Uricra Soccer Rules

URICRA SOCCER COACHES’ RULES GUIDE

The members of the URICRA Board would like to thank you for volunteering your time and talents to work with the children of upper Rock Island County. The URICRA Constitution, states, “The objective is to guide and train the citizens of this area in good recreation and sports such as baseball, softball and soccer.” Along with the URICRA rules and regulations, you will receive a rules book or Coaches Guide for your respective sport. Please familiarize yourself with these rules. In addition to the rules of your respective sport, we ask that you respect and abide by the rule that there be no harassing of the referees. They are all past URICRA players who are no trying to “give back” to the sport by learning and contributing to it at a higher level. If you feel they are not qualified to referee, please bring it up with a Board member at an appropriate time away from the field of play. At the same time, if you feel you can help the young referee learn a subtlety of the game, please share it with him/her after the game tactfully. Should you encounter an unruly spectator that continues to behave in an unacceptable manner, and you do not feel comfortable approaching this person, please send for a Board member to handle the situation. We are setting examples for our children – let’s make it a positive example. When you feel the need, please also ask parents to help; many times, all they need is to be asked.

Coaches will be provided with a player roster with phone numbers. We suggest that you provide the players with a copy of this list along with your specific requirements –i.e. practice times, special rules, your expectations, how you will handle treats, etc.

Treats – Traditionally, the coaches reward the players for their good play and sportsmanship with a treat after the game. Registration fees somewhat support the treat tickets for the season. Treat tickets are a reward for each player at the end of each game. Please distribute one ticket to each player after each game. Again, this is a reward for the game participated in.

We encourage that everyone to patronize the concession stand. Profits from the concession stand support the programs by providing for park infrastructure improvements and new sports equipment. Each year new players join the URICRA family and may not be aware of this tradition of support for the kids and the organization.

Awards will be provided to all players at the end of the season.

URICRA RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. Uniforms and Equipment

a. Coaches are responsible for the equipment issued to them which will be returned at the end of the season. Traveling team jerseys must be returned at the end of the season also.

b. URICRA jerseys and equipment are not to be used for non-URICRA activities.

c. URICRA jerseys are not to be worn at practices.

d. Players must wear shin guards at all practices and games.

e. Players may wear non-metal cleats as long as there is no toe tip cleat.

2. Game Start Times

a. Game start times are 5:45 pm and 7:00 pm at Dorrance Park for U6, U8, and U10 levels.

b. Traveling games for U12 and U14 are Saturday mornings. Game times will be determined at the scheduling meeting prior to the start of the season.

c. All games must start on time. Start time will not be delayed for team practice. Have your team there early enough for warm ups prior to the start of the game.

d. Official game time will be kept by the referee.

3. Rain Out Games

a. It is the responsibility of the coach to notify the players of rain outs.

b. Only URICRA Board members can call games off because of weather.

c. All games will be made up at URICRA’s time and field availability not at the coach’s convenience.

4. Referee and Linemen

a. URICRA will provide referees and linesmen for the U8, 10, 12 & 14 levels of play.

b. If no linesmen are available, the referee will ask the coaches to provide a linesman each for the game.

5. Miscellaneous

a. All coaches may bench a player for one-half game for disciplinary reasons. Benching for more than one-half game for the same offense must be reported to the parents and the URICRA Board. The Board will decide if additional disciplinary actions are warranted.

b. The teams are not restricted to URICRA provided equipment.

c. Excellent sportsmanship will be expected at all times from the players, coaches, referees and spectators.

d. Harassment and taunting of the opposing team will not be tolerated.

e. Any URICRA Board member may be a coach and/or a referee. Whenever this is the case, while in the act of coaching or refereeing, he or she should not be asked to settle protests.

f. Coaches, referees & spectators are not to smoke while on or near the field of play.

g. All coaches must stay until every player has been picked up from practice and games. Players are not to be left unsupervised. At the same time, it is the parents’ responsibility to be there at practice and game end times. They should not leave them at a practice until the coach arrives.

h. Practices will be coordinated and scheduled on the playing fields at the team draw meeting. After that, it is on a first come – first served basis. Please call Jennifer at 309-721-5705 to check availability. Please try to be accommodating to other coaches. The fields at the high school are reserved for the High School teams (1st priority) and the U12 and U14 teams. There is also space behind the elementary school for practices as well as these other fields: Betty Plumbs(523-2584), Hillsdale Park, Shadow Hill (496-2321), and the Cordova Civic Center.

i. Derogatory comments, sexual harassment, profane or vulgar language, bullying or direct threats by anyone may be cause for ejection from the game, practice, and/or park and loss of URICRA privileges and possible suspension for the remainder of the season. This behavior will not be tolerated.

SUBSTITUTION RULE

URICRA League Teams will allow unlimited substitutions. A substitution may only be made by a team when that team has possession of the ball on a throw in or goal kick. Substitutes should stand by the midfield strip so that the referee can see them and can stop play when the ball goes out of bounds to allow substitutions to be made. Substitutes may only enter the field when signaled by the referee.

Substitutes to the team as a whole must only be made using currently registered URICRA players from one lower age level division. Coaches may bring players up from a lower age league division to fill a slot IF NO OTHER players are available from your team to fill it.

