2009 St. Thomas Aquinas Boys Soccer
Of all the rule changes this year there is only one that effects players directly and that is shin guards must be worn no higher than 2" above the ankle.
All other rule changes are administrative or editorial in nature.
NFHS 2009-2010 Rule Changes
In an ongoing
focus on risk minimization in high school soccer, an addition to the shin guard
policy has been approved.
A year after requiring shin guards to meet
National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE)
standards, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
Soccer Rules Committee will now require the front of the shin guard to be
permanently marked with the NOCSAE seal and height range, effective in fall
2012.
The delay in implementation is to allow manufacturers to supply
these types of shin guards to retailers. There is also an emphasis on placing
the shin guard no higher than two inches above the ankle to minimize risk of
injury.
The revised shin guard policy was one of four rules changes
approved by the Soccer Rules Committee at its January 26-28 meeting in
Indianapolis. The rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of
Directors.
“As is always the case, the Soccer Rules Committee is most
concerned about minimizing the risk of injury for student-athletes,” said
Mark Koski, NFHS assistant director and
liaison to the Soccer Rules Committee. “The requirement of the NOCSAE seal and
height range on the front of the shin guard by 2012 is a good example of that.
The committee wants to make sure that players are protected in the best way
possible.”
“Joint” ankle braces have made technological leaps in safety
over the past decade. Because many “joint” ankle braces are designed to be worn
over stockings or other material, Rule 4-2-1g has been amended to allow players
to wear braces outside the stocking, provided they are not made of metal or
other hazardous material. Any braces made of metal or other hazardous material
must still be worn under a stocking.
“The NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory
Committee recommended updating this rule based on the advances made in ankle
braces,” Koski said. “This change reflects our flexibility as far as the safety
of the players goes.”
A change in Rule 3-1-3 will allow any member of the
team to deliver the team roster to the officials at least five minutes prior to
the start of the contest. Previously, the coach was required to submit the
roster, but since coaches are very busy prior to the start of the game, they are
now allowed to delegate the task.
The final change requires that the
officials must be dressed in matching uniforms distinctly different from only
the field players of both teams. This permits the referee to possibly wear a
shirt similar to one of the goalkeepers’ shirts, as long as it’s unlike the
field players’ uniforms.
In addition to the rules changes, points of
emphasis for the 2009-10 season include unconscious player, NFHS Code of Ethics,
NFHS Soccer Signals, ball holders, team areas, ankle braces and shin guard
placement.
Soccer is the fifth-most popular sport for boys and girls at the
high school level. According to the 2007-08 High School Athletics Participation
Survey, 383,561 boys are involved in soccer and 346,545 girls participate in the
sport.
Points of Emphasis:
NFHS
NFHS
Ball Holders
Team Areas
Click here to
down load complete list of all rule changes to NFHS Booklet (4 page .pdf)
2009 Schedule on HighSchoolSports.net
Team History - Honors & Awards 2009 Team Page
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