Core Division Guidelines

Our core program is the foundation for all the fun, excitement and learning that happens on the fields. AYSO is best known for our core program – it’s where the large majority of kids fall in love with soccer and make memories that will last a lifetime.

There are six core values – or what we call AYSO’s Six Philosophies – that are the foundation of our core program, and all others: Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship and Player Development. These are the essence of AYSO and it all starts with Everyone Plays.

Here in AYSO, Everyone Plays means that no kid spends their soccer experience sitting on the bench. Every kid plays at least half of every game. Learn more about AYSO’s Six Philosophies here.

Also, teams are put together in a way that makes playing soccer about the experience, not wins or losses. It’s not about blowing out another team with an unbelievable score; it’s about sportsmanship and learning to be the best possible team mate and opponent. Developing players is what we’re about, because soccer skills and life skills go hand in hand. AYSO’s main purpose is to get kids on the field, provide them with good coaches, and teach them to play soccer.

AYSO Region 239 Policy 2 – Balanced Play Policy

AYSO Region 239 Policy is that no player shall sit out two quarters of a game until all players on the team have sat out once. This is commonly referred to as the "3/4" Rule.

THE "3/4" RULE

While AYSO National mandates that each player must play at least half the game, AYSO Region 239 takes that a step further as we believe very strongly in the Everyone Plays Philosophy. It is important that coaches do not allow one player to play an entire game while another player sits out twice. So, in our region, each player must play at least 3/4 of each game, except when that is mathematically impossible. Those exceptions are described below.

The exceptions to the 3/4 Rule in the "regular season" are as follows:

If a team has a full roster for any division other than U12 and U19, it is impossible for all players to play 3/4 of the game. At least 2 players will play half the game, and the remaining players will play 3/4 of the game. The players selected to play half the game will play 3/4 of all subsequent games until every other player on the team has been selected to play half the game in those games where all players show up.

Exceptions will be taken if a player is injured or decides of their own volition to sit out. Coaches should also ensure that the same player is not sitting out half of a game multiple times while other players do not have to sit out half of a game.

GOALKEEPERS

Best Practices:

To ensure that all players get plenty of opportunities to play as a field player, our region recommends limiting the amount of time a player may play in goal during the "regular season". A player should not play in goal for more than 2 quarters in a single game during the regular season. Coaches are strongly encouraged to rotate players in goal.