Greater Lewisville Area Soccer Association
Greater Lewisville Area Soccer Association
The purpose of GLASA is to foster and advance the sport of soccer for young persons under nineteen (19) years of age in the Greater Lewisville area, to promote sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty and courage through organized athletic competition and to educate participants in the rules of sportsmanship and soccer, through and according to the North Texas Soccer Association and the United States Soccer Federation.
The purpose of the Greater Lewisville Area Soccer Association (GLASA) is to foster and advance soccer programs that promote the ideals of Good Sportsmanship, Honesty, Loyalty, and Courage through athletic competition. GLASA’s mission is to provide a safe, clean, and wholesome environment for the children and parents of GLASA to enjoy the game of soccer. The Zero Tolerance Policy is intended to further ensure that the playing experience is in accordance with these ideals and principles.
All members of GLASA (parents and players) shall support the volunteer coaches. Failure to do so undermines the position of the coach, the support of other members, the direction of GLASA, and jeopardizes the value that volunteers provide to players, parents, and spectators.
Any concern that an individual has with a coach or assistant coach can be directed in a polite and constructive manner to a board member at the convenience of the board member or directly to the President of the Association.
In addition, any member of GLASA is welcome to address the board during a regularly scheduled monthly meeting, provided a minimum of three (3) days notice is given in writing to the Association President. Depending on the nature of the concern, the association and its board members have the right to delay the hearing as deemed necessary; for example if an investigation is required.
Any contact with a coach or assistant coach, on or off the field of play, by phone, email, in person, etc, considered verbally or physically abusive, insulting, or threatening will be considered for disciplinary action through an A&D hearing lead by the A&D Chairman and committee. The necessary disciplinary action shall be determined by the A&D committee.
Sideline Policy:
A maximum of three (3) approved coaches/managers are permitted on the player sideline at any given time.
An underage coach must never be left alone with the players.
The head coach must be present at all times when players are on the sideline.
All persons, coaches, assistant coaches, team managers, spectators, and players shall support the referee team. Failure to do so undermines the referee’s authority and potentially creates a hostile environment for the players, the referees and all other participants and spectators.
Any concern that an individual has with a referee or referee team can be directed in a polite and constructive manner to a board member at the convenience of the board member, directly to the Director of Referees or the President of the Association.
In addition, any member of GLASA is welcome to address the board during the regularly scheduled monthly meeting, provided a minimum of three (3) days notice is given in writing to the Association President. Depending on the nature of the concern, the association and its board members have the right to delay the hearing as deemed necessary; for example if an investigation is required.
Any contact with any referee, on or off the field of play, by phone, email, in person, etc, considered verbally or physically abusive, insulting, or threatening will be considered for disciplinary action through an A&D hearing lead by the A&D Chairman their committee. The necessary disciplinary action shall be determined by the A&D committee.
The following policy, exceptions and penalty procedures apply to all outdoor recreational and competitive soccer matches officiated at any location under the authority of GLASA or North Texas State Soccer Association (NTSSA). This policy applies to home and away games.
Any caution or send off requires a signed NTSSA Outdoor Misconduct Report detailing the incident. Include just the facts: what was said, verbatim, especially if the language is profane, foul, or threatening. In cases where a match is abandoned by the referee, the status of the match can ONLY be determined by the proper league or association authority.
If a GLASA Board Member witnesses inappropriate or violent behavior by a coach, assistant coach, team manager, spectator, player, or referee, they are encouraged to inform the offender that they need to adhere to the Zero Tolerance Policy or leave the premises. If the behavior continues, the GLASA Board Member should send a report to the A&D Chair and Director of Referees for further review. This will aid the association in protecting all referees, especially our younger referees who might feel intimidated applying reprimands to adults.
GLASA Zero Tolerance Policy is effective August 1, 2007
Join U.S. Soccer in creating a better future for our game. Our updated Referee Abuse Prevention Policy (Policy 531-9) is designed to make youth and amateur matches more safer, more fun, and more empowering for everyone involved. Referee abuse will not be tolerated. We’re asking everyone to do their part by knowing the rules, reporting referee abuse, and embodying behaviors that represent the best of us.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience soccer without risking his or her well-being. We must protect those in service to the game.
U.S. Soccer is standing firm to protect referees and restore respect to the game. The updated policy includes stronger sanctions for any form of physical or non-physical abuse towards referees. We encourage every player and coach to learn what behaviors cross the line, so they can avoid penalties and help create a better culture for the future of soccer.
Click link for FAQ about policy FAQ Referee Abuse
Any person (player, parent, coach, referee, board member, volunteer, or any other individual) acting on behalf of or associated with GLASA is expected to conduct themselves appropriately and abide by this Code of Conduct. All GLASA members have a responsibility to act and speak appropriately when representing our association. At all GLASA sponsored activities, in and out of the state of Texas, the following code of conduct is in effect:
The purpose of the Greater Lewisville Area Soccer Association (GLASA) is to foster and advance soccer programs that promote the ideals of Good Sportsmanship, Honesty, Loyalty, and Courage through athletic competition. The Water Break Policy (WBP) is intended to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the youth in our program. This is not a policy on substitutions, nor is it a policy on coaching during stoppage of play.