URICRA SOCCER RULES

BASIC RULES: Here are a few soccer rules, if you would like more information ask your coach, an official, go to the library, or use the Internet. The basic rules for soccer are fairly straight forward. The objective of the game is for the offensive team to move the ball down the field and score a goal while the defensive team tries to stop them from scoring. A player may not strike, hold, trip, push, jump into, or intentionally kick an opponent. A player may not intentionally handle the ball, i.e., carry, strike, or propel the ball with his/her hand or arm. The above infractions result in a direct free kick by the opponent. A direct free kick means the player taking the kick may score a goal directly from the free kick spot; no other player needs to touch the ball first. If a defensive player fouls within the penalty box area then the offensive team is awarded a penalty kick. The ball is placed on the penalty mark and a player gets a shot on the goal with only the goal keeper defending. Once the penalty kick is taken the ball is in play. The goal keeper is the only player on the team who may handle the ball on the field of play. The goalie may only handle the ball within the penalty box area. There are certain infractions such as obstruction, offside, and interfering with the goalie for which the opposing team is awarded an indirect free kick. An indirect free kick must touch another player on either team before it can score a goal. You can tell from the sideline if a direct or indirect free kick has been awarded by looking at the referee. If his/her arm is straight up in the air it is an indirect free kick, if he/she is pointing in the direction of play it is a direct kick. A soccer game starts with a referee and two captains from each team flipping a coin. The winner of the toss will either choose an end to defend or select to kick off. The team kicking the ball off must kick the ball forward over the center line. After goals and at the start of the quarters or halves, the ball will again be brought to the center line. The ball is out of play only when the entire ball crosses the end (touch) line or goal line. A goal is scored only when the entire ball crosses over the goal line between the posts and under the top bar with legal play preceding. Whichever team kicks or touches the ball last when it goes over the sideline loses possession of the ball. The other team is given a throw-in. If the defensive team kicks the ball over the touch line, the offensive team is given a corner kick. If the offensive team kicks the ball over the touch line and does not score a goal, the defensive team gets a goal kick. Off side: (For U10 and higher levels) this rule usually causes the most confusion, both for young players and parents alike. A player is in an offside position if he/she is nearer to his opponent’s goal line than the ball unless: 1) He or she is on their own half of the field. 2) There are at least two opposing players between them and the opponent’s goal line. Remember, if the player is behind the ball, he or she is not offside. The offside rule will only be called when a player is in an offside position and he or she is part of the play. If a player is offside but not part of the play, off sides will not be called. Free kicks: When a free kick is taken the opposing player must be at least 10 yards from the ball. The ball must be completely stopped before the free kick is taken. It must be touched by another player before the kicker can touch it again.

POSITIONS:

Goalkeeper (Goalie)(Keeper)- The Goalies job is to prevent the ball from going into the goal. This is the only player that can use their hands during play. In the older age groups the goalie controls the defenders by telling them where to be during certain plays and calling the defenders off when he wants the ball.

Defensive players (Fullbacks, Defenders) - The Defenders play forward of the goalie. They normally consist of a right, left and center defender. In some formations that use four defenders, one will generally play behind the three defenders. This player helps the Goalie control the defense and is called the sweeper. The job of defensive players is to win the ball from the other team and prevent them from shooting on the goal. They also get the ball back to their own team and/or clear the ball from the area of the goal.

Midfielders (Halfbacks) - The Midfield positions are center, right and left. The midfielders play between the defenders and forwards. They are all purpose players who control the middle of the field. They receive the ball from the defenders and get the ball up the field to the forwards. They play both offense and defense. In some formations the center Midfielder is called a Stopper and helps to break up opposing team attacks and support the forwards.

Forwards (Strikers)(Wings) - The forwards play nearest to the other teams goal in the center. The outside players are sometimes called the wings. The forwards are offensive players who work with the midfielders and each other to pass and shoot.

EQUIPMENT:

Good shoes: Good soccer shoes are cleats without metal spikes. Baseball cleats are not acceptable as they usually have a cleat at the toe. The referees check all players’ shoes to make sure they pose no danger to other players before the game.

Shin guards -These must be worn by all players and they must adequately cover the entire shin.

Socks - Socks should cover the shin guard completely. We recommend that you go with solid black socks for the traveling teams.

Uniform - The Team shirt will be provided. On cold or rainy days a jacket or sweat shirt can be worn under the shirt. Players must provide their own shorts. Black shorts are recommended for the traveling teams.

SUBSTITUTION RULE

URICRA League Teams will allow unlimited substitutions. A substitution may only be made by a team when that team has possession of the ball on a throw in or goal kick. Substitutes should stand by the midfield strip so that the referee ca see them and can stop play when the ball goes out of bounds to allow substitutions to be made. Substitutes may only enter the field when signaled by the referee.

U – 6 RULES

U 6 is intended to be an introduction to the game of Soccer. This should be a positive experience for all of the players involved. The emphasis should be on learning the fundamentals of the game-running, kicking, passing, ball control, and playing positions- not on winning.

1. U 6 will be played with four to five players (Coaches decision) per side plus the goalie.