Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 19:41     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Boot ball 4EVR
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 19:36     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:Nope it’s an ECNL girls problem period.

Confirmed
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 17:04     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Nope it’s an ECNL girls problem period.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 16:20     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
The responses here have saved my faith in the soccer community. The OP is not in touch with reality. Yes the the best leagues will have the fastest/most physical players, but the style is completely dependent on the team/club. There are overly physical ECNL/GA/DPL/EDP/USYS/ETC players/teams.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 16:05     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
There isn't a ECNL style of play, club style maybe, most likely a coach's style. Not sure if I've ever heard of a league's style of play, it would be pretty boring if they all did the same thing.

Get some smelling salts and a can of redbull for your kid to level the playing field.
SoccerRef
Post 06/02/2025 15:55     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I can absolutely confirm ECNL teams headhunt super talented kids to hurt them and nock them out of games.

Big kids playing boot ball should be the motto.




I don't believe you. Why, because if this was true any sensible parent would remove their child from a team whose coach does this and would report it directly to the club.


Your child clearly does not play for a top team then. Most girls on these teams relish playing that YNT call-up and showing them they are nothing special. This leads to overaggressive play especially if there is a gap in quality, which their almost always is in this example. Add a coach who encourages pushing the boundaries and its a match where no one in complaining to parents about the coach. The talented technical players get kicked out of the game. Leading to coaches wanting bigger and more durable players who don;t have the technical ability to play fast with the ball on the deck so you have what we see in ECNL play, sadly predictable.

This is exactly my assessment as well.

ECNL needs to spent time educating refs about what dangerous play looks like. They also need to stand behind their refs when a decision is made. I get the meathead allure of going so hard that you hurt
others. But, this is counter productive to getting players into the next level if theyre all hurt and cant play any longer.


There are not ECNL refs, GA refs, etc. Refs are certified by a state association and the same refs officiate ECNL games, GA games, MLSN games, state association games. The assignors are going to put out the games and the best refs are going to signup for games that a) pay them the most and b) require least travel.

Offer more money for ECNL games but require passing a certification program that defines league expections for calls and player safety.

Seems easy to address


I like that idea, but where's the money coming from? You. Are you still going to want this when your fees go up?
As one of the PP said, we don't ref for a specific league, and there's no guidance on a league by league basis of how they want us to call a game.
Yes, generally speaking, the more skilled the team and the league, the more physicality we'll allow, but no one want to get to the point where a game is in any way unsafe. If the example the OP gave is accurate, then is sounds like the ref missed some calls, but there's certainly nothing systemic about it.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 15:40     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
It's not ECNL. I'd say that it's more club/coach specific.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 15:34     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:The OP made a general point. If you've been around the youth game long enough, when it comes to Girls ECNL the common trope is "pace of play and physicality." The clubs are under pressure to win, so in typical American fashion, go big, go fast. At U13-U15 you can take advantage of that defensively as the skill level across the entire team isn't going to be elite unless you're out in Cali or Texas generally speaking. More skillful teams that can string together passes negate that physicality.

There is also this thing that exists when it comes to referee bias. They tend to let the girls get away with way too much as if it's entertainment to them to see how far they'll go.


This is all BS. Nothing OP described is anything other than soccer. No ECNL club is under pressure to win. It is not even in the top 5 things. Entire goal is college recruiting which can be done from a mid or good team almost just as well. Even from a bad team it is not that far off.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 15:05     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:Soccer at high levels is a very physical and aggressive sport. That should not shock anyone.

At the highest levels you get paid to play the sport. This is a natural balance against players looking to injure opponents. If you bash talent it wont want to play and you wont have highlight reels that fill the seats.

At the lower levels if you coach being thugs to players none of those players will make it to the highest levels where skill wins over force.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 14:56     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Soccer at high levels is a very physical and aggressive sport. That should not shock anyone.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 14:49     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
The OP made a general point. If you've been around the youth game long enough, when it comes to Girls ECNL the common trope is "pace of play and physicality." The clubs are under pressure to win, so in typical American fashion, go big, go fast. At U13-U15 you can take advantage of that defensively as the skill level across the entire team isn't going to be elite unless you're out in Cali or Texas generally speaking. More skillful teams that can string together passes negate that physicality.

There is also this thing that exists when it comes to referee bias. They tend to let the girls get away with way too much as if it's entertainment to them to see how far they'll go.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 14:01     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:Certain types of plays are organic to specific leagues?


Nope, but OP thinks they're on to something.

Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 13:54     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
yellow card caution is not a tool refs quite understand how to use I;ve noticed as well. Its about player saftety so please card people referees, its the only deterrent to escalating violent and clumsy plays.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 13:31     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
I think I've read that referees at the youth level are hesitant to card players, which is wild to think about when it's part of keeping the players safe.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 13:31     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
From what I've seen and heard, high school is far worse with refs allowing too much.