by Bob Mueser

DSL – Week 9 email

Good afternoon:

Just a few reminders for our tournament teams this weekend and our JV/Varsity teams as we finish out our last regular week.
On the Tournament front it appears that we are going to be blessed with a beautiful Saturday for Soccer.  Let me know if anyone has any questions, but otherwise please plan on checking in at the registration tent at least 30 minutes prior to the start of your first game and make sure that you have a copy of your tournament roster and registration fee.  I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
For our JV/Varsity teams this is our last week of regular season games.  Please upload your game cards to the site immediately following your game for this week so that I can keep an eye on standings in real time.  That will allow me to get to you all as early as Sunday evening or Monday morning with game times for next weekend's Championship series.  
Good luck to all of those that are playing this weekend.
Regards,
Rob 
by Bob Mueser

DSL Developmental and All Girls Tournament Email

All:

Next Saturday, October 29, will be the day of the Developmental and All Girls JV/V Soccer Tournament.  The Tournament location is at the No Offseason 904 Little Deer Creek Valley Rd, Russellton, PA 15076.  I have attached a few things that should make your day go more smoothly if you are participating in this year's tournament.  They are as follows:

 

1. Tournament Spreadsheet.  The Games, Bracket and Points, Game Times Sorted by School, and Field Layout Tabs will be most helpful to you.  Note that in the Layout tab this spreadsheet is not to scale for any of the fields, but the general location will be accurate.  With respect to coaches names, absent anything sent to me to the contrary, I went with coaches from the regular season.  If there needs to be any corrections there, let me know by end of day Sunday as I will be going to the printer on Monday morning and then things are set in stone.  


Also, with respect to the schedule please note that while we generally have each developmental team play three play-in games and then determine playoffs from there, whenever a grade level has an odd amount of teams in it I randomly select one team to play a fourth game.  This fourth game does not count for standings for the team that already has played three games, but it does count for standings for the team that needs to get their third game in.  This year the following teams were selected to play a fourth game: First Grade – Sacred Heart Black, First/Second Grade – BC Saints Black, Third Grade – St. Kilian Green, Fourth Grade – Blessed Seelos.  Give me a call with any questions.  


And be sure to familiarize yourself with the Field Layout tab, things will move very, very quickly on Saturday.  You won't have time to wander, so make sure you know where you should be and be there early.


Finally I'd ask each team to email me back your game times and field locations.  I know it seems like a simple thing, but it goes a long way to making sure that I know that you've read the schedule right and where you need to be and it will help stave off any issues the day of the games.  A quick email has the potential to save you a lot of confusions the day of.

 

2. Tournament Rules – A lot of time has gone into the preparation of this tournament.  We do insist on having each coach read these rules and we ask that you share them with your families as well.  Most of all issues that arise during the tournament can usually be attributable to someone not knowing the rules.  Take a couple of minutes to familiarize yourselves with them, it will make Saturday go much more smoothly for all of us.  Some of the common ones that have caused confusion in the past are:  (i) Offside – remember is that offside calls will be made at all age groups (though at the first and second grade levels the referees have the discretion to only call major violations (i.e., cherry picking), (ii) Punts – No punts from the keeper at all levels, and (iii) Indirect Kicks – at the developmental level  no direct or penalty kicks are awarded, all infractions that normally would result in direct or penalty kicks are instead indirect kicks. 

 

3. Form of Team Roster – Please bring this and the registration fee to the DSL Tent for each team prior to the start of your first game.  Schools can have one person drop off all fees and registrations, but each team should still check in with the tent so that we know you are here.  

 

Also, please note the following:

 

 Registration Fee. Tournament Registration fees are $100.  Unless alternative arrangements have been made with me prior to the event, payments should be made in cash prior to the start of your fist game so we can use those funds to offset game day expenses (I won’t have time to go and cash checks during the tournament).  I can provide receipts upon request.

 

 Arrival.  Remember to arrive at the fields at least 30 minutes prior to your first game to allow adequate time for parking, registration, and organizing your team.  If you are late to the field for your pending game time you will most likely forfeit that much.  We are organizing and coordinating around 116 games throughout the day.  Our schedule won’t allow for reschedules so if you are not there on time, we won’t be able to wait. 

