Wednesday, May 14, 2008

U11/12 INFORMATION SHEET


Timeline for Spring '09 Soccer

  • Practices Begin - January 26
  • First Game - February 14
  • Picture Day - March 28
  • Last Game - May 10
  • End of Season Tourney - May 9 & 10
  • Western District - May 16 & 17

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are age groups combined? Our age group consists of U11, U12 and mixed teams.
  • How many players play at one time in a match? Teams play 8 v. 8 including a goalie.

  • How much playing time must each player have? Each player must play at least half of each half unless there are valid health or disciplinary reasons.

  • How long are the halves? There are two 30 minute halves with a 10 minute halftime.

  • Do we have throw-ins or kick-ins? Throw-ins.

  • What size ball do players use? Size 4.

  • When can we substitute? On your own throw-in, on any goal kick, after a goal is scored, at half-time and to replace an injured player. You cannot substitute on the other team’s throw-in, on a corner kick or on a penalty kick.

  • When is the season? The regular season runs from January 26th (practices begin) to May 10th (last game day). We will have one rain-out weekend for any make-up games that may need to be scheduled.

  • What post-season play is there? The Western District tournament is tentatively scheduled to be held on May 16 & 17. In the past, we have been able to send 2-3 teams to this tournament. Any teams wishing to participate in the Western District playoff should contact their commissioner by March 27th. The Commissioner will decide which teams will represent Austin United at the tournament. We will also have an end of season tournament on May 9 & 10. The cost of this tournament is INCLUDED in your registration fee so that there will not be any extra cost to participate.

  • Who is the home team and what are their responsibilities? The first team listed on the schedule is the home team. The home team wears blue* and the visiting team wears white. The home team is responsible for providing a game ball and a game card. The game card form can be found under the documents section of teamstats. Please note that the winning team is responsible for submitting the game score to the commissioner and retaining the game card. http://teamstats.com/main.cgi?league_nbr=11569&fop=doc

*--There is one important exception to this. The Lake Travis and Lockhart teams wear blue uniforms. When you play Lockhart or Lake Travis, ALWAYS wear the white uniform.

  • What if I have to re-schedule a game? If you need to reschedule a game, you must let your commissioner know as soon as possible. If you have to reschedule a game less than two weeks prior to the date of the game, you will be charged a rescheduling fee. If you do not show up for your game, it will count as a forfeit.

  • Will there be any travel involved? This season we will be playing with teams from Cedar Creek and Lake Travis. Most teams will have either one or two games out of town.

  • Why do we play teams from outside our club? Most soccer authorities in the United States and Europe recommend small-sided soccer for players in the U11 and U12 age groups. We have one of the largest small-sided programs in the State of Texas. However, other clubs in the Austin area have been slow to adopt this format and CAYSA does not offer a small-sided U11/U12 program at this time. As a result, we allow other clubs that are interested in playing small-sided soccer to play with us. We currently play with Lake Travis, Cedar Creek (which is between Austin and Bastrop) and Lockhart. When the players move up to U13/U14, they will be playing in the CAYSA league and travel will become a regular part of their schedule. This gives all families an introduction to away games.

  • Where and when will we play our games? We will have some Friday night games at the Stassney fields. Most games will be on Saturday and will be played at Slaughter Creek or West Creek or out of town. There may be a few Sunday afternoon games at Lake Travis, Cedar Creek, and Lockhart depending on any conflicts that arise (game cancellations, rain-outs, etc.).

  • Where can we find the schedule? The schedule will be posted on teamstats. There will also be a link to the schedule at www.austinsoccer.org. The schedule is likely to change as the season goes on. The commissioner will inform your coach when there are changes, but you should check the schedule often to make sure you have the most up to date information.

  • Will we receive trophies? The top three teams in the End of Season tournament will receive medals. However, participation trophies are not given out at this age level.

  • Do coaches need to be licensed? Effective as of December 1, 2007 the South Texas Youth Soccer Association, of which we are a part of, has required all coaches to hold an appropriate coaching license and have it on file with STYSA. Our club will be requiring this as well. Austin United will reimburse the cost for the head coach of a team to attend a coaching class to be certified. We will give everyone a reasonable time to get licensed. However, if you plan on participating in the Western District tournament in May, you will need to have your coaching license by then.