The agreement with the City of Keller is that they have until 7:00 AM to make a decision on the game. They would rather not cancel a game, so often they will wait until 7:00 AM to see if it will be possible to play. We are able to play more games by waiting until 7:00 AM to decide if they are playable compared to making the decision the previous evening and canceling games that could have been played.

Sometimes the weather just doesn’t play nice. We lose a game to the weather, and when we try to make up the game over the next weekend, then it rains again and we end up losing two games. Now makeup games are backing up and we are running out of suitable dates to play the games. Usually there are limits on how long the season can go. Either school is ending in spring, Thanksgiving is here in the fall, or the fields are being closed due to planned maintenance by the Parks and Recreation Department. We try to reschedule rained out games as early in the season as possible so they don’t back up with any late season cancellations, but sometimes it’s just not possible to fit in all the games.

KSA plays ten games in the fall season and eight games in the spring season. The number of games played during a season is followed by soccer associations across North Texas. The duration of the season could be shortened, but it would require playing games through Spring Break and Fall Break periods. Based on feedback from parents and coaches plus the number of cancellations forced upon us by teams not having enough players for games during school breaks, this is not something you would want us to do.

This is usually an issue in the spring season, which is only eight games instead of the ten games played in the fall. We try and schedule our rainouts as soon and early in the season as they occur, but sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate and we are unable to make up all games before the season ends.

Usually a rescheduled game is only moved again if the coach or team cannot make the new date/time due to church or school reasons. We try not to lose games by having an inflexible rescheduling policy that would mean one team would not be able to play, but at the same time we cannot get a schedule that everyone is always happy with.

We are always looking for new coaches, especially at the younger ages when the team sizes are much smaller and we have more players wanting to play the game. Simply check the section in your child's online registration that says “mom/dad coach” so we will know you are interested in coaching.

Before the season starts, you will have to complete the Coach Registration, provide a copy of your Drivers License and fill out a Risk Management form so KSA can complete a background check. Once all steps have been completed, you will be ready to coach a team.

If you would like to recognize a coach's effort, start by telling him or her they did a great job and how much better the team played with their coaching. A small amount of recognition from within the team will give the coach a huge amount of satisfaction and the feeling that the effort and energy they've put into the team has been worth it.

The rosters are set up so that every player will always be assured that they will play a minimum of half a game. The U6 teams play 3v3 with six players on the roster so they should all spend half the game playing and half as a sub. As the players get older, the number of field players increases, so they should spend more time playing and less time as a sub. 

All players who will play in U7 or older games can only be assigned to a team by random computer draw. There are no requests allowed for any reason for players who are U7 and older.

U5 and U6 players can make a request to play on a specific team when they first join KSA, but they cannot make requests during subsequent seasons. Once a player has played on one team, the only way to change teams is through the random computer draw.

We try to create teams based on the school a player attends or would attend. This helps in terms of having friends on the team when you join or team mates in school on day one. It also has the benefit for parents that practices will generally be held in the area of Keller that the school is located as that is where the coach and players live.

It is as much fun to play against a good friend as it is to play with them. KSA provides a fair and equal environment for all players to play soccer in and we will not allow parents, coaches or players to select what team they play on, as the only fair way to ensure balance across teams is to keep the allocation of players to a specific team as a random event.  KSA does not make exceptions to this rule for anyone for any reason. That is the fairest that we can be.

There are no exceptions to the rule. Only U6 or younger player first time players to KSA can request to play with a specific team or player. All other team assignments are done by the computer.

First, you should tell him he is a great coach and how much your child likes playing on his team. Then ask him to come back and coach the team again the next season. Once the coach signs up to return as the coach, then we can start to put teams back together.

Players who missed only one season may request to return to their previous team. They will be placed back onto their previous team IF there is room once the returning players from the immediate past season have been placed on the team. If there is room, then they will be placed back onto the team. If all players from the past season returned and the roster is full, then your child be will be placed into the draw and randomly assigned to a new team.

Team placement is only available for returning players or those that missed just one season. Any player who missed more than one season will be allocated a team by computer draw.