 

 Parking.  We have rearranged the tournament flow and fields a bit to try to eliminate the parking issues we had last fall.  When parking in no event should you block someone in, you may find your vehicle towed if you do.  If by chance there isn't a parking space readily available, drop off your player and wait for a spot to open before parking, we have teams rolling in and out all day.  I know it can be frustrating, but not nearly as frustrating for the other person who is now boxed in.

 

 Tents and Food.  The venue will permit schools to set up team tents in the orange shaded area that surrounds the fields (but that is not adjacent to the main walkway).  Tent space is limited, is on a first come basis, and they should not be set up on the turf.  All tents must be anchored down with weights – stakes won't work in stone areas around the fields.  The venue is not allowing outside food or beverage and is asking attendees to use the concessions that are on site.  Personal items such as water bottles and snacks that can fit in a six pack cooler is permitted, but they are no longer permitting tailgating in the tents so items such as pizzas and other food spreads are not allowed.  If we do not adhere to this rule we will no longer be allowed to have schools bring tents to the event and we could lose the field as a tournament option.

 

 Other Venue Rules are as follows:

•    No coolers larger than a 6-pack cooler are permitted

•    No grills or propane heaters are permitted

•    No pets are permitted

•    No sunflower seeds or peanuts are permitted

•    No alcohol or tobacco are permitted

•    No outside food is permitted at the venue

•    Loudspeakers and radios are prohibited

•    No double parking vehicles in the parking lot

 

One final note —  A lot of time has been put into this day, and while we keep score and hand out trophies, the real purpose of the day is to get the kids together and end their season in a fun tournament atmosphere.  Keep it fun and light with the kids, if they lose a game, shake it off and focus on the next one, or even better yet, instead of focusing on winning and losing, focus on player development.  Set goals for your players and have fun watching them get there.  If they want to color their hair or paint their faces the team colors have fun with it.  That's it, let me know if you have any questions and I'm looking forward to a great event.  And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

 

Regards,


Rob Glentzer

 

 

by Bob Mueser

Final Reminder

Final reminder, tomorrow (Saturday 10/15) is the last day to register teams for the developmental tournament.  As of today, all brackets are viable.  For the Girls JV/Varsity matches we currently have enough teams for a shortened bracket, with 3 teams in each bracket, each team playing each other twice and the top two going to the finals.  I’d prefer to get at least one more team in each bracket so we could go with a regular tournament format though if possible.  If you are on the bubble of registering and just need a few more players, let me know and I’ll try to pair you with another school. As of now I have Aquinas, Kilian, and Sacred Heart registered at the Girls JV level and Aquinas, Fatima, and Peter and Paul registered at the Girls Varsity level.
That’s all, have a great weekend and I’ll be in the next week or so with tournament schedules.
by Bob Mueser

DSL – Week 7 Email

All:

Not a lot to talk about this week, just a reminder that Saturday, October 15th is the last day to register for the DSL Developmental and Girls JV/V tournament that is taking place on October 29th.
Most brackets are viable, with the exception of the Girls JV and Girls Varsity brackets, I need two more teams at each level.  If you have a few girls, but not enough to field a team on your own, let me know and we could look into partnering you with a school in a similar situation.  If we can't get at least two more JV teams and two more Varsity teams though we will have to scrap the girls tournament and try again in the spring.   
Also, here is a listing of schools and teams that I have registered to date, please review and let me know prior to Saturday if any changes are needed.  Schools that have active developmental teams this fall but for whom I have not received any registrations include Guardian Angel, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Louise de Marillac and Southhills Academy.  All other active schools have registered, but again, please review for accuracy.  Additionally, if you don't have an active developmental team or JV/V team and would like to enter into the tournament we can accommodate that if we have space, just let me know.
Rob Glentzer
SCHOOL NAME 1st   1st/2nd 2nd 3rd 3rd/4th 4th JV Girls Varsity Girls Total
Aquinas Academy 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 1 5
Archangel Gabriel  1 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 5
Ave Maria Academy 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2
Blessed Seelos 2 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 6
Blessed Trinity Academy 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Butler Catholic 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3
Carlow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Christ the Divine Teacher  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Divine Mercy Academy  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Eden Christian Academy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Guardian Angel Academy                  
Holy Cross Academy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Holy Sepulcher 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 3
Mary of Nazareth  0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
Mother of Mercy Academy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Northside Catholic Assumption 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Our Lady of Fatima                  
Providence Heights Alpha 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
Sacred Heart 2 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 7
St. Bede 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 4
St. James 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
St. Kilian 4 0 5 2 1 1 1 0 14
St. Louise de Marillac                  
St. Monica 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sts. Peter and Paul  0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 4
Southhills Catholic Academy                  
by Bob Mueser

