Life happens when you are just playing ADULT COED Recreational Soccer.
Can you imagine: It’s a Sunday afternoon, the weather is great and suddenly you make a decision that you will not show up for the 4pm game and it’s about 2 hours before game time.
Imagine if 6 other players of your team of also made that decision at the last minute and individually decided “not to show up” for a scheduled game at 4pm, the very same day.
It’s 3:50pm and the game officials have showed up and are eagerly awaiting for both teams to show. The opponent has 14 players ready to play, and your team has just 6 players, sitting on the sidelines, wondering, if they will have a team, will they have to endure having to play short the entire game if at least a 7th shows? Your opponent is also wondering, “where is your team”? They all made the trip to get there, to play a game that they paid for. They know its not fun to play against a team that is short on players but at the same time they would like to get the game they paid for played. And it’s not fun for your team to have to play down that many players against a full squad.
The referees are pretty much thinking the same thing. They drove there expecting to referee a game of two teams and now they are faced with a possible forfeiture unless a 7th player or more shows up. Or they will have to referee a very lop-sided game.. which is also not very fun for the referees either. They still get paid regardless but it’s why they show up for work, to referee two 11v11 teams.
There are options here to prevent a forfeiture of this game and to ensure that both teams and players who did make the effort to show, will get a good game, and get what they paid for. The ultimate goal at all times will be to avoid forfeits at all costs.
- Referees will give 10 minutes to your team to field at least 7 players so that the game is played. Game clock will start on time.
- The opposing team can offer to “lend” a few players if they can spare it. Especially if they have subs and those players would like to play and not sit on a sideline. Both teams must agree to live with the outcome should the team that borrowed, wins.
- Once the teams agreed to start the game with borrowed players, if any of your teammates show up, then you can swap out the players.
Forfeits costs everyone on both teams and the game officials time and money.
Let’s choose not to forfeit! Your decision not to show up does not only affect you, it affects 11plus players of your opponent and your teammates as well as the officials who have been hired to work the game.
It is of high importance that teams and the team captains maintain a good communication chain and that all players have valid emails when they register so that games that are cancelled, rescheduled or updated will be communicated in real time to the entire team.
This was one of the blaring issues discovered during a recent roster review. MSL will be raising the awareness to avoid forfeits and to improve player communications so that all players who pay to play can expect a fair and fun game when they show up to play.
MSL also implemented a new game point system that will remove 5 points from any team who forfeits thus most likely affecting playoff standings. MSL will also deny any team participation in playoffs who purposely forces a forfeit by not showing up for a regularly scheduled game in order to “save themselves” for playoffs.
Please reach out to your captain if you think or know that you will not be able to show up for a regular game. A heads up will allow your captain to prepare or be able to at least find replacements for an on-time start.
