County Safety Rules for Spring 2010

All players will be inspected by game officials prior to the start of play for adherence to the following safety and uniform rules.

No jewelry (including watches, neck chains, bracelets, and earrings) may be worn.

A band aid cannot cover newly pierced ears.  To play, the earrings must come out. 

A soft cap may be worn during cold weather.

Players wearing braces or other oral appliances must wear protective, commercially available mouthpieces specifically designed for such purposes to cover those appliances. Appliances on the top and/or bottom teeth must be covered.  Coaches please carry extra as kids will forget to bring theirs!

Players wearing glasses must have their glasses secured to the head in an appropriate manner using soft material.  Coaches please have some shoe strings in case kids forget.

Only soft hair control devices are allowed (nothing hard such as bobby pins, plastic or metal barrettes, beads).  Coaches please have extra scrunchies for hair control. 

A player must be removed from the field if he/she is bleeding. Any wound must be adequately bandaged in order to prevent further exposure of blood before the player may return to a game. Any clothing or equipment contaminated with blood must be replaced. 

All players are required to wear age and size appropriate shin guards that have not been modified from the original manufactured state and are worn in the manner the manufacturer intended. The shin guard needs to be worn no more that 2 inches above the ankle (usually under the socks).

Players may participate in games wearing a cast, but it must be sufficiently protected (with bubble-wrap or other padding) so as to not injure another player. The player must also have an original doctor’s note (to be shown to the officials before the start of the game) that indicates, “Athletic participation in soccer is allowed.”  Most argument are about casts.  If the referee believes it is unsafe for other players in case of contact with the cast, having the doctor’s note is not germane.  Find more or better padding or something that alleviates the refs safety concern. 

A referee has the duty to exclude a player from participation until he or she conforms to the safety standards.  The referee has the final say.  If all the other refs in previous games allowed the kid to play and this one does not, the only choice is conform or your child does not play. Arguing with the ref can get you and your coach ejected from the game.