Week 5 – DSL Email

Evening Everyone:

Apologies on the delay for this week's email, the week has been hectic.  Just a quick note on cancellations as we prepare for what appears to be a wet weekend.
Prior to the game if weather related cancellations are needed the home team is responsible for making the call.  This call should be made with as much notice as possible and in no event less than 2 hours notice (but the more you can provide the better).   Notices of cancellations should be sent to the opposing coach, the opposing school's soccer coordinator and your referees (of if its a JV/Varsity match or you use the PIAA refs to Chuck Pruss at 412-443-5630– use this phone number, not his email, for cancellations within 48 hours of game time).  Failure to notify the referees with adequate time will result in the home field still having to pay the referee fees despite the fact that the game wasn't played.
Once a game starts, only the referee can delay/cancel the game.  Valid reasons for cancellation are that the field conditions are too dangerous (generally standing water of a few inches deep and thick mud) and thunder or lightning.  If thunder is heard or lightning is observed, play should be suspended until 30 minutes after the last observance thereof.  Rain in and by itself is not a reason to cancel.  Games can be played in the rain on turf and grass fields if the fields are still adequately draining.
Finally, there are about a half dozen games at the JV/V level that were previously cancelled and have not yet been made up and I'm sure that there are numerous ones at the developmental level.  And that is the tally before this weekend's weather.  Now is the time to schedule the make ups.  Games not played by October 30 will not count for standings for the playoffs and could result in negative forfeiture points if one team is not willing to make it up and the other is trying to do so.  
Good luck this weekend, play hard but be safe.
Rob
by Bob Mueser

Fwd: DSL Week 3 email

I’m resending the week three email as it looks like not everyone received it.  The below talks about game control, referee interactions, and developmental and all girls JV/V tournament registration.
Just a few things as we enter into Week 3 of our season:
1. Fall DSL Tournament Registration –  Registration is officially open for the Developmental Tournament.  I am asking each soccer coordinator to let me know how many teams and at what bracket that they are registering.   This Fall’s Tournament will be Saturday October 29 at No Off Season Sports in Russellton.   Registration will remain open for 1 month and will close October 15.  We will take registrations for the following brackets, 5v5 1st grade, 5v5 2nd grade,  5v5 1/2 grade, 7v7 3rd grade, 7v7 4th grade, 7v7 3/4 grade, 5v5 JV All Girls, 5v5 Varsity All girls.  As always, if we fill up (and we tend to fill up at the younger age levels), preference is given to those schools that register first.  After October 15 any registrations are considered late and may not be allowed if scheduling is already complete.  Attached are the rules for the tournament (please read these, almost all past issues at our tournaments could be 100% avoided if coaches read and know the tournament rules.  The first question I will ask you when an issue arises is whether or not you read the rules).
2. Game Control – I received a few emails regarding teams that failed to keep the score in check.  I know that it can be difficult, especially for the younger players, to keep the score in check.  As a coach though it is your responsibility to do so.  Keep an eye on this throughout your game and if it becomes apparent that your squad has more talent, start taking steps early on to control the score.  Our line in the sand is 8 goal or more differential–  once you are at or exceed that I tend to hear about it and have to get involved.  A good coach will start addressing the issue at a 4 or 5 goal lead as that gives you some room to maneuver.
Some tried and true methods of game control include, but are not limited to, getting weaker players more playing time and at the offensive positions, moving stronger players to goalie, defense or to the rest them more than normal, telling players to only use their non-dominant foot to pass and shoot (usually their left foot), playing possession where no one can shoot until all players on your team have passed to one another (including the keeper) without the other team intercepting, playing down a player or two, offering to allow the other team to play up a player or two, and/or lending some of your stronger players to the  other team to make a more competitive match.
I am happy to discuss this in more depth with any of you if you have questions.  If we get repeated complaints of the same teams running up the score then I will have to take action beyond email reminders.  So I encourage any of you who foresee this being a problem to be proactive, plan for this contingency, and if needed, reach out to me with any questions.
3. Referee interactions – On a comparable note, I have also received some reports already at the developmental level of coaches yelling at referees.  Let me be clear, without referees we can’t play, and our entire region is in the midst of a referee shortage, largely precipitated by coaches who chase referees out of the game by yelling, threatening, and/or being disrespectful.  This type of conduct can result in you being issued a card and getting thrown from the game.
I’m even more troubled though when I hear of this happening at the developmental level as many of the referees are Jr. High and High School players.  If you find yourself screaming at a child that is trying to referee a game, it might be worth taking a step back and reassessing some of your life’s decisions up to this point and reevaluate if you are in a good place to coach youth sports.
All referee’s, especially the young ones, can make mistakes. Some of it is a question of them not seeing what you saw, some of it is a question of them making an honest mistake.  In any event though, if your goal is to correct the situation, I have never seen a coach succeed in getting a call overturned by yelling at a referee.  When and if you find yourself in a situation where you disagree with a referee’s call, the smart coaches that I have seen over the years wait for a stoppage in the game, typically at half time (or the end of the game) approach the referee calmly and respectfully, explain what they saw and ask for an explanation of the referree’s call.  If you are handling this in a different manner, you are probably doing it wrong and will not only fail to get your desired results, but run a good chance of having an awkward conversation with me and possibly taking a game or two off from your coaching duties.
That is all from me, good luck with this week’s games and as always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Regards,
Rob Glentzer

