i9 Sports Soccer Rules

Transcription

1 i9 Sports Soccer Rules i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game!

2 i9 Sports Official Youth Soccer Rules Keep in mind that the main goal in these age groups is to keep it FUN! No slide tackling allowed. Quick reference Division Players Goalie Ball Field size Goal size 3yr - 4yr 4 vs. 4 No 3 25x30 yds (4 x 6 )* 5yr 6yr 4 vs. 4 No 3 25x35 yds (4 x 6 )* 7yr 9yr 4 vs. 4 No 4 25x45 yds (4 x 6 ) The Field of Play The field of play shall be rectangular; the length in all cases shall exceed the width. The field of play is bounded by touch lines (side lines) and goal lines (end lines). These boundaries should be marked with cones. A center mark is placed in the middle of the field at the halfway mark to show kickoff location. This can be marked with disc style cones (the referee may place ball in middle of field when there is no center mark). There is no goal area or penalty area. i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game! 20

3 Number of Players Teams play 4 vs 4 with no goalie. Each team may, at their own discretion, place a last defender near their own goal, but that player may never use his hands or arms to play the ball. Team rosters can be co-ed and should have 6-10 players each depending on division. Teams may substitute players on any stoppage of play with the referee s approval and each player should have equal playing time. Players' Equipment i9 Sports will supply each player with a reversible, mesh game jersey. Parents supply black shorts, shin guards and footwear. Shin guards are mandatory for all age groups. Footwear may be sneakers or soft-cleated soccer shoes (no metal). Game Duration, Overtime Games will be played in two 20 minute halves 5 minute halftime PK Divisions will be two 15 min halves with a 3 min halftime No overtime in regular season Playoff over time will be one 3 minute period followed by a three kick shootout if needed. Referees One official for all age groups. Referees should avoid interfering with the course of play but are considered part of the field. Referees will briefly explain all rule infractions to the offending player. More coaching of rules should be provided at the younger ages. The Start of Play The home team will kick off at the beginning of the match and the visiting team will select which goal to defend during the first half. Teams will switch sides of the field at half time. Play is restarted at the beginning of each half -- and following a goal -- by means of a kick off taken at midfield. All players must be on their own half of the field. All kick offs shall be indirect kicks, meaning that a goal cannot be scored unless the ball is touched by another player of either team before it goes in the goal. If the ball enters the non-kicking team's goal before being touched by another player, a goal kick is awarded to the non-kicking team. If an infringement occurs during a kick off we will retake the kick and coach the players on the correct procedure. The referee shall award ball possession and a free kick to restart play after a temporary stoppage for any reason not otherwise mentioned in these rules. i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game! 21

4 Ball In and Out of Play The ball is out of play when it has wholly crossed the goal line (end line) or touch line (side line) on the ground or in the air; or when play has been stopped by the referee. The ball is in play at all other times, including when it rebounds from a goalpost, crossbar, corner cone, coach or referee and remains in the field of play. Hand Ball: No hands at anytime. All Hand balls will simply be restarted by referee with a free kick in to start play. If hands are used in the goal area the other team will get the ball approximately 10 yards from goal. No penalty kicks. NOTE: If a team commits a handball in the goal area that team will be given a warning. Any subsequent handballs in the goal area will be awarded with a goal. Headers: Due to concussion possibilities, i9 sports does not allow heading the ball Offsides Offsides penalties are not enforced in small sided i9 Sports leagues. No Goalie Teams may elect to keep a player back to defend the goal if they choose. This player may guard the goal but can not use hands/etc like a goalie. Fouls and Misconduct The following are infractions and result in a free kick for the opposing team. Any tackling or slide tackling Grabbing and holding another player's shirt. Intentional tripping, pushing or shoving. Any handball. ("handball" occurs when a player intentionally makes contact with the ball using any part of the hand or arm from the top of the shoulder to the tips of the fingers). Unintentional contact with the hand or arm (i.e., "ball to hand") is not a foul. All rule infractions should be explained to the offending player. Fouls and misconducts shall be awarded a free kick. Free-Kicks for Games on Small-Sided Fields All free kicks shall be indirect kicks, meaning that a goal cannot be scored unless the ball is touched by another player of either team before it goes into the goal. If the ball enters the non-kicking team's goal before being touched by another player, a goal kick is awarded to the non-kicking team. If the ball enters the kicking team's goal before it is touched by another player, the ball is awarded to the non-kicking team. NOTE: PK age group, referee will restart play vs. free kicks from sidelines or goals. i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game! 22

5 Penalty Kick Penalty kicks are not taken for i9 short sided fields. Throw-in 2 nd grade and above only A throw-in is the method of restarting play and is awarded when the whole of the ball goes out of bounds or crosses the touch line (side line) in the air or on the ground. Throw-ins on smaller fields shall be taken from a point on the sideline near where the ball went out of bounds, but no closer to the goal. The ball is in play immediately as it enters the field of play. A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw in. If an infringement occurs on a throw-in, coach the players on the proper technique and retake the throw-in. Kick-ins shall be used at the 1 st grade and under age level in lieu of throw-ins. NOTE: Referee may restart or keep ball in play at 1 st grade and under levels Goal-Kick/Corner Kicks A goal kick is the method of restarting play and is awarded when the whole of the ball, having last touched a player of the attacking team, crosses the goal line on the ground or in the air, and a goal is not scored. Procedure: o The ball is kicked from any point within the goal area by a member of the defending team. o Opposing players must remain outside of the goal area until the ball is kicked. o The ball is in play when it is played outside of the goal area. o The ball should be placed next to the goal and kicked in play by one of the field players. Final Game All Teams play one final game at the end of the season. There is not a tournament. i9 Sports will match up the teams using the below criteria in most cases, however, we will determine the final match ups based on what we feel is best for the league. The team or team(s) that finish the season (including the final game) with the best overall record will be the division winners. NOTE: There is no score kept in PK divisions. Tiebreakers for Final Match ups - Tiebreakers will be in the following order: 1. Best Overall Record 2. Head to Head Competition 3. Strength of Schedule ( Best winning Percentage, combined records of teams played) 4. Coin Flip i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game! 23

