Notice

To: All Parents and Guardians of Soccer Players:

Ela Soccer Club is committed to goal safety. In an effort to keep the goals and nets secure and children safe, you are required to advise your children and any other person accompanying you for whom you are responsible that:

Moving any soccer goals and any use of a soccer goal that does not relate to a soccer activity such as but not limited to climbing, swinging, hanging or playing on the goal frames or nets is NOT ALLOWED.

If you observe any child not following this guideline or if you see any soccer goal that is not anchored down or any net not firmly secured to the goal, please notify a coach or referee immediately. 

Goal Safety Policy

Ela Soccer Club believes that maintaining goal safety is a high priority for all coaches, trainers, parents and members of the club.

Ela Soccer Club will require for all programs and every activity:
 

• The coaches for each game or other responsible person will make a physical inspection for each goal prior to the game/ activity to assure that goals are securely anchored accordance with CPSC guidelines/manufacturer’s guidelines.  The full CPC guidelines are below.
   
• Evidence of such physical inspection will be recorded on the Record of Soccer Goal Inspection form. The signed inspection forms will be turned in at the end of each season or upon completion of each form to the office and maintained on file.
   
• No coach of an Ela Soccer Club team will allow their team to participate in any game, whether home or away, where the goals are not adequately secured and anchored.
   
• No coach of an Ela Soccer Club team will allow a team to practice unless the goals are adequately secured and anchored.
   
• That all parents and guardians are told of the dangers of unsecured goals and the parent’s responsibility to keep kids away from the goals and inform the club should the goals need to be secured.
   
• Coaches will remind their players that climbing swinging on or attempting to move the goals is not permitted. Players violating the rule may be asked to sit out part of or the entire game or practice. 
   
• The Ela Soccer Club Director of Fields will conduct goal inspections routinely.
   

The President of the board or designee will have random site surveys done to certify compliance with this policy.
 

 The Illinois Youth Soccer Association, which Ela soccer club is a member of, has set forth rules concerning goal safety with which member organizations must comply. Specifically Rule 021-A of the IYSA Policies and Procedures provides

RULE 021-A. GOAL SAFETY POLICY
Any coach who participates in practice or a game where the goals are not securely anchored shall be fined not less than $200 and suspended for a minimum of not less than one (1) calendar year from the date of the practice or game involved. In the event the goal is
not securely anchored the entity (team, club, league, state) that has primary responsibility for the field or event upon which the unsecured goal is situated shall be fined $1000. Coach means the head coach, any assistant coach, trainer or any other team official present at the time of the violation. The entity against which a fine is imposed shall be in bad standing until the fine imposed is paid. Each team shall maintain in written form a record for each team practice, in which the coach, assistant coach, trainer or other responsible person shall certify that he or she has performed a physical inspection of the goals used in the practice to verify the goals were securely anchored. Each league shall require each club or individual team unaffiliated with a club to certify in writing that it has in place a program to ensure that goals it uses are adequately secured, that its goals have been and will be inspected by a member of the club or team prior to each game or practice. Each club and team shall further certify it has communicated to the parent or guardian of each player the dangers of unsecured goals and their responsibility to assure that goals are secure. Each league shall certify to the IYSA that its clubs and teams have complied with these requirements prior to their annual registration.