HUB Weekly Update: [homeschoolhub] Soccer in the Park, Mon. 4/22, 3-5 p.m.

Great game last week using the really big field! Apparently a "60% chance of precipitation" means "perfect soccer weather."

There was some discussion last week about whether a player may throw the ball to himself or herself. As I noted at the time, the answer is "no." (See "Law 15" at the end of this message.) Of course, in our games, my ruling are law anyway. (Someone's ruling must be final.) So even if I apply a rule "incorrectly," we're still going to follow my interpretation of the rule unless someone persuades me to change. And we are going to accept my ruling with some measure of grace as well.

In our homeschooler games, we deliberately deviate from the official laws of soccer in several respects:

1. We don't count goals that I judge to be dangerously high - generally above the shins.

2. We don't count goals when the ball has touched any part of the goal post or the imaginary cylinder arising at a 90% angle from the ground above the goal post or cone.

3. We avoid kicking the ball above shin height when there is any chance of hitting a child (or a grey-haired adult).

4. We let the youngest children kick the ball once or twice without interference and we let them dribble for some distance without taking the ball from them.

5. We sometimes play without goalies and then mark a rectangle in front of the goal into which players may not step when the ball is in play.

We deviate from the unwritten rules of some teams and parks and neighborhoods in that:

- We treat everyone well.

- We welcome everyone regardless of age or level of skill or fitness.

Monday, April 22, from 3-5 p.m. at Howard Park at the corner of St.
Louis Blvd. and Jefferson Blvd. in South Bend.

Tom Borek
574-302-7865

LAW 15 - Throw-in
A throw-in is taken to restart a game after the ball goes out of play over the touchline. A throw- in is taken by a player from the team, which did not touch the ball last. The player throwing the ball in must have both feet on the ground and both hands on the ball over his head. Both feet must remain on or behind the touchline.
The thrower must throw the ball with equal strength from both hands from the back of the head and over the top of the head. The thrower must not play the ball again until another player from either team has touched the ball. A player cannot score a goal directly from a throw-in. A player in the offside position receiving the ball directly from a throw-in is not offside.