BOXFORD SOCCER PROGRAM OPERATING POLICIES JUNE 1999 (UPDATED 2016) 1. General a. The Boxford Soccer Program is run under the direction of the Boxford Athletic Association (BAA). The Soccer Director is appointed and approved by the BAA and shall have complete administrative responsibility and authority for the Soccer Program subject to the Bylaws of the BAA. b. The Boxford Soccer Program participates in leagues of the Essex County Youth Soccer Association (ECYSA) and the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association (MYSA). The Boxford Soccer Program is required to follow ECYSA and MYSA rules and regulations in order to compete in their leagues. c. The following operating policies have been established by the Soccer Board of Directors taking into account the Bylaws of the BAA and the Rules of the ECYSA and the MYSA. Any changes to these policies must be approved by the Soccer Board by a two-thirds majority vote. d. The Soccer Board of Directors are nominated and voted on by the current Soccer Board of Directors. e. These policies shall be made available to all enrolled in the soccer program to aid in their understanding of the rules and regulation of the soccer program. 2. Players a. Travel team players are responsible for the purchase of their own uniforms. The soccer program will select a uniform that will be consistent for all teams so they can be used for several seasons. Instructional and U-8 will be provided T-Shirts. b. Players shall be responsible for bringing a ball to soccer practice. Balls are not required at games. c. Players must wear shin guards covered by socks at all practices and games. Soccer cleats, while not mandatory, are recommended. Any other type of shoes with cleats such as baseball or football are not allowed. d. Players are required to treat their teammates, opponents, coaches and referees with respect and exhibit good sportsmanship at all times. 3. Referees a. Boxford Youth Soccer runs a youth referee program. Players who are interested must register and take a short training course. Referees will be assigned to referee our U-8 games and will be paid for this service. b. Referees are required to treat all players, coaches and parents with respect and to exhibit good sportsmanship at all times. Their top priority is to protect the safety of all players. c. Referees should wear a town soccer uniform (or suitable warm-up suit) during games. They must provide their own watch and whistle.
d. Referees shall implement FIFA LAWS OF THE GAME with the following exceptions: 1. Play must be stopped immediately when a player is injured. 2. No direct kicks; no penalty kicks. 3. No offsides. 4. Players can retry starts and restarts until they successfully put the ball into play. 5. If foul weather, the coaches shall decide whether to abandon the game. If there is any lightning the game must be stopped immediately and the field cleared. e. Decisions of the referee are final. Referees may eject players, coaches or spectators for dissent of argument. Referees will have coaches deal with unruly spectators. Referees must tell the Referee Coordinator about any disciplinary problems with players, coaches or spectators. 4. Parents a. Parents are expected to treat the players, coaches and referees with respect during games. Parents should never yell at referees during games or approach a referee after games with a complaint. Address any questions you may have to the Coach. Our coaches are responsible for the conduct of the parents and spectators during games. 5. Coaches a. Coaches are required to treat their players, opponents, opposing coaches, referees and parents with respect and act in an adult like manner at all times. Good sportsmanship starts with the coach and is a critical element of their responsibility. Coaches who do not follow these expectations will be removed. b. Coaches at the U-8 level and above will be required to sign an agreement that they will adhere to the BAA Coaches Code of Conduct. c. Coaches are responsible for ensuring that all players receive fair playing time. This does not mean that all players will always play the same number of minutes but it does mean that every player should play at least half of every game. The desire to win is not an excuse for limiting a player s playing time. d. Every Spring, coaches must prepare an evaluation of each player on their team on a form approved by the Soccer Board. This evaluation plays a critical role in the Age Group Directors overall evaluation for placing players the following season. e. All U-6 and U-8 coaches are asked to have a minimum of a G license. U-10 team coaches and up are encouraged to get an F license. The cost of these licenses will be paid for by the Soccer program. Additional licenses are recommended but not required at this time. f. All Coaches and volunteers will be required to sign a CORI evaluation form. The CORI program is managed by the MYSA.
6. Age Group Directors a. Age Group Directors have overall responsibility for all issues related to that age group, including team placement, monitoring coaches and handling disputes and issues as they arise. The role of the Age Group Director is a critical one in the functioning of a smooth program. b. Parent s questions and concerns should first be addressed with the Age Group Director. If an issue is not resolved at that level the Town Director will intervene. 7. Tryout/Team Placement a. Tryouts for the Fall and Spring traveling teams will take place every year in the Spring. Attendance is required, including for any player who will only play Spring soccer, unless a player is injured. b. Coach's evaluations play a critical role in the placing of players on teams for the following season. We believe that a coach's assessment should carry more weight than one and/or two tryouts. Tryouts are however extremely valuable in being able to compare players from different teams and validate information contained in the players evaluation form. All player evaluations and tryout evaluations are kept confidential and will be destroyed at the end of the Spring season. c. Teams are formed in the Summer for 2 seasons of soccer. Changes to these rosters are not encouraged but are sometimes required due to changes such as people moving and players who only play one season. Players shall not be removed from teams for reasons of ability mid year without the consent of the parents. d. Teams are formed by age group selection committees. The selection committees are nominated by the members of the soccer board and voted on by the Soccer board. It is strongly suggested that the selection committee consist of five members meeting the following criteria: i. Current age group director. ii. Previous age group director. iii. Potential future coach of the Division one team. iv. Coach of incoming age group. v. Impartial member of the Soccer Board. Please note that the Soccer Director will make every effort to attend the final Selection Committee meetings. e. Coaches for Division 1 and 2 teams will be voted on by the Soccer Board.
f. Players will be assigned to the appropriate team regardless of grade or age (must be age appropriate). g. Selection Committee members must recuse themselves when their child is discussed, evaluated and placed during Selection Committee meetings. The parent and/or relative shall have no influence of their child's placement. h. Soccer director must approve each team selection. 8. Team Size a. Team sizes vary from team to team and ECYSA has established min and max team sizes that must be adhered to for travel teams. 9. Player Placement a. All travel players will play in the age group that their birth date falls. School grade is not a consideration and is not a factor in the ECYSA (Essex County Youth Soccer Assoc) leagues. b. All intramural players will be placed on team based on the school grade as follows: A. Kindergartners will play instructional soccer. B. First and second graders will play U-8 soccer. 10. Registration a. All players must provide an original birth certificate plus a copy for BAA files prior to being eligible to play. This is to comply with BAA policy. b. No player shall be denied a chance to play soccer due to financial hardship. Contact the Town Director for a scholarship. c. Team placement is not guaranteed if signing up after the registration deadline. Where space permits players will be signed to teams into the second week of the season. A late fee of $35 per player will be charged. d. Players may be assigned to play on a combined team with another town. This usually only occurs at the U-14 level and above. We will make every attempt to let all players play in Boxford but it is not always possible due to the numbers involved. If any player does not wish to play on one of these teams a full refund will be given. e. Once registration is completed, no refunds shall be issued. In exceptional circumstances, requests for refunds may be presented to the BAA Executive Board for consideration. If a refund is granted, administrative fees shall be deducted. 11. Trophies a. Trophies will be given only with the approval of the Soccer Director and in the following circumstances. A. Intramural
1. No trophies will be given at the Instructional Level. Medals will be given out at the end of the spring session to each participant. 2. U-6 and U-8 players who participate in the Friendship Tournament will receive a trophy or other similar award. B. Travel 1. U-12 teams and up who are eligible for the Mass Tournament of Champions will receive trophies for first place finishes in the spring season.