In AYSO Region 1112 (Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas), our 10U divisions often have new players, new coaches, and new referees. In other words, lots of people struggling with lots of new information. USSF has decided that in order to develop national team players capable of 'building out of the back', 10U players needed a rule to force coaches to coach it. (Yes, my dislike of this rule is showing, but prove to me that I'm wrong while keeping a straight face). But this isn't even my main issue with the rule.

Imagine that you're a 10U player taking a Goal Kick. By USSF rule, as soon as you kick the ball and it moves, your opponents can come charging back across the BOL. As your ball trickles across the Goal Area line, your opponent's best player is running right at it with just you (and maybe the keeper if you're not the keeper) between him/her and a shot on goal at full power. What is this teaching anybody?

Are there ways around it? Yes. I know few experienced coaches who have taught their players to kick to the side, practically into the corner, to their best player, who's ready to boot it up the touchline. I have also seen the goal keeper kick it to a teammate just outside the penalty area (and inside the penalty arc), who immediately played it back to the keeper, who then smashed it down field. ... Is this really teaching anything other then new ways to play the long ball? In each case, the person taking the GK has to deliver a good pass to a teammate that needs to one touch control the ball and then send it. At 10U. While the opponent's best player is charging for the ball. It's not exactly what I would call fair.

In discussions with the board, we've decided that we can best serve the spirit of the USSF rule by changing the Goal Kick portion of the it. Instead of the opponents crossing the BOL when the ball is kicked, we have them wait until the ball is IN PLAY, as in it crosses out of the Penalty Area. This gives not just each team's best player a chance to collect and deliver the next pass, it gives almost all of the players a chance to collect and deliver the next pass. It also gives all of the players a chance to deliver an initial good pass from the GK restart to begin with, not just the players with a decent leg and accuracy.

This is why we aren't perfectly compliant with USSF. This is a rule that is consistent about when players can recross the BOL, consistent with what USSF wants the coaches to teach their players, consist with what we teach referees about when the ball is in play, and consistent with Everybody Plays, Player Development, Fun, Fair, and Safe.