This isn't a rule change, but on "2025 season eve," I thought it might make sense to remind parents, players, and fans that the NCAA has issued several NCAA's points of emphasis for referees for the 2025 season.  Here are my short summaries, annotated with my comments

1. Coaching and Team Area Decorum.

Behave.  Seriously.

Kuiper reactions:

a. Substitutes should remain in the team area behind the coaches except when warming up = Coaches planning to have their players distract or intimidate their opponents should send a ton of them over near the goal to warm up in a very loud and bizarre fashion like students behind the basket when the opponent is shooting free throws in basketball

b. Coaches and players should direct their remarks to their own team and not address opponents or officials = instead of calling the ref a moron, yell to your own player "I know the ref is a moron and that last call was nonsense, but you'll just have to find a way to overcome it."

c. Coaches who leave the team area to argue with officials or confront opponents risk ejection = Find another reason to leave your team area - such as your player suffering an apparent injury - and then, after checking on them, offer a word or two to the referee or the opposing coach on your way back to your team area

d. Know the difference between NCAA soccer rules and the IFAB Laws of the Game (e.g., coaches were incorrectly ejected for holding on to the ball to delay restarts and reaching out to touch balls that were still in play) = Wait, you mean, under NCAA rules, a coach CAN hold a ball to delay a restart and CAN reach out and touch a ball that is still in play? Who wrote these rules for the NCAA?  Coaches?

2. Handling the Ball.

It's "handling," not "hands."  It has to be deliberate, except if it goes in the goal off your hands. 

Kuiper reaction:  Parents will still yell "hand ball" anytime a ball hits a player's hands no matter how many times you explain this rule.

3.  Player Misidentification for Misconduct Issued and Need for All Officials to Confirm
the Box Score

Referees - if you're going to go to the trouble of carding a player, the least you can do is write down their number correctly

Kuiper reaction:

There have been 58 protests over the last three seasons for cards charged to the wrong individual?  Yikes!

4.  Proper Implementation of Misconduct Cards on Penalty Kicks.

If the last man back is "attempting to play the ball" and commits a foul in the box on the striker going for a goal it's a yellow, not a red. 

Kuiper reaction:

Wait until your opponent gets into the box and is about to shoot and THEN commit your foul

5.  Timekeeping

They are still worried about time wasting in the last few minutes of a game.

Kuiper reaction:

I'm not sure I've seen a player on a losing team commit a misconduct foul in the last 5 minutes to deliberately stop the clock (as opposed to stopping a breakaway or out of frustration).  I guess it would be more satisfying than pretending to be injured.

Quote from: HansenRatings on August 28, 2025, 10:46:56 AM

Quote from: doolittledog on August 28, 2025, 09:39:17 AMWe are 1 week away from Coe @ Cornell opening up the season

Anybody have any predictions on who will win this matchup? I fit a model on the Kohawks' margin of victory since 1998, and it says this year's game should be a ~38 point win for Coe, but by 2028, Cornell will win by nearly 100 points. The Rams are on the upswing!

Well, there was a 118 point swing between the 2023 Loras/Simpson game and their 2024 matchup.  We went from an 82-16 Loras win, to the next year seeing Simpson win 66-14.  So I guess anything is possible 

Quote from: HansenRatings on August 28, 2025, 10:46:56 AM

Quote from: doolittledog on August 28, 2025, 09:39:17 AMWe are 1 week away from Coe @ Cornell opening up the season

Anybody have any predictions on who will win this matchup? I fit a model on the Kohawks' margin of victory since 1998, and it says this year's game should be a ~38 point win for Coe, but by 2028, Cornell will win by nearly 100 points. The Rams are on the upswing!

Why are the Rams on an upswing of that magnitude? Are the trains shaking the field on pass plays?  I can't see what would cause that kind of swing.

Wartburg College is looking for single games for the 2026-27 season.

Potential dates:
Nov 12, 13, 14
Dec 2-12

Contact bob.amsberry@wartburg.edu or 319-830-3503

Quote from: Kira & Jaxon's Dad on August 27, 2025, 07:49:13 PMThe MTU website still has two coaches listed who are no longer there (Pearce and Wright-Downing).

Anyone know who replaced them?

Lou Berry is coaching CB's, Ely the Safeties.  Arshinkoff is back with the DL and pretty sure that Von Factor is back to assist with the DL

btw, good luck to the Raiders at W&J tonight.  Hopefully both teams get better with zero injuries

I wouldn't call the USA South a Mid-Atlantic conference, but since we don't have a South thread and we do have some Virginia schools in this conference, I'll put it here.

USA South reveals its preseason coaches poll.  North Carolina Wesleyan (the Wesleyan that apparently is OK with having Wesleyan in its name) is tabbed to repeat as champion.

2025 USA South Coaches Preseason Men's Soccer Poll
Rank    Institution (1st Place Votes)    Points
1.    N.C. Wesleyan* (5)    47
2.    William Peace^ (2)    42
3.    Brevard    37
4.    Methodist (1)    33
5.    Southern Virginia    26
6.    Pfeiffer    18
7.    Greensboro    14
8.    Mary Baldwin    7
*Defending Regular Season Champion
^Defending Tournament Champion

Ithaca's incoming class has:

0 players from New England
5 players from Florida

That is something very unique

Sent you a PM --

Quote from: doolittledog on August 28, 2025, 09:39:17 AMWe are 1 week away from Coe @ Cornell opening up the season

Anybody have any predictions on who will win this matchup? I fit a model on the Kohawks' margin of victory since 1998, and it says this year's game should be a ~38 point win for Coe, but by 2028, Cornell will win by nearly 100 points. The Rams are on the upswing!