FAQs - Game Day

What do we do if it's raining on game day? 

How much of each game can each child expect to play? 

A parent on the other side of the field was screaming at the players and upsetting the flow of the game.  What can I do?

I was watching a professional soccer match and saw them doing things that I thought that our kids are not allowed to do.  Are the rules the same?

The rules in my son's High School Soccer games seem different.  Is this true?

To learn more about what one can expect on game day,
please visit our Kids’ Zone® page.

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What do we do if it's raining on game day? 
Just because it is wet outside, don't assume that the games have been canceled. Kids are waterproof and have been known to play in the rain. On rainy days, the fields will be checked for playability. We have permits to play on the fields we use. If it is determined that we should stay off the field, our permits can be pulled. Our Regional Commissioner may decide that we will not be playing independently. Coaches are provided with a special “Rain Out Number.” They will call that number on rainy days to find out if games have been canceled. You should receive a call from your Team Parent or Coach to let you know. Obviously, we cannot provide that number to all families as the line would not be able to handle that many calls. If the Region has not canceled games due to weather, then it becomes the individual Game Referee's decision to call off the game if conditions are not safe at the time the games are scheduled to begin. If you don't hear from your Coach or Team Parent, please go to the field at the time given to you by your coach.

How much of each game can each child expect to play? 
AYSO National regulations provide that each child must play at least two quarters of every game. Region 70 requires that every player play a minimum of three quarters of every game, but if a player is late for practices and/or misses practices on a habitual basis, the coach may only permit that player to play two quarters of the game.

A parent on the other side of the field was screaming at the players and upsetting the flow of the game.  What can I do?
The coach of each team is responsible for the behavior of the team’s players and sidelines. Additionally each team must have at least two team monitors to assist the coach with sideline behavior. If none of these people address the situation, or they are the situation, please discuss this with your coach immediately. Additionally, you should contact your Division Commissioner within 24 hours.

I was watching a professional soccer match and saw them doing things that I thought our kids are not allowed to do.  Are the rules the same?
The Laws of the Game (there are no "rules" in soccer) are the same for at all levels and even professional soccer.  These Laws can be viewed online at FIFA Laws of the Game.  Youth soccer players are not as skilled or experienced as professional players.  Fouls awarded due to "playing in a dangerous manner" and "gaining an unfair advantage" have different interpretations at different age and skill levels. AYSO has made a small number of modifications to the laws (as permitted by the laws) to meet the needs of a youth sports program.  The modifications are in the areas of field size and ball size for younger players, play time and substitutions.  In AYSO Region 70, West LA,, the younger divisions play short-sided game with simplified laws and all players are guaranteed of playing at least three quarters of the game from the time of arrival at each game.

The rules in my son's high school soccer games seem different.  Is this true?
Most high school soccer games in the United States are governed by a set of rules which have been changed from the FIFA Laws of the Game beyond those allowed by FIFA. Accordingly, many of the rules are different.