By Joe Manjone, Ed. D.

Effective this fall, team rosters must now have the numbers of the players listed. The National Federation High School Rules Committee, at their January Rules Committee meeting, added the inclusion of numbers to the information included on the roster in order to make identification of the player much easier and also to align the roster information with the lineup that is to be turned into the scorer. Having numbers allows you to check for duplications and to identify players especially those who have been carded.

Please note that players, bench personnel and coaches may still be added to the roster after the start of play. The numbers of the players listed on the roster may also be changed after the start of play. There is no penalty for adding to or making changes to the roster after it is submitted.  The Rules Committee rejected a proposal that would have prohibited the adding of players after the game begins, because the committee did not see roster abuse as a problem.

If you would like to suggest a high school soccer rules change or if you have any questions about this rule or any high school rule, please contact email me at [email protected]