I love Sunday morning soccer, but the tone and tenor of the last few weeks is troubling and will change starting now.

Our guidelines are:

Players have to be high school age or older
Bring a white shirt and a dark shirt
Respect the game
Respect each other

This was supposed to be a blog about what a legal throw-in looks like (some of you may really want to google that).

Our game is a blend. A blend of the older players, younger players, very talented players, and the rest of us. It works for us. Many of us have been playing together for more than 15 years. A number of the men who play on Sundays we knew when they were children. We’re all playing to the limit of our ability, getting some exercise, having some fun, and trying not to get hurt.

If you want to play soccer with us on Sundays, it is YOUR JOB to blend in with us. If you do not think that we are good enough, then I am happy to help you find a different game where you may be happier. We are a bunch of folks just having a kick around.

We know how to slide tackle, but we consider it too dangerous. So, we don’t allow it. We also clamp down on high kicks, pushing, and any other plays that lead to injury or confrontation.

We take turns playing goal keeper. If you have not been taking your turn in goal, this would be a very good week to do so.

We care about the rules, but I think that we are all sick to death of the phantom off-side calls. Try to stay on side and only call it when it is dead obvious. Or wait until more than one person has called it. Or let the play go if it is off by a whisker.

If you have a hand ball, call it on yourself. Seeing people call ticky tacky handballs on the other team and then not calling it on themselves shows a lack of respect.

If you do not know how to do a legal throw-in, do not be the player doing it. If you do know, but decide to offer up a garbage throw-in anyway, then you may not be playing on the correct field on the right day.

If you can’t bring a white shirt and a dark shirt, then it makes it harder to balance the teams. A balanced game is more fun for everyone. I have met people who just want to play with only the “best” players. Yeah. We balance teams. You need to be prepared to switch teams if needed.