Question Number: 16750

League Specific 9/17/2007

Bob Roach of Charlottesville, VA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 16712

In reference to 16712 where coaches were violating a 5 goal slaughter rule, I am amazed that a club would institute a slaughter rule.

A good coach will look for things to work on when his/her team is up a bunch of goals. If the team has a weakness, then work on that weakness. The suggestion to let subs play more and defense move to offense, or let the keeper play in the field are good ones, but still let them play. But to tell them they can't score? Seems silly to me. After all, if a team isn't alowed to score then it is not soccer, it is keepaway.

The same goes for the team that is down by a bunch of goals. I tell them, ok, lets see if we can string four passes together and work the ball up the side. Then lets see if we can get it into the other team's penalty area for a scoring opportunity. Or concentrate on defense and let's see if we can keep it our of our third and keep them from scoring another goal.

I have an older daughter who has been on both sides of this equation - where teams she has been on won by a lot and other teams where they lost by a lot. She has always maintained that she would get upset when a team would hold back and not try. She was more offended by that then by getting beat by a dozen goals.

I have coached teams that would be down 7 goals at half, but would outscore the other team 1-0 in the second half. We felt like we lost the first half and won the second. There are ways to challenge them and keep it fun.

One of the things I always enjoyed from some of the teams I coached was that when the game was over and the players were coming off the field you couldn't tell which team won. I coached them to have fun and to play as hard as they could, win or lose and regardless of the score.
After all, our job is to 1) keep them safe 2) keep it fun 3) teach them soccer.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Wise words Bob,
people always amaze me at the decisions some of them take both good and bad! I am either stunned into disbelief or reminded that good people do exist if you know where to look! Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

You just can't fault those with infinite wisdom, especially those on a committee where no one person is held responsible.

Your points are well taken and extremely useful teaching tools. I wish there were more out there like you.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Agreed, and if we had all good coaches and all good referees, this website would go out of business.

Unfortunately far too many people involved in soccer don't realize that it is not like other American sports. In baseball the manager is allowed to rant and rave and kick dirt all over the umpire's shoes. Such childish behavior is thankfully not tolerated in soccer. Neither should humiliating your opponent be tolerated. Not enough people have gotten that message yet. I'll keep trying if you do.