Many first time coaches volunteer or are volunteered to the job. First things first… Relax. Relax and think about how much fun you are going to have with these Lynn Youth Soccer players.
Goal: Create a fun, learning soccer environment for your players in training and in games.
Lynn Youth Soccer maintains all scheduling right to the Hood Park
Facility. You do not have to practice at Hood Park but if you would like
to please submit your request here Online Field Request Form
Talk to the Program Director and request helpful coaching materials and coaching aids.
Talk to other Soccer Coaches in the program or in your community who have worked with these age groups before.
Prepare a list of simple and clear rules for your players and their parents. Conduct a preseason meeting to review these rules and to go over other important information and to complete important administrative paperwork. Consider the following:
· Schedules and locations for training sessions and games.
· Drop off and pick up times for training sessions and games.
· Player responsibilities and behavior at training sessions and games.
· Parent responsibilities and behavior at training sessions and games.
· Player equipment (soccer ball, shin pads, soccer cleats, water & appropriate clothing).
· Coaching equipment (soccer balls, 25-30 cones, 10 vests/pennies, basic first aid kit, small cooler of ice and zip lock bags).
· Discuss the procedure for canceling training sessions and games.
· Discuss your philosophy of coaching…it’s about player development, not winning and losing!
· Provide proper age appropriate activities at training sessions and games.
· Assure that training and playing areas are safe.
· Make sure that all players are wearing the correct equipment and that it is appropriately sized.
· Make sure that you are assisted by another adult when coaching the players (This includes the time when players arrive and when they depart from training sessions and games).
· Create a plan for any medical emergencies/injuries.
Games consist of two, (25) twenty-five minute halves with a five-minute intermission. If for any reason, a game is started late it still must end five minutes before the scheduled start of the next game. Each half or the intermission should be adjusted accordingly.
In U10, U12, and U15, offside will be called inside the 14-yard line. For a player to be ruled offside he must either be in or become involved in the play. There is no offside in U6 or U8.
Any ball put into play from a goal kick or from a kick or throw by the goalkeeper must be touched by a player or the ground before it crosses midfield. If the ball does not touch the ground or any player, an indirect kick will be awarded to the opposing team at the half field crossing point.
No penalty kicks will be awarded. All fouls committed inside the fourteen yard area that would normally result in a penalty kick, will be moved outside the fourteen to the closest point from where the foul was committed and an indirect kick will be awarded.
All other indirect kicks will be determined by FIFA rules. This includes pushes, dangerous plays, handballs, etc. If a child becomes overly aggressive or as a result of his or her lack of knowledge of the game, shows an inclination to play the opposing players body over playing the ball, that player will be spoken to and the coach warned that if the physical play continues the player will be asked to be substituted to obtain better instruction from their coach. If a third occurrence results, that player will be removed from the game for its entirety. If at any time the aggression is intentional of the express intent is to cause injury that player would be immediately removed form the game for the duration of the game.
NO SLIDE TACKLING IS ALLOWED. If it occurs it should be treated as a foul and an indirect kick will be awarded to the opposing team.
Goalkeepers can handle the ball anywhere inside the 14-yard line. Once a goalkeeper has control of the ball, all players shall refrain from kicking the ball. The referee has been instructed to protect the goalkeeper from players once they have the ball with their hands, feet or body.
When the ball exits the side of the field off a kick or a player, a throw-in shall be awarded to the opposing team at the spot where the ball exited the playing field. If a U6, U8, or U10 player performs a throw-in improperly, that player will be given a second try before the ball is awarded to the opposing team. Referees should demonstrate the proper method after the first incorrect attempt. U12 and U14 players will only be given one attempt at throw-ins.
If the ball exits the field at one of the goal lines off a kick or a player and is last touched by a defensive player the opposing team will be awarded a corner kick. If it is last touched by an offensive player, the opposing team will be awarded a goal kick. All goal kicks must go outside the 14-yard line before they can be touched by any player.
Substitutions are unlimited. Upon notification and consent of the referee, substitutions may be made:
prior to any goal kick
after a goal by either team
after an injury resulting in a stoppage of play. Only the injured player may be replaced with a substitute.
at half time
prior to throw-ins, the team with the ball may substitute. However, if they do the opposing team will also be allowed to substitute.
The Green team will be awarded the ball to start the game. The White team will get to choose which end to defend first. At the start of the second half, the teams must switch ends and the White team will start the second half with the ball.
SHINGUARD’S ARE REQUIRED. NO PLAYER WILL BE ALLOWED ON THE FIELD WITHOUT SHINGUARD’S. Players will be required to remove all jewelry and piercings before play, soft hair ornaments are allowed. Players with casts or splints will not be allowed to play.
Coaches must remain on the sideline with their teams except for the U6 and U8 teams. U6 and U8 teams require assistant coaches to stay with their teams.
Spectators must be on the opposite side of the field from the players and coaches. Any spectator disrupting the game verbally or physically should be reported by the parents, coaches or referee to a Lynn Youth Soccer board member. Generally a board member will be available at the center room of the clubhouse or in the concession stand.
The referees, coaches and parents are reminded that these games are provided for instruction and fun. Do not expect any referee or coach to be perfect. Any parent verbally or physically harassing a referee or coach should be reported to a Lynn Youth Soccer board member immediately. Any interpretation of rules or play should be directed to a Lynn Youth Soccer board member for clarification.
Cancellations of Intramural games will be placed on www.lynnyouthsoccer.org and Facebook as soon as possible.
