NYSA has created a set of coaching policies to encourage equality and fairness within the program that benefit all. Coaches are required to adhere to these policies.

Player Passes

Player passes are used for travel teams when they do not have enough players for a game. Players from teams in lower groups than the requesting team may be added to the roster for that game. This process must be completed in conjunction with the travel coordinators and all rules must be followed.

• ECYSA Rules (full rules)
  • Players passes are not to be used for competitive advantages.
  • Available players + player pass players cannot exceed 12 for U12 and 14 for U14. For example, if you have 13 players available for a U14 game, you can only have 1 player pass participant.
  •  Individual players can only be player pass players 3 times per season.
  •  Players must prioritize their own game first. They cannot skip or be late to their own game to play on a player pass.
  •  Players can only play for teams in groups above their team's. If a player is in MTOC 2-2, they cannot play for a team in County 1-1 and so forth.
  • Players cannot play up 2 grade levels regardless of age. For example, a 5th grader cannot guest play up on a U14 team.
• NYSA Rules
  • Players playing on their actual team should be prioritized. A player pass player should not play more minutes, start the game, be given special privileges, etc.
  • If divisions are set up in a grade specific format, players must prioritize player passes for players in the corresponding grade. For example, if the 6A team needs players, they must ask players on the 6B team first before asking players from the 5A team. Your coordinator can help you identify teams and players.
  •  Player passes may only be issued to players in lower divisions (ie a player in U12 being invited to play in U14) if they meet all age requirements and all possibilities with players in the actual division have been exhausted.
  •  Players playing up (ie a 4th grader playing in U12) may not be issued player passes.
  •  Coaches are not allowed to coach a team where their own child is playing on a player pass unless they are already a coach of that team.
  • All requests must be submitted by noon on Thursday for Saturday games and 48 hours before all other games.

Playing Time

This policy is designed to promote fair play, skill development, and enjoyment for all participants in the youth soccer league by ensuring equitable playing time and preventing player overuse. All coaches should do their best to provide equal playing time. This is a rec league designed to be fun and a way to learn and playing in games is the main driver of both.

• U6 / U8 / U10
  • All players must have as close to equal playing time as possible.
  • Players must play in each half.
• U12 / U14
  • Each player must play a minimum of 50% of the total game time, regardless of skill level or game situation. This is per game, not an average over a season. Ideally, all players play equal minutes.
  • All  players must play meaningful minutes in each half.
  • No player should be playing significantly more minutes than other players. For example, one player should not be playing 50% of the game while another plays 100%. Exceptions include goalies and positions which lead to less running such as center backs in U14.
  • Consistent violations of this policy will result in required equal playing time and potential loss of coaching privileges.

Lopsided Scores

NYSA strives to create a fun, fair environment for all players. One of the biggest frustrations expressed by players and parents is teams losing by a lopsided score. Saturday games should not be times to blowout friends, classmates, and neighbors. Players leave these games with destroyed confidence and some quit the sport completely. While NYSA takes steps to distribute talent evenly, dominant teams and lopsided scores still happen. However, coaches have the ability to control this issue using strategies listed below. These strategies should be implemented when the goal differential hits 4 goals. This allows for a small cushion, but the differential should never exceed 6 or more. 

• Remove a player on the dominant team from the field and play with less players.
• Add a player to the weaker team, allowing them to play with more players.
• Encourage players on the dominant team to only shoot with their weak foot.
• Require players on the dominant team to pass 3-5 times before shooting.
• Dominant teams can create stronger groups and weaker groups. When the weaker group is on the field, it gives the other team a better chance to score. Encourage the stronger group to pass or even play keep away.
• Dominant teams should rotate players into less familiar positions.
• It is usually clear from the start if a game is going to be uneven. Coaches of dominant teams should identify this early and encourage stronger players to get weaker players involved from the beginning. Watching a team pass to a player that has never scored a goal over and over is fun and rewarding for everyone.

Lopsided score policy:

• U8 and U10 games should not end with a 6+ goal differential.
• The first time a team wins by 6 or more goals and is reported to the in-town director or league president, the coaches on the winning team will be issued a warning.
• The second time this same team wins by 6 or more goals, the roster will be adjusted with strong players moving to other teams.
• The third time this same team wins by 6 or more goals, the head coach will receive a 1 game suspension.
• U6 does not keep score and plays on multiple fields. While there is no official policy, all coaches must do their best to keep games fun and even.
• U12 and U14 travel leagues follow the policy set by ECYSA.