San Mateo AYSO Region 36  P.O. Box 5316, San Mateo, CA 94402 650-341-4112

Frequently Asked Questions in San Mateo AYSO

The soccer game

What do I do if it's raining on game day? 

Just because it is wet outside, don't assume that the games will be canceled. Kids are waterproof and have been known to play soccer in the rain. On rainy days, the fields will be checked for playability. If it is determined that we should stay off the field, you should receive a call from your Team Parent or Coach. Alternately, you may try to get through on the San Mateo AYSO number (341-4112). If the message says nothing about games being called off, go to the field where your game is scheduled. If it is determined that the fields are OK to play on, then it becomes the individual Game Referee's decision to call off the game if conditions worsen. If you don't hear from your Coach or Team Parent, go to the field at game time.

How does the ball become "in play" following a goal kick?

From the LOTG: 

the ball is in play when it is kicked directly beyond the penalty area. 

If the kicker touches the ball a second time before it is touched by another player, the opposing team is awarded an Indirect Free Kick.

If it does not leave the penalty area, the kick is retaken.

During a goal kick, the ball leaves the penalty area across a side line - what then?

Ok, so it leaves a side line - the ball is still in play when it leaves the area.  It can even be kicked across the goal line or into the goal (restart = corner kick).  (A kicker cannot, however, score a goal against his own team).

A parent on the other side of the field was screaming at the players and upsetting the flow of the game.  What can I do?

Call your coach or division coordinator within 24 hours.

I was watching a professional soccer match and saw them doing things that we are not allowed to do.  Are the rules the same?

The Laws Of The Game (there are no "rules" in soccer) are the same for professional soccer as in most other leagues.  These Laws can be viewed online at FIFA Laws of the Game.  Youth soccer players are not as skilled or experienced as professional players.  Fouls awarded due to "plays in a dangerous manner" and "gains unfair advantage" have different interpretations between the two leagues.

AYSO has made a small number of modifications to the laws (as permitted by the laws) to meet the needs of a youth sports program.  The modifications are in the areas of field size and ball size for younger players, play time and substitutions.  In San Mateo AYSO, the younger divisions play a special short-sided game with very simplified laws.

The rules in my son's High School Soccer games seem different.  Is this true?

Most High School soccer games in the Bay Area are are governed by a set of rules which are not derived from the FIFA Laws of the Game.