Thank you for volunteering to coach a soccer team this year. As you know, it is only through our combined efforts that we are able to provide our children with a quality soccer program. The HHSC Board and coaches share a common goal: to ensure that our children develop and enhance their soccer skills in a fun, supportive environment.

As we discussed at the coaches meeting, we are asking all coaches to referee a game or two during the season. Most of the Intramural U-10 and older IM games will be covered by experience referees. The U-8 games will need to be supplemented with our volunteer coaches within the U-10 and U-8 divisions. This is a good experience for coaches and will help enhance your understanding of the game. It is understood that most of your are not an experts and are volunteering for this assignment as you are as a coach. To assist you, we have prepared some basic guidelines to follow while refereeing.

• Talk to the players on the field and teach them why you are making the call.

• Be sure to use your whistle in an authoritative manner, loud and quick (gives the impression you know what you are doing and will lead to fewer questions from the coaches and parents.) – Sell your call!

• Prior to the beginning of the game, please walk the field to be sure there is no dangerous debris on the field of play. Also prior to the game be sure to check the goals to be sure the nets are attached properly and the net is tight enough to keep the ball in the net when there is a score. This will enable the game to run smoothly and allow you to be sure a goal is a goal, less guessing.

• To begin the game, start each half of play (or quarter for U-8 teams) or to restart play after a goal is scored, blow the whistle to indicate that the team that is "tapping" can begin play. The ball must move FORWARD, BACKWARD, or SIDEWAYS from the start point in the middle of the field before it can be touched by another player. (This is a new FIFA law which began in the Spring of 2002) The same player who "taps" the ball initially cannot touch it again until another player from either team touches it. The defensive players must be outside of the circle before the whistle blows to begin play and cannot encroach the circle until the ball moves (it is the movement of the ball after the referee’s whistle that actually begins play).

• Indirect and Direct Kicks – the ball must move (even the slightest distance) before it can be touched again. The second touch must be by a different player than the one who initially makes contact with it.

• Goalies should report to the referee at the beginning of the game and when there is a switch of goalies during the game – This is a Travel rule and should be learned at the IM level.

• A Score/Goal occurs when the ball travels completely over the goal line within the goal posts and cross bar, even if it does so while traveling through the air (if it crosses the goal line in the air and is batted back out of the goal by the goalie’s hand, a goal is still scored).

• If a foul is committed but does not give the fouling team the advantage, allow the play to continue. Use your arm to indicate you saw the foul but have chosen to allow the play to continue. You should also say "Play On" loudly so the players know that play is not going to be stopped. It is important that players learn not to stop play until they hear the whistle blow, regardless of whether or not they may have seen a foul committed.

• The following is a list of fouls and the appropriate calls:

We generally do not "card" players the Intramural level but otherwise should handle the situation as described above. Please remember that this is Intramural, not World Cup, soccer. The level of competitiveness should be managed and controlled by the referees and the coaches as appropriate to the age of the players. We want the games to be fun for players, their parents and for the coaches. By focusing on teaching our players soccer skills and teamwork and minimizing the intensity and competitiveness, we’ll all have a much better soccer experience.