KSA cannot control what goes on in other associations, and we won’t get drawn into speculation about this association’s team or that association’s team. We honestly follow our own bylaws in the belief that KSA should be a soccer association that provides as level and unbiased a playing field as possible. We trust our fellow associations that they have the same values as us and together we make all decisions in the best interest of the game.

Simply put, you attend a referee clinic, pass the exam, register as a referee with the North Texas State Soccer Association and then contact the referee assignor where you want to referee games to let them know you are available.

One must be 12 years of age to become a referee (Grade 9) and he/she may referee any U5-U14 recreational game as the center referee or as the assistant referee (linesman) for a U5 –U14 game.

Like most things in life, two people doing the same job will do it slightly differently; however, the Laws of the Game are the same for everyone across the world. It is how they are applied to the actual game in progress that makes a good referee or one that needs to improve. For all referees, the ability to know what call to make and when comes only with experience. Some referees will call the game exactly as the Laws of the Game require them to while others will apply the rules in a more suitable manner based on the age/experience of the teams playing. KSA works with all their referees to encourage them to find the right level of officiating that makes for a successful game.

KSA always asks the referees to blow the whistle loudly, to make clear hand signals, and to make clear vocal commands when necessary.

We schedule our referees in advance based on when they want to work their games; however, referees, like anyone else, get sick, run late or miss assignments for a variety of reasons. KSA tries to keep a couple of additional referees on standby to fill in for missing referees.

If you (or a parent) were the referee then they can be paid the referee fee. Keep the money for your end of season party or buy some new training cones or balls for your practices.

If the referee arrives before half time, then he/she should take over the game and must be paid the full game fee. If the referee arrives after half time, then it is the coach’s decision if they want the referee to take over and if they should pay the referee.

The training to deal with injured players is given to the coaches rather than the referees. Remember that many of our referees are as young as 12, while our coaches are at least 18 and are usually parents of at least one of the players.

There is a Commissioner assigned to each of the following age groups:

Information on contacting commissioners can be found on the KSA website www.kellersoccer.org by clicking on Contacts in the menu.

Elections are held in the late spring each year, and the position is usually held for one year. Of course a commissioner can stand for re-election to the board if they want to return to the position. Contact any board member if you are interested in volunteering to be a commissioner.

The KSA commissioners and board members actively monitor the fields during game day and will monitor any incidents they observe.  What we really need is for the coaches and parents to monitor their own behavior and to control any of their team’s supporters actions that are getting out of control.

Information about roster sizes, number of field players, goalkeepers, etc can be found in the KSA Bylaws on the website. Go to www.kellersoccer.org and select the bylaws menu item.

In some of our age groups we have between 25 and 30 different teams. The uniform suppliers do not have that many different colors of uniforms available. To resolve this issue, we have colored mesh bibs (often called pinnies) that can be borrowed from the concession stands to turn one team into a different color for that game.

The agreement that KSA has with the City of Keller, who owns and maintains the fields, is that they will be used only for games and not for practice. This keeps the fields in good condition for the season.

Typically the role of a commissioner is to provide a couple of hours each week for field monitoring duties. At the start of each season, the commissioner will spend a few hours working through the player registration form and assigning players to teams based upon the KSA bylaws. Lastly, they act as a focal point between KSA and the coaches in your age group to ensure that information flows freely from KSA to the coaches (and therefore to the parents) and also back into KSA from those out on the fields at the games.

Typically, the commissioners will deal only with the coaches who then pass the information on to the parents of the players. Some commissioners have over 60 teams in their age group and contacting parents directly would not be possible.

KSA always asks the referees to blow the whistle loudly, to make clear hand signals, and to make clear vocal commands when necessary. Sometimes the whistle seems loud to the referee, but not to the coach and spectators on the sideline. Perhaps, a quieter sideline would help?

For the younger teams, the roster size is limited to twice the number of field players in order to guarantee that each player will play a minimum of 50% of the game. We cannot exceed the roster size as the players would spend more time on the bench than playing.

League policy across KSA and all the North Texas State soccer associations is that all players wishing to return to their existing teams are allowed to do so. The players get better as they continue to develop with their coach and teammates. 

