Sometimes parents want to coach their children in order to spend more “quality time” with them. While I think soccer is a great way to spend time with your kids, and I applaud those parents who take time away from their hectic lives to dedicate their focus on their children, being a soccer coach is about more than just family bonding. The coach of a soccer team is a coach not only to their own child, but also to every other player on the team. If you’re coaching merely to act as a positive role model for your son or daughter, you’re not being fair to the rest of the team. A soccer coach should care about their child, the other players on the team, and the game.
No one is asking a junior league soccer coach to have the sport knowledge of a seasoned professional. What is important, however, is a basic knowledge of the game and how it’s played. A coach should be available to answer questions on the rules of soccer and the structure of the game. Remember that as a coach, you are also a teacher, and you should know your subject.
As a jumping-off point for first-time soccer coaches, I have compiled a basic crash course on the rules of soccer. Keep in mind that the following is by no means an exhaustive list of rules and soccer protocol, but it is a good place to start when it comes to gaining a general knowledge on the sport.
The Rules of Soccer
• A soccer field is rectangular. The length should always exceed the width.
• A soccer ball is spherical, and leather in casing. The soccer ball can also be encased in a synthetic material if the synthetic material is approved by a national soccer organization.
• Soccer is played between two teams made up of up to eleven players. One of these players will play the position of goalkeeper or “goalie.”
• All soccer players must wear standard clothing and equipment. A shirt or jersey, shorts, socks, shin guards, and proper footwear are required at all times during the course of the game.
• A referee and two assistants should oversee the playing of the game.
• Usually, a standard game is played in two 45-minute periods.
Game Play
• A coin toss by the referee determines kickoff and designated team field ends.
• After the game begins, a ball becomes “out of play” (“out of bounds”) if the entire ball crosses a boundary line (in the air or on the ground) or by a game interruption made by an official.
• A goal is officially scored when the entire soccer ball passes over the goal line and under the crossbar of the goal box. A goal is deemed invalid if the ball was thrown into the goal box by hand.
• An “off-side” player designation occurs when a player on the attacking team is nearer to the goal line than he or she is to the ball. This rule does not apply if a player is in his or her side of the field, or if two players of the defending team are closer to the goal line than the potentially off-side attacker.
• An off-side position on the field becomes an offense only if the player in question is involved in active play of the ball. If the player interferes with play, an opponent, or otherwise gains an advantage by being off-side, the offending team will be penalized.
• When a penalty is incurred by a team, the opposing team is rewarded a direct free kick and the opportunity to score.
• Some other actions which incur a penalty are when a player kicks, attempts to kick, trips, jumps at, charges, strikes or attempts to strike, or pushes an opponent. A penalty is also taken if a player tackles an opponent without contact with the ball, holds an opponent, spits at an opponent, or manages the ball with his or her hands.
• Free kicks are awarded to the opposing team after a player is penalized for an offense. Free kicks are either direct or indirect. Direct free kicks are scored by a player kicking the soccer ball directly into the goal box of the offending side. Indirect free kicks must first be played or touched by a player on the offending side before passing across the offending team’s goal line.
• A so-called “penalty kick” must be made from the penalty-mark.
• If a ball crosses a touch line, it will be thrown back into play from the same point where it originally crossed.
• If a ball crosses the goal line outside of the goal area, a member of the defending team is then allowed to take a goal kick.
• A corner kick is awarded to a member of the attacking team when the ball passes over the goal line outside of the goal area but was last played by a defending team member.
I would recommend the novice soccer enthusiast wanting to coach their child’s team take a look at any number of books at your local library or bookstore on the rules of soccer, as well as manuals on how to coach. The more knowledge you have on the sport, the more comfortable you will inevitably be on the field. That comfort, confidence and ease will then be passed on to your players, and the whole team will have a more enjoyable playing experience.