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Comments on organizing a soccer tournament:
There are three elements to every tournament: people, organization, and facilities. A gross failure in one element will adversely affect the tournament. Minor failures in any or all elements will collectively adversely affect the tournament. Minor failures in any elements may adversely affect Coaches, Referees, Field Marshals and or Tournament Officials. The most important element is people.
Tournament Officials:All Tournament officials should be on-site well prior to and be prepared to stay until the last persons are off the site. All tournament officials should be clearly identified by nametag. Tournament officials should accept things that go right and things that go wrong and keep a list. Tournament officials should not officiate.
Police:There needs to be continuous in uniform police presence. Police should have their own cart.
Parking Attendants: There needs to be a separate traffic and parking work group. Traffic guidance as needed should be 24/7.
Field Marshals: There should be field marshals for every field where teams without tournament experience and/or licensed coaches are playing. Fewer field marshals are needed where behavior may be expected to be acceptable. The field marshal should be the good host and the tournaments representative at the game field and as such step into forefront in the resolution of problems. The field marshal should have an outgoing personality, checklist to follow, receive training on how to do their job, on the rules of the game, and special or exceptional tournament rules. The field marshal should overlap before being relieved. Additional field marshals should be scheduled for coverage for those who do not turn up. The field marshals should be clearly identified and have writing utensils. Player ID and check-in should be the field marshals responsibility before each game. Field marshals must be in communication with headquarters and not leave the field. All field marshals should have two way radios and know how to reach officials of the tournament and referee assignor and other field marshals and police.
Referees: They should have one HQ for the tournament officials and a separate HQ for referees. Referees only in the Referee headquarters. No one should be allowed to bother the referees at their HQ. Announce the Referees pay rate, times and means when advertising the tournament. Should be engaged and committed at least five days prior to the games. Should be in proper uniform. Once the referees have been assigned they should not be changed or switch fields. There should be extra referees for those who do not turn up or become injured. The referee should have game experience and knowledge of the tournament rules and follow them as such. If there is a referees meeting, it should begin on time and not interfere with the game schedule. The referees should be given a break for lunch and digestion. Should have a rotating team of at least four at each field so that they can rotate each game, one sitting out. The referees should be at least five years older than the team they are refereeing. Should not have anyone less than grade 8. Youth referees should not be a team without adult referees. Referees should have separate parking. Referees should be compensated before each game as per CIYSL rules. The judgment of the referees will be determined as final. There will be no protest. The best of the visiting referees should officiate the finals. Only referees should be in uniform. Parents of players will not be allowed to officiate their child’s game and not any in their division. Referees should be taken to fields by cart and returned by cart, also at lunch time for expediency of referee breaks.
Trainers:Trainers should be present and have their own cart. There should be a medical tent and directions to it. Ambulance should be on-site.
Drivers:There should be cart drivers, not children. There should be a cart for every four fields.
Organization: Teams should be divided into three categories, those with prior tournament experience and those without. Teams with tournament experience should also have licensed coaches. Licensed coaches with teams having tournament experienced should be in a premiere division. Each team Coach should be reminded of the tournament rules, league rules that apply, USSF rules, and affirm receiving that. Games should begin on time and end on time. There should be some leeway between games for injuries and other delays. Once the rules have been published and acknowledged they should not be changed. Game schedule should be out a week in advance. Announce the bad weather contingency plan and darkness contingency plan when advertising the tournament. Each team should be ready on-site 10 minutes prior to game time and ready to go at game time. Due to the schedule, coaches are reminded excessive substitution (churning) may be judged as time wasting with the commensurate penalties.
Facilities: The field lines should be marked in both directions so that they will endure the tournament and/or rain conditions. There should be no extra lines on the field (i.e. five yard and ten yard lines left over from American style football practice). There should be a fan side line, team boxes and a tick mark for corner kick 10 yard. Rules such as no smoking, no pets should be clearly marked and posted often. All attendees should be aware that the facilities are public and are subject to public rules, tobacco, and alcohol. Field identification should be clearly marked and maps should be posted throughout the tournament site. There should be port-a-johns within 100 yards (OSHA worksite standards).
C:\Sports Logistics\Soccer Directives\Tournament Comments.doc