Coaches,

Our Recreation Soccer Leagues are intended to provide a safe and fun soccer environment for all of our players while recognizing that soccer is a competitive sport. One of the key ingredients to a good player experience is to ensure competitive games with balanced teams. However, despite our best efforts, there are occasions when some teams are much stronger than others. This presents a problem for both teams;  the weaker team must face issues of morale in the face of a negative goal margin while the stronger team does not really gain from playing one-sided games.

This message is intended to reach those coaches who find their teams in a strong winning position. Should you face this situation, we ask that you take steps to ensure that the score remains reasonable and the other team is not humiliated. You should avoid "running up the score" and instead should seek new challenges for your own team within the context of the game.

Therefore, we are introducing the following guidelines regarding games scores. In the instance that a game score margin reaches 5 goals (5-0, 6-1, 7-2 etc), the winning team MUST take immediate measures to limit additional goals without embarrassing or humiliating the opposing team. These measures may include the following techniques:

Switch players into unfamiliar positions (defenders into attack and vice-versa)

• Provide more playing time to players who pose less of a scoring threat (while still allowing all players to play at least one half per club rules)
• Require multiple passes before a goal can be scored (eg: 3 or more consecutive passes must be completed before a shot can be attempted)
• Allow players to shoot only from outside the penalty area
• Allow players to shoot only on a volley or with a headball (suitable for older teams)
• Reduce the number of players on the field (eg: by playing 7 vs 8 or 10 vs 11)

All of these measures must be introduced in a subtle way.  Shouting instruction such as "Stop Scoring !" may humiliate the opposing team. Therefore, instructions should be passed quietly to your team.  For example, substitutes entering the field can quietly pass messages to the rest of the team.

We recognize that this is not an easy issue. It is not easy for a young player to be told "don’t shoot" or "try not to score" when that is the fundamental key to the game they are learning and playing. Therefore, effective techniques to control the game should include skill challenges for the players requiring them to complete assigned tasks prior to shooting and scoring.  These challenges should be made more difficult according to the circumstances but should always make scoring much less likely.

We will continue to seek ways to ensure balanced teams in each League.  However, whenever this does not happen, we ask your support in seeking ways to contain large goal margins and to teach our players a good sporting attitude.

Finally, we recognize that many coaches are already familiar with these approaches and implement these guidelines independently. We hope that by sharing these suggestions with all Coaches, that we will help improve the experience of some of our players. 

Please let us know if you have any concerns regarding these guidelines or how to implement them.

Robin Dean
WWPSA Executive Director