MVSL Publications
MVSL Rules- mvsl_handbook_2022.pdf (uploaded 8/30/2022)
FIFA Laws of the Game ~ The official rules of soccer
Law 11 - Offside ~ Official referee technical training document
Here is an interesting guide for parents called "10 Simple Soccer Rules For Baffled Parents" from soccer-for-parents.com. Give it a read!
Lightning Avoidance
Concussion In Youth Sports
The safety of the MVSL athletes is paramount. MVSL has placed the following limitations on heading the ball:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have published guidelines and recommendations for concussion in sports in the HEADS UP section on their website. Please review this information and have a discussion with your children and their coaches.
HEADS UP at the CDC
HEADS UP -Concussion in Youth Sports - Signs & Symptoms Checklist for Coaches, Parents and Officials
The safety of the MVSL athletes is paramount. MVSL has placed the following limitations on heading the ball:
- 3/4 Level - No heading is allowed.
- 5/6 Level - Limited heading during practices. Players should do no more than 15-20 headers per week.
- 7/8 Level - Limited heading during practices. Players should do no more than 15-20 headers per week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have published guidelines and recommendations for concussion in sports in the HEADS UP section on their website. Please review this information and have a discussion with your children and their coaches.
HEADS UP at the CDC
HEADS UP -Concussion in Youth Sports - Signs & Symptoms Checklist for Coaches, Parents and Officials
Ten Steps to Abolish Sexual Abuse in Sports
Let's keep our children safe. Stay involved in their games and practices. Don't just send them; take them and stay to watch or help. Do not allow them to be alone with adults. Talk to your children and stay alert for warning signs.
Check out Ten Steps to Abolish Sexual Abuse in Sports for additional guidelines.
Zero tolerance is the only way.
Let's keep our children safe. Stay involved in their games and practices. Don't just send them; take them and stay to watch or help. Do not allow them to be alone with adults. Talk to your children and stay alert for warning signs.
Check out Ten Steps to Abolish Sexual Abuse in Sports for additional guidelines.
Zero tolerance is the only way.
Helpful Information from Bollinger Insurance
Keys to Keeping Kids Safe In Sports
Top 10 Most Preventable Injuries in Youth Sports
Ten Steps to Abolish Sexual Abuse in Sports
What you Need to Know Before Volunteering
Keys to Keeping Kids Safe In Sports
Top 10 Most Preventable Injuries in Youth Sports
Ten Steps to Abolish Sexual Abuse in Sports
What you Need to Know Before Volunteering
Behavioral Guidelines
Suggested ethical guidelines for everybody involved in youth sports. Parents are encouraged to print out the Players and the Parents codes and discuss with the player. www.nays.org
Coaches Code of Ethics
Players Code of Ethics
Parents Code of Ethics
Officials Code of Ethics
Administrators Code of Ethics
We all know an adult that sometimes goes over-the-top on the sidelines. This is recreational soccer. Please let the kids enjoy the game. Don't be that person.
Soccer - A Sideline Guide for Parents
Suggested ethical guidelines for everybody involved in youth sports. Parents are encouraged to print out the Players and the Parents codes and discuss with the player. www.nays.org
Coaches Code of Ethics
Players Code of Ethics
Parents Code of Ethics
Officials Code of Ethics
Administrators Code of Ethics
We all know an adult that sometimes goes over-the-top on the sidelines. This is recreational soccer. Please let the kids enjoy the game. Don't be that person.
Soccer - A Sideline Guide for Parents
Referees
Without referees, our soccer matches would be nothing other than sand lot scrimmages. Referees help made order out of chaos and deserve our respect and support. In many cases the referees are youths themselves. In every case, they are trying their best to be fair and accurate. In every soccer match, the Referee is always correct and not to be argued with. The referee's authority starts when the teams are warming up on the field and continues while play is stopped for any reason and through any tie-breaking procedures. The following outlines the authority that the Referee has on the field of play.
The Referee:
A Referee can:
Without referees, our soccer matches would be nothing other than sand lot scrimmages. Referees help made order out of chaos and deserve our respect and support. In many cases the referees are youths themselves. In every case, they are trying their best to be fair and accurate. In every soccer match, the Referee is always correct and not to be argued with. The referee's authority starts when the teams are warming up on the field and continues while play is stopped for any reason and through any tie-breaking procedures. The following outlines the authority that the Referee has on the field of play.
The Referee:
- Enforces the Laws of the Game
- Keeps the official time of the game
- Stops play if a player is guilty of a foul or misconduct
- Prevents anyone from coming onto the field unless the referee says it is okay
- Requires a player to leave the field if the player is bleeding or has blood on the uniform
- Makes sure the field, the ball, and player equipment are safe and legal
- Suspends or terminates a game if needed
- Provides the official report of the game.