6 a. In the event of a 3 way tie or more, teams will be randomly drawn out of a hat to determine final match up. and the most important rule of all... HAVE FUN!!! i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game! 24

7 Awards i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game! 25

8 i9 Weekly Sportsmanship Values As an i9 Sports Coach, you play a critical role in reminding our youth (and their parents) of the importance of maintaining the fundamental values of good sportsmanship. These values are essential not just to sports, but to the social fabric of our entire society. Because we re living in an age in which traditional values are often forgotten, we cannot assume that all children are being taught these values at home. As you know, we believe that teaching kids how to play the game is only half of our job helping them develop character is the other half. We have provided you with two tools to help you drive home the importance of good sportsmanship: 1) For Parents: The i9 Sports Parental Pledge The purpose of reviewing the i9 Sports Parental Pledge with parents is to heighten parents awareness of their role in modeling good sportsmanship, to educate them on what type of behavior is expected of them, and to give you the license to address situations in which a parent may be allowing their competitive spirit to interfere with i9 s focus on fun. 2) For Youth: Talking Points for a Weekly Sportsmanship Value To help you teach youth players what good sportsmanship is all about, we have developed a one page talking point outline for you to use each week for a team discussion. By focusing on one key value each game, you have the ability to use moments from the game to teach about that specific value ("I know it seemed like you weren t off sides, but I was really proud of the way you didn t argue with the referee.") Suggestions for using the weekly values: Take a few minutes to review the value with the team before the practice or game. Your message will be fresh in the players minds and you can use the events of the game to reinforce your points. Make the discussion interactive by asking questions and giving examples. In the practices or games, watch for instances when players exhibit the right kinds of behavior. Recognize frequently and openly. Make a big deal of giving positive feedback! i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game! 26

9 When you observe negative behavior, it is important that you address it directly with the player in a manner that will not embarrass him/her in front of others. Your goal should be to constructively correct; never to humiliate. The best way to handle a negative situation is to call the player to the sidelines and deal with the issue privately one-to-one. Don t forget that you are the kids best role model for good sportsmanship. Be very mindful of how you respond to game officials and/or to disagreements with other coaches. Your players will take their lead from you they re always watching! Remember that Having Fun is #1! Additional Awards At the end of season Celebration, we will also give out awards to the players. Each player will also receive an i9 Sports Participation Medal and the team with the best overall record will receive a trophy depending on divisions. Any PK group will all receive trophies. i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game! 27

10 Practice Aids i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game! 28

11 i9 Sports Tips for Coaching As we previously stated, you don t need to have a large wealth of sport-specific knowledge in order to be a successful i9 Sports coach. What you do need is effective communication skills to facilitate a positive experience for all involved. Children learn in many ways, but one thing is always common, have fun! Ask any child why they play a chosen sport and the answer most likely is to have fun. To accomplish this, a child must have a reasonable level of success. Now this will be different for each child, so don t think that you must win the championship to show your team success! It is all how you place value on the different aspects of the game that will shape your team s perception of themselves. This brings us back to the point of make the biggest deal of the smallest positive! Focus on what your team is doing well. When they complete a pass go crazy! When they exemplify a sportsmanship value load on the praise! With this mentality they are sure to get better and better regardless of their experience or current level. Besides loading on the praise, giving the players the tools needed for success will also positively affect their experience. When teaching the skills of the game, there are 3 phases of coaching that will assist in your communication to the players. 3 Phases of Coaching 1. Skill Introduction Always start by obtaining the attention from every one of your players. Insist on eye contact and silence when the coach is talking to the group. Always name the skill that is being introduced. This is part of the education process and will aid them in future sport play. Always explain how the skill relates to the main goal of the sport (i.e. scoring). This gives value to the skill. Remember to keep things short and sharp! The attention span of the youth sports athlete is very short. 2. Demonstration Most children learn through seeing a visual demonstration. They will try to replicate what has been performed. Always demonstrate the skill several times and start at a slower speed so that the players can see the nuances involved. i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game! 29

12 If possible have a player who has previously shown success at this skill to perform it in front of the group. This will give confidence to the demonstrating player as well as show the others that they can also have success at this skill. Always talk your way through the skill to your players. This will help them focus on the details. 3. Coaching As the players are practicing the new skill, make your rounds and provide feedback as needed This can be done in smaller groups or with individual attention. Remember that some players will pick up the skill quickly, while others will need more attention. When you are working with the players make sure to let them know what they are doing well as well as what they need to develop. Everyone likes to hear positives! Progression of Practice The key to a proper progression of practice is follow steps that will lead to success. This is much easier than it sounds! Here are some hints to get you on your way: Try to cover only 1 main skill per practice. This will allow players to focus on one aspect of the game at a time. Think of it this way you wouldn t teach reading and math in the same hour of class time and expect the students to be great in each. Spend 5-10 minutes before your practice to think out a quick outline of your practice time. Keep your progression from simple to complex. Take the skill from a static stage and slowly add in pressures (space, time or opponents). Always end in a game (or as close to one as you can) and show the players how their new skills attribute to the success of their team. And as George Costanza from Seinfeld once said, Always leave them wanting more! i9 Sports an Experience Beyond the Game! 30