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Region 1472 - Grant, MI

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23

Feb, 2016

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO HEADING RULES

February 23, 2016

Dear AYSO Volunteer,

This letter is being sent to all of the AYSO Referees, Coaches, and Administrators within AYSO Section 8. Please feel free to share this letter with all of your volunteers and parents. The purpose of this letter is to explain changes in heading rules that are to be put into effect immediately in Section 8.

Let us start by explaining why these changes are being made. In August of 2014, a class action lawsuit was filed against FIFA, US Soccer, and AYSO (among others) in San Francisco alleging, in part, that these organizations had not done enough to prevent concussion injuries and possible long term damage from concussions. Recently US Soccer and AYSO made changes to their playing rules as a concession to that lawsuit. Those concessions, outlined below, settled the lawsuit without either organization having to pay monetary damages.

THEREFORE, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATLEY, the following restrictions have been put in place for ALL AYSO ACTIVITIES (practices, games, scrimmages, try-outs, etc.):

· For all players in U-12 and younger age divisions, there shall be no deliberate heading of the ball in games or in practice.

o If this happens during a game, the restart shall be an Indirect Free Kick (IFK) for the opposing team at the spot where the player deliberately headed the ball, subject to the IFK restrictions inside the Goal Area.

o There shall be NO teaching / coaching of heading during practice, nor shall deliberate heading be allowed during practice play.

o These restrictions apply for any age division in which 10 year old or younger players are participating. For smaller regions with combined age groups this could possibly apply above the U-12 age division.

· For all players above the U-12 age division, there are no restrictions on heading the ball during games. However, heading in practice is limited to a maximum of thirty (30) minutes per week with no more than 15 headers per player per week.

· The AYSO National Office is working diligently to produce updated training materials for coaches to teach proper heading techniques for the over U-12 age divisions. We will pass those along as soon as they are available.

These new restrictions are being put in play to enhance player safety. Offences are to be treated as playing in a dangerous manner. It is not a foul. Players shall not be carded for heading the ball. If a player in a U-12 or under age group continues to deliberately head the ball after having been penalized, we encourage the coaches and referees to work together to control player behavior.

Similarly, our best advice at this time, is to determine “deliberate heading” as you would “deliberate handling”. If a player is accidentally struck in the head by the ball, no violation has occurred. If a player chooses not to move out of the way of a ball played near their head and contact is made, that would be considered deliberate. If no deliberate contact is made between a players and the ball (i.e., player tries to head the ball but misses), no violation has occurred and the game need not be stopped. However, a friendly reminder to that player that heading is not allowed would be warranted.

These play restrictions do not change our responsibilities as coaches, parents, and referees in dealing with player injuries. If a player is suspected by anyone of having a concussion, they cannot return to play unless they have been given permission by a medical doctor.  Please continue to follow the CDC / AYSO concussion protocols for player injury management.

Finally, as you read about this lawsuit and settlement online, you may read about substitution changes. These do not affect AYSO as we currently allow unlimited substitutions and allow substitutions for injuries.

Please feel free to contact one of us if you have any further questions.

Richard Buiteweg                                                                                             
Section Director                                                   
[email protected]  

Darren Rogers
Section Coach Administrator 
[email protected]                   

Jim DeBrabander
Section Referee Administrator
[email protected]

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