Governing documents

Player safety and concussions

• Parents and players will receive the concussion information sheet. The sheet is available in English and Spanish. This form must be signed and recorded by the Region.
• Parents and players will receive the Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) information sheet. This sheet is available in English and Spanish. This form must be signed and recorded by the Region.
• All volunteers must take the CDC Concussion Awareness online training (one time). This training is available in AYSOU which is accessible through the registration system.
• All volunteers must take the Simon’s Heart Sudden Cardiac Arrest online training (one time). This training is available in AYSOU which is accessible through the registration system.
• Any player suspected by the coach, referee, or a parent to have a concussion, or exhibiting symptoms of Sudden Cardiac Arrest, must be removed from further participation for at least the remainder of the day.
• Coaches shall complete an AYSO Incident Report and deliver it to the Safety Director ([email protected]).
• Per state law, a player who is removed for symptoms of concussion or SCA shall be evaluated by a medical professional before returning to team training or games.
• The Safety Director shall forward the report to [email protected] and inform the injured player’s parents about AYSO’s Soccer Accident Insurance.

Per state law, players suspected of having a concussion must receive professional medical evaluation after an injury and secure medical clearance in writing before a player may return to play. Your AYSO membership includes supplementary injury insurance to help with associated costs.

• Parents must sign and give the coach a signed Participation Release Form for a player having a concussion or suspected of having a concussion before they are allowed to return to play. 
• Coaches shall deliver the form to the Safety Director ([email protected]), who will forward it to the AYSO national office.
• Coaches, parents, and players will follow the CDC’s Return To Play process.

Please direct any questions to the Safety Director [email protected] or the Regional Commissioner [email protected].

Respect the referee

AYSO is premised on putting the kids first. Games are about the kids, not the adults. Each game is the opportunity to put core values at the forefront, including “Good Sportsmanship” and “Player Development.” When the adults at a game lose the focus on the kids and coaches and parents yell at or disparage our volunteer referees, it not only fails to model Good Sportsmanship but also interferes with Player Development. The kids notice what their coaches and parents are doing, and instead of focusing on playing the game and having fun, the kids also turn their attention to complaining about the referee. Everyone suffers. This Respect the Referee Policy is intended to ensure that the kids stay the focus of every game. A simple slogan can help explain the policy: “Referees ref, Coaches coach, and Parents cheer.” Coaches are asked to initial each game card, indicating they have read and understand the policy.

Read the full Respect The Referee Policy

Turf fields

The field permits specify these conditions

• Only water is allowed on the track and on the field.
• No sports drinks, food, candy, energy bars, no gum, etc.
• Only players, coaches, and referees are permitted on the fields/benches.
• Benches are provided for player and coach use only.
• Parents, siblings, children, friends, relatives, and guests may sit in the bleachers on their
  team’s side.
• No chairs of any type are allowed on the Artificial Turf field or running tracks.
• NO PETS
• Shade structures, canopies, or umbrellas that rest on the ground are not allowed on the artificial turf field or running track.

No pets

Seriously, please leave your dog at home. Even well-meaning dogs can knock over or injure a toddler.

Dispute resolution

Coaches and referees are responsible for reporting incidents occurring at games or practices, including injuries, arguments, violent conduct

• Incident report form
• Referee reporting form

Some take soccer very seriously, so AYSO offers volunteers instruction in dispute resolution, and has a formal due process system for resolving disagreements. These processes are rarely used, but they’re there. 

• Due process flowchart

Waivers

Everyone participating in AYSO events must be a registered member who has agreed to and signed the annual liability waivers. For one-off events such as clinics, one may complete the AYSO Non-Participant Waiver and the COVID Acknowledgement. See https://aysovolunteers.org/returning-to-play-waiver/ for instructions.

Privacy policy

This web site collects is which pages are visited, and how long is spent reading them, for feedback purposes. The only personal information that is collected by this web site is that which you explicitly type into a form. Registration data about children and volunteers collected through inLeague is maintained by AYSO and its affiliated organizations (US Soccer Federation, Sterling Volunteers, SafeSport, CDC, LiveScan contractors, etc.) per policies approved by the AYSO National Board of Directors. AYSO privacy policy. Registrations are processed by inLeague, which has a privacy policy. Emails and player data are processed on the Google Workspace platform, which has a privacy policy.