It is important to remember that our referees come from our traveling teams. They are young and will make mistakes but their rulings are final! If there is an issue with a call, calmly ask about it during the half or at the end of the game. DO NOT berate the ref. The league will not tolerate it. The ruling might be a misunderstanding of the rules by either the ref or the coach. If there is an issue with a ref that can not be resolved calmly, inform a Board Member and we will look into it.
All players registered with Lynn Youth Soccer (LYS) are members of Lynn Youth Soccer organization, managed by the LYS Board of Directors. The LYS Board of Directors is responsible to approve all league required uniforms for LYS travel and intramural players. Uniform requirements are set forth in the LYS Player Uniform Policy and apply to regularly scheduled season games, league playoff and championship games, tournaments, sanctioned events, and any game/event where the members are representing LYS. Each registered LYS player and coach is responsible to understand and adhere to the LYS Player Uniform Policy.
The goal of the policy is to promote LYS league unity and safety. If a team wishes to change their uniform, they must comply with the LYS Player Uniform Requirements AND have the new uniform approved by the LYS Board of Directors at least 32 days prior to the event. The Coach should contact their respective LYS Travel or Intramural Director to initiate a Team Uniform Change Request. The LYS Board of Directors will evaluate the request and report back their decision to the coach, a complete sample of the uniform must be presented to the Board.
1. Shin Guards complying with USSF specifications are MANDATORY for all players at all age levels, games and practice. The shin guards must be professionally manufactured, be age and size appropriate, not altered in any way, not have any exposed sharp edges and must be fully covered by the socks. No player will be allowed to participate in a game or practice without shin guards.
2. Safe footwear must be worn at all times. Soccer cleats are recommended. Metal cleats and toe cleats are not allowed.
3. Each player on the team must wear an approved LYS uniform for their respective program (travel or intramural) at any game or event where the members are representing LYS. Approved LYS uniforms are not required during practice sessions.
4. The team uniform shirt must be all the same color and be tucked in front and back and remain that way throughout the game (goalies excluded).
5. LYS travel players must have a unique player number, a minimum of 3 inches on the back of their shirt which matches their Essex County Youth Soccer Association (ECYSA) team roster.
6. The team shirt must display ?Lynn Youth Soccer? so it visible by the referee and opponent team. The preferred location to display the LYS name is the front, upper left side of the shirt. 7. Any proposed team uniform must represent at least one of the 4 LYS organization colors: white, black, hunter green, purple.
8. Players are allowed to put their last names on the back of their shirts, as long as the entire team conforms to the uniform change. It is the responsibility of the player to incur the expense of adding their last name to the shirt, not LYS. If the player switches teams and the new team does not have last names on their shirts, the player is responsible to remove the last name lettering or replace the shirt. This requirement is effective beginning the Fall, 2009 season. Players with their name already on the back of their shirt are allowed to keep their current shirt ?as is? whether their team has names on the back of their shirts or not during the Fall, 2008 – Spring, 2009 soccer season. In compliance with the requirement, players with names on the back of their shirts should consider whether to keep their current shirt or replace it when registering for the Fall, 2009 season.
9. Home team must change uniforms or wear different colored pinnies (practice vests) in the event of a color conflict with the opponent, as determined by the referee.
11. LYS travel players must wear LYS approved team socks.
12. The referee may exclude any item that the referee deems as dangerous to the player, teammate, or opponent. The referee has the ultimate determination on the field of play. Excluded items include, but not limited to:
a) Jewelry (Rings, Watches, Earrings, Bracelets, etc.) will not be allowed at any LYS sanctioned game. In compliance with ECYSA rules, LYS does not allow players to cover earrings with tape to prevent injury. EARRINGS MUST BE REMOVED for the player to participate in the game. If the player fails to remove the jewelry, the referee or coach will request the player leave the team bench until the violation is resolved. Medical bracelets/necklaces are not considered jewelry and need not be removed but MUST BE TAPED TO THE BODY to avoid risk of injury.
b) No hard or metallic hair control devises such as clips, barrettes, beads, or bobby pins are allowed. Only soft hair ornaments such as yarn, rubber bands, and cloth ponytail holders will be allowed.
c) Single piece non knotted sweatbands may be worn for hair control only. Wrist sweatbands and or neckerchiefs or other devises with knots in them are not allowed.
d) No head wear may be worn other than US Youth Soccer approved headgear.
e) No casts or splints are allowed at any sanctioned game or practice. Knee braces may be worn but must be covered by a manufacturer?s sleeve or wrapped with an ace bandage without exposed clips. Wrist braces with metal or hard plastic inserts are not allowed. If the metal or plastic insert can be removed and the remaining brace is not considered dangerous, it may be worn. Ankle braces may be worn if there are no sharp edges but must be worn under the socks.
13. LYS travel players shall comply with current Essex County Youth Soccer Association (ECYSA) Operating Rules related to team uniform requirements, in addition to LYS uniform requirements listed above. Refer to www.ecysa.org for current ECYSA operating rules.
As previously stated, the purpose of this policy is to promote LYS league unity and safety. If a player or team does not comply with the LYS Player Uniform Policy, they will receive a warning from the LYS Board of Directors. If the violation continues, the LYS Board of Directors will consider additional penalties to the player, team, and/or coach, which may include a game suspension.
Any questions relating to the LYS Player Uniform Policy should be directed towards the LYS Travel Director, LYS Intramural Director, or other LYS Board Member.