For the U6 teams that play on the F fields and the U8 teams that play on the A fields there are no lights on those fields, so unless there is daylight we cannot schedule the games in the evenings.

First, perhaps you could consider coaching your child and their team. KSA is always looking for coaches, and maybe you would be a better coach for the team.

It’s up to the coach and the parents to decide if you need a “team mom” or “team Manager” or not. It certainly helps to have someone take care of the organization of the end-of-season party and other social activities. Sometimes the coach will do it; sometimes another parent will take on the role. Get involved and see what you can do to help out your team's coach.

When games need to be rescheduled the commissioners need to take into consideration what days the soccer complex is open, when fields are already in use, what time of day is suitable for the players, if the coach will have a conflict with another team they coach, referee availability and if there are other games that need rescheduling too. Trying to include all the personal requests of each and every player would make the act of rescheduling the games impossible.

Well, if you are asking this question then you probably don’t agree with those that asked the previous question. But KSA hears both sides of this issue.

Check out the selection of soccer skills and coaching videos from the Keller Public Library. KSA has donated several videos to the library and they are available for anyone to borrow. Select age appropriate material so that you don’t try activities aimed for U10 players on your beginners in U6.

Most of our new coaches are recruited to coach the Under 6 teams as that is where we need the most coaches. The good news is that, at that age, a positive vibrant outlook to coaching young kids is much more important than actual soccer knowledge. The U6 players want a coach that is fun; one that provides organization to the team and gives them the fundamentals of the game. Coaching intricate skills or complex tactics is not necessary as young players are just not ready for this amount of detail. As they get older and start playing U8 and U10 games, skills and tactics become more important.

The younger teams are created by placing players onto teams based on the schools they either attend or would attend. If we cannot put a child onto a team with other children from their school, we do try to place them onto a team from a nearby school so that practice will be held in the general vicinity.

KSA doesn’t determine between new players with KSA who have never played soccer before and those that have played in the past. We randomly assign players to their teams based on the available number of roster spots available and the school they would attend.

The type of pushing and kicking that goes on in a U6 game will be very different from that in a U10 game. At the young ages, the players are only aware of two things….the ball and themselves, and they will do almost anything to ensure they get to the ball first. In the knot of players chasing the ball that exists in U6 and even U8 games, there will always be a certain amount of kicking and pushing from all sides going on. It’s usually equal and harmless to both teams.

KSA provides coaches clinics prior to each season that are available to any coach that wants to attend. KSA strongly recommends that every coach take the clinic that is appropriate to the age group of the team they are coaching.

Making the right decisions as a referee is an art rather than a science. At a U6 level almost every throw-in fails the FIFA definition of a correct throw-in and it is up to the referee to determine what is acceptable and what is not. They do this in order to have a reasonable amount of soccer being played during the game rather than just taking and retaking throw-ins and goal kicks, etc.

When the referees are certified, they must pass the exam on how to referee to FIFA standards. The referees are instructed on how to signal the processes in the game. KSA then provides the referees of the younger players with additional guidelines on how to referee a younger game so that they will explain the ruling and the required process without providing coaching to the players. 

During the coaches clinics and the coaches meetings prior to the coaches are all reminded about their conduct and coaching styles. The KSA commissioners continue to stress that these games are recreational and not the World Cup, and that they should ensure the games are fun for the players. 

We never schedule games during Sunday Mornings to allow people to attend church, but we do schedule games on Sunday afternoons. We try to schedule the games to give people adequate time to attend church without rushing to get to or from a game.

 The City of Keller provides the fields to KSA for the games, and the City decides if playing on the field will cause damage to the playing surface. The fields were still too wet and too soft to play soccer on them, without damaging the playing surface for future games. The City of Keller provides us with nice fields and sometimes we have to forgo playing one weekend so that the fields are still in good condition later in the season.

 KSA will cancel U9 and younger games if the weather is wet and less than 50 degrees, or if it is dry but colder than 40 degrees. KSA will also cancel games if there is lightning in the immediate vicinity.