| 2007 U9 - 14 Norcal State Cup Rules of Play |
| Wednesday, 22 August 2007 | |
|
This is a long document – almost 2,000 words, but it contains important changes in the “Rules” resulting from a very well received season of play! Norcal is sending it to every contact for all of the teams that have registered to play in any future Norcal event; and also to all Norcal Club contacts. We appreciate the Club officials, coaches, managers, parents, players, wives, mothers and even grandparents who took the time to suggest changes and additions in the “Rules of Play” based on their experiences during the 2007 Spring season. All coaches and managers wishing to be accepted and seeded into the 2007 Norcal State Cup must read, understand, and agree to follow the Norcal “Rules of Play” as outlined below. Most of the few “conduct problems” addressed below are happening in the older ages. However, during the past season Norcal was informed of a “racist comment” by an eleven year old; and we did have an incident of reported violence by a twelve year old.The prevalence of “foul language” on and around the soccer field has been the “only” widely reported problem and that will quickly “almost end completely” once the adults and players realize that it will not be tolerated. Youth Soccer is the ultimate family activity and must remain a place where our members can bring their young families knowing they will find a wholesome atmosphere. Norcal asks that coaches pro-actively, throughout the season, talk to their players and families about the importance of joining soccer players throughout the world in maintaining the highest standards of sportsmanship, fair play and decorum not only for the “good of our wonderful game”, but for their own futures. 1. All players, coaches, managers and parents will be expected to exhibit, at all times, the highest levels of sportsmanship and fair play! 2. All teams and Clubs are responsible for the behavior of their players, parents and fans. The teams and Clubs are expected to pro-actively educate all participants - players, parents, fans, coaches - concerning their expected behavior and the consequences of violations of that trust and code of behavior. 3. All Clubs are expected to know, educate and ultimately accept responsibility for all new coaches and managers who they allow to coach or manage a team in their Club. Norcal will not allow Clubs to stay in our League if they allow teams into their Club over whom they have no control! 4. All teams must have joined and have their US Club Soccer and Norcal ID #’s; and their official US Club Soccer team roster. Your information for both organizations must be current for this season 5. Norcal will continue to deal with the rare cases of violent behavior, threats, racist comments, and taunting on the part of players or fans as major infractions of League rules. As has happened in the past, players and teams involved in this type of unacceptable behavior will be quickly taken off the schedule and banished from future Norcal events. Here is a suggestion that has worked in the past: Coaches already meet with their teams after each game. If any incidents of misconduct come to light the information should be communicated to the opposing coach or manager and Norcal Premier. Most coaches, clubs and parents appreciate when the information of misconduct is communicated to them. The intelligent soccer players, most soccer players, and their fans do not want to be exposed to foul language, ill feelings, threats and violence. 6. Norcal asks that all Clubs tell their referees to rigorously follow and enforce, not interpret, the 3 “Offenses” created by wise sportsmen over a hundred years ago. The playing fouls must always be open to some form of on the field judgment and interpretation, but the 3 “attitude behavior fouls” are very clear and need not be interpreted as to why it happened, or at who it was directed except in the very specific reference to spitting at an opponent or any other person. 7. Law 12 clearly states: a player, substitute or substituted player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following seven offences: Offences 1, 4, 5 and 7 are of necessity going to be decided by the judgment of the referees. However, offenses 2, 3 and 6 require, in all cases, an automatic “send off” and red card. A) Offense 2: is guilty of violent conduct B) Offense 3: spits at an opponent or any other person C) Offense 6: uses offensive or abusive language and/or gestures. 8. Foul language is universally offensive to most thoughtful people and “must” result in a player being sent off! Norcal asks that all players be told by their coaches that foul language will no longer be tolerated at Norcal games. Hopefully by insisting on the same standards at Club team practices and Club functions the players will quickly learn to control their language – at all times. Norcal will contact all of the “Referees Associations” and ask them to have these historic laws enforced. 9. All teams and Clubs realize that the “purposeful” use of an “illegal player” – either not registered or too old – puts the offending team managers and coaches at risk as related to the liability and secondary medical insurance coverage. Furthermore, this type of “purposeful” action is a “breach of faith and honor” against all of the Norcal teams. To help avoid confusion about this important subject, Norcal has developed a section on their website that explains, with specific examples, all of the rules that concern eligibility and transfer of players. 10. All Clubs and teams will consult the new section of the Norcal website that explains in detail, with examples, the rules concerning the loaning and borrowing of players; and the moving of players from team to team either within a Club or between Clubs. 11. New this year: Please make sure you have excellent fields available for home games and that they are lined and maintained properly. If you are unable to provide this, you must, as some teams have opted to do, play only away games. 12. New this year: The host team must be able to provide “Licensed Referees” for all scheduled games: If you are unable to arrange this, you should not host home games. 13. All teams must agree to travel and play single games, if necessary, against any team, possibly 200 miles away. Whenever possible, Norcal will attempt to use doubleheaders to limit travel, but this is not always possible. Our playing area, at the present time is the area between Sacramento, Fresno, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma County. The majority of teams are within an hour of the Bay Area. 14. Single teams, isolated by location, away from other teams in their division might have schedules with less home games than teams from areas that have more teams in the division. 15. Home teams with a game scheduled as “TBD” must take the initiative, with the advice of the away team, in arranging the date, time and place of those games. 16. The home team will be responsible for scheduling the field, game times and referee’s and paying for fields and referees 17. Home teams are responsible for posting, on the website, game times and fields 24 hours after confirmation and “exact” scores on the website within 24 hours of the completion of the game. 18. Managers and Coaches are expected to be cooperative in the scheduling process and to finalize their schedule based on the Norcal requirements and deadlines. 19. Based on successful past experience, it is strongly recommended that Clubs set in place a system that allows teams managers to create their team schedule in cooperation with the other teams in their division. 20. Managers and coaches must keep their contact information on the Norcal website current, and will have at least two contacts, preferably more, with current email and telephone numbers listed. 21. All necessary scheduling information must be posted on the website within 24 hours after the information is finalized. 22. Team contacts will follow the “48 hour rule” and return email or phone requests for scheduling information within that time frame. 23. Teams entering this competition accept their responsibility to play all of the scheduled games. Failure to play all games, without the permission from the League Office to do otherwise, will be considered a serious infraction of the “Rules of Play”. |
|
| Last Updated ( Monday, 03 September 2007 ) |
