Difference in Rules for Pro, College and Youth Soccer
By Learning Center·
Difference in Rules for Pro, College and Youth Soccer
Many of the rules used in professional, college and high school soccer are the same, but some, like field sizes are very different. The rules that are used during international matches and Olympic Games are the sport's governing body – FIFA - rules. In the United States, each state governs high school soccer; however, high school play follows the rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). But again, there is college soccer, still adopting a huge amount of the FIFA rules in its play, but some still differ.
One major rule you'll find different with pro, college and youth soccer is the size of the fields. Pro soccer fully adopts the rules of the world governing body, where a field must be rectangular with a width of no less than 70 yards and no more than 80 yards. The "standard" fields have a width of 80 yards. This is quite different with high school soccer fields which are quite small, with a minimum width of 55 yards and maximum of 80 yards, of which most are no more than 70 yards.
The length of the field on the other hand is between 100 yards and 120 yards as stipulated by the NFHS rulebook yet FIFA's standards state that the minimum length of a soccer field should be 110 yards and a maximum of 120 yards; with most organizations using the 120-yard fields for their professional matches. Most of these differences in field sizes can be attributed to the modifications needed to be made to accommodate other events. Track events in high schools and colleges, are played on these fields, since most of these institutions do not have standard stadiums specifically built for the game.
Another notable difference between pro, college and high school soccer is about the refereeing aspect and the time factor of the game. In pro matches, the referee is the ultimate when it comes to the decision of ending a game. No one else has sight of the time apart from the referee; they can end the game at their own discretion. This is, however, quite different with high school and college soccer as a countdown clock is installed in the field, similar to the ones used in other sports like basketball, with very specific rules regarding when the time is to be stopped. This gives the public a view of the time and not just the referee. Whether this is ever going to be feature in pro matches any time soon is still a mystery.