Prepared by the EYSA Judiciary Committee, Spring 2001

Soccer is a team sport. The sport is great because coaches coach, teams play, referees give the game its structure, and parents make soccer clubs happen. Be supportive to all the "players." Always accentuate the positive. Here are some helpful hints for parents that will make youth soccer more fun for all.

1. Help your coach run a good team:
1. If you want your child to improve his or her skills and performance, then get the child to practices and give them chances to have fun practicing around home. The parents' primary jobs are to pay, drive, and offer positive support.
2. You can help the team by volunteering for one of the many tasks that make the team run smoothly … coordinating pictures, snacks, first-aid, or a telephone tree, or being an assistant coach or a referee, or what-have you … check with your team coach or team manager.
3. Help your player get ready for practice & games by having the right clothing & equipment. Soccer shoes & shin guards are a must. Socks go outside shin guards and cover them completely. Mouth guards are a good idea, especially for goalies. Hat, gloves, leggings, and polypropylene or similar undershirt are often needed for those wet, cold fall days. Yes, yes, soccer is played in the rain. Every player should take a ball and a water bottle (preferably filled) to practice. Remove jewelry (earrings, watches, necklaces, etc.). Pick your child up promptly from practice or a game.
4. Many coaches are working without enough at-practice support. A second parent with some skills really enhances every practice. Even an unskilled parent can go through the drills and small-sided practices with the team. A second adult can coax a reluctant player along, take a disruptive child out of the way, or help a coach keep things going if a player is ill or injured. Do be sure you and the coach communicate and place final authority with the coach.
5. Everyone agrees that communication is very important. If anything at all is bothering your child, let the coach know as soon as possible. Give him or her the opportunity to adjust to make your child's experience more rewarding and enjoyable.
6. More coaches are needed at all playing levels! If you think you can, then talk to your club about volunteering. Coaching clinics and other assistance is readily available.
2. Expectations for parent behavior at game time:
1. Accentuate the positive. Support good sporting conduct. Youth soccer is not the XFL!
2. Before the game, there are three things to tell your player: (1) I love you, (2) Good luck, and (3) Have fun. Leave the coaching to the coach.
3. During the game, support your child & teammates with positive comments (great job, nice pass, etc.). Do not tell them what to do. Leave the coaching to the coach.
4. After the game, there are three things to tell your player: (1) I love you, (2) it was great to see you play, and (3) what would you like to eat? Do not analyze their playing or the game. Promote good sportsmanship. Stress the positives. Rise above the negatives.
3. Respect the referees:
1. Yes, referees make mistakes, but so do the players and coaches. It is not acceptable to yell at the referee. The coach is held responsible for parent behavior and can be cautioned for any spectator’s behavior. Youth soccer is not the time to "chew on" or harass a referee. Also, the youth referee may the son or daughter of one of your business or neighborhood acquaintances. A rude and obnoxious parent often embarrasses himself or herself and usually mortifies their child.
2. FYI: Many recreational and club select games are refereed by teenagers. They must be FIFA licensed at grade 8 or above, which requires a week of classes and some practical training. Mod refs are almost all teenagers. Mod referees get four hours of instruction from their clubs. All referees are volunteers who deserve respect and praise for their efforts.
3. More referees are needed, especially adults. Being a referee is good exercise and can be fun. The training classes are not hard. For teenagers, refereeing is a good source of extra income and job or college references.
4. While soccer is a simple game, its rules are often misunderstood. For example, just because the ball touches a hand doesn’t mean it is a "hand ball". We follow the international rules (FIFA), with a few modifications that are listed on the EYSA web site in the Development section (www.eysa.org).
4. Where to be when watching a game:
1. Teams should set up on opposite sides of the field from each other (an EYSA rule). Please comply cheerfully when the referee enforces this rule. Tradition says that the home team has the choice of side, while the visiting team has choice of jersey.
2. Be at least 3 feet back from the touchline (the sideline is the "touch" line in soccer).
3. Be towards the middle of the field. Spectators and coaches are not allowed closer to the goal line than the top of the penalty box. No one is allowed behind or near the goal area.
5. Being a "club lines person" with the out-of-bounds flag:
1. The referee may ask for a parent’s help with ball-out-of-bounds and give the volunteer parent a flag. The mechanics are simple. First, keep up with the play and be close to the action. The ball has to go all the way over the line to be out. You put flag up in the air and point towards the goal of the team that last touched the ball. This will be the attacking direction for the team that gets awarded the ball. If in doubt, put flag straight up and let the referee decide on direction.
2. If you are a club lines person, you must be fair and not coach your team. Sometimes the referee sometimes overrules your direction. He or she may have seen something from a different angle, and he is the final authority on the field.
6. What about injuries?
1. When an injury occurs, the referee will stop the game, although he or she may let a scoring opportunity play itself out first. After an injury, parents should not go onto the field, even for their own children. That is the job of the coach. After the coach has been waved onto the field and has examined the player, parents may be waved on to help. Do not enter the field without permission. Never criticize the referee, even though feelings may run high after an injury.
2. Coaches should teach players that an injured player gets down and stays down. It is a universally accepted sign to referees that a player is injured. If the game stops because a player stays down, that player should leave the field and have a substitute.
3. The parent or adult in charge of a team’s first aid kit should be ready to assist a player when he or she comes off the field.

EYSA consists of Issaquah Soccer Club, Newport Soccer Club, Bellevue Soccer Club, Lake Hills Soccer Club, Mercer Island Youth Soccer Club, and Eastside FC. The clubs and EYSA all want the players, coaches, referees, spectators, and parents to have fun with soccer. Anyone should feel free to contact club or EYSA board or committee members with questions or concerns. Best wishes for a fun, successful season.