The NCAA News - News Features

Soccer rules survey shows varied opinions on overtime

A series of questions designed to solicit opinions from soccer coaches regarding overtime periods produced mixed results, according to the 1996 men's and women's soccer rules survey.

Four different proposals were posed concerning overtime periods, including (1) conducting two 15-minute periods of nonsudden-death soccer for overtimes in both regular- and postseason play, (2) conducting two 15-minute periods of sudden-death soccer for all overtimes in both regular-and postseason play, (3) conducting two 15-minute periods of sudden-death soccer in regular-season games only, and (4) eliminating overtime periods in regular-season games only.

Fifty-three percent of coaches responded favorably to proposal No. 1, making it the only proposal of the four to receive a majority yes vote. Each of the remaining three proposals were rejected by at least 63 percent of the more than 700 coaches responding to the survey.

Ranked in order of most favored to least favored, proposals Nos. 1 and 2 were most consistently favored, though not more than 33 percent of coaches from any one division or gender favored any one of the four over another.

The proposed elimination of overtime in regular-season play resulted in a 50/50 split among Division I men's coaches, but was rejected by more than a 2-1 margin by Division I women's coaches and men's and women's coaches in Divisions II and III.

Support for '96 changes

An overwhelming majority of coaches approved of rules changes implemented for the 1996 season, including a two-game penalty for players involved in a second fight during the season and a change allowing referees who employ the advantage rule and disdain an immediate stoppage of play to change their minds if the advantage does not develop.

As for proposals under consideration for the 1997 season, a majority of coaches favor the referee keeping the official time on the field regardless of whether there is a scoreboard clock. A solid majority also favor implementation of an accumulation system for red cards in addition to the accumulation system currently in place for yellow cards.

New proposals not favored included a timed penalty for yellow cards, imposing a distance of 15 yards rather than 10 yards on free kicks, and allowing the home team to determine the length of the half-time interval.

Proposals that were closely contested included the elimination of the television timeout provision, and the elimination of the four-step restriction for goalkeepers, provided the five-second rule is enforced.

Complete survey results will be available at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Convention in January. Results also were distributed at the NSCAA rules symposium at the Division I Men's Soccer Championship in Richmond, Virginia.