A Referee can:
- Require a coach or team official to leave the field if their behavior is not proper (a card is not shown)
- Decide not to stop play even if there is a foul or misconduct if stopping play would help the team that committed the foul or misconduct. This is called "applying the advantage."
- Decide not to call any foul or misconduct if the referee decides that the action is trifling (not important or does not have a serious effect on play).
- Decide to let play continue if an injury is not serious
- Caution a player or substitute by showing a yellow card
- Send a player or a substitute from the field by showing a red card
- Make decisions using information from an assistant referee
- Referee decisions about the facts of the game, including whether a goal was scored, are final. After the Referee says a goal is scored, this decision cannot be changed if the game has been restarted.
MVSL Weather Policy
Soccer is an all-weather sport. That means sunshine, cloudy, pouring rain or driving snow. The only reason that a game should to be postponed is for lightning. Lightning is that dangerous weather element that bears extreme caution by following the 30 Second/30 Minute Rule. There really should be no other weather-related cause for cancelling a soccer match. (There may be times, however, when excessive heavy rain may saturate a field to the point where playing a soccer match on it will cause significant field damage or personal injury. This may result in a rescheduled match, however this situation has occurred very infrequently.)
We play rain or shine, so plan to play anyway!
Soccer is an all-weather sport. That means sunshine, cloudy, pouring rain or driving snow. The only reason that a game should to be postponed is for lightning. Lightning is that dangerous weather element that bears extreme caution by following the 30 Second/30 Minute Rule. There really should be no other weather-related cause for cancelling a soccer match. (There may be times, however, when excessive heavy rain may saturate a field to the point where playing a soccer match on it will cause significant field damage or personal injury. This may result in a rescheduled match, however this situation has occurred very infrequently.)
We play rain or shine, so plan to play anyway!
Insurance Information
Each group will be in charge of their own players/teams insurance as of the 2021 season.
Ken Murdough, Chairperson
Merrimack Valley Soccer League
Each group will be in charge of their own players/teams insurance as of the 2021 season.
Ken Murdough, Chairperson
Merrimack Valley Soccer League
SafeKids Program for Merrimack Valley Soccer League
The following constitute the policies of Merrimack Valley Soccer League with regard to awareness and prevention of abuse within our organization.
Physical, mental, and verbal abuse of any of the participants, coaches, managers, employees, volunteers involved in our sponsored activities is not permitted.Inappropriate touching of any kind is forbidden.
We agree to provide more than one adult working at or overseeing every activity. If a child needs special attention (one -on-one training or an individual meeting), it will be handled with the assistance or presence of another adult.
Coaches/trainers should not socialize with the participants outside of the sponsored activities of the organization.
Coaches/trainers should never ride alone with a child or participant in the car. Procedures will be established for coaches to follow in the event a participant is stranded at an activity.
Parents are encouraged to attend all sponsored activities.
The following constitute the policies of Merrimack Valley Soccer League with regard to awareness and prevention of abuse within our organization.
- Merrimack Valley Soccer League is committed to provide a safe environment
and to prevent child abuse and sexual misconduct. - Merrimack Valley Soccer League will make every reasonable effort to ensure that every person involved in coaching or training a sport activity in our organization will abide by the SafeKids guidelines.
- Merrimack Valley Soccer League will make every reasonable effort to exclude any adult with a legally documented history of child abuse/molestation or any other conviction or record that would bring unnecessary risk to the health and safety of the participants of this organization. Therefore, every person applying for a position as a coach or trainer must complete an Employee Disclosure Statement (see Volunteer Form)
- Merrimack Valley Soccer League will take appropriate action on all allegations of child abuse and/or sexual misconduct. All allegations will be reported immediately to the authorities for investigation and Merrimack Valley Soccer League will cooperate fully with any such investigation.
- The following represent the preventive measures of our organization with regard to abuse:
Physical, mental, and verbal abuse of any of the participants, coaches, managers, employees, volunteers involved in our sponsored activities is not permitted.Inappropriate touching of any kind is forbidden.
We agree to provide more than one adult working at or overseeing every activity. If a child needs special attention (one -on-one training or an individual meeting), it will be handled with the assistance or presence of another adult.
Coaches/trainers should not socialize with the participants outside of the sponsored activities of the organization.
Coaches/trainers should never ride alone with a child or participant in the car. Procedures will be established for coaches to follow in the event a participant is stranded at an activity.
Parents are encouraged to attend all sponsored activities.
Why Are Earrings and Other Jewelry A Concern on The Field of Play?
