What does the designation U7 or U14 mean?

The U is for under, therefore U7 mean under 7. U14 means under 14. AYSO groups children by birthyear on a calendar year basis into divisions.

Can I request a specific team, coach or child for my child to play with?
Unfortunately with the number of players that our league has, it would be virtually impossible to develop teams where all kids were able to play with their specific friends, with a particular coach, with still abiding by the concept of balanced teams. If we can’t do for all then it would be unfair to do for one. We also cannot guarantee particular practice nights and times as the teams are formulated before coaches select their practice days and times. You can guarantee a practice day and time by becoming a volunteer coach and taking the required course. This is only a perk for the volunteer coaches.

I have two children within the same division, will they be placed on the same team?
Yes, siblings of the same gender and in the same age group division will automatically be placed on the same team.

Player’s Commitment to Practice

What is my child’s commitment to the team by way of practices?
Each team, ages U7 on up, practice twice per week. All U5 and U6 practices are once per week. Players should only attend their assigned team’s practice unless they get prior authorization from the division director only, not the coach. Practices are not mandatory for a child to attend and WILL NOT affect their playing time for games on the field.

All practice days and times are selected by the coaches at a coaches meeting with our director of operations. No changes can be made by the coaches without proper authorization of the director of operations. Field space is tight and limited due to the number of players. A team my practice off sight but must make the division director know ahead of time for authorization.

It is AYSO Region 644 policy that all children must be accompanied at all times by a parent. We do realize that some parents have multiple players playing on multiple fields. Therefore a parent must remain on the Regional Park grounds during the entire practice. This is for the safety and well being of the children.

 SHIN GUARDS MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES DURING PRACTICES AND NO JEWELRY ALLOWED WHILE ON THE FIELD

AYSO Region 644 policy is that no child shall participate in practices without shin guards. Soccer cleats are optional but sneakers are allowed. Players need not wear their soccer uniforms to practice. Cleats must be soccer cleats, NOT baseball cleats. No toe cleats are allowed. No metal cleats are allowed either. Players should bring a water bottle and soccer ball to practice. No jewelry is allowed, whether it be rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings etc.

Is there a minimum amount of playing time for each player during a game?
Yes, every player is guaranteed to play one half of each game unless he/she shows up to the game after half time or too late to be substituted in for enough playing time. It is the policy of AYSO Region 644 that every child plays three-quarters of the game before a player plays a full game. Because of the nature of the numbers of kids on a team, this may not be possible for every individual game but is our policy for playing time over the course of the season. An exception to this policy is in the U12 division on up. A player may play all 4 quarters in goal despite some players only playing one-half of the game. For U8 and U10 players, players may only play one half of every game in goal. Those players must play at least one quarter in the field.

Are casts or splints allowed to be worn by players during practices or games?
No casts or splints are allowed at any time in a game or training session. This includes anything whose purpose is to prevent a bone or joint from moving. No player who recently had to wear a cast or splint should be allowed to practice or participate in a game until the player has a signed release by their doctor and parents.
A brace, whose purpose is to protect a joint but allow movement, may be allowed if in the opinion of the Referee, they are soft, like an Ace bandage, they are padded and they have no exposed sharp edges or exposed metal ribs which might catch another player.

What do I need to do in order to coach my child’s team?
In order to coach you should indicate such on your child’s registration. You may also indicate who you would like to coach with. You will need to go to www.eayso.org and register online as a volunteer. While registering as a volunteer you should print out the filled out form and sign it. You will be contacted by a division director and will attend an organizational meeting for the season. You should hand in the volunteer application form at this meeting and you will receive an AYSO volunteer number. If you have never taken the safe haven course online you will need to go to our website, www.ayso644.org, click on the education link, and take the safe haven course. You will receive a certificate of completion online upon completion. Every two years you will need to take an aged based certification course in order to continue coaching. U6, U8 and U10 courses are held online and are accessed using the same process as the safe haven course is. The U12 course is a 5 hour on-site course which is given two times prior to each season and held at the Weston Regional Park AYSO soccer building by field 2. Dates and times are announced online and will be emailed to you by your division director. U14 courses are two day courses held once per season on a Saturday and Sunday. U19 courses are a Friday night along with a Saturday and Sunday and are offered once per season.

Coach’s Time Commitments 

What are the time commitments to coach?
Other than the certification courses, the time commitments are as follows:
The U5 and U6 divisions have a single 45 minute practice per week plus a game on Saturdays
The U7, U8 and U10 divisions have two one hour practices per week plus a game on Saturday
The U12 division has two one and a quarter hour practices per week plus a game on Saturday
The U14 and U19 divisions have two one and a half hour practices per week plus a game on Saturday.

We offer referee courses throughout the year which will be announced via our website and via mass email. You must be at least ten years of age. Prior to the course you need to go to www.eayso.org and register as a volunteer. Then print out the volunteer application form, sign it and bring it with you to the course. Youth referees get community service credit from their schools. In addition, after completing a set number of games, youth referees can earn American Express gift certificates and other gift certificates.

What are the new rules around heading the ball?
1. Consistent with the U.S. Soccer mandates on heading the ball, heading is banned for all division players U-12 and below in both practices and games. Heading for players in U-14 is limited to a maximum of thirty (30) minutes per week with no more than 15-20 headers, per player. There is no restriction on heading in matches.

2. An indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposing team if a player age 10 or younger, deliberately touches the ball with his/her head during a game.

a. The indirect free kick is to be taken from the place where the player touched the ball with his/her head.

b. An indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team inside the opposing team’s penalty area, must be taken on the penalty area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the player touched the ball with his/her head.

3. Neither cautions nor send offs shall be issued for persistent infringement or denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity related to the heading infraction.

What type of sponsorship opportunities are there and how do I become a sponsor?

Our sponsorship opportunities constantly change and the specific packages and costs will be posted on our website. Opportunities include business logos on the jerseys, banners at the soccer fields, website links, sponsorship of weekly game announcements etc. There will be a form you can download and fill out to become a sponsor.