honored. We will no longer be in a position to honor requests for a specific coach. Playing on the same team as a sibling will not be considered to be a special

request ‐ those requests will be honored. Our goal is to bring together all of the members of the West Chester community to play soccer together.

Travel Players Travel players must get approval from Recreation League Administrator & Travel DOC before registering for the league. "A" team travel players must play up one division, i.e. a U‐12 eligible travel "A" player, must play up to U‐14s. We cannot honor requests to play with other travel players. Travel players MUST identify themselves as a travel player in the comments section of the recreation registration.

Game procedures All normal FIFA rules are in effect, except where noted below. The referee is the final arbiter of all rules on game days.

Age U6 U7 U8 U9 U10 U12 U14 U18 Format 4v4 4v4 6v6 8v8 8v8 8v8 11v11 11v11 Game Time 4x10m 4x10m 4x10m 2x25m 2x25m 2x30m 2x30m 2x35m Ball Size 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 GK No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Offside No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Throw Ins Pass Pass Pass Throw Throw Throw Throw Throw Field Size (yd) 20 x 30 25 x 35 30 x 40 50 x 70 50 x 70 50 x 70 70 x 110 70 x 110 Goal Size (ft) 4’ x 6’ 4’ x 6’ 6’ x 10’ 6’ x 18’ 6’ x 18’ 6’ x 18’ 8’ x 24’ 8’ x 24’

Calculating Standings Standings for each league will follow standard FIFA calculations. Three points are awarded for a win, one point for a tie. In the event more than one team has the same number of points, ties in the standings will be decided by the following; 1) head‐to‐head record, 2) fewest goals allowed, 3)most shutouts. ‘Goals For’ & ‘Goal Difference’ do not factor into the equation.

NOTE: Every effort is be made to have teams scheduled for the same number of games (7). If any team plays more than 7 games, only the first 7 games played will be counted in the standings.

Mercy Rule Coaches should do their best not to embarrass another team by outscoring them by a wide margin. Once a team reaches a 4 goal differential, coaches MUST employ some or all of the following tactics:  Play players in different positions than normal.  Tell your players they must complete 5 (or more) consecutive passes before shooting.  Tell the other coach to add an extra player on the field.  Take a player off the field and play short.

Age commissioners will monitor reported scores and coaches will be contacted for explanations if an extremely lop sided score is recorded. For score reporting purposes, scores will only be displayed in the standings with a maximum difference of 6 goals. For clarification, if a team wins 8‐0, then score will display as 6‐0, a 10‐2 result will be displayed as 8‐2 etc.

Minimum Player Count/Forfeits If another team shows up with less than the required number of players to start a match, it is considered good sportsmanship for the team with more players to ‘play down’ a player or two OR, give the other team a player (or 2) so that more players get the chance to play and gives the players a better experience.

Under no circumstances can any coach in any division utilize a ‘guest’ player and have that game count in the standings. If playing a team with no substitutes, the team with substitutes may sub on any possession, not to impede the flow of the game. If a team is unable to field a team and has to forfeit, every attempt will be made to have the game rescheduled. If the game cannot be rescheduled, the opposition team will be awarded a 2‐0 win in the standings.

Substitutions In U6‐U8 coaches may sub players any time the ball is out of play at their discretion. At U9‐U18, coaches MUST gain the referees permission to make a substitution. At no time should coaches sub ‘on the fly’. ‘On the fly’ changes may only be made in the indoor season. Coaches may sub players any time the ball is out of play on either team’s possession. Players must enter/exit the field of play at the halfway line on the side of the team benches/coaches.

If a coach continues to attempt to sub players which impede the flow of the game or to waste time, the referee may only allow coaches to sub on their possession. Expectations of parents It is expected of parents and supporters to cheer positively and encourage ALL players from BOTH teams. Parents are NOT allowed to coach under any circumstances. The coach has worked with the players in practice and should be given all opportunity to affect his or her game tactics. Parents will be sent out of the field area if they address any comments to the referee. West Chester United Soccer Club has a zero tolerance policy for referee abuse.

Referee Respect Sideline behavior starts with the coaches. If a coach(s) shows disrespect to the referee or assistant referee(s), their team and supporters will feed off this act. Disrespect includes verbal and physical abuse of the officials. The Coach(s) must not voice an opinion on a rule interpretation or a particular play in the game in a loud and/or obnoxious manner. If a coach has a question on a rule or a particular play in the game, the proper and respectful response should be to quietly approach the referee in between periods or at the end of the game. At no time shall team supporters or players approach the officials. Referees will eject a coach or team supporter from the field area if the referee feels the level of disrespect warrants it.

Remember, many of the Club's officials are young adults who have committed their time to making the recreation program operate effectively.

