Region Guidelines | Region Rules

AYSO's six philosophies separate us from the pack:
Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship & Player Development.

• Everyone Plays - Our program's goal is for kids to play soccer so we mandate that every player on every team must play at least 50% of every game. It’s no fun to spend the game on the bench…and that’s no way to learn soccer!
• Balanced Teams - Each year we form new teams as evenly balanced as possible because it’s more fun and a better learning experience when teams of similar ability play. It allows for each player to gain the experience of a wide variety of teammates of different skill levels.
• Open Registration - Our program is open to all children between 4 and 19 years of age who want to register and play soccer. Interest and enthusiasm are the only criteria for playing. There are no elimination try-outs and nobody gets cut.
• Positive Coaching - Encouragement of player effort provides for greater enjoyment for the players and leads to better-skilled and better-motivated players. A coach can be one of the most influential people in a child’s life, so AYSO requires they create a positive experience for every boy and girl.
• Good Sportsmanship - We strive to create a positive environment based on mutual respect rather than a win-at-all-costs attitude, and our program is designed to instill good sportsmanship in every facet of AYSO.
• Player Development - We believe that all players should be able to develop their soccer skills and knowledge to the best of their abilities, both individually and as members of a team, in order to maximize their enjoyment of the game.

AYSO and Its Mission

The American Youth Soccer Organization develops and delivers quality youth soccer programs which promote a fun, family environment based on our five philosophies:

• Everyone Plays Our goal is for kids to play soccer — so we mandate that every player on every team must play at least half of every game.
• Balanced Teams We require every region at the start of each season to set up teams as evenly balanced as possible. It’s more fun when teams are of equal ability.
• Positive Coaching This builds a positive team spirit. We train and encourage our coaches to make the extra effort to understand and offer positive help to our players, rather than negative criticism.
• Open Registration Our programs are open to all children ages 4 - 18 who want to register and play soccer. Interest and enthusiasm are the only requirements for playing.
• Good Sportsmanship We create a positive environment based on mutual respect, rather than a win-at-all-costs attitude. All of our programs are designed to instill good sportsmanship in every facet of AYSO.

Everyone Helps Out
AYSO is a volunteer organization with more than 250,000 parents and friends, many of them working as coaches, referees and administrators. It’s not unusual to find two, three or more children in the same family playing AYSO soccer — while Dad serves as referee and Mom as coach. It can be a total family experience!

The Growth of AYSO
AYSO was founded in 1964 in Torrance, Calif. with about 125 players. Today that number has grown to more than 625,000 nationwide.

Why AYSO Works
AYSO works because our volunteers work. The volunteers work because they believe in the AYSO philosophies. Our phenomenal growth underscores AYSO’s commitment to a healthy competitive atmosphere for youth soccer players, combined with dedication toward the development of responsible individuals.

What Makes AYSO Tick
AYSO was founded on community involvement. Volunteer staff members are encouraged to organize in ways best suited to their needs. The foundation of AYSO is the “Region,” or basic community program. Each Region is headed by a Regional Commissioner who, with the help of a regional board, conducts business within the framework of AYSO’s philosophies, Rules and Regulations and Bylaws. Depending on its stage of development, a Region may have as few as 200 players or as many as 5,000, grouped into boys and girls divisions based on age.

Several bordering regions compose an “Area.” Each Area is headed by an Area Director who is responsible for performance and growth of the Area.

Area Directors report to Section Directors, who are responsible for the general welfare and administration of a “Section.” A Section may cover a portion of a state, an entire state, or several states.

A National Board of Directors governs the overall AYSO organization. Regional Commissioners, Area and Section Directors, along with the National Board Members, serve as executive members with voting rights.

The staff at AYSO’s national headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif. works closely with these volunteer executive members and interfaces directly with each Region. The headquarters, called the National Support and Training Center or NSTC, provides many services: computerized registration; publications; liability and accident insurance; training for coaches, referees and administrators, and more.

Safe Haven
Safe Haven is a program designed to address a growing need for child and volunteer protection.

Child Protection
There are four elements in the Safe Haven intervention cycle. These are intended to stop child abuse and its agents before they get into the program

Create Policies
Screen Volunteers
Train Volunteers
Promote Education and Awareness

Volunteer Protection Act of 1997
This law grants immunity form certain types of prosecution for volunteers who meet its requirements. In order to receive full protection under the law, AYSO volunteers need three things.

They must be properly trained and certified.
They must be performing duties as laid out in a position description.
They must act within the scope of AYSO’s Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines.

AYSO Certification
AYSO’s goal is to provide certification training for all its volunteers. Certification offers the hope that every AYSO child will be treated with understanding, compassion, and respect.

