Playground, 5U and 6U Guidelines

4U Playground Soccer is a non-competitive division and NEW to AYSO Region 154... It is a child development program.  The objective of this program is to help develop, in collaboration with the parent/guardian, the child's fundamental motor skills using soccer as a common thread.
Playground Soccer is a coed jamboree style program that works on Fundamental Motor Skills to introduce young children to the game of soccer. Rolling, throwing and catching games are just as important as kicking games to help children track objects and shoot at a target. Using a variety of skill games we will improve large and small motor skills.  Children need to have shin guards, tennis shoes or soccer cleats and bring water to each practice/game.

5U is a AYSO Schoolyard Jamboree, 5-year-olds get to play soccer in a developmentally-appropriate program. The children learn soccer skills like kicking, dribbling, and throw-ins in a low-pressure and fun setting, while still perfecting FMS. The program transitions into 3v3 game play to gradually expose children to the game without the pressure to win. We will run this with our First Touch Coaches with the assistance of parents. Children need to have shin guards, tennis shoes/soccer cleats, soccer ball size 3 and water to bring to each practice/games.

6U is a non-competitive divisions.  This is a chance for 6U children to learn about soccer in a positive environment. The children learn basic soccer skills like kicking, dribbling, and throwing the ball, but in a low pressure setting. This is to expose the players as a game, without the pressure to win. Children need to have shin guards, tennis shoes/soccer cleats, soccer ball size 3 and water to bring to each practice/games.

Practice
4U Playground will be held 2 time a week .
5U will be held on Saturdays in 3 sessions
6U practices will start at 5:00-6:00pm.  Players are restricted to three hours of soccer per week, which includes practice, warm-up, and game time. This means 1-2 times a week practice and games each Saturday.

Score
No Score will be kept and there will be no standings.

Games
Teams consist of 6‐8 players per team and play 5 on the field. Minimum number of players is 3 for an official game. You will pay 2 full 20 minute halves (10 min quarters). Each player should play at least 3 quarters of the game.

There are NO GOALKEEPERS, players must keep at least 5 feet from the goal.

There are NO INDIRECT KICKS allowed during the games.

Throw Ins are now pass in by the foot on the Touch Line.

Referees
The Coach is the “Referee” and will be the only adult on the field (1 from each team). The Coaches will ref half of the game. The Coach will not interfere with play but will act as an instructor for his/her players.

Awards
All players will receive an award at the end of the season.

8U is a non-competitive division.  This is a chance for 8U children to improve their soccer development in a positive environment.

Practices
8U cannot practice after 7:30 pm.  Players are restricted to five hours of soccer per week, which includes practice, warm-up, and game time.

Referees
Each team must provide three (3) AYSO certified referees prior to the beginning of the season.  Each team will be responsible for having one their team’s referees sign up on Matchtrak. The teams are to provide the center referee, one team will ref 1/2 the game and the other team will ref the second 1/2.

Score
No Score will be kept and there will be no standings.

There are GOALKEEPERS!  A different goalkeeper must be used for each quarter of the game. Therefore, each game 4 different players will play the position of goalkeeper. The region will offer goalkeeper training in the fall. 

Games
Seven (7) players on the field.  Minimum number of players for an official game is five (5).   Each player must play a minimum of three (3) quarters before any player can play four (4) quarters.  Games are 2 20-minute halves.  Coaches are not allowed on the field and must remain in the coaches’ box/area. One (1) Assistant Coach can join the coach. All other assistants need to sit with parents and cheer.  

Awards
All players will receive an award at the end of the season.

10U & older are Competitive divisions.

Practices
10U and older cannot practice after 9:00 pm.  Players are restricted to six hours of soccer per week, which includes practice, warm-up, and game time.

Referees
10U/12U Divisions only - Each team must provide three (3) AYSO certified referees prior to the beginning of the season.  Each team will be responsible for having one their team’s referees sign up on Matchtrak and complete an AR duty for their game if the position is open within Matchtrak.

Required Number of Players for a game
10U - Seven (7) players on the field.  Minimum number of players for an official game is five (5). 
12U – Nine (9) players on the field.  Minimum number of players for an official game is seven (7).
14U and older – Eleven (11) players on the field.  Minimum number of players for an official game is seven (7).

It is highly encouraged that all players play a minimum of three (3) quarters per game.

Where to sit during a game
Playing within the Region, both teams will be on one sideline. Home team shall sit on the north or west side of the field. Away team shall sit on the east or south side of the field. Parents will sit on one side of the field and Coach/Team will sit on the opposite side of the field. One (1) Assistant Coach can join the coach. All other assistants need to sit with parents and cheer.  

