Game day information (very useful for new coaches)

Before Game Day

• Print out game cards, using this template and instructions.
• Plan your line-up but do not mark it on the game cards
• 8U and up: Choose captain(s) - giving each player a turn during the season is good
• Plan pre-game warm-up and dynamic stretching
• Let your players know when to arrive and plan to be there before them
• Review fcayso.org/rules
• playing a non-Foster City team? it’s nice to contact the other coach before the game

Day of Game Checklist

• MEDICAL FORMS. Without them your players may not be allowed to play
• Game card, printed out properly and with opponent filled in
• Balls, goalkeeper jersey and gloves, first aid kit.

• The official home team supplies 3 game balls, ensure they are properly inflated

• Paper for line up/notes
• Pen or pencil
• A printout of the rule matrix, fcayso.org/rules. These include the Leagues modification for our age groups.
• Watch
• Water, sunblock, hat.

What to expect before, during, and after the game

• Show up with enough time (30 minutes before game start) to be comfortable before your players are supposed to arrive.
• When they do arrive, start your planned warm up and stretching routine.  Let your players know what position they will be starting in and who will be sitting out at first.
• Referees will check-in your team.

• When instructed, have your players line up shoulder to shoulder. It’s helpful to have them stand on an actual field line and it’s classy if they are in number order.
• Hand your game card to the referee (pro tip - keep the game card, the medical forms, and a pen in your hands up to this point so you don’t have to run back to your bag) and step back.  The referees will keep the game card from now on.

• The refs will ask the home team for the three game balls (one to start with and one to go by each goal)
• After the check-in, return to the warm up if there is time, or bring the team in for the final pre-game discussion.  Make sure you leave enough time so your team can take the field and not hold up the game.
• Send one or two players when the referees call for captains for the coin toss.
• Introduce yourself to the opposing coach!
• Standard procedure is to have a team cheer (hands together in the middle) right before taking the field, usually something like “Let’s go (your team’s name)”.  Then the players starting will go to their positions and those sitting out will go to theirs.
• Make sure the players sitting out stay back from the sidelines and out of the way of the officials.
• POSITIVE COACHING during the game! Let them play and keep notes on what is working and what needs to be worked on during training sessions the following week.  Do keep track of the score (if your division is old enough to keep score), both with an eye to the lopsided rule AND because you will be inputting it into mysoccerleague.com later today.
• You will be able to tell very soon if the lopsided score rule is going to be an issue.  If your team is dominating the other, start EARLY to keep the score differential down.  An excellent strategy is to add challenges to the scoring (only with your non-dominant foot, only from outside the goal box, only by a certain player …) As per the Rule, you will be removing a scorer when you are up by three goals.
• At half time, let your players rest and have some water.  Gather in the shade if there is any nearby, but be ready to get back on the field efficiently. Keep your comments positive.
• At the end of the game, all the players (including those who were out the last quarter) join in another cheer, this time for the opposing team (“Good Game (name of other team)”) and then line up to “shake” (i.e. slap or elbow-bump Covid style) the hands of the other team.  It works well to have the goalkeeper lead.  Instruct the keeper to lead the team to shake hands with the officials as well.  You (all the coaches and assistants) will walk at the end of the line and also shake hands with the other players, coaches, and officials.
• Yay! Hopefully you and your players enjoyed the game.  It’s time for snacks and making sure any trash is picked up and thrown out (your players should be taking care of their trash!).  It’s good to move away from the sidelines both so that the players in the next game can set up, and also because no food or drink besides water is allowed on the turf fields.
• If you provided the game balls, don’t forget to get them.
• Soon after the game, enter the score on mysoccerleague.com. There will be an asterisk until the coaches of both teams have entered the score.
• Start planning your next training sessions based on what you observed during the game (did they pass well but have trouble dribbling in general? Was the defense as effective as the offense?)