The Mebane Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) shall administer the soccer program in coordination with the Mebane Recreation and Parks Departments (MRPD).

Recreational Divisions Age Cut-Off is August 1st (the beginning of the ‘soccer year’). Additional ”age-in” date of March 1st for U5 in the Spring only.

• U5 – Must be 4 years old and younger than 5 before August 1st (Fall)
• Must be 4 years old before March 1st and younger than 5 before PREVIOUS August 1st (Spring)
• U6 – Must be 5 years old and younger than 6 before August 1st
• U7 – Must be 6 years old and younger than 7 before August 1st
• U8 – Must be 7 years old and younger than 8 before August 1st
• U10 – Must be 8 years old and younger than 10 before August 1st
• U12 – Must be 10 years old and younger than 12 before August 1st
• U14 – Must be 12 years old and younger than 14 before August 1st
• U18/HS – Must be 14 years old and younger than 18 before August 1st

Team Makeup: Recreation – U5-U10 teams are split by gender. U12-U18 teams are coed. Travel – All teams split by gender.

Roster & Player Assignment: All recreational players must register individually for every season regardless if they have played before or not. Returning players who miss the registration deadline may lose their roster spots and will have the lowest priority for assignment to available roster slots. Travel players only need to register for tryouts. All other registration is handled by the league and is good for the entire year (August 1st through July 31st)

Pre-Season Meetings: A coach or assistant coach must attend the preseason coaches meeting each season. Each division coordinator shall set a time and place for this meeting in accordance with the Director of Coaching. New managers must attend a Team Manager Workshop – veteran managers are encouraged to attend.

Registration: Player registration for recreational and travel soccer programs is done online. Registration periods must be at least 6 weeks in length and should end no less than 4 weeks before practices are slated to begin. All players must be registered with the NCYSA or US Club before participating. The MYSA must have a copy of a players birth certificate on file before they can participate.

Dual Rostering:

• Classic: Players may play on two different travel teams in accordance with NCYSA rules, subject to MYSA DOC approval.
• Challenge: Players cannot play on more than one team in accordance with Triad Challenge League rules.
• Recreation: Players cannot play on a MYSA Rec team if they also are rostered on a travel team (with MYSA or any other club) in the same season.

Transfers: Player transfers shall be governed by NCYSA regulations.

Background Checks: All league volunteers, employees, and contractors must have a verified background check on file with the NCYSA before participating in any league activities. This must be renewed every two years. All recreation coaches, assistants, and managers must get a certified NCYSA ID Card and wear it at all team functions (meetings, practices, games, etc.). Travel team staff must have ID cards in their binder at all times.

Practice Schedules: Each division shall maintain a practice schedule for their alloted field slots. No recreational team may practice more than three (3) hours a week before match play begins and two (2) hours a week once match play begins. Travel teams may not practice more than 4.5 hours per week.

Match Schedules: The MYSA Division Coordinators will take written requests from coaches for match scheduling. Written requests for scheduling conflicts must be received prior to the coaches meeting. Only hardships will be considered. Once the schedules are published, a team with a conflict can only reschedule a match if the opposing coach agrees to the new date.

Weather Cancellations: In case of adverse weather conditions, the Mebane Recreation Department or MYSA will may cancel all league activities (matches, practices, meetings, etc). Coaches will be notified as early as possible via email and through the MYSA website and weather phone line. Coaches should contact the MYSA if games are in question. If games are stopped before the first half is over, the match will be replayed. If match is stopped at halftime or later it will be considered a complete match. If match is not played at all, every attempt will be made to reschedule. MYSA officers and/or Board members will make the final decision at the field of play about conditions for upcoming matches. During a match, cancellation will be up to the head referee in consultation with the match coaches. Weather notices will be posted on the league website, sent out via email, and recorded on the MYSA Weather Line.

