SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Boys Varsity Soccer Should Subsitutions Be Limited ?

I agree with Bazza

Look, if you limit subs these are the results:

1. You improve good players, and nobody said that once you have a good lead you can put your subs in to get some playing time. There is a big difference between giving players on the bench playing time and USING them as a resourse to revamp your starters.
2. Team chemistry is extremely important in a soccer game. You can't just keep subbing players in and expect them to have a good flow throughout the game.
3. Stamina is essential to build a performance player because without stamina and the ability to manage your pace through a game will make a player totally worthless.
4. Usually if the score reaches 7-0 the refs step in and tell your team to slow down on the scoring. That is when you put in your subs and make them work on possession skills. Hard ? I don't think so.
5. High school is supposed to be preparation for the future. If some of your players are set on playing for colleges, subbing them out constantly is not the way to go. College soccer is just high school soccer brought to a more sensible and faster pace with no room for errors. IF you want to play for a college soccer team and a scout is watching you get subbed out every 10 minutes, I'm sorry to say but after the first 2 subs in the game, the scout will leave thinking about how much time he waisted.

Star, the only thing I'm going to comment on your post is your fifth argument. In reality, how many high school players in one year are going to play for their college? Maybe one. If that is true, then those players shouldn't be subbed out. Besides, even if a team is winning 10-0, they may sub some bench players in, but they usually keep at least one or two good players in to ensure the shutout. If this college level player is good enough, he probably won't be subbed. Also, scouts usually go to more competitive games, at least so I've seen in the past. Plus, if you're good enough, you can walk on, regardless of being recruited or not.

Are you suggesting we make a rule to change the game or are we suggesting we make a rule to correct the game that has already been changed?

Please remember, no one is saying you can't give young players a chance. As someone else has already pointed out, you can use the 3 subs available to you if you want to give someone a run out and you are comfortable with it. You just have to be more cautious in when and how you do it in case you get an injury after you've used your 3rd sub like Chelsea did in last years FA Cup against Newcastle.
Also you can start these players. Although most teams will start with their strongest 11 in competitve matches, they can start some of the more inexperienced players in games that are seen to be less competitive.
Also I have found that if you have this limitation, the fringe players try harder in practice to impress to get a starting position, and always try harder when they do get the chance to show what they can do. Those chances will come every season. Players will get injured, suspended, lose form, or be on vacation. There will be plenty of time and opportunity for non-starters to get a chance.
Usually if they are up to it they grab that chance with both hands and then you have something that any coach loves to have: Competition for starting places.!!!!

I don't think you need to specialize in high school. It's better to become a well-rounded player. Ever heard of John Wilson? Played striker in high school for Seneca. Played in the back for the Battery and DC United.

Look if a team subs constantly and the players of that team know that, what motivation do they have during practice to become better? Is it to try and get a starting position, but oh wait, they get subbed in on the 15th minute of every game and play for a good 20 minutes, does that encourage a player to play to his full potential ? It's not necessarily the subs that i'm worried about here, its player morale and a players ability to gain improvement each practice because of that extra effort they give to impress the coaches. As for running 3 miles a day, that should be a usual thing during soccer practices, you may not realize you run 3 miles every practice, but you do, it's not a rule, its a natural thing.

How about we try this: Substitution on the fly!
Like in hockey. A player runs over to the bench and another runs onto the field. We would have to have another ref (the fourth official) to keep track - but we should have them anyway. Of course there would be unlimited subs. This opens up a whole new strategy, especially when pulling someone from the other side of the field that doesn't want to come off.

On the fly substitutions could help the game flow better, make it faster. Just my thoughts.

I agree well said voice of reason.

Hurst - How can you even compare wrestling to soccer? I don't see your point. It is a known fact that you DO NOT sub in a wrestling match. You can not call time out in a match and sub. You can though at weigh ins (dual matches) weigh in two kids at one weight class and choose who wrestles at the time of that particular match. Normally (at least a lot of years ago when I wrestled)prior to weekely wrestling matches if you had multiple kids in one weight class you had a wrestle off in practice. The winner wrestled varsity. Wrestling at most part is an individual sport. You can't sub, you can't depend upon Johnny to back you up.

Coach Cady,

I completely agree with your recommendation, and have lobbied for that for years. The problem for coaches and players is as you stated, how do you assign left and right backs and midfielders? Normally it's based on who's left footed, but now it would be based on fitness. I know many of my players can play on either side, and often ask me to play on either the coach's side or the parents' side, depending on their disposition. With on-the-fly substitutions, that would add a whole new decision point. I would however love to spend a few practices coaching quick line changes, and even more importantly pushing our advantage during the other team's line change.

But I doubt that we'll ever get a fourth official for HS games. I'm sure that some of our favorite refs in the 2 whistle system could easily cover the task of watching subs from whatever spot on the field they've set up camp. It's not like they're distracted with watching the flow of the game or anything...

(Oops, sorry. I resolved for the New Year not to speak negatively of officials.)

"LINE CHANGE"