Game score reporting 
Shall be reported by the winning coach or the home team in the case of a tie, using the Regional website (www.matchtrak.com) within 24 hours of the completion of the game. Follow the online instructions.

Point System
Win 3 points, Tie 1 point, Loss 0 points.

Awards will be given to the first, second, and third place teams.

Tie Breakers: head to head play, least goals allowed, team with the most goals (maximum 3 per game), goal differential of all games with 3 goals being counted as the maximum goal differential per game, team with the fewest losses, coin flip.

Player Suspensions 
Cautionable Offenses - If a player receives three (3) cautions over a three (3) game period, the player will receive an automatic one (1) game suspension.

Sending Off Offenses - The following four offenses are considered to be unacceptable behavior:  guilty of serious foul play, guilty of violent conduct (strikes or attempts to strike), spits or attempts to spit at an opponent or any other person, or uses offensive, insulting, abusive or degrading and/or gestures.

If a player is sent off for any of the above offenses, the player will receive a minimum of a two (2) game suspension. The Review Board, consisting of Board members, after reviewing all of the facts, shall have the right to increase or decrease the suspension – including the suspension of the player for the balance of the season.

A suspended player may be present for the suspended games, but is not required to be present. They will not be allowed to be present in the technical area. They will be required to sit on the parent side of the field.

The coach shall note this on the game card and notify the referee team of the suspension.

U14,16,19 will play Area and Section Guidelines. Area www.area11e.org and www.section11.org

Coach Training

"AYSO Coach Code of Conduct" document developed by the National Coach Council.

This document is now posted on the AYSO National website under "Volunteers Resources" - "Coaching Resources/The Coaches Clipboard" -"Coaching the Basics". This now becomes the official Coach Code of Conduct document for AYSO.

Every Coach and Asst. Coach must print and sign.  Every coach and Asst. Coach must turn in before any practices may begin.

coach code of conduct 2022.pdf

2023 AYSO Sideline Management

We will be implementing a new system in Region 154 to improve our sideline management .  For all games played at a school site, the following formation will be utilized:

How to Assemble GOALS!

The coach will be provided a password from their Division Director.  The winning team enters the game score for the game.  The home teams inputs the game score if the game ended in a tie.  Only 10U and above inputs game scores into Matchtrak.  Go to your MatchTrak team page and on your schedule click on the "Submit" icon.  Then you can enter the password, scores, etc. to record your game score.

Scores need to be submitted by Monday evening following the Saturday game (3 day maximum).

AYSO's mission is to develop and deliver quality youth soccer programs where everyone builds positive character through participation in a fun, family environment based on these six fundamental principals:  Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship, and Player Development.

Teams are put together by gender and age and are balanced in a way that makes playing soccer about the experience, not wins or losses. It’s not about blowing out another team with an unbelievable score; it’s about sportsmanship and learning to be the best possible teammate and opponent. Developing players is what we’re about because soccer skills and life skills go hand in hand. We want to get players on the field, provide them with good positive coaches, and teach them to play soccer.

Coaches - Please remember that these memories are not just yours.  You are here to help make great memories for the kids and young adults.  Running up the score is not beneficial to any child's self-esteem and should be prevented at all costs.

All attempts should be made to keep the Goal Differential no more than 6 goals, preferably less than that.

How to accomplish this? 
 - Put in your players that could use more game time to better develop their skills that may not be as strong as some of the other players. 
 - Have your goalies play on the field to increase their touches.
 - Switch your defense with your offense.
 - Play a player down.

DO NOT do the following:
 - Yell "Only pass, no shooting", "Only use your left foot", "You must pass 5 times before shooting"
 - These type of comments are demoralizing to the kids.  Feel free to say those things directly to your players during the rest period.

All Head, Assistant Coaches, and Team Parents (does not require coach cert or ref training) must complete the following items prior to the first practice: 

• Complete Volunteer Registration
  
• Coach Certification for the division you are coaching in or above (online training for 5U-12U, field sessions required to complete the training).
  
• Safe Haven (online training)  
• CDC Concussion Training (online training)  
• Basic Referee Certification (first part is online, second part is in class) - complete before games begin.
  

How to sign up for a volunteer role in Sports Connect (Assistant Coach, Team Parent, Referee) - Instructions (PDF)

The beginning of your team’s season is the perfect time to get everyone together and set expectations. Whether it's discussing sideline behavior, recruiting your team volunteers, developing a snack schedule, or scheduling those pool parties your pre-season team meeting is an important time to kick start a great season.

In addition, your Division Director (see Contact Us page) will be meeting with you briefly for a few minutes  to answer questions, drop off your Team folder, and collect your Team Volunteer forms (see below).