Match Makeups: All regular season matches must be played if division standings are kept and the match could affect which teams participate in the tournament. Match makeups will be scheduled at a time agreed to by BOTH coaches in coordination with the appropriate division coordinator. If the coaches cannot agree to an acceptable time, the final decision will be up to the division coordinator

All matches are governed by FIFA Laws of the Game except where noted in a division”s match laws.

Equipment

• Goalies must wear shirts different in color from any other player or referee on the field.
• Properly fitted shin guards must be worn under the socks during all games.
• Only molded rubber soccer cleats or flats are allowed. No metal or screw-in cleats permitted! Baseball cleats (with a cleat at the toe) are not acceptable.
• Referee”s will check for shin guards and proper cleats at each match. Teams should lineup at midfield 10 minutes prior to each match for equipment checks.
• Mouthpieces (uppers) are strongly recommended for all players in U8 and higher divisions.
• Kneepads, and elbow pads are recommended for goalkeepers while playing in the goal. Soft billed baseball caps can be used if the sun is a factor.
• No jewelry or other items considered dangerous by the referee will be allowed in games. This includes stud earrings! They must be removed for match play.
• No hairbeads, braces, hats, or wristbands will be worn during any match. Knit hats will be allowed during cold weather play at the discretion of the referee
• Eyeglasses can be worn. It is strongly recommended that eyeglasses be secured by a head strap. Approved eye protectors may be worn by any player.
• Players with stitches will not be allowed to play in matches
• Coaches must have ALL player passes with them during the equipment check and during the match.
• Players not properly attired with the required equipment will not be eligible to play.
• Casts will be permitted if the following conditions are met:
  • A signed note from a doctor permitting the child to play with the cast at each game
  • The cast must be wrapped in bubble wrap or equivalent foam padding and meet the satisfaction of the referee that it will not harm another player.

Playing Time

• Recreation: Coaches must play ALL players at least 50% of a match, knowing that sometimes players learn best and gain confidence in actual game play situations. Ideally players will play close to equal time. If players did not attend ANY practices in a previous week, they may be played less than 50% during that week’s matches, but this will be an exception.
• Travel: Playing time requirements are specified in the MYSA Travel Soccer Guidelines

Match Timekeeping

• Play begins within five minutes of the published starting time.
• A team not prepared to start play within this restriction shall forfeit the match.
• Any match starting more than 10 minutes late shall be shortened by the amount of time beyond 10 minutes it is late.
• The match clock does not stop.
• Time added to the match as compensation for injuries, substitutions, and time wasting is entirely up to the discretion of the referee.

Field Conduct

• A coach or parent may enter the field of play only when summoned by the referee.
• Coaches and players on the sidelines must remain within the technical area at all times during a match. U5/U6 teams must stay 1 yard or more away from the touch line on their side of the field
• Parents must remain behind the dashed parent boundary or at least 1 yard from the touch line at all times.
• Parents are not allowed to enter the field of play at any time unless waved on by the referee.
• All players on the field at the time of an injury shall kneel on the ground once play is stopped by the referee so the injured player may be attended to.

Sideline Conduct

• Teams will sit on the sideline opposite from the spectators.
• Coaches are responsible for keeping team members on the team”s correct half of the sideline.
• ONLY those having a visible MYSA ID lanyard (coach or manager) shall be permitted on the team’s sideline.  If no one is present who possesses a MYSA ID, that team shall forfeit the match.
• Spectators and coaches are not allowed behind the goal lines or any other area of the field that might constitute a distraction to the players. Referees may stop play to enforce this rule, even though the match clock continues to run and playing time may be lost as a result.
• Any spectator entering the field of play without the permission of the referee is subject to ejection from the match.
• Each team shall be represented on the team sideline by a registered coach and/or assistant coach.
• Teams without a registered and properly risk managed coach or assistant coach present will not be allowed to play their match and that match will be considered a forfeit.
• A team’s head coach will be held responsible for the conduct of their team’s coaches, players, and spectators.
• Coaches should warn assistant coaches and players that anyone arguing with an official on a judgment call or demeaning the integrity of the official will be penalized and possibly ejected.
• Any coach, player, or spectator who is being disruptive and possibly posing a danger to match participants shall be ejected and possibly barred from the facilities at the discretion of MYSA or MRPD officials.