 

by Bob Mueser

DSL – Week 4

All, just a few items as we head into week 4 of our season:

1. Reschedules – As we head into week 4 we've already had about a half dozen JV/V matches need rescheduled as well as numerous Developmental matches.  Believe it or not we are less than two weeks away from October so please get these rematches scheduled ASAP.  There is a referee shortage in Western PA so we only have so much capacity, if you wait until the last minute to schedule a JV/V game in particular, we may not be able to cover it.  
Also, as a reminder, all JV/V games must be played by Sunday, October 30 in order to count for standings.  Unplayed games will result either in no standing points being awarded (which is the equivalent of a loss for both teams) or a forfeit, depending on the circumstances involved (forfeit wins/losses are the less than the equivalent of win and loss for the two team when computing standing points (-2 for the forfeit loss and only +2 for the forfeit win).  
2. Offside calls – As a reminder all teams from grades 3 up through varsity should be playing with the offside rules in place.  Our PIAA officials know this and call this at the JV/V level.  Soccer coaches at the third and fourth grade level should be teaching their players the offside rules and Soccer Coordinators should make sure that their referees at the developmental level are making offside calls when players are not onside.  Also, as we enter into October, first and second grade coaches should start introducing this concept to their players as obvious offside calls at the tournament are called even at that age group, so it makes for a better day for all involved if the kids have had some exposure to that concept in advance of the tournament.
3. DSL Tournament – Registration is open for the DSL Developmental and All Girls JV/VTournament until October 15th, see the Week 3 email for more details.
4. Updated Coach's list – Hopefully the attached is the final coach's list.  It contains updates at the 1st/2nd grade level to reflect revisions to the Blessed Seelos Team contact info.  Please refer to this contact list going forward as previous lists are dated and contain incorrect information.
5. JV/V Playoffs – We have the Seton LaSalle venue reserved for Saturday and Sunday November 5th & 6th.  Play in games will be on Saturday and Championship Games will be on Sunday.  As a reminder, brackets with 5 teams will have the top three teams qualify for the playoff and seeds 2 and 3 will play Saturday with the winner advancing to play seed 1 on Sunday.  JV 7's are the only bracket with 5 teams so they will follow this format.  Teams with 6 or 7 teams (which are all other JV/V brackets) will have the top four teams qualify for the playoffs with seeds 1 and 4 playing and sees 2 and 3 playing one another on Saturday, and the winners of those games will advance to Sunday to play in the Championship game.  Actual game times will be determined closer to the date and after we determine which teams qualified for post-season play.
6. No Offseason Tournament – In addition to the DSL Developmental tournament, No Offseason Sports in Russellton is offering an under the light tournament for teams in the pittsburgh region if you are interested.  The boys tournament has some openings still at the U-8 level and the cutoff for registration is Wednesday September 21 and the tournament is Saturday, September 24, from 5pm until 9pm.  The Girls Tournament has registration open until this Sunday, September 25 and the tournament is Saturday, October 1, from 5pm until 9pm and it has openings at U-6, U-8, U-10 and U-12.  If you would like more detail let me know.
That's it from me, as always, let me know of any questions or issues that you are running into and I hope you all have a great week and weekend full of soccer.
Rob Glentzer
DSL Commissioner
by Bob Mueser

