Coastal Youth Soccer League
Referee Guide
Welcome
The Spring season is the main season for the Coastal Youth Soccer League. As referees we are an integral part of the game. Please join us in making this season enjoyable for all. In this guide you will find information from game rules to selection processes for moving up. This is your guide to a great season in the Coastal League.
See you on the pitch!
Best,
Ian Wyllie
Coastal Referee Coordinator
Cell: 781-812-3589
Email: ian.wyllie@gmail.com
Game Rules
| Age |
Game Length |
# of players |
Ball Size |
Requiered Distance |
PK Mark |
Min. # of Players |
| U10 |
2 x 30 min |
7 vs 7 |
4 |
8 yards |
10 yards |
N/A |
| U12 |
2 x 30 min |
8 vs 8 |
4 |
8 yards |
10 yards |
6 |
| U14 |
2 x 35 min |
11 vs 11 |
5 |
10 yards |
12 yards |
7 |
| U16 |
2 x 40 min |
11 vs 11 |
5 |
10 yards |
12 yards |
7 |
| U18/19 |
2 x 40 min |
11 vs 11 |
5 |
10 yards |
12 yards |
7 |
|
*Required distance refers to how far away opponents need to be from free kicks
Substitutions - may be made prior to a kick-off, goal kick, injury, and throw-in. A team may only substitute on their own throw-in or if the the opponent is substituting as well. Substitutions are unlimited on injuries. Note: if play is stopped for an injury, that player must be substituted unless they are the goalkeeper.
Distribution by the Goal Keeper for U10/U12 - The goal keeper may not directly distribute the ball into the opponents PENALTY AREA for U12 and other half of the field for U10. Directly means in the air, without having touched anyone else on the field. This can be thrown, punted, or taken from a goal kick (including defenders). The proper restart is an indirect free kick from wherever the ball went over the mid-field line (for both U10/U12).
Cautioned Players - must be substituted out before play resumes. They may substitute back in at the next legal opportunity.
Ejected Players - must leave the field complex (out of sight and sound) before the game may resume. When dealing with young players, the coach must decide if there is a responsible adult who can escort them out of the complex. When there is no responsible adult available, the player may remain in the technical area and any further misconduct will result in the head coach being sanctioned.
Misconduct by Team Officials - that warrants an ejection must have a red card shown. This is to ensure clarity of the call being made. If a referee feels that ejecting a coach will lead the game into further disrepute, the game may be abandoned, and a report filed stating the circumstances.
Minimum Number of Players & Grace Period - See the chart above for the number of players required to start a match. The teams have a 20 minute grace period after the scheduled kick off time to field the required amount of players. After that time period the referee should indicate game not played in his/her match report and state the reason.
Player Equipment - Jewelry and casts of any kind are NOT allowed. Earrings must be removed and can not be taped. Braces and other supports are allowed if they are viewed as safe by the referee. Medical and religious jewelry are allowed if taped down.
Halted Play - In the event of lightning and/or thunderstorms, the game shall be stopped for the duration of the storm; from the first sight of lightning till 30 minutes after the last sight of lightning. Re-starts are solely the referee’s decision. If the game cannot be re-started, indicate the score and time remaining when play was stopped in the referee report.
Pre-game Procedures
Arrive - at least 20 minutes prior to game time, your game may be given away after this point. Meet with your crew right away.
Inspect - the field and the goals. Make sure that the goals are secured and that the corner flags are greater than 5 feet tall.
Check-In - the teams well before the scheduled kickoff. Look for safety issues, especially jewelry and casts.
Rosters - are required (2 copies) for all teams, regardless of age or division. Make sure they are signed by the coach and the registrar. Handwritten names are not allowed.
Passcards and rosters not available at the start of a game do not preclude the game from being played. Teams have until the completion of the game to submit these documents. If not submitted in time, the referee creates an incident report and a game report on GameOfficials as soon as possible and informs their assignor.
Passcards - are required for Divisions 1 and 2 for U12 and up (this includes coaches). They are not required for U10 and below as well as Coastal Cup (Division 3) for all age groups. Note: all passcards must be laminated with a picture from the start of the season, there is no grace period.
In the event a rostered coach is not present, the adult taking charge of the team must present a valid Driver’s License to the referee prior to the game. The referee should record the name, telephone number, and address of the adult and report it in their Game Report.
Passcards should be handed back after the game. Please keep the passcard of an ejected player/coach.
Captains Meeting - should be held a few minutes prior to kick-off. The away team calls the toss and the winner decides which side they would like to attack, the other team gets the ball first.
Zero Tolerance Policy
Coastal states that no one is to address the referee during the game. With the exception of providing the referee critical information (ex. injured player).
We recommend that referees be firm in following the policy for their own good and for the good of future referees. Below is a rough template to use when dealing with coaches.
| Occurrence |
Penalty |
| 1st Infraction |
Ignore |
| 2nd Infraction |
Verbal Warning |
| 3rd Infraction |
Caution |
| 4th Infraction |
Ejection |
|
This is assuming that the infractions are not very serious. Depending on the severity of the infraction the referee may go straight to a caution or ejection.
