Guide for New Coaches and Managers
Welcome to the Massachusetts Premier League. For those of you new to the league the following is a condensed version of the MAPLE book which you will receive prior to the start of the season.
Rosters & Passcards
Blank roster forms are available on the MAPLE website, www.maplesoccer.org. Passcards are available either from the MAPLE office or from your area registrar. You can determine your registrar by checking the MAPLE website. When you roster & passcards are ready they should be sent to that registrar to be signed and laminated.
No one will be permitted to play without a valid signed and laminated passcard. Coaches, managers and anyone else who might be on the players' side of the field must also have a passcard. You are allowed four adult passcards per team.
Out-of-state teams use the passcards and roster validated from their home state.
If you have out-of-state players on your roster a permission for them to play in Massachusetts must be on file before the players can be put on your roster. The parents of the players should contact the appropriate state organization to get this permission.
Once a player is on your roster they cannot be removed without a Player Status Form, found on the website. This is form is signed by the parents and player and submitted to the club who then forwards it to the area registrar with a new roster showing the player as a drop.
A player may transfer between teams at any point in the season until the roster freeze deadline in May. The same Player Status Form is used and the same procedure is followed as for a drop. Transfers do not have to be signed or approved by the losing team.
A player who moves between two teams in the same club counts as a transfer and may not move back to their original team until the soccer year is over.
Teams are allowed five transfers per year. A transfer is only counted against the team gaining the player.
You must submit two copies of your roster at game time - one for the referee and one for the opposing coach. You may blank out the phone numbers & town on these rosters if you wish. If your official roster has more than two pages you may combine them unto one page, but it must indicate that it is a "Game Roster" and it must be signed and verified by your registrar.
Schedule Changes
Games may not be changed or moved, even by mutual consent of the coaches. Games may be moved by the league office in the event that the originally scheduled field is unplayable.
It is your responsibility to check the website several times each week in the Weekly Update section. Any changes for the coming week will be posted there.
If you are the home coach and your field has been changed it is also your responsibility to notify your opponent in a timely fashion. Ask for a confirmation if you are leaving a phone message or sending an email.
In the event of obviously inclement weather (not just a light rain) on a Sunday morning, check the website for field closings. If you are in any doubt about a field being open, call the home team or field contact listed on a map in the book.
Score Reporting
Scores should be called into your Age Group Coordinator - listed at the top of your group page in the MAPLE book - each Sunday night by 9:00 PM. Everyone should call, not just the winners. That way, we should have the standings and scores posted to the web by Monday morning.
There is also a listing of Age Group Coordinators on the website in the "Learn About MAPLE" section.
Makeups
Games not played as originally scheduled due to field conditions must be made up within 2 weeks of the original date. It is the responsibility of the two coaches involved to agree on a time & field and notify the MAPLE office so that referees can be arranged. Makeups will be posted to the website. Please check it to make sure that the information is correct. Once scheduled, a makeup cannot be changed without three days notice.
Ejections
The automatic suspension for the ejection of a player is one game. For a coach, assistant coach or manager it is three games. Passcards will not be kept by the referee. A list of all suspensions will be posted on the website each week.
Protests
Protest must be postmarked and sent to the Protest Officer within 24 hours of the game, along with a protest fee of $200. Judgment calls by the referee may not be protested. Before filing a protest I suggest calling the Protest Officer to discuss the basis of the protest.
Affiliation
All Massachusetts teams must affiliate with Mass Youth Soccer prior to being allowed to play. Please contact them to obtain the necessary forms at 800-852-8111
