Question Number: 23788

League Specific 8/16/2010

RE: rec Under 6

Vivian Parks of colleyville, TX United States asks...

in a U5 game can both teams be on the same touchline?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

That will depend on the rules of the competition. Some areas have teams on the same sideline; others on opposite sidelines. And sometimes there will be local field modifications. One year we put a U6 field in a park we had not used before. The neighbor complained about the noise of the excited parents and grandparents. So we made a modification that no one should be on the line outside his window. I'm not sure if that helped or not - now all the fans were 30 yards away from his house, but they were all facing his way!

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The laws of the game, few of which matter in a U5 game, place both teams along the same touchline.

Many youth leagues place teams on opposite touchlines in the hopes that it will limit controversies among the spectators. Others place players along one touchline and all spectators on the opposite sides with the same objective. I sincerely hope that none of these considerations have yet affected U5 matches.

If your league has a specific rule, enforce it. In the absence of any rule, do what will add to the players' enjoyment of the match. (My experience is the youngest players really just want to be on the side closest to the snack bar.)