Referee Resources & Guidance

Official Rules & Regulations

IFAB/FIFA's Laws of the Game, 2021-2022
AYSO's National Rules & Regulations, May 2021

Rule Changes

Changes to the Laws of the Game (Oct. 2021)

General Guidance for Region 362

Who Should Be Where, on and around the Field

• Spectators should be at least 2 yards off the touchline. No one is allowed behind the goal lines (except photographers with permission of the referee).
• For 8U and up, coaches and players should be on one side of the field, and Spectators should be on the OTHER side. (Be sure your player has their water bottle before the game starts.)
• Coaches (or other non-players) are not allowed on the fields, unless beckoned on by the referee (for example, to evaluate an injured player).
• Coaches must remain in their team's half of the field and not stray further than 10 yards from midfield. (Refereed to as the Coach's Box.)

Division-Specifics pages are published under the Coaches section with particular guidelines details by age group. Examples: kick-in's for U6, no goalkeeping in U8, no punting in U10, no heading in U12.

U6 Division

U7/U8 Division

U9/U10 Division

U12 Division

U14 Inter-Regional Play: Area 6D 2021-22 Manual
EXTRA Inter-Regional Play: Area 6D 2021-22 Manual

10U Build Out Line (BOL)

2018 revised guidance from US Soccer Foundation and AYSO on the Build Out Line (BOL):

1. The build‐out line shall be placed across the field equidistant between the top of the penalty area and the halfway line.
2. The opposing team must move behind the build‐out line for a goal kick or when the goalkeeper has possession.
3. The goalkeeper, or the player taking the goal kick or distributing the ball from the goal area, does not have to wait for the opposing players to move behind the build‐out line to put the ball into play. When the ball is put into play from the goalkeeper or from the goal kick, it may be played on either side of the build‐out line. After the ball is put into play, the opposing team may cross the build‐out line and play may resume as normal. Law 16 is not altered or modified. The ball is in play from a goal kick after the ball is kicked and leaves the penalty area.
4. The build‐out line shall be used as the line to determine offside. Players cannot be penalized for an offside offense between the halfway line and the build‐out line

Key changes from the initial implementation of the rules are:

1. The keeper is not restricted where to play the ball -- it can be sent to a player on either side of the BOL
2. The ball is not in play on a goal kick until it leaves the penalty area. Only at that point can an opponent cross the BOL.

Some additional BOL resources:
https://ayso1ref.com/mp4/BOL-2018-v24.mp4
https://ayso1ref.com/lib1/pptx/PDI_Slides_2018_rev8_Sect1.pptx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTbEJuiqDgI

AYSO Referee Resources

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• Hey Coach! contains articles on coaching techniques, drills and helpful information for managing games and practices.
• Whistle Stop publishes refereeing tips, anecdotes from other referees, Q&A's and advice using real-game situations.

YouTube

AYSO maintains an extensive collection of videos on game management, rules and calls, you-name-it.  Everything a referee could use when preparing for a match https://www.youtube.com/user/AYSONational.

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