Arsenal Soccer - Omaha, NE

Roster size: 6 Players
Game: U5, U6 3v3, Two 20 Minute halves, No Keepers
Field Size: Will be under guidelines of region 2
Ball size: #3, Goals Micro size supplied at game field

Micro Soccer plays without a goalkeeper. All players should participate as field players. The intent is to encourage maximum touches on the ball. No blame should be placed on children for letting the ball roll into their own goal. This rule is intended to ensure no player will camp near the goal area to protect it. All players should be involved in the play. No player should be positioned so far back that he/she is “acting” as a goalkeeper.
Fields of play at Arsenal’s Discovery Complex. U5 teams will play on fields 1, 2, and 3. U6 teams will play on fields 4, 5, 6, and 7. The field size for U5 is approximately 20’ x 30’. Field size for U6 is approximately 30’ x 40’.
Field setup. Teams playing the early games of the day are responsible for setting up the mini collapsible goals and 4 flags on their respective fields. The collapsible goals, two to a bag, and flags are stored in the Discovery storage shed and marked by each field. The four flags are required to mark the corners of each field. Game balls are also available in the storage shed if needed. Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your games to allow time for field setup. Teams playing the last game of the day on any field are responsible for returning game balls, flags, and goals to the storage shed.
Scores and Standings. No scores or standings are kept in Arsenal Micro soccer. Recruiting of players from other teams is strictly prohibited by MSSA. Fun, fundamentals, and sportsmanship are the important considerations, not winning or losing.
Uniforms. Uniforms for Arsenal Micro can be purchased at Soccer Internationale at 2541 South 132nd St., 330-9862. All players are required to wear a complete uniform including shin guards. Site supervisors have the authority to deny any child from playing who is not wearing a regulation Arsenal Micro uniform.

Uniforms for U5 and U6 teams: Red/White reversible Arsenal jersey, Arsenal red shorts and red soccer socks over shinguards. Soccer shoes are optional but recommended. Shoes with toe cleats are prohibited for safety concerns.
Home / Visitor teams. Schedules list teams as either home or away.
Visitor – White (team wears jerseys with white side out).
Home – Red (teams wear jerseys with red side out).
Kick-offs. Visitor team should kick off at start of games. Home team should kick off at the start of the second half.
Field Side. Goals are marked with Red/White stripes on each side of the goal posts. Parents should sit on the matching side of the field as their teams game color.
Coaches during games. Coaches are allowed and encouraged to be on the field with their teams during games for encouragement and to act as referee. This is limited to one coach per team. Coaches are expected to work together on the field for the benefit and fairness of both teams. Coaches should please limit the time they stop play for instruction. Assign a parent on the sidelines to keep the sidelines orderly and to assist in quickly substituting players.
Fielding players. If a team cannot field the proper number of players for a game, they should ask the opposing coach to borrow a player(s) for the game. Remember, there are no scores or standings so emphasis should be to have a game and not worry about who wins. Due to insurance reasons, players that are not registered with the Arsenal program cannot be a substitute.
Rainouts or severe weather cancellations. If an Arsenal Micro game is rained out, it will not be rescheduled. However, if multiple games are rained out they may be rescheduled. In addition, games will be cancelled if the weather at game time is expected to be above 95 degrees based on recommendations made by the American Association of Pediatrics. If severe weather conditions or extreme cold exists, coaches will be advised when make-ups will be rescheduled via the Coaches Hotline and the Millard Star/Arsenal website at www.GoArsenal.com; select game status.
Hotline 827-9869. Coaches DO NOT GIVE OUT THIS NUMBER! Over 200 teams use this number. Please call this number one to two times per week for updated information concerning rainouts, photos, clinics, meetings, etc. Information is also available on the Millard Star/Arsenal website at www.GoArsenal.com
Practices. No practice is allowed at the Discovery Complex or the Arsenal Youth Soccer Complex. Micro teams play games twice per week and therefore are not expected to practice during the active season. It is recommended that coaches have several practices prior to the season to get the kids acclimated to the games. This is also a good opportunity for the parents to get to know each other. Practices prior to the season can typically be held on elementary school fields. Many schools allow this on a first come first serve basis, however, checking with the school first is highly recommended. Under no circumstances will practices be held in the aforementioned weather conditions described in Rule #12.
Playing time. Equal playing time is mandatory in Arsenal Micro soccer. Substitution of players is allowed on any dead ball, but keep games moving by not prolonging “dead” time waiting for subs. It is typical to substitute about every five minutes. Coaches are expected to use good judgment in cases of extreme weather conditions where more frequent substituting may be necessary. Please wait for the opposing team to complete substitutions before starting play.
Fouls and penalties. Only indirect kicks are taken in Micro--no direct kicks. When a foul is committed and play is stopped; the ball is placed at the spot of the foul and a player from the team which was fouled takes the kick. They cannot score directly from an indirect kick.

Slide tackles – are allowed in older play, but NOT in Micro. A slide tackle is when a player (offense or defense) attempts to gain control of the ball by sliding on the ground and extending the foot to make contact. Micro players are not skilled enough to perform this move correctly and can easily cause injury. All penalties for slide tackles will result in an indirect kick by the opposing team. A player just falling to the ground during normal play is not considered a slide tackle and should not be penalized.
Out of bounds. A ball is considered to be out of bounds when it has rolled completely outside the chock line. If the ball is on the line or partially on the line then it is considered playable. All balls out of bounds are placed back in play by a kick-in. No throw-ins in Micro.
Starting play. On all kick-ins, corner kicks, goal kicks, and penalty kicks, opposing players must stand approximately 10 yards back away from the kicker. The kicker cannot retouch the ball until another player (either team) on the field has touched the ball.
Goal Kicks. Goal kicks are taken when an attacking player kicks the ball out of bounds across the defending teams goal-side touchline. Goal kicks are performed by the defending team player kicking the ball back into play from touchline about 3 yards from their own goal.
Corner kicks. Corner kicks are taken when a defending player has caused the ball to go out of bounds across their own goal-side touchline. Corner kicks are performed by an attacking team player kicking the ball into play from the corner closest to where the ball went out of play.
Offside. Micro does not play the offside rule. However, it is bad coaching to teach players to camp in front of the opposing players goal and wait for the ball.
Wearing Jewelry. The laws of soccer state that players are not permitted to wear items of jewelry because of the risk of injury to all participants. Earrings cannot be covered, they MUST be removed or the player cannot participate.

Remember players are children, not mini adults! We strongly encourage every coach to attend the Modules I & II coaches training for soccer. These short courses are well worth the time to learn the fundamentals of coaching micro soccer and they can make your coaching experience very rewarding. Information about coaches training can be found on www.nebraskastatesoccer.org.

If you have questions about coaching your micro team, please call Kevin Housh, Director of Micro for Millard Star/Arsenal at 306-1250. You can also contact the Millard Star/Arsenal office at 896-4420 or MSSAdmin@GoArsenal.com