The FIFA soccer Laws of the Game prohibit all jewelry on the field of play. Taping is not allowed. Many things may catch on necklaces and earrings or one player's head may strike another's earrings, causing cuts to either player or violent removal of the earring resulting in significant damage to the ear lobe. According to the Laws of the Game, "Rings, earrings, leather or rubber bands are not necessary to play and the only thing they can bring about is injury."
As soon as blood enters into the equation, play must stop. The wound needs proper care using Universal Precautions. Bloody uniform parts need to be swapped for clean ones.
If you plan to play soccer in the fall, please plan your piercing carefully to allow the time necessary to heal. When soccer starts, the earrings must come out, at least during the games and practices. This rule is purely for every player's safety. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
The FIFA soccer Laws of the Game prohibit all jewelry on the field of play. Taping is not allowed. Many things may catch on necklaces and earrings or one player's head may strike another's earrings, causing cuts to either player or violent removal of the earring resulting in significant damage to the ear lobe. According to the Laws of the Game, "Rings, earrings, leather or rubber bands are not necessary to play and the only thing they can bring about is injury."
As soon as blood enters into the equation, play must stop. The wound needs proper care using Universal Precautions. Bloody uniform parts need to be swapped for clean ones.
If you plan to play soccer in the fall, please plan your piercing carefully to allow the time necessary to heal. When soccer starts, the earrings must come out, at least during the games and practices. This rule is purely for every player's safety. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Lightning Safety
There is NO safe place out-of-doors during a lightning storm. If you can hear thunder, you are within lightning's reach. When a lightning flash is followed within 30 seconds by the clap of thunder, the storm is within 6 miles and within striking distance to objects
(and people) in the area. Immediately seek shelter within a sturdy building or enclosed vehicle until at least 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard. It is the steel roof and frame of a car that protects you, not the rubber tires, which would have to be a mile thick to save you. A baseball dugout or open-sided picnic shelter is NOT adequate shelter!
Visit NOAA or this guidance for additional information.
There is NO safe place out-of-doors during a lightning storm. If you can hear thunder, you are within lightning's reach. When a lightning flash is followed within 30 seconds by the clap of thunder, the storm is within 6 miles and within striking distance to objects
(and people) in the area. Immediately seek shelter within a sturdy building or enclosed vehicle until at least 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard. It is the steel roof and frame of a car that protects you, not the rubber tires, which would have to be a mile thick to save you. A baseball dugout or open-sided picnic shelter is NOT adequate shelter!
Visit NOAA or this guidance for additional information.
EEE Notice
Arboviral & Tick Prevention for Kids
EEE & WNV Fact Sheets
- Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) & West Nile Virus (WNV)
EEE and WNV are rare but serious viral diseases that are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes are most active after dark. Because many MVSL games and practices occur on weekday evenings until dusk, we are on the soccer field at the same time mosquitoes are looking for their next victims. Improve your odds of not getting sick by protecting yourself from mosquito bites:- Wear protective clothing such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and socks. Cover up your child as best you can, especially during practices.
- Consider the use of an effective insect repellent, such as one containing DEET. Repellent containing 30% or less DEET are recommended for use by children and adults. Use DEET according to the manufacturer's directions. Children should not apply DEET to themselves. Repellents that contain Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus have also been determined to be effective.
- Vitamin B, ultrasonic devices, incense, and bug zappers have not been shown to be effective in preventing mosquito bites. Source: NH Department of Health and Human Services
Arboviral & Tick Prevention for Kids
EEE & WNV Fact Sheets
Safe Warm-Up Routines
Remember when we all stood in a circle on the soccer field and did basic stretching exercises before the match? Now we learn that is probably the worst thing to do, second only to actually starting a match without any warm-up at all. That's why you see baseball, football and soccer pros doing dynamic warm-ups before their games. According to coachup.com, "It's very important that no player ever participates in any exercises or games without warming up properly. It is also extremely important that no player ever stretches before they warm up; this is a common practice and can result in a number of injuries."
Check out their full guidelines at coachup.com's Warming-Up To Prevent Injuries.
Or check out Eight Soccer Coaching Warmups For Kids at footy4kids.co.uk.
Remember when we all stood in a circle on the soccer field and did basic stretching exercises before the match? Now we learn that is probably the worst thing to do, second only to actually starting a match without any warm-up at all. That's why you see baseball, football and soccer pros doing dynamic warm-ups before their games. According to coachup.com, "It's very important that no player ever participates in any exercises or games without warming up properly. It is also extremely important that no player ever stretches before they warm up; this is a common practice and can result in a number of injuries."
Check out their full guidelines at coachup.com's Warming-Up To Prevent Injuries.
Or check out Eight Soccer Coaching Warmups For Kids at footy4kids.co.uk.
