Coach Information
Per policy, heading is not allowed in the Preteen or younger ages. We may make slight changes as needed when, for instance, teams are missing players or other circumstances arise.
06U - 12U Rules:
Rules of the Game - We follow the US Youth Soccer's rules.
TSSA Policy 13 Modified Playing Rules - info on game size, ball size, build out lines, etc.
13U - 18U Laws:
IFAB Laws of the Game
Becoming a Coach
Every recreational team needs a volunteer parent or guardian to coach. Utilizing volunteers keeps registration costs low. To get started as a recreational coach, follow these steps.
1. When registering your child to play, either choose the volunteer coach option during registration or click the Volunteer button on your dashboard.
2. Complete your risk management. For recreational volunteers, your background and cardiac are done when you sign up at registration. For competitive and other coaches, click the links below for background and cardiac.
3. Send a copy of your risk certificates to [email protected].
4. Once our Risk Manager has verified for you in the TSSA system, we will post your roster. Please contact your team families within a week if possible.
5. After the roster is posted, under your child’s info, your team number will appear. You may click the team’s name to view your team page. This is where you will see your player’s information, print your roster, use the email/messaging to contact parents, etc.
6. Volunteers will need to meet on Coach’s Saturday to pick up your Team Kit. The team kit will have your uniforms, medical release, roster, and other information for you. Coaches that do not complete their risk by Coach’s Saturday cannot receive their team kit and will need to coordinate pickup later with the Vice President of Recreational.
7. Contact your parents as soon as possible to discuss practice days or a meeting to distribute uniforms.
8. Each parent/guardian will need to sign the medical release. You must have this at each practice and game. This provides authorization for treatment for a medical condition in the absence of the parent or guardian.
9. We preorder our uniform kits in bulk based on projections from previous seasons to have them ready before game day. When distributing uniforms, distribute by size. Do not allow players to pick numbers. If you have issues, contact our Uniform Coordinator at [email protected].
10. 04U Tiny Toes and 06U divisions do not practice unless the coach wants to. Mentors provide training and game play each Saturday at the allotted game time for these age groups. If a coach would like to practice, we ask that you only practice once a week for the younger groups. 08U and older will generally meet twice a week. To reserve a practice field, contact our Field Manager at [email protected]. Volunteer coaches pick the days and times of practice.
11. Once most teams have coaches and practices start, schedules will be posted. The schedules will appear on each account's upcoming events and the calendar for the team. A notification will be sent from our system a few days prior as a reminder.
12. We ask that you remind your parents this is a recreational league. Scores are not kept week to week. We have refs as young as 13 just starting out. We will not tolerate abuse towards referees, players, coaches, or spectators. Persons guilty of abuse may face fines, banishment from games, and/or expulsion from the association. Each player will play at least half a game. Most importantly, they should all be having fun.
13. Teams can bring snacks to hand out after each game, end-of-season party, and hand out medals. It is up to each team if they’d like to do this.
Risk Management
The soccer year runs from August 1 through July 31. All risk management expires on July 31st and must be renewed on or after August 1 regardless of when it was initially completed.
Anyone 18 and older (including players) holding a position with a team must complete the following forms to comply with US Youth/TN State Soccer and Federal Laws. Click each link below.
>>SAFESPORT - If you are enrolling for the first time, make sure to click the new user link. If not, you may have to enter this enrollment key manually: JJFAQsQPWNRj01edWcPr
Click the Start button for “SafeSport Trained – U.S. Soccer Federation” to complete the course. This may be listed under My Courses.
>>CONCUSSION -
Create an account on the CDC website.
Location - select OTHER
Select: Confirm these selections (green box)
Select: continue (blue box)
Region - Select your closest region OR Central Office
Select: Confirm these selections (green box)
Select: Finish creating an account (blue box)
Click on the HEADS UP to Youth Sports: Online Training for Coaches at the bottom
right.
>>BACKGROUND CHECK and SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - If you are a recreational coach, this is processed when you sign up to volunteer through the system. Competitive coaches and other admins can follow this link if needed.
Forms
>>Medical Release - Each coach must have each player's parent or guardian sign the medical release. Coaches are to have this form with them at each game and practice.
>>Return to Play Form (Cardiac) - This form must be completed by a physician in order to return to play.
>>Return to Play Form (Concussion) - This form must be completed by a physician in order to return to play.
Player Development Initiatives
The US Soccer Federation proposed and implemented standardization with Player Development Initiatives (referred to as PDIs) in August 2016. The goal is to improve the long-term development of players in the United States by creating the optimal training and playing environment, especially for youth players. These changes were recommended in 2016/2017 but will be MANDATED in 2017/2018. The mandates apply to every team and club under the governance of US Soccer, including US Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), of which the Tennessee State Soccer Association (TSSA) is a member.
>>Read More - Player Development Mandates
>>Player Development Initiatives Document