This Fall Soccer program consists of weekly training sessions and Saturday games. All trainings and games are at beautiful Hauke Park South in Mill Valley.
The combination of weekly practices with our outstanding Dave Fromer Soccer coaches, and playing small-sided games on Saturdays provides players a great way to improve quickly and have lots of fun!
Parent volunteers coach teams for Saturday games. Dave Fromer Soccer coaches referee the Saturday games while providing additional coaching support for parent coaches and players.
Our Fall Soccer program will follow all current county and state COVID-19 guidelines.
Small-Sided Games
Our Fall Soccer program is played via small-sided games (5 v 5, 6 v 6, 7 v 7) that incentivize players to maintain focus on the game at hand. In larger games, players are more prone to bunching together, and end up spending more time running around instead of building up tactile skills such as ball control, passing, receiving, defending, and shooting.
Small-sided games by their nature keep players engaged in the game at all times, since they are fast-paced and highly fluid. A player with the ball has a smaller choice of teammates to pass to, which gives all teammates a greater responsibility to stay engaged in the game.
The fast action of small-sided games keep the players engaged and focused directly at the task at hand, and keeps their individual senses heightened so that they can further continue to condition their movement, approach, and camaraderie all while keeping their level of excitement high.
The result is a much deeper appreciation for the game, faster and more consistent growth as a player, and a stronger desire to stay focused on the challenge at hand.
Thanks for another great season!
Information
Boys and girls divisions
boys K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd/4th, 5th/6th, 7th/8th Grade
girls K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd/4th, 5th/6th, 7th/8th Grade
Begins Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Ends Saturday, October 26, 2024
8-week season
Limited Space Available:
Kindergarten Co Ed - Tuesday Practice
1st & 2nd Grade Boys - Wednesday Practice
3rd & 4th Grade Boys - Tuesday & Thursday Practice
3rd & 4th Grade Girls - Wednesday Practice
Location
All team practices and games are at Hauke Park South
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Pre-K Class
Pre-K classes are Saturdays during the following times:
- 9:00 – 9:45 am
- 10:00 – 10:45 am
Pre-K class begins September 7th and runs to October 26th.
Weekday Team Practices
- Practices will be held once a week afterschool on Mondays through Thursdays.
- Each team will be assigned a weekly practice day and time.
- Weekday practices will be run by our outstanding DFS coaches.
- Schedule restrictions can be noted on the registration form, and should be based on need, not preference. We will accommodate whenever possible
- Kindergarten: Weekly 1 hour practice
- 1st Grade – 8th Grade: Weekly 1 hour 15 minute practice
Saturday Games
- Dave Fromer Soccer coaches referee the Saturday games while providing additional coaching support for parent coaches and players.
- Saturday game schedules will be posted mid-August.
- Register as a team for Saturday games only (must provide full roster of players). Please contact us for information on how to register.
Parent Coaches
- Parent volunteers coach teams for Saturday games.
- Schedule restrictions can be noted on the registration form, and should be based on need, not preference. We will accommodate whenever possible.
- Coaching your child's team is a fun and rewarding experience. Expertise in soccer is not a prerequisite. DFS will provide training for parent coaches.
Registration
Pre-K $200
Kindergarten $415
1st – 8th Grade $440
Saturday Games Only $225 per player—Register as a team for Saturday games only (must provide full roster of players)
Uniforms may be purchased for $35 (+ tax) and can be worn for both Spring and Fall programs.
Register by July 26th, 2024—Players registering after 7/26/24 are placed on a wait list and added on a space-available basis.
Program details are subject to change based on Marin County HHS youth sports guidelines for COVID-19.
Equipment
Uniforms are worn for Saturday games and may be purchased. Shinguards and soccer cleats are not mandatory, but are strongly recommended. Goalkeepers may use goalie gloves and/or knee pads (we do not provide either). We provide balls, scrimmage vests, goals, and first-aid equipment.
We've created a convenient group for parents who would like to sell, buy, or trade uniforms and/or accessories with other parents. Join the group: Dave Fromer's Exchange Table. Uniforms may be worn for future Spring and Fall seasons.
Uniforms are available for purchase during registration.
Fall Soccer 2024 Format and Rules
Our small-sided games are played 5 v 5, 6 v 6, and 7 v 7. The format may be adjusted at times, based on attendance.
Substitutions can be made on any throw-in or free kick—goal kicks, corner kicks, etc. Coaches should alert the referees when they plan to sub, so the game can be paused.
All fouls (including handballs) result in INDIRECT FREE KICKS. There are no direct kicks or penalty kicks. On an indirect free kick, two players must touch the ball for a goal to be scored. (They don’t necessarily both have to be on the team taking the kick—a ball could carom off a defender or the goalie into the goal, for example.) If the first kicker plays the ball directly into the net, without it touching another player, the goal is disallowed, and a goal kick is awarded to the other team. On an indirect free kick, players on the defending team must be positioned at least 6 feet from the spot of the foul (where the kick is to be taken). They can charge in once the ball has been touched, but not before that.
Throw-ins need to be made properly; younger age groups will be given additional opportunities to correct foul throw-ins. Older age groups (5th grade and up) will play by standard rules, with a foul throw resulting in the other team receiving the ball.
In keeping with updated safety protocols, heading the ball is not allowed in any age group except 7th/8th grade. A free kick (indirect, as usual) will be awarded to the opposing team when players head the ball. Referees will remind teams of this rule prior to games.
There is no offsides rule in play.
Slide tackles are not allowed. Players cannot go to the ground when challenging an opponent for the ball.
Resumption of play following an injury is by either a drop ball (if, in the referee’s judgment, the ball was in neutral territory) or an indirect-kick restart (if one team was clearly in sole possession of the ball).
The goalie’s territory is marked by specific cones on the sideline, and the goalie can handle any ball as long as they are standing behind that line. When a goalie’s hand has ANY form of contact with the ball (full “possession” is not required), attacking players may not kick the ball. In age groups K–4th grade, a goalie may handle a ball that has been last played by a teammate. For 5th grade and up, the standard soccer rule is in effect: A goalie cannot handle the ball if it was last kicked (intentionally) by a teammate.
Our primary objective in Dave Fromer Soccer is to facilitate a positive athletic experience for our players. Sportsmanship is a top priority in our league. One aspect of this involves the handling of games that are mismatched in power or experience, which can result in lopsided scores. We ask parent coaches to act in collaboration with our refs to minimize the severity of blowouts. Measures that can come into play include moving a stronger offensive player back to defense or goalie, allowing a struggling team to add an additional player onto the field, instructing players to make three passes before shooting at the goal, or urging them to only shoot from long distances.