Spring Soccer FAQs

During the Spring season there are no weekday practices. The first Sunday of the season is used for the only practice. There are no other scheduled practices, just games.

During the Spring season games are held Sunday mornings only, running usually between 8am and 1pm.

The season runs 8 weeks, from mid-to-late March through mid-to-late May (exact dates are determined each year), on Sundays only, with no games on Easter Sunday. The first Sunday will be the single team practice, and then games the rest of the season.

We will not be honoring coaching requests except for the Clinic and PreK/K divisions, with exceptions for extraordinary circumstances. Full teams of players will not be allowed to be registered together. We will try to honor Clinic and PreK/K division player’s request to play with one other player, but please remember that requests are not guaranteed, and the later the player is registered the less likely a request could be handled. We will do our best but can not guarantee that every player’s request can be honored.

Register your player for the school grade or age they will be when the season starts in March.

The Clinic 3 and 4 divisions are for players who are 3 or 4 years old respectively. The PreK/K division is for players who are in Kindergarten, or who may have turned school-age after the school year started but are not in school just yet.

The Spring soccer season has limited capacity, and divisions will fill up fast. To ensure your player will not be placed on the waitlist for an open spot, it’s recommended to register as early as possible.

Divisions that are close to capacity require you to contact the Commissioner at info@freedomoptsoccer.com for the password or code to register. This prevents divisions from overfilling beyond capacity. In the Spring season there are limited spots available for each division.

After registration, the next communication won’t likely occur until shortly before the season begins in March. After a coaches meeting, teams will be released and you will receive an email from the registration site with information about your assigned team and coach. Soon after the coach will send you and email with more details about game schedules, communications, and details about the season.

No. Players actively competing or practicing with, or rostered with any travel soccer team, are not permitted to play in the recreational league program.

Yes, the refund requests need to be e-mailed to commissioner@freedomoptsoccer.com before the Registration Period ends, and will be refunded less a $20.00 administrative fee.

Any refund request received after the Registration Period ends will not be honored. And refunds are not offered if a player withdraws to play with a travel team.

Yes, if they have the physical and mental ability we will consider allowing a player to play up into a division ahead of their grade, but there is no guarantee of approval. Please make the request to the Age Division Coordinator of the division you wish your child to play in, and the Commissioner at info@freedomoptsoccer.com. We ask that the parents in requesting this remember most kids enjoy playing in the same division as their friends from school or home.

For the fastest response, contact our registration specialist directly at registrar@freedomoptsoccer.com..

The league will provide your child with a uniform which will consist of a uniform shirt and matching socks that we require the players wear at each game. You will need to purchase shin guards, which must be worn under the soccer socks for each game. Your child should have a water bottle for to keep them hydrated. Your child can play in sneakers, but if you wish to purchase soccer shoes/cleats you need to make sure you purchase soccer shoes that do not have a cleat located in the front toe area (no football shoes).

If you wish to purchase a soccer ball for your child the following is a list of the soccer ball sizes for the divisions they play in:

• Size 3 Clinic, PreK-Kindergarten, and Coed 1-2
• Size 4 Coed 3-5
• Size 5 Coed 6-8

Players cannot wear any non-medically necessary accessories during a game, including but not limited to earrings, bracelets, necklaces, watches, wrist worn devices, air-pods, etc. This is a safety issue to prevent serious accidents from hooking or tangling.

If a device is medically necessary, inform your coach so they can inform the referee(s) before the game during the equipment check.

Any dangling or hoop-like earrings must be removed. Stud earrings can have a small bandage (e.g. Band-Aid) placed over it and the earring back, so they don’t have to be removed. Most coaches have bandages in first aid kits, and they are always available at the equipment area or shed at each field on game days. Glasses must be secured to prevent falling off. This does not apply to hats or gloves unless they have dangling components that cannot be secured.

As per U.S. SOCCER’S PLAYER SAFETY CAMPAIGN: CONCUSSION INITIATIVES & HEADING FOR YOUTH PLAYERS, players 11 and under shall not engage in heading, either in practice or in games.

Therefore, during a game, whenever the ball strikes a player in the head, play is stopped. The proper restart depends upon whether the player deliberately played the ball with his or her head. If deliberate, the proper restart is an indirect free kick to the opposing team. If this occurs within the goal area, the indirect free kick should be taken on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred. If the play by the head is deemed inadvertent, then the proper restart is a dropped ball.

Following Small-Sided Games Player Development Initiatives (PDIs) Guideliness, Goalkeepers in small-sided games are not permitted to punt or dropkick the ball.

If the goalkeeper punts or dropkicks the ball, an indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposing team, outside of the penalty box, beyond the penalty box line that’s parallel to the goal line and closest to where the offense took place.

This is part of small-sided build-out Player Development Initiatives from FIBA and U.S. Soccer meant to encourage build out play and prevent unnecessary heading. Goalkeepers should be taught to throw/sling/roll out the ball, or drop it to their feet to play out.

More build-out rules will be implemented in the coming seasons.