Question Number: 15675

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 6/2/2007

RE: Rec Under 9

Maddie of Avon lake, ohio U.S. asks...

In rec do you have to start with a coin flip or just pick one team and they start and swich in the other half?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Why wouldn't you do a coin toss? It's part of the Laws of the Game. So unless your local rules committee has set a new procedure, you would do the coin toss. You will have to check your local Operating Rules.

I did work at a tournament once where I went out to do the coin toss. One of my partners said, "No, we aren't bothering with that - we have been taking all kickoffs to the South all day." Whether that was a tournament rule or an unofficial guideline, that's what we did. Sure makes it easier when you're doing multiple games in a day to remember which side gets the kick in the second half.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

You always start with a toss. Unless tournament rules or league policy states otherwise. Sometimes in tournaments the rules state who kicks off to keep game moving.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Law 8 tells us the winner of the coin toss chooses which end to attack. This is something that is not supposed to be modified. If your league requires something else flip a coin anyway and when they say that's wrong show them this. You're there to enforce the Laws of the Game, they can't modify this one, enforce it!

Nuff Said,