What’s a Region?
Whether you are a veteran AYSO volunteer or you’re new at this soccer business, you may be wondering just what is this thing called an AYSO Region and how it works.

Your AYSO Region is one of more than 900 local programs in communities nationwide. Each AYSO Region is the same, yet different.

That means AYSO Bylaws and Rules and Regulations standardize operational procedures and playing rules. But because community needs and characteristics may be different, Regions have flexibility to satisfy their unique needs.

Your Region is identified by its own number. It is managed by parents just like yourself. In fact, you may be one of those dedicated volunteers working to ensure the program is run effectively and AYSO philosophies are upheld.

Your Regional Commissioner and Regional Board of Directors will usually meet once a month during the season and perhaps more often for pre-season planning. You are welcome to attend any of these meetings.

Many Regions give out a Regional Handbook at registration, with their policies fully defined. The Handbook may cover everything from rainy-day procedures, practice routines and important telephone numbers to lost-and-found information. Read it and keep it handy.

Get to know your child’s soccer coach and other parents. Volunteer your time, skills and energies to make your AYSO Region run well. This way, both your child and you benefit from the AYSO experience.

Here’s what you can expect from your Region:

• A fun soccer experience for your child during games and practices.
• Coaches and referees who understand the AYSO philosophies and support them.
• Technical training for coaches and referees.
• Caring volunteers to manage the “business” of the Region.
• A national organization for support and guidance.
• Fiscal responsibility via a financial statement, published yearly.

Structure

AYSO’s grassroots program starts with a community-based league, called a region. A region can range in size from a few hundred players to several thousand. Each Region is supervised by a Regional Commissioner and a local board of directors.

CLICK HERE FOR LOCAL AYSO REGION WEB SITES.

A group of regions in close proximity make up an Area. Area Directors are responsible for activities of the Regions in their Area, as well as for Area-wide activities.

For administrative purposes, AYSO divides the country into 14 geographic Sections based on player population. Section Directors oversee activities in their respective Sections.

Section 99 is an administrative section designation for programs outside the United States.

History

The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) was established in the Los Angeles area in 1964 with nine teams. It was the dream of a group of devoted soccer enthusiasts who started the organization in a garage. Today, AYSO has more than 50,000 teams and more than 650,000 players. It also employs 50 people at its National Support and Training Center in Hawthorne, California.

Over the years, AYSO has created many valuable programs and concepts. Most notably, AYSO revolutionized youth sports with its “Everyone Plays” and “Balanced Teams” philosophies. In AYSO, each child who registers is guaranteed to play at least half of every game. To help create evenly matched games, all AYSO players are placed on new or “balanced” teams each year. These decisions are made based on each player’s skill level and the overall ability of the team.

Since its establishment, AYSO has continued to grow and offer its membership relevant programs.

In 1971, two San Fernando Valley residents developed AYSO’s first girls program. Today, a corporate sponsor has joined with AYSO as the organization’s first official sponsor of its national girl’s initiative. Currently, 40 percent of AYSO’s players are girls.

In the mid 70s, an AYSO coach chartered new territory as he welcomed the organization’s first player with Down Syndrome. As a result of this landmark union, soccer was introduced into the Special Olympics. Today, AYSO offers its membership the Very Important Player (VIP) program for kids with special needs. VIP boasts 75 programs and 1,500 players.

In 1995, two AYSO parents established the first AYSO program in Moscow. Today, the Moscow program has almost 500 registered players. In addition, an AYSO program was started in Puerto Rico in the spring of 1998 and another in American Samoa in 1999.

AYSO is supported by more than 250,000 volunteers. Parents donate their time as coaches, referees, team parents, administrators or sponsors. In 1998, AYSO unveiled its new Coach Certification and Safe Haven programs. Each was designed to strengthen the organization’s role in child protection. Although AYSO is primarily a youth sports organization, it realizes the importance of providing a safe and healthy atmosphere for children. AYSO is continually working to improve the education of its volunteers in the fields of child development, human behavior, and sports psychology. A strong emphasis is placed on ethics and sportsmanship and the development of the whole child.

AYSO is a National Association of the United States Soccer Federation. Through the years, the organization has also maintained relations with organizations such as the National Council of Youth Sports, Girls Scouts USA, the National Association for Sports and Physical Education, People to People, Optimists International, Police Athletic Leagues, the National Alliance for Youth Sports, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, YMCA, the United States Soccer Federation, and the Character Counts program. In addition, AYSO works closely with 20 corporations that are part of the organization’s National Team of Sponsors.

AYSO has been the leader in establishing groundbreaking youth soccer programs in the United States. The organization is proud to have paved the road for youth soccer and looks forward to meeting the challenges of the 21st century.