Question Number: 16228

Law 3 - Number of Players 8/6/2007

RE: recreational Under 12

trish gawlik of alliston, ontario canada asks...

is there any rule with regards to the coaches and whether they are allowed to cross the line at centre field or whether they are aloud to walk/run the full length of the field?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Law 3 Decision 2 says, "A team official may convey tactical instructions to the players during the match and he must return to his position after giving these instructions. All offi cials must remain within the confines of the technical area, where such an area is provided, and they must behave in a responsible manner."

Toward the end of the Laws, just before the "Additional Instructions", there is a section which describes the technical area, but with a lot of leeway. Generally it is the area enclosing the team bench, a meter on either side, and extending to within a meter of the touchline.

It would be up to the league rules of your area where coaches may go in the absence of a defined technical area. Since most soccer games in Canada and the US are played on fields marked out in parks, there is not a permanent team seating area installed. And seldom is there an area painted out defining where the teams must be. Still, the decision quoted above would indicate that coaches shouldn't be allowed to roam at will - they should have a small area to which they return after giving tactical instructions.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

They must stay in the confines of their technical area. As referee Voshol states, they must behave in a responsible manner and must return to technical area after instructions are given. If no technical area is present, then they must stay reasonably close to where their players are. The referee must make the determination and can warn or dismiss a coach when needed.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Does the coach also reflexively kick his leg when he wants a player to do a kick on the field? I'd say this was someone trying to do a good job, who is very enthusiastic but who is not understanding how the game is played or coached. A coach who is stepping onto the field during play or who is running the entire length of the field needs to have the referee give him a little friendly education like my colleagues above have suggested, although my experience at this level tells me they will forget in about 5 to 10 minutes and be back on the field and up and down the touchline again. It does help to paint them a line they need to stand behind - those visual cues work better than anything else, and at the recreational level, one hates to be sending off coaches for enthusiasm. If they only knew how silly they look!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

When I first started coaching I was a stereo unit on one side with a set of assistant coach speakers on the other as we tried to *coach* our kids, we meant well but were frankly idiots. Enthusiasm is not a replacement for intelligent responsible coaching

As I learned appropriate behavior as a player, as a coach, as a referee even as a fan, I came to realize the game is perceived by different standards based on the needs of those involved as much as an understanding of the laws and spirit of the game.

People often do one thing simply because they are not prevented from doing it! A good league with proper fields will have technical areas and the league will have educational standards in place at the beginning of the season to at LEAST briefly explain what responsible behavior entails.

It is true the seating arrangements and lined fields are often in disarray at grassroots levels but a friendly firm voice to explain who, what, where, when and why will curb the over exuberant into an enthusiastic but responsible form of behavior!

Cheers