Sideline Etiquette
AYSO strives to create a healthy environment for our children and our community. One of the ways we do this is by maintaining a high standard of conduct at our games:
- Negative comments and complaints about officiating are prohibited.
Parents
As a parent, you play a special role in contributing to the needs and development of our children. Through your encouragement and good example, you can help assure that all the boys and girls learn good sportsmanship and self-discipline. In AYSO, young people learn to work together, to sacrifice for the good of the team, to enjoy winning and deal appropriately with defeat – all while becoming physically fit and healthy. Best of all, they have fun.
- Support Your Child – Supporting your child by giving encouragement and showing interest in his/her team is very important. Help your child work toward skill improvement and good sportsmanship in every game. Teach your child that hard work and an honest effort are more important than victory – that way your child will always be a winner despite the outcome of the game!
- Always Be Positive – Parents serve as role models for their children. Become aware of this and work to be a positive role model. Applaud good plays by your child’s team as well as good plays by the opposing team. Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from youth sports activities.
- Remember: Your Child Wants To Have Fun – Remember that your child is the one playing soccer, not you. It’s very important to let children establish their own goals – to play the game for themselves. Take care not to impose your own standards and goals on them. Don’t put too heavy a burden on your child to win games. Surveys reveal that 72% of children would rather play for a losing team than ride the bench for a winning team. Children play for the fun of playing.
- Reinforce Positive Behavior – Positive reinforcement is the best way to help your child achieve his/her goals and overcome his/her natural fear of failure. Nobody likes to make mistakes. If your child does make one, remember its all part of learning. So encourage your child’s efforts and point out the good things your child accomplished.
- Don’t Be a Sideline Coach or Referee – Coaches and referees are usually parents just like you. They volunteer their times to help make your child’s youth soccer experience a positive one. They need your support too. That means refraining from coaching or refereeing from the sidelines. Your “instructions,” if even heard by the children, are more often confusing and distracting rather than helpful. If you really need to coach or referee, remember that as a volunteer organization, there’s always an opportunity for you to take your interest in coaching or refereeing to the next level and to become one yourself!
Coaches
Coaches must remain in “the technical area” (on the sideline, within 10 yards of the halfway line). Whether or not the technical area is painted, coaches must go no further from the halfway line than the edge of the center circle.
- Only coaches may “coach” (i.e., instruct and direct the players). Others on the sideline should cheer and encourage, but never coach.
- Coach participation in matches is limited to comments that are positive, instructional, or encouraging.
- A coach should not speak to opposing players, except perhaps to compliment them on their play.
- Coaches and spectators are not entitled to question the referee’s calls or ask for explanations during a match.
- Coaches are not permitted on the field unless specifically invited by the referee. Exceptions: (6U and 8U)
- Alcohol and tobacco products are prohibited at AYSO games and practices, and in the immediate vicinity of AYSO fields.
- AYSO games (and practices) require a certified, currently registered AYSO coach.
- AYSO scheduled games require a certified, currently registered AYSO referee. If there is no referee, there can be no game, but the teams may still scrimmage.