A water break for player hydration will be given at the midpoint of each half in any GLASA sponsored match played at any GLASA complex. The water break will adhere to the following:
When the heat index is less than 95 degrees, water breaks are to be given under the following conditions:
The official water break will be given at a normal stoppage of play. Normal stoppages of play are: goal kicks, throw-ins and injury. Free kicks and corner kicks are set plays and not considered as normal stoppages of play.
GLASA Water Break Policy is effective September 1, 2008
To provide safe sports fields for the use and enjoyment of Greater Lewisville Area Soccer Association (GLASA) residents and their guests as well as establish guidelines and procedures for inclement weather. This policy serves to inform sports field users of the Thor Guard Lightning Prediction and Warning System and describes guidelines to utilize when thunderstorms approach.
Lightning is a hazard that must be taken seriously by coaches, officials, parents, spectators and participants. Lightning is a form of electrical discharge between clouds or between a cloud and the ground. The discharge may take place between two parts of the same cloud, between two clouds or between a cloud and the ground. Thunder is the sound waves produced by the explosive heating of air in the lightning channel during the return. The average lightning strike is six miles long (but could strike from 20 miles away resulting in “a bolt from the blue”), reaches 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (fours times as hot as the sun’s surface), and voltage in a cloud-to-ground strike is 100 million to 1 billion volts. Thunder can only be heard about 12 miles away under quiet outdoor conditions. Ground-based items such as fences, trees, blades of grass, light poles, bleachers, dugouts and people emit varying degrees of induced electric activity which can act as a lightning rod.
Previously, many people have relied on the “Flash/Bang” technique (the sound of thunder will take five seconds to travel one mile) to measure their distance from lightning. You must be aware that on average, thunder can only be heard over a distance of only three to four miles. By the time you hear thunder, you are already well within the reach of a lightning strike. For this reason the GLASA and our city partners have purchased and installed the Thor Guard Lightning Prediction and Warning System at Chinn Chapel Soccer Complex, Bakersfield Park, Gerault Park, Lake park and Unity Park. This system is designed to predict a lightning strike within a defined geographical region. Using sensors connected to a computer, the Thor Guard system is able to measure and analyze the electrostatic field in the atmosphere. It is in this field that lightning originates. Once the pre-established detection limits are reached, the system activates a series of horns and strobe lights to warn those playing on sports fields to seek shelter immediately.
When the conditions for a lightning strike exist, the Thor Guard system will give a 15-second blast on the horn cluster that can be heard approximately 700 yards away. At the same time, a yellow strobe visible from most areas of the park will activate and stay on until the danger has passed or at least 10 minutes after the last detection of lightning. Once the potential for a lightning strike has passed, the system will activate the horns giving the all-clear signal — three, five second blasts — and the strobe light will go off. However, if weather conditions appear unsafe and the system has not sounded the alarm, common sense should be your guide and activities should cease despite the absence of a Thor Guard warning. Due to the unpredictability of weather patterns, it may be possible for the alarm to sound multiple times within an hour or even sound when there appears to be no danger (i.e. clear skies). While stopping and restarting athletic activities due to Thor Guard warnings may result in some frustration, it is important to remember that the Thor Guard system warnings must be heeded at all times. If the Thor Guard system sets off the alarm on a sunny day, it is not malfunctioning. There is a chance of being struck by lightning if the alarm is not heeded (“a bolt from the blue”). It is worth noting that many of the lightning deaths and injuries that occur each year are from the first lightning strike from an incoming storm or come from the rear of a storm that appears to have passed through an area.
The following lightning policy has been implemented and is enforced by GLASA and our city partners:
The Thor Guard Lightning Prediction and Warning System helps assess the threat for lightning. Neither the warning nor the system is intended to guarantee that conditions are safe. If the weather is threatening and no warning signal is heard or seen, use good judgment and clear the sports field immediately. Do not wait for the warning signal to activate, as the system can malfunction. While the system is not infallible, common sense should still be followed. The Thor Guard system is an important tool for enhancing the safety of Town sanctioned activities.
As soon as the horn sounds and the yellow light goes on, all games will be immediately stopped. Players, officials and spectators must leave the fields and seek a shelter for the duration of the threat (cars are strongly suggested as the space around the concession stand is very limited). Should the referees feel, using their best judgment, that a potential threat is present, they HAVE to authority to stop the games even before the alarm is triggered.
Since there is no way to determine how long the threat will last, the following rules will apply for all games, regardless on who stops them (alarm or referee):
Just because the skies look relatively clear, a lightning strike can still occur.
Thanks for your cooperation and helping put the safety of our youth first.