Player & Game Safety

• All players must complete an EMERGENCY CONTACT CARD.  Coaches will carry these cards with them at all practices and games.  CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE EMERGENCY CONTACT CARD.
• Arrive early to scheduled games so that your child has time to warm up and stretch before his or her game.
• In colder weather players may wear warm garments UNDER their jerseys and shorts.
• Shin guards are required at all practices and games and are to be worn underneath the soccer socks with no part of the shin guard exposed.
• Players are not permitted to wear any jewelry, including ear rings,
  friendship or other string bracelets, hard hair barrettes or baseball
  caps or any other hard-brimmed headgear during games or practices. (An exception is made for religious tokens which must be worn or Medical Alert medallions.)
• For the safety of the child involved and other players with whom the child may come into contact, players wearing casts or splints will not
  be permitted to participate in games or practices.
• Soccer shoes are recommended, but not required. All purpose athletic shoes or gym shoes are allowed. Sandals or baseball style or other types of cleats are not permitted.
• Spectators are to stand clear of the goal lines and must stay a reasonable distance behind the field boundary lines. No one is permitted to stand at or behind the goals.

Health and Injuries

The eAYSO player registration screen has an area in which parents should include medical information about which the coach needs to know.
Information about allergies or respiratory concerns, such as asthma,
should be included. Contact your child's coach about any other specific
issues about which he or she should be made aware.

If your child has a chronic health condition possibly requiring medication immediately before, during or after a game or practice and is too young to self administer the treatment, a parent or designated caregiver must be present during all practices and games. Coaches are not permitted to administer any medication to players (including inhalers or medicines/injectibles to treat allergic reactions).

Referees will stop a game when a child appears to be injured. Games will be halted more frequently in younger divisions and always in any division if/when a player appears to have difficulty rising and leaving the field unaided. When a game is halted, only the coaches are to go onto the field to assist the player. Our coaches are trained to help the injured player safely off the field and can recognize if the child should not be moved. Coaches will call 911 in the latter event or when any injury seems serious. If the injured player's parents are not present, they will be notified as quickly as possible. At each practice or game, coaches carry forms containing contact information and permission to provide players on the team with medical treatment as needed on the field or at a local hospital.

Coaches: Report all injuries to our Safety Coordinator at safety@ayso425.com


Insurance

AYSO has an accident reimbursement program covering all registered players and volunteers for injuries occurring at practices or games. The AYSO insurance coverage is secondary to health insurance already in effect for the registered player or volunteer. The AYSO insurance becomes primary if the registered player or volunteer does not have health insurance.  CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE INSURANCE BROCHURE.

AYSO's Safe Haven program, incorporating specific training and orientation of volunteers and background screening for sex offenders, provides coverage to Safe Haven-trained volunteers who are working within their prescribed job guidelines if a claim is filed.

Lightning

AYSO Region 425
Lightning Safety Guidelines

The recommendation of the National Referee Advisory Commission regarding electrical storms, as stated in the National AYSO publication "Guidance for Referees and Coaches," is:

"It is said that lightning can strike out of a clear blue sky within a radius of ten or more miles from an electrical storm. It is therefore strongly recommended that practices and games be terminated immediately upon hearing thunder or seeing lightning."

"If you can see it - flee it; if you can hear it - clear it."

The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) currently recommends that all individuals should leave the game site and reach a safe structure or location when lightning is within 6 miles.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Lightning Safety Guidelines indicate that since lightning can strike out of a clear blue sky as far away as ten miles from a rain storm, when the "Flash-to-Bang" count is thirty seconds or less, everyone should leave the game site to a safe location.

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) position is that if you can hear thunder you are within reach of lightning and that referees must protect the safety of all participants by stopping game activities quickly, so that participants and spectators may retire to a safer place before the lightning threat becomes significant. Applying the 30-30 rule is recommended and to wait thirty minutes or more after hearing the last thunder before leaving shelter.

Just remember: "If you can see it - flee it; if you can hear it - clear it."