Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 05:39     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The reason while elite clubs must win/under high pressure (ECNL or GA or MLSN) is twofold. First, they need to recruit the best players and if they aren't winning, the recruits will likely go to a rival that is. Second, winning ensures more attention with scouts at any/all events played.


There is no such pressure. Very very few make decisions about clubs based on wins. The number one decision point is distance and time of travel. The second is the playing development/coaching. Winning is just not important. Mid ECNL clubs kill on the recruiting.


All depends on whether your area has a top nationally ranked club. If so, that’s the 1 which is most sought after.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2025 17:50     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:Anyone has the directive memo from ECNL to refs and coaches demanding aggressive play?

Happens after every ECNL event when coaches complain that the refs were calling to many things and because of this they would like that ref removed from the rotation. Put another way coaches cant win without overly physical play so please remove the ref that keeps calling them on it.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2025 08:33     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:My kids GA team was playing in an ECNL clubs tournament (beat a very good ECNL team and lost by a goal to an ok ECNL team). It was clearly obvious that ECNL players relied on cheap shots and fighting type tactics over skill. Why do parents put up with this type of behavior? Putting your kid through a gladiator cage when they're young wont make them better. It will make them get hurt earlier in their career which very likely will affect their chances to play in college or professionally.

One teams center defender was so dirty all she was doing was trying to hurt other players. One time after getting burned she dove head first into one of our players knees trying to take her out. I'd never seen such a blatant red card get completely ignored before. Later she did something similar which hurt one our players and she received a yellow. This kind of play needs to be addressed. You dont see it in the pros why is it allowed in youth soccer? If its allowed other clubs will find their own enforcer and over time it becomes 80s hockey with kids.

It just seems stupid to me to let kids get hurt by allowing play that the pros dont even allow.


Lack of skill allows physical play to disproportionately affect the game. Slow speed of play, can not play under pressure, etc means defenders can use contact as primary defensive tactic.

Once in a while you will see a team with a high speed of play and that team will roll.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2025 08:10     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anyone has the directive memo from ECNL to refs and coaches demanding aggressive play?
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 22:50     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Non issue unless your kid is already borderline. Stop worrying about others and take the hint to work on your craft instead getting insecure about it
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 22:43     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
like the players that refs are better in SoCal too just sayin. Is there a correlation?
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 22:40     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:The reason while elite clubs must win/under high pressure (ECNL or GA or MLSN) is twofold. First, they need to recruit the best players and if they aren't winning, the recruits will likely go to a rival that is. Second, winning ensures more attention with scouts at any/all events played.


There is no such pressure. Very very few make decisions about clubs based on wins. The number one decision point is distance and time of travel. The second is the playing development/coaching. Winning is just not important. Mid ECNL clubs kill on the recruiting.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 13:18     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't think poeple here understand how refs are assigned. It is all the same refs doing ECNL and GA games in the same region. There is no such thing as an ECNL ref. I have often reffed ECNL and GA games in the same weekend and I don't know of any refs who adjust their calls based on the league.


Yup, exactly. The premise of the post is incredibly flawed.


Yes, maye the tourney was out of town and the OP is confusing league with geography. I see much different reffing in different ares of the country which is always intersting at national events.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 13:13     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:I don't think poeple here understand how refs are assigned. It is all the same refs doing ECNL and GA games in the same region. There is no such thing as an ECNL ref. I have often reffed ECNL and GA games in the same weekend and I don't know of any refs who adjust their calls based on the league.


Yup, exactly. The premise of the post is incredibly flawed.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 13:11     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:ECNL is a sorry excuse for soccer.


And a sorry excuse foe getting 3 times + more female soccer players recruited to college than GAL.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 12:55     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
I don't think poeple here understand how refs are assigned. It is all the same refs doing ECNL and GA games in the same region. There is no such thing as an ECNL ref. I have often reffed ECNL and GA games in the same weekend and I don't know of any refs who adjust their calls based on the league.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 12:47     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:ECNL is a sorry excuse for soccer.


Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 12:41     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
ECNL is a sorry excuse for soccer.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 11:05     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
Anonymous wrote:The reason while elite clubs must win/under high pressure (ECNL or GA or MLSN) is twofold. First, they need to recruit the best players and if they aren't winning, the recruits will likely go to a rival that is. Second, winning ensures more attention with scouts at any/all events played.

Pressure is fine.

The problem is if refs allow dangerous play to go unchecked coaches will respond by finding goons that play to hurt the other team. On the other side of the scale if refs call everything coaches will respond by fielding more technical skilled players.

You can see how this works right?

I bet what's happening is that leagues aren't defining their expectations to refs for how they should call games. I also bet coaches docs and likely some parents complain when refs call games more closely. If leagues dont back the refs they'll just stop making calls to keep their jobs. Player safety goes out the window.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 07:39     Subject: Why does ECNL allow cheap overly aggressive play
The reason while elite clubs must win/under high pressure (ECNL or GA or MLSN) is twofold. First, they need to recruit the best players and if they aren't winning, the recruits will likely go to a rival that is. Second, winning ensures more attention with scouts at any/all events played.