Congratulations to the NCAA Men's and Women's Soccer Rules Committee for the "zero-tolerance language rule."

The rule to be implemented for the coming soccer season states that any player who uses profane, offensive, insulting, vulgar or abusive language will receive a red card and be ejected from the game. This is a significant stand, and I can only hope other sports will follow suit.

The increasing use of four-letter words and other vulgar language -- and the acceptance of such behavior as part of the college sports environment -- is morally disheartening. The many ways that language can be used to taunt or demoralize players and fans, in fact, has made it difficult to draw a line of enforcement. Television networks and the movie industry also obscure that line by letting more questionable language slide. But at least the soccer rules committee is attempting to curb that practice in one college sport. It is refreshing to see such a stand.

Because abusive language is to an extent "a product of society," the hard part of the soccer committee's action will be enforcing the rule. As with many good rules (for example, requiring a mouthpiece in contact sports, prohibiting spearing in football), the difficult part rests with officials' enforcement of the rule, coaches' ability to promote adherence to the rule and athletes' understanding the purpose of the rule. Education is always the key.

This new rule will not save an athlete's knee, nor will it change the way the game is played. It may, however, change the enjoyment of the game for the student-athletes and the spectators who cheer them on.

This is a good first step. Now the hard work begins.

Pat Lamboni
Head Athletic Trainer
Salisbury University

Soccer substitution rule garners coach's support

As opposed to many of my soccer colleagues, I support the new soccer substitution rule (no re-entry in any period).

The majority opinion, clearly against the new rule, has been heard loud, clear and often. Here are some points (and much speculation, I admit) in favor of the change in the substitution rule:

Limited substitution will slow the lickety-split, hundred-mile-per-hour high-pressure pace of the Division III game. It will become a more tactical, more skillful, more beautiful game. Players will have to think more to adjust to the conditions of the game, come up with creative strategies, understand the value of pacing themselves through the match and solve problems on their own. When they fall short, we get to speak to them at halftime and all week during training. Are we as coaches maybe just a bit worried about losing control? Do we want to be like basketball coaches, subbing every minute, signaling plays from the touchlines, constantly calling time out, controlling absolutely everything?

* More parity likely will result. It won't matter how good your 15th through 20th players are because they won't play unless a match is won. There will be fewer 6-0 matches. Many coaches still will use the 14 to 15 players they use now -- but for longer increments. Kids won't come on for 10 minutes and sprint and bash and then go off. This rule will enrich the experience for the top 15. Granted, it won't be fruitful for the players that don't get in the match.

* The rule should produce a more competitive training atmosphere. Players who don't start will compete to win spots during training. Starters will have to train with vigor daily to keep their spots. Coaches will have to instill the value that everyone is equally important, whether they play 90 minutes or zero minutes. Another point: Too many players on the bench often causes dissension. Maybe we give an excellent educational experience to 19 players rather than a mediocre experience to 28 players. After all, this is college soccer, not under-12. The pyramid narrows at the top.

I say let's have a go. There is gobs of room for the fresh breeze of new ideas in soccer. Maybe doing it like the rest of the world isn't so outlandish. We can revisit the issue after the season. Who knows, maybe a shiny pearl of wisdom has washed up on our shore and we don't know it yet.

Rick Burns
Women's Soccer Coach
Gordon College