posted 01/31/2012 Here is the DUSC Playing Time policy and the procedure by which we will monitor and enforce it.
(We need to recognize that the majority of teams and coaches do an admirable job of giving every child the chance to play. Thank you.)
Playing Time Policy
The following is for every player in DUSC, from the youngest to the oldest. For boys and girls. For OCL and MOSSL teams.
The DUSC playing time standards are about fairness for each and every player. Our primary emphasis is on the development of each child's confidence, skills and enthusiasm for soccer. Furthermore, this policy is consistent with our agreement with the Dublin Community through the Dublin Soccer League.
While we understand the desire and applaud the efforts to be competitive on the field, we expect all teams to honor this playing time policy and the opportunity it represents for each child.
Every player:
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Must play a minimum of 40% of every game during the regular season and tournament play.
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Must play in every half of every game.
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Must play an average of 50% of the time over the course of the entire season.
All 3 of these rules must be adhered to completely.
Monitoring
Over the course of the Spring season DUSC will randomly monitor a minimum of one game for each team to ensure adherence to the policy above. Furthermore, we will also monitor one or two games if a playing time form is lodged by a parent to verify the concern and then address it.
NOTE: A player will be considered in or out of the game when the referee blows the whistle to wave on players.
How to Register a Playing Time Form
If a player is not receiving 40% playing time, you will be able to file a "Playing Time" form (
found under Forms). A Dublin United Official may contact the parent to discuss the situation and ensure full understanding. Assuming the facts check out as inconsistent with the policy, we will monitor one or two games to verify the situation as systemic and not a one-time incident. The coach will NOT be informed of who has filed a playing time form.
Penalties
An observed violation by the Dublin United Official of the playing time rules will result in an immediate 3-game suspension for the head coach. A second offense will result in the removal of the coach from the team. It's quite simple. Every child deserves to play. Every family deserves to see their child play. If teams and coaches so choose, this policy still allows some players to play significantly more than half of the time.
Players Missing Training/Causing Disruption
If a player misses an occasional training due to a conflict or illness, the player's playing time should NOT be penalized. However, coaches will have latitude to reduce playing time for players who chronically miss training or team events (e.g., player misses a training every week due to playing two sports) OR players that repeatedly cause disruption during training sessions. In these situations, the coach must first file a "Petition to Reduce Player Playing Time" form with Dublin United (again, available on dublinunited.org) AND receive approval from the Dublin United board. The coach and parent of the child in question will be informed if Dublin United approves the playing time reduction. The playing time reduction will apply to no more than one game.
The penalty associated with the playing time reduction will increase in severity with each submitted offense that is approved by Dublin United. The coach cannot place the penalty on the player prior to getting “official” approval from Dublin United. On the 4th offense for the same player within a season, Dublin United will organize a meeting with the coach and parents involved. Finally, a coach who wants to apply this philosophy must do so consistently with all players on the team.
What about other communities that don't have this kind of policy. How is that fair?
We intend to forward this policy to the other communities clubs. Our hope is that it will drive similar fair play policies for each community. However, in the end, we are clarifying this policy because it is the right thing to do. If you lose a game because someone else played their 5 best players the entire game, so be it. Remember that this is youth soccer. It's for ALL the kids.
Again, we realize that there are many coaches who already adhere to the Playing Time policy. With a little effort all of our teams will follow this policy and this will improve the quality of the Dublin United soccer experience. Thank you for your continued support.