Sideline Separation All coaches and substitutes should be on one side of the field with all parents & supporters on the other. At no time should parents sit next to the team benches or be allowed to stand behind the goal.

Playoff Overtime Rules Should an end‐of‐season tournament game remain tied at the end of regulation, teams will play 2 x 5 minute periods of overtime, no golden goal. If the score is still tied then teams will take penalty kicks to decide the winner. There is NO overtime during the regular season games. Section 2 – Coaching Guidelines

Games Games are played once per week, on Saturdays during the Fall season and Sundays during the Spring season. All players should play at least half the game. In the U6 ‐ U12 divisions, coaches should rotate the positions of players. In U14 & U18, it is acceptable to have players only play 2 or 3 position all season.

Practices All teams will hold practice once per week, at the assigned practice field. Practice length should be as follows:

Age Group U6 ‐ U8 U9 ‐ U12 U14 ‐ U18 Practice Time 60 mins 75mins 90mins

Coaching assignments will be determined by the Recreational League Administrator. We will give parent volunteers first access to coaching their son or daughter. If we cannot find enough parent volunteers, we may look to bring in outside volunteers to help coach within the program, but they must be at least 18 years of age. Player Practice / Game Preparation At the start of each season you should remind the players and parents of the equipment needs and other requirements: Water Bottle Soccer Cleats (optional) Shin Guards and Soccer Socks Game Shirts (Some coaches require this for practice) Soccer Ball (U6‐U8 – size 3, U9‐U12 – size 4, U14‐U18 – size 5)

Team Make‐up Each coach can download their assigned players on the registration system. There will be no switching of players between teams without the written permission of the AGC. It is not permissible to play a league game with any players that are not properly registered. Report Scores Recreation League Admin will post results and current standings to the website. In order do this the weekly game results must be reported each week (U‐9‐U18). Both teams should send an email to their AGC including their team number and score.

No Referee If the referee is not present at the scheduled start time and the game is to still start on time, a volunteer should substitute as the referee. Parents and spectators should be solicited first, then the away team coaching staff and lastly the home team coaching staff. The coaches must agree on the volunteer selected.

Parent Involvement There will be a number of Adults more than willing to volunteer their time and effort to make the season successful. Even if you have a formally designated assistant coach, you may have other parents with experience or interest that can help out at practice or during games. This is especially important if you and/or your assistant find it a challenge to make all practices or games. Having additional assistants also gives you the opportunity for more effective, small group drills at practice.

Bad Weather/Rain Outs. Generally speaking, rain will not cancel a game, but soaked fields are what usually causes games to be cancelled. Postponements will be listed on the club’s homepage (www.wcusc.org).

Lightning Policy As our fields are spread out throughout the area, it is not possible to make a centralized decision as to whether games should be cancelled or postponed. Referees will make the final decision when playing games. Coaches are expected to act in the best interest and safety of the children in their care. If only thunder is heard, coaches should assign a parent to be extra vigilant for lightening. If lightning is visible from anywhere on the field, the game should be stopped immediately and everyone should move off the field to appropriate cover. Play may be resumed no sooner than 20 minutes after the last lightning is observed. Games should not be delayed for more than 40 minutes waiting for a storm to pass. Game Completion If a game has reached the end of the 1st half, it will be considered a full game. If a game is called off for any reason anytime during the first half of play, it will be considered as if the game was never started. Game will be replayed in full, with score reset.

Goal Safety As the coach it is your first responsibility to make sure your players are safe. Before using a field, coaches should check that goals are properly secured and safe to use. Make the commitment to check the goals every time. If you move goals for practice and/or games, make sure you secure them before & after using them.

Offside Rule Offside is perhaps the most difficult soccer rule to understand: Offside essentially is when an offensive player (Player A) without the ball, has fewer than two defenders (including GK) between themselves and the goal line when the ball is played forward by a teammate.

Player B in the diagram below is onside because a defender and goalkeeper are between them and the goal line. Offside is called at the moment the ball is passed, not when the player receives the ball.

A player can not be in an offside position if:  They are in their own half of the field  They are level with the last two opponents  They are behind the ball  On a corner kick or throw in

Goal Kick Rule The U6-U10 age groups will abide by a goal kick rule which states: All players from the opposing team must go back to their own half of the field when a goal kick is taken. Once the ball is kicked, opposing players can enter their attacking half to apply pressure. This will allow the team taking the goal kick a few extra seconds to try and keep possession before immediate pressure from onrushing attackers. It will also encourage passing out of the back rather than just kicking the ball long.

Website The club’s website can be found at www.wcusc.org. Nearly everything you need to know can be found here such as, closed fields, practice schedules, game schedules, picture days etc. League standings and end‐of‐season tournament information will also be available to view.