Dear WSA Families,

The Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (“CJSA”) has adopted the US Soccer and US Youth Soccer (national governing bodies for soccer in the US) rules regarding heading.  These rules take effect on April 1, 2016 and must be enforced by coaches, referees and club administrators.

Compliance is mandatory for all CJSA members (the WSA is a member of the CJSA).

Heading Restrictions which apply to games and practices

Players who are 10 and younger 

• No player who is 10 or younger may deliberately head the ball, regardless of the age group of the team they are playing on. This includes all activities where CJSA insurance applies, such as practices, scrimmages, and competitions at all levels. 

• No player on a U11 team or a combined team including the U11 Age Group, (e.g. U11/12), even if the player has turned 11, may head the ball deliberately. 

For the WSA this means that headers are not allowed on any of our U11 teams, regardless if the player is 11 or older.  Imagine trying to run a practice or referee a game where some players are able to head and some are not.  Therefore no heading for our U-11 groups or any individual player who might be playing up an age group to U12.

This restriction will be enforced in competitions for teams U11 and younger (including combined age brackets including U11 and younger) by award of an indirect free kick for the opposing team. Coaches and parents are responsible for applying this restriction for players who are 10 or younger and playing up. 

REC Soccer League:

• Kindergarten:                         NO HEADING ALLOWED

• 1st Grade Rec:                        NO HEADING ALLOWED

• 2nd Grade Rec:                       NO HEADING ALLOWED

• 3rd Grade Rec:                       NO HEADING ALLOWED

• 4th Grade Rec:                       NO HEADING ALLOWED

• 5th/6th grade Rec Plus:        NO HEADING ALLOWED

• 7th/8th grade rec plus:        HEADING IS ALLOWED*

• All High School Rec Plus:       HEADING IS ALLOWED

WSA Travel Teams

• U9:                              NO HEADING ALLOWED

• U10:                             NO HEADING ALLOWED

• U11:                             NO HEADING ALLOWED

• U12 AND OLDER:       HEADING ALLOWED IF PLAYER IS 11 OR OLDER *

   

Note:

* Players who are 11-13.

• Players who are age 11 to 13 and on teams for age groups U12 and older, are restricted to up to 30 minutes of practice heading the ball per week. There is no restriction on the number of times these players can head the ball in a competition, unless the team is competing in a combined bracket that includes U11.