Coach & Player Conduct

The MYSA takes player and coach behavior very seriously. Inappropriate behavior will be dealt with immediately.

• Players receiving a red card during match play shall be ejected from the match and serve a one match suspension, unless the ejection was for fighting which will result in a two match suspension.
• Subsequent red cards in a single season will result in suspensions equal in length to the number of red cards received that season. (i.e. a player receiving a third red card in a season will receive a 3 match suspension)
• A player ejected for fighting twice in one season shall be suspended for the remainder of the season.
• The second time two or more people associated with a team are involved in fighting, regardless of the initiation of the altercation, that team may be suspended from play for the remainder of the season at the discretion of MYSA Officials.
• Red card suspensions carry over into future seasons, thus red cards received in a championship match will result in suspensions during the next season.
• All events resulting in a red card must be described by the referee on the back of their match report. The D&A Committee will review all red cards to determine if further penalties are called for.
• Coaches who play a player currently serving a suspension will receive a minimum one match suspension and the match will be forfeited
• Coaches who are ejected from a match will serve a one match suspension and must leave the complex for the remainder of the day. Failure to do so may result in the suspension or forfeiture of the match.
• Using abusive or foul language, persistent dissent with an official, or approaching a MRPD member or MYSA official in an abusive manner or participating in a fight is not tolerated. Complaints of any of the above may result in the suspension of the coach or player by the MYSA.
• Coaches may receive a verbal caution or even be ejected for failure to assist a match official in controlling anyone connected with their team who is violating any of these conduct rules.

Tobacco & Alcohol Use

• Smoking or the use of alcohol by players, coaches, or spectators is not permitted anywhere inside the field complex and may result in ejection from the complex by MRPD or MYSA officials.
• The penalty for smoking by players or coaches on the fields is a one match suspension
• The penalty for alcohol use by players or coaches within the complex will be suspension for the remainder of the season

• Coaches will be asked by the referee to sign a match report at the end of each match. This report will stand as an official record for the match.
• Events leading to a red card suspension must be described on the back of the match report by the referee.
• Results are also to be reported online using the MYSA website. Both coaches must submit matching results before they appear as ”official” on the site – however the match report is still the ultimate official record.
• Records for the U5-U8 Divisions will not be kept. Records and scores will be kept for all other divisions.
• Standing Points will be awarded on the following scale:
  • Zero (0) points for a loss
  • One (1) point for a tie
  • Three (3) points for a win (4 points for a shutout win in tournament play ONLY)
• The Division Champion will be the team with the most points at the end of the season unless a championship match or tournament is scheduled.
• Should a tie exist between the top two teams, the tiebreaker will be a head-to-head match if a championship match is NOT already scheduled.
• If ties in the end of season standings need to be broken for seedings of a post season tournament or awarding of regular season trophies for 3rd place or lower, the ties will be broken using the following methods in sequence (highest seeded ties are decided first):
  • Head to Head Record: The team with the best head to head regular season record wins the tie.
  • Record Against Higher Finishing Teams: A mathematical formula is used to calculate how each tied team fared against the teams above it in the final standings. For example, teams tied for 5th place would receive 4 points for each time they beat the 1st place team, 3 points for each time they beat the 2nd place team and so on. If teams were tied for 7th place, beating the 1st place team would be worth 6 points and so on. Whichever team has the greatest number of points from the formula wins the tie.
  • Goals Allowed: The team with the least goals allowed during the regular season
  • Coin Toss: The tie is broken with a coin toss or other random selection method (i.e. random numbers for 3 way ties, etc)