When dealing with spectators it is the responsibility of the coach to keep them under control not the referee’s. If a spectator becomes a problem, stop the game and ask a coach to remove them from the field before the game continues. If the spectator does not stop, tell the coach that you may abandon the match if he can not make him stop. If the coach is unable to control the spectator, abandon the match.
Include all occurrences of coach/spectator misconduct in your report.
The Coastal League has enacted this policy to protect you the referee. Please help us by enforcing it. We as a league will support you.
Game Officials
The Coastal League utilizes gameofficials.net for its assigning needs. All associations and referees are required to use it. Please read the information below to make your experience as easy as possible.
My Availability - CYSL only utilizes availability. Do NOT enter unavailability. You may enter multiple slots of availability in a given day if you wish. If you do not enter availability then you will not show up in an assignor’s assigning window.
My Info - When entering your info please enter you home association and USSF ID number (when you get it in the mail).
My Games - is where you accept and decline games.
After Games - The center referee is required to submit the game report within 48 hours on the Gameofficials website. If the crew listed on the game is not the crew that did the game click “crew change” AND state who subbed in for who. Please be as detailed as possible when submitting game reports.
Incident Reports - are separate from the match reports. These must be submitted for cautions, ejections, and serious injuries. They are found opposite the game number in the “After Games” tab.
My Payments - this is only for referees who’s town utilizes the GOPay feature of gameofficials.net. Your area assignor will let you know if this is the case. For those referees that fall under this category, you need to fill out your payment information. The best form of payment to select is direct deposit. If you decide to use a check they will deduct $3 from your check. Once you fill out your preferences you are NOT done. When the payment gets posted to your account you will have to select “request funds” after every season or every time you get paid. Norwell Soccer Association (NSA) does not use GOPay. NSA pays referees by check. Checks for the spring season will be mailed by June 30th and fall checks are mailed by November 30th.
If you have issues with your gameoffcials account please contact the Referee Coordinator for NSA assignments or questions or Ian Wyllie at ian.wyllie@gmail.com.
Referee Expectations
Arrive 20 minutes prior to game time - Arriving after that point means you risk losing your assignment. This ensures you have enough time to check-in the teams and do a proper field inspection.
Accepting/Declining Games - When you are assigned a game you will have 72 hours to accept the assignment before it may re-assigned to someone else. If you need to decline a game for any reason you should email the town assignor to inform them. Repeatedly declining games may result in not getting anymore assignments.
Referee Equipment - It is expected that you will have all of your referee equipment no matter what your position. Note: cell phones do NOT count as a means of keeping time.
Unacceptable Dress Includes (but is not limited to)- mid-calves, non-black undergarments, striped shorts, shirts not tucked, and jewelry. These are some common issues with referee dress.
Playoffs & MTCO
Playoffs - will occur in the two weeks following the completion of the Spring season for Division 1 and Division 2. These will not be assigned by your area assignor and instead will be assigned by the Coastal League Referee Coordinator. Area assignors and mentors will be able to recommend referees for playoff matches. If you request an assessment this may also result in a nomination.
Massachusetts Tournament of Champions (MTOC) - will occur at the end of June. Selection for the MTOC will be made by the Coastal Referee Coordinator, Area Assignors, and Mentors. The majority of these selections will be made prior to June 1st and before playoffs begin. Some additional referees will be selected during playoffs. As with playoffs, if you request an assessment this may also result in a nomination.
Appointments to both of these post-season play opportunities are something we want our referees to strive for. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Ian Wyllie.
Coastal Cup - is for non-MTOC eligible teams and some referees will also be asked to work this tournament. This is new for 2015 and there will be more info to come.
Mentoring Assestments
Coastal Youth Soccer League will be providing mentoring assessments for those referees who are looking for more feedback. These assessments will not be done by your area assignor but rather a mentor from another town. These should be used to develop yourself as a referee and be a place to seek out moving up into higher levels of competition.
How? - Please contact Ian Wyllie at ian.wyllie@gmail.com for a form. You will be notified via gameofficials if your game has an assessor on it.
What to expect - As a referee you should always be ready to be evaluated. This is not meant to provoke you into doing things differently than you would any other game. The mentor will introduce themselves prior to the game and then watch the game in its entirety. They will not provide feedback before, during, or at half-time. Feedback will be given to the whole crew at the end of the match. Expect the debriefing to take around 15 minutes after you are done with your referee duties. Please do not sign up for a game directly following the assessment.
Nervous? - That’s perfectly okay, but don’t worry too much we are here to help you. Just referee the game like you would any other.
Who sees the report? - The assignors and mentor will be the only ones that can view the report other than referee himself/herself.
The Result - The information provided to the assignors and the referee will be used to help the referee develop. This could include, but is not limited to, higher level games, tournament placement, upper level leagues, and getting assigned a mentor.
Please let Ian Wyllie know if you have any questions.
Area Assignors