Week 2

All:

In advance of week 2 and the start of our developmental season, please see the attached revised coaches' contact list, which represents the most current information that I have.  Please remember to reach out to your opponents prior to the game to confirm date, time, venue, uniform colors, etc.
As a reminder, the home team pays the referee fees and at the JV/Varsity level, each team is required to print at least two game day roster cards (see attached) and give one to the opposing team and one to the referees.  The winning team (or in the case of a tie, the home team) is responsible to load up the game card immediately so the standings can be kept current.  No score is kept at the developmental level and no game day rosters/cards are required at the developmental level.
Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions and enjoy your first (or possibly second) weekend of soccer.
Regards,
Rob Glentzer
DSL Commissioner
by Bob Mueser

DSL – Weel 1 email

All:

While many schools have a bye week this week, the season is beginning for a few of you this week.  
I won't try to remind you of everything as we head into week 1, but I would encourage you to go back and read the kickoff email I had previously sent and also remind you to communicate with your opposing team's coach well in advance of your game to coordinate game logistics– Most of the problems we encounter could avoided by confirming things like game days, times, locations,  jersey colors.  To that end, attached is an updated contact list, there are a few schools/teams for which I am still missing information on with respect to their head coaches.  In those instances please communicate with the soccer coordinator until we get that information completed.
Also, for JV/Varsity matches please remember to upload your game card (see attached for the form), right after the game, preferably from the field while it's fresh on your mind and before you lose the game card.  As always, the winner is responsible for uploading game cards, and, in the event of a tie, the home team is responsible for uploading game cards.  Failure to upload the game cards in a timely manner will result in the game results not being counted for standings.
Please let me know if any questions arise.  I'll be travelling a bit over the weekend, but other than some time on the lower yough, I'll have my cell phone generally with me (412-491-9377).
Finally, I wanted to let the developmental coaches in the league know of an opportunity to get a few more touches if they are interested.  When we partnered with No Offseason Sports as a venue for our Developmental Tournaments they had expressed some interest in providing more soccer opportunities for youth soccer players in the Pittsburgh region.  I am helping them put together a few tournaments under the lights on a few Saturday evenings this fall.  The format is 5v5 soccer, similar to our tournaments.  There is a boys tournament where boy or co-ed teams can play on Saturday, September 24, from 5-9pm, and there is a girls tournament for all girl teams on Saturday October 1.  There will be a U-6 bracket, U-8 bracket, U-10 bracket and a U-12 bracket.  Registration is not limited to Diocese teams, any recreational, school, travel or cup team can register.   I've attached a pdf of the registration flyer with more details if anyone is interested.
Regards,
Rob Glentzer
DSL Commissioner
NOS Tournament.jpeg
by Bob Mueser

DSL Fall 2022 Kickoff Email

All:

Thank you for all of your efforts in getting things ready to start with this year’s Fall soccer season, attached to this email you will find brackets and schedules. Please review and let me know if you see any errors.  We ended up scheduling 393 games and typographical errors sometimes happen despite our best efforts. 

Brackets for Developmental are fairly self-explanatory.  For the developmental program our goal is to get each developmental team 7 games during the 7 week season.  In the third grade bracket we had an odd number of teams so one team in that bracket ended up with an eighth game inorder for everyone to play 7.  That team was chosen at random.

With respect to the JV and Varsity Brackets we had enough teams to do 3 divisions (One 7's division consisting of 5 JV teams and 7 Varsity teams) and 2 divisions of 11's (MLS and Premier, each of which consisted of 6 teams at the JV and Varsity levels).   For JV/Varsity Playoffs we will keep to our long standing 50% plus one formula in deciding how many teams make the playoffs.  That means that if your bracket has 5 teams in it, the top three of each bracket will advance to the post season with the first seed getting a bye into the championship game and seeds 2 and 3 playing a play-in game.  If your bracket has 6 or 7 teams in it, the top four of each bracket will advance to the postseason with seeds 1 and 4 playing and seeds 2 and 3 playing in the semi final matches.

At the JV/Varsity level brackets are determined in accordance with our league rules, largely based off of a formula that takes into account previous records for the combined JV/Varsity squad and their previous bracket strength.   

