The Game: Team Area

Okay, we're well into our season!  Four league games with a 2-1-1 record.  Very disappoint lose yesterday, but good learning experience.

Something to make clear to your team and families: the team area has specific rules around who can be there.  The NFHS rules say that the only people to be on the team side of the field are team members, officials (timers, score keeper, stat person), and coaches.  It's a good idea to make sure that it is clearly communicated to families that no one other that those people should be there.  The only special case should be those people that the coach invites over.  That's it.  No parents.  No photographers.  Having people over there can be very distracting during high energy times.

I do sometimes ask a parent I can trust to come over and keep the bench in order.  This year I have 24 players for an 8v8 game, so you can imagine how antsy those players get, especially those in the 10-13 age range!  I also have someone who films the game over there.  Make sure he's out of the way of the officials and ball boys.

Note that some of your biggest offenders of this may be board members who feel they have the right to be anywhere during a game.


So here are my recommendations:

Draft a policy statement that says that only players, officials, coaches and who the coach invites shall be allowed on the team side of the field.

At your first board meeting of the year, put this topic on the agenda and get agreement.

Put this in the parent/player handbook you distribute at the start of the year.

Tell the parents at the parents meeting.

After the first couple games, post it on your Facebook page.

Bottom-line: the coach is in control of the team area.