Due to the amount of changes this season, there's a lot to cover so feel free to use our sample agenda as a guide to keep your meeting as efficient and effective as possible:

Before the meeting 

• 10U and older will attend a team formation meetings.
• Division Director will provide you with the contact information for your team's parents.
  
• Send email to your team's parents, introducing yourself and inviting them to the Parent Meeting held by the region.
  

During the meeting

• Region will provide you with the roster, discuss AYSO philosophies, updated rules, black out dates, schedules, field setup, and region information.
  
• Introduce yourself and your assistant coach (if you already have one)
• Explain your expectations of players and parents (send by email to team, for absentees).
• Introduce your Team Parent - mention they will organize the uniforms, snack schedule, team website, etc.  (see Team Parent page).
• Team Volunteer form should be completed prior to leaving the meeting ( Word Doc.,Google Spreadsheet, or Google Form)

Remind parents to always check the game schedule online (Matchtrak) before game day.  Last minute changes may occur due to factors such as field conditions, city maintenance, school functions, etc.  Do not send a game schedule, but rather send the matchtrak link for the team's schedule.  Last minute schedule updates often occur without notice, and you will not have time to update your team.

The purpose of the buildout line (U8/U10) is to teach players how to advance the ball out of the back by keeping the ball in possession now becoming the attacking team.  This will facilitate player development by allowing the attacking team the opportunity to receive and play the ball in a controlled method rather than the chaotic more common method of punting the ball up the field and the ensuing scramble for possession (which is usually lost to the opposing team 80% of the time).  In addition, players learn to control the ball, have less opportunity to head the ball, and reduces the dangerous play of high kicking because the ball remains on the ground.

8U/10U/12U Build Out Line Rules and Goal Keeper Punting/Drop Kicking Rules/Information (PDF)

Buildout Line Video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EzEzKCLzGk0wjPNMorsCLHTIIDBkY9ps/view

Thank you for volunteering, Coach! 

“The Coach is first of all a teacher.”- John Wooden 

Your dedication as a mentor to our future leaders is to be commended!  Cypress AYSO 154 welcomes you to the American Youth Soccer Association Program.  A goal of Cypress AYSO 154 is for all youth sports participants, both parents and children, to have an enjoyable soccer experience while following AYSO's Philosophies: Everyone Plays®, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship and Player Development.

AYSO programs are possible by the dedication of volunteers.  Many volunteers put in several hours of work to make Cypress AYSO 154 program a success.  Thank you to all of YOU who invest time and energy into the lives of young people today.  Families are very important to the AYSO program! 

Thank you for your participation.  We look forward to serving you and your athletes in our Youth Sports Program.  If you have any comments or questions please contact your Division Director, which can be located under Contact Us. 

“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.” –John Wooden. 

Best of luck to you and your team this season. 

Attention ALL Coaches!

All players U8 (older players)-U14 must be evaluated for the season and to qualify for All Stars U10-U14. Please review the guidelines and evaluation form (below).  These must be filled out (excel spreadsheet only) by you and emailed back to your Division Director by
midnight Saturday, October 29th.

If you have any questions you may contact your Division Director U8 Alan Polk, U10 Derek Junghanel, U12 Martin Renta and U14 Eddie Meza  or Coach Admin John Neeper: [email protected]

Thursday, October 6th and All Coaches Must Attend!
Location will be at Lexington Park on the bleachers
Time will be 8:00pm for U8-U10 and 8:30 for U12-U14.
Meeting to go over how to fill out the Evaluations 

Forms:
player evaluation guidelines due 10.13.22.pdf
player evaluation spreadsheet 2022 blank.pdf
player evaluation spreadsheet 2022 blank.xlsx

If you would like to be considered to be the All Star Coach, please fill out the application all star coach application 154 2022.pdf

Game Line Up Card

To PRINT Lineup cards, go to Team then Roster then print. Must have jersey numbers input first.

Lineup cards are to be completed by the coach or the team parent.  Card-stock will be provided for 8U and older coaches prior to games. 

All teams are required to complete a lineup card for their team for every game.  Lineup cards should be printed from Team Central on Sports Connect on card-stock for 8U and older divisions.   

Make sure to include the following information on the lineup card: all players list by numerical order if possible (currently not available from Blue Sombrero), the region, age group, team number and game date, your team name and opponent name, your entire roster (ordered by jersey number).

The Lineup card are to be given to the center referee prior to the start of each game and should be signed by both coaches after the game.

Sample Game Card Filled out properly: game card.pdf

Coach's:
Open this file to manually input players and information then you can print.  Good for U8. U10 and above need to print Game Line Up Cards from Team Page on Sports Connect.
line up card.pdf