If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out and I will be happy to explain why schools have been placed where they are, but please understand that these determinations are final, and as always, we will rebalance our brackets again for next Spring based upon the results of this Fall. 

Additionally, attached to this email is a listing of contact information for head coaches and soccer coordinators for each school.  Please review and make sure that any necessary parties are listed and listed correctly.  Let me know if there are any corrections. Data entry is not a forte of mine, typos can occur, if something is off with your contact info let me know and I will correct it. 

Also note the following:

1.      Jersey Colors – Home team is dark, Away team is light.  If the referee determines that the colors are too similar the home team is required to either change their jerseys or wear pinnies.  The coordination of jersey colors is something that should be discussed by the coaches in the email/phone/text change that occurs prior to the games and discussed below.

2.      Confirmation of Game Details – As we have done in the past, each home coach should reach out to the away coach on or before Wednesday (or two days prior if your game is played before Friday) to confirm game times and locations, directions and jersey colors (see attached spreadsheet for coach contact information).  Please cc the soccer coordinator as well for that school.  The home coach should also share any COVID regulations, if any, that the home school or venue is requiring (such as spectator limits, mask requirements, etc.).   If the away team has not heard from the home team by Thursday (or one day prior if the game day is before Friday), they should reach out and initiate contact with the home team’s coach and soccer coordinator.  If no contact has been able to be made, please reach out to me.  Be a courteous and respectful guest and remember that whatever regulations and rules that your school employs may not be applicable at someone else’s fields.  If there are compliance issues here, please let me know as I prefer to get ahead of these issues than to let them get out of control.  Also, if the current contact list doesn't include information on a head coach to contact, please send the email directly to the Soccer Coordinator instead.

3.  Attendance at away games is not optional – I have heard reports of schools, mostly at the developmental level, opting not to play another school because the drive was too far.  That is not how this league works.  In order for schools to have home games, away games are part of the deal.  A lot of time and effort has been put into this league by me, by you, by our players and our parents; everyone is pulling their oars in the same direction so that the kids get a chance to have fun and learn the sport.  If I hear reports of schools unilaterally deciding to not show up because of travel times or other unapproved reasons, I will look into the situation and react accordingly.  As I mentioned last year, that could include, but not be limited to losing home games in the following season for either that particular team or possibly the school.  In extreme instances it could also result in schools being suspended for a season.  I am hopeful that we don't have any such issues this season though and we can continue to focus our efforts on making this league and our sport better.

4.  Scheduling Requests.  I did my best, there were a lot of requests this year.  In the aggregate some of them became incompatible with one another.  For those that turned in “clean sheets” with no requests, thank you, you are the unsung heros that give me the flexibility to maneuver and make a schedule that accommodates as many requests as we do.  As you review the schedules let me know if you have questions.  

Scheduling requests caused a few issues at the JV/Varsity level such as schools playing the same team in consecutive weeks.  These compromises are not ideal, but they were necessary in order to accommodate the scheduling requests and get the games in during our allotted season.  

We had more problems at the developmental level because we have 7 weeks to get 7 games in and we are working around conflicting schedules for cross county, volleyball, musicals, etc. Also, there are instances where schools with multiple teams in a bracket requested a black out date and I have them playing each other on that date with the understanding that the schools can make that game up with their two squads whenever it is best for them.  You will also note that there are more double header games than we typically have in a season.  This is a direct result of trying to accommodate all of the scheduling requests that we received.  

If additional requests come since the time that your registration was delivered you will need to work those out with the opposing team (see below for reschedule procedures).  All games should be played.  Schools have registered with the understanding that they will get to play at least 7 games at the developmental level and 8 games at the JV/Varsity level. At the JV/Varsity level, at best, unplayed games will put you at a disadvantage for league standings and depending on the circumstances, could result in forfeit wins (2 points instead of 3) and forfeit losses (-2 points instead of 0) being allocated.

5. Reschedule Requests– Games can only be cancelled and rescheduled due to weather and due to Diocesan and School events.   

i)                For Developmental Games, the coach/coordinator for the requesting school should reach out to the coach of the opposing team with the request and cc the opposing school's coordinator and me.  Both parties need to agree to the rescheduled day and time.  If one school is being uncooperative, let me know.

ii)                 For JV and Varsity Games, the coach/coordinator for the requesting school should reach out to the coach of the opposing team with the request and cc the opposing school's coordinator, me and Chuck Pruss (Chuck is cc’d on this email and his email is in the schedules).   Both parties need to agree to the rescheduled time.  No alternative time is final until Chuck can confirm that he is able to provide referee coverage for the alternative time. 

