Posted Thursday, July 02, 2009 by Coach Johnson

     Effective with the 2009-2010 high school soccer season, players will be penalized (yellow card) for subsequent violations of illegal equipment rules.
     A change in the penalry for illegally equipped players was one of three rules revisions approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Soccer Rules Committee at its annual meeting January 27-28 in Indianapolis.  The rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
     The first caution (yellow card) for an illegally equipped player is issued to the coach, a rule that was implemented last year.  Beginning next season, all subsequent cautions for illegally equipped players will be issued directly to the player and not to the coach.  The coach is held responsible for ensuring that each of his players is properly and legally equipped.
     Beginning withe the 2008-2009 high school soccer season, shinguards must meet the National Operating Committee on Stasndards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAF) standard.  This risk-minimization rule was passed two years ago for implementation in 2007-2008; however, the start-up was delayed one year to allow manufacturers another year to supply these types of shinguards to local equipment suppliers.
     The new NOCSAE shinguears will be stamped or labeled with the NOCSAE logo.  They will specify which size is correct for a particular-sized player, making it easier for players, coaches and officials to differentiate which shinguards are to be worn.
     "This is a significant change as players no longer will be able to wear inappropriate, undersized shinguards," said Mark Koski, NFHS staff liason to the Soccer Rules Committee and editor of the NFHS Soccer Rules Book.  "Shinguards need to be placed no higher than two inches above the ankle for safety purposes.  This change should definitely minimize risk to players."