GYSA/ Excel Parent’s Guide to a Fun & Educational Soccer Environment
Official List of Approved Cheers
- "Win the ball!" The team that is aggressive in gaining and keeping possession of the ball usually wins.
- "Let's go (team name)--you can do it!" Good, general purposes yell for a parent who feels compelled to yell something. It fits almost every occasion.
- "Nice pass (or "shot", or "throw-in", or "tackle", or "save", and so on)" A nice, short yell, for a parent concerned that if too much is said, ignorance of the game may be revealed.
- "Keep hustling, (team name)!" Another good, all-purpose yell.
- Cheers for good actions, and silence for bad actions. In the end, we don’t want to control the players on the field. We want to allow them the freedom to have fun, make mistakes and have successes on their own. This will create a more self-sufficient, creative, problem solving player, as well as an individual in life.
Official List of Prohibited Cheers
•Any sentence or phrase which starts with, ends with, or includes the word, "Referee" or "Linesman". For example, "Are you blind, Referee?" or "She's offsides, Mr. Linesman--get in the game!"
•"Kick it hard!" Possession of the ball is a primary goal in soccer. We are not playing "kickball." We try to teach the kids to pass the ball to teammates or to open space where teammates can win the ball. At times, because of defensive pressure or the proximity of the ball to our goal, we coach them to clear the ball long. But, unbridled encouragement of the kids to "kick it hard" can often be confusing.
•"Go get the ball!" Be careful with this one. Winning the loose ball is important. But, we do not want to play "bunch ball," where all of the players run all over the field chasing the ball in a pack. Maintaining space, trusting your teammates to do their jobs, maintaining positions of support and attack are important.
•Any negative comment directed at any player, especially your own child. This is the rule that separates the "All-Star Parents" from the others. When the votes are counted, into which group will you fall?
The Referees
There is a real shortage of qualified, experienced referees in the State of Georgia. We have some very good soccer referees, but we also sometimes encounter referees who, through lack of experience, do not make proper calls. We teach our players to think of the referee as a part of the soccer field. The field may be hard, bumpy, covered with water, short, long, and so on. The condition of the field and the weather are circumstances over which we have no control. So, we teach your kids not to worry or complain about those conditions over which we have no control. We try to adjust to them, but we do not yell or scream at the rain or the bare spots on the field. Try to think of the referees in the same way.
In order to fill the need for qualified referees in Georgia, all of the soccer clubs are encouraging their youth soccer players to become certified referees. Please remember the relative youth and inexperience of some of our referees. Let's not do or say anything which might discourage these kids from continuing as referees, and thereby add to our existing shortage of qualified referees
Laws of the Game
Without attempting to provide you with all of the rules of play, let us make an effort to acquaint you with the rules which govern illegal contact and off-sides. These two subjects generate more than their fair share of parental confusion and frustration. Plus some of the rules do not apply or differ in the lower age groups (U8 and down).
(1) The Offside Rule: A player is in an "offside" position if she is:
(a) ahead of the ball (closer to the opponent's goal line than the ball is), and
(b) in the opponent's half of the field, and
(c) there are fewer than two opponents ahead of or even with her. (A player is onside if she is even with the second to last opponent.)
A player in the offside position, described above, may be declared offside if she either:
(a)participates in play, or
(b)interferes with an opponent, or
(c)otherwise tries to take advantage of her offside position.
The position of the player at the moment the ball is played by a teammate determines whether she is offside. For example, if she were positioned onside at the moment the ball was passed by a teammate, she does not become offside if she runs to an offside position while the ball is in flight.
Exceptions: A player in an offside position is not declared offside if:
(a)the ball is last played by an opponent; or
(b)she receives the ball directly from a throw-in, corner kick, or goal kick.
(a)If a player is declared offside, an indirect free kick is taken by the opposing team from the position of the offside player.
(2) Penal Fouls: There are nine penal fouls which, in order to be judged foul, must be committed intentionally:
(a)kicking or trying to kick an opponent;
(b)tripping an opponent;
(c)jumping at an opponent;
(d)charging an opponent violently or dangerously (that is, where either the charging player or the charged player could be hurt);
(e)charging an opponent from behind [Exception: an opponent who legally obstructs (screens the ball from an opponent while the ball is within playing distance) may be charged fairly from behind (shoulder to shoulder blade), if done safely];
(f)hitting, trying to hit, or spitting at an opponent;
(g)holding an opponent;
(h)pushing an opponent;
(i)handling the ball, except by a goalkeeper in her own penalty area [Note: handball is a foul when a player touches the ball with any part of his hand or arm while intending to control the ball.]
When a penal foul is committed, the opposing team is awarded a direct free kick, or a penalty kick, if the foul takes place in the penalty area.
(3) Non-Penal Fouls: There are five non-penal fouls:
(a)dangerous play, such as high kicking near another player's head or trying to play a ball held by a goalkeeper [Note: If a player puts herself in danger, the referee may call dangerous play against that player];
(b)fair charging (shoulder to shoulder contact without danger to either player) but with the ball out of playing distance (more than about one step away);
(c)illegal obstruction, i.e., a player intentionally putting herself between the ball and an opponent, when not within playing distance of the ball, to stop the opponent from playing the ball. [Note: the goalkeeper must not be obstructed when attempting to put the ball into play];
(d)charging the goalkeeper in her goal area when she is neither holding the ball nor legally obstructing an opponent;
(e)a goalkeeper:
(1)holding the ball for more than six seconds , or
(2)releasing the ball into play, then handling the ball again before another player touches it, or
(3)controlling the ball with her hands when intentionally passed back from the foot of a teammate, or
(4)otherwise wasting time.
When a non-penal foul is committed, the opposing team is awarded an indirect free kick. REMEMBER, HOWEVER, the referee may not stop play to punish a foul if, in his opinion, the fouled team is better off if he allows play to continue. This is called the "advantage clause."
See FIFA Laws of the Game for the most up to date information and complete details.
Rule Modifications for Younger Players
Please keep in mind that the younger age groups are still trying to learn the rules. As a result, the Club referees are instructed to use rule violations presented during a game as teaching opportunities. Also, some rules may be relaxed and some violations not strictly enforced at the discretion of the officials