6. Webpage– With respect to the JV/Varsity games those schedules will be loaded onto the webpage.  Please refer to this schedule until such time as we have updated the webpage, please be patient, we are volunteers with day jobs so we are all doing this in our free time and will get it uploaded as soon as we are able.  As always, each coach should be making contact with the opposing team to verify game details in advance of the game.  Relying solely on either this schedule or the webpage can result in errors– in almost every instance of teams showing up on the wrong days/locations/times, it is directly attributable to coaches not confirming with one another game details in advance.

Finally, here are a few more points as we go into the season:

  • Registration Fees are overdue. Fees are $100 per team. The check is payable to Diocese of Pittsburgh and sent c/o Rob Glentzer at 116 Wickerham Drive, Mars, PA 16046
  • Rosters are due for all teams – Developmental, JV, and Varsity – by September 1 via e-mail or US mail. If you use e-mail, please properly scan and/or attach the document. Improperly scanned documents or unreadable/partial pictures will not be accepted. Preferably a soccer coordinator can send all of the rosters for all of their teams. Jersey numbers for JV/Varsity should be listed on the roster.  Roster forms are attached to this email.
  • Referee Fees for JV and Varsity are $45 per ref per game so with 2 referees it is $90 per game so for 4 home games, it would be $360 for the regular season.  Home teams pay for the JV/Varsity Referees.  For developmental games home teams supply and pay for the referees and the home team sets the pay scale, unless they are utilizing PIAA referees.  Those that are using PIAA referees for developmental games need to coordinate with Chuck.  Also note that referee fees have held steady for a number of years, but we are scheduled for an increase in fees to $50 per ref per game for the Fall 2023 season so please plan accordingly.
  • Two (2) Game Cards should be used for all JV and Varsity games – one is for the opposing coach and one is for the referee. Other documents will not be accepted. Call up players, e.g. JV playing up on varsity should be added to the game card for the game.  Results of the game are to be posted online using the webpage or QR code by the winning team (or, in the event of a tie, the home team).  A picture of the results, roster and yellow/red card information must be included or the results will not be official.  It is best to upload this information immediately following the game.  I have attached a sample game card and they can also be found online
  • Below is a quick summary of some division specific information, but please consult the rules for a more detailed listing:

 

Division

Grades

Ball Size

Game Length

Field Size

Format

Goal Size

Heading

Slide Tackle

Jr. Developmental

1 & 2

3

 50 minutes

¼

5v5

6×8 or 6×12

No

No

Developmental

3 & 4

4

 50 minutes

½

7v7

6×12

No

No

JV

5 & 6

4

 60 minutes

Full (shorter field for 7's if possible)

11v11 or 7v7

8×24

No

No

Varsity

7 & 8

5

 60 minutes

Full (shorter field for 7's if possible)

11v11 or 7v7

8×24

Yes, but not punts or goal kicks

Yes, but not from behind and contact with the ball must be made first

 

  • Let’s remember sportsmanship and not run up the score. If you are up on a team by 4 goals you should start to implement measures to make the game more competitive.  You could instruct your players to pass more, playback and practice your build up, have your players shoot with their non-dominant foot, pull off a player or two, or ask the team if they would like to add a player or two (if the ref consents).  It is ok to want to win, and the players that work hard and are the better team that day deserve the win.  But it is also important to teach them how to win (and lose) with grace. Teams that win by more than 8 goals will be flagged for review and the results for that game could be set aside by the commissioner, in my sole discretion.  Repeat violations of this rule may result in the offending school being sanctioned with the loss of home games in the current or future season.
  • We are a co-ed league, all coaches should be playing boys and girls in an equal manner and doing what they can to encourage the development of all players.
  • Last, but not least, please remember, we are doing this all for the kids.  Let’s keep and maintain a safe environment for them and set good examples for them throughout the season.  

 

That’s all, if you've read this far, congrats, hopefully this is the longest email I will send all season.  Play safe and I hope you all have a great season this year.


Rob Glentzer

DSL Commissioner