Updated: March 2021
Note: this information is subject to change -- the safety of our players is our priority -- we are subject to Public Health, City of Ottawa, Ontario Soccer and Province of Ontario guidelines.
For information regarding cost, season start and end dates, practice nights, game nights, tournament dates, and how to register please refer to the page dedicated to your division, using the appropriate button on our Recreation information page.
For all other information please click on the question (link) below to read the answers:
What is the format for my division?
What is the retreat line?
Where will the games be played?
Which community can I register in?
What is my child required to wear?
Can my child play with jewellery or earrings?
My child is an exceptional player, can he/she play up a division?
Will you be able to accept friend requests for team mates?
Are parents expected to participate?
When will I find out which team my child is on?
How can I sign up as a coach/assistant coach?
Why are there girls only and mixed teams?
My child is having such a great time, can he/she join second team?
Practice/Game cancellations due to extreme weather
Can any child join the practice/game if they are short players?
Can my team call up players during the season if they are short players for a game?
What is the format for my division?
Micro-U10
U12+
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What is the retreat line?
When the goalkeeper has the ball at a goal kick or after making a save the opposing team members will "retreat" to the predetermined area of the field. With the opposition retreating to the correct part of the field the goalkeeper can now successfully throw or pass the ball to a team mate without pressure. Once the player receiving the ball from the goalkeeper receives the ball, the ball is in play and the opposition players can pressure and attempt to win the ball.
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Where will the games be played?
The WCSC aims to have each team play half of their games in their own community and the other half in the community of their opponent.
Please note that due to new field size recommendations, not every community will have their own U12 field, some players may need to play in neighboring communities.
* at times field availability will cause the above mentioned distribution to be altered.
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- A player may register with any community,
though the club reserves the right to ask a player to join a team in a
different community due to registration numbers as teams are being
formed.
- A player shall
only be allowed to transfer to a different community after initial
registration at the discretion of the program director and if it does
not negatively effect either of the teams in terms of team size and
ability to compete with other teams in the division.
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What is my child required to wear?
- Mirco and U6:
Players are provided with a jersey as well as shorts and socks from our
sponsor: Tim Hortons. Players must provide their own shoes and shin
pads. Either running shoes or cleats are allowed at this age group.
Please note: shorts and sock may not fit all players as sizes are
limited to what we receive from the sponsor.
- U8 +: Each player will be
provided with a team jersey. Players must provide their own shorts, shin
pads, socks fully covering the shin pads, and soccer cleats.
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Can my child play with jewellery or earrings?
No item of jewellery of any sort will be allowed on the field of play, even if it is taped. This includes but is not limited to necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, leather or rubber bands or visible body piercings. Loose beaded hair is also not permitted unless tied back or covered by a net. This rule follows Law 4 issued by the Canadian Soccer Association and is in place to ensure the safety of everyone on the field. Please, DO NOT GET YOUR CHILD ANY PIERCING DURING THE SOCCER SEASON, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY WITH STUDS IN.
- The only exception to this are Medic Alert Bracelets.
Where possible they should be the soft Velcro style which does not present any danger. If the medical alert bracelet is the normal metal type it should be either covered by a sweat band or taped. If taped the taping should be such that the description of the medical problem is clearly visible.)
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My child is an exceptional player, can he/she play up a division?
Players playing outside
their assigned division is not very common. In order to play up a
division your child must be evaluated as exceptional across several
categories by the club's head coach using official documentation as
outline by the Ontario Soccer Association. Players born in 2008 or
earlier can join our competitive program. For house league please sign up in the correct division based on birth year and contact our head coach AND division coordinator for any further information.
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Will you be able to accept friend requests for team mates?
In order to ensure
teams can be balanced properly we do not accept any friend requests for
the U8-U17 levels. Players are encouraged to get to know the other kids
on the team and form new friendships with their team mates. Siblings who
are signed up to play in the same division will automatically be placed
on the same team.
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Are parents expected to participate?
Without
participation of parents soccer cannot happen in our community.
Whether that is stepping up to be a coach, a team manager or to offer
assistance to the coach during the season, your participation is
appreciated. Parents are responsible for their children
while they are on and off the field. We ask that parents not leave their child unattended at practices or games.
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When will I find out which team my child is on?
Depending on the number
of players registered in your community, players may need to go through
a team leveling process. This process aims to distribute talent as
evenly as possible among all the teams within the community. The
leveling process can not take place until the fields are deemed playable
by the City of Ottawa, as a result, final team assignments may not be
able to occur until very close to the start of the season.
Once teams have been finalized (via leveling or not), you will be
emailed by your team’s coach with your team information as soon as
possible. Game nights and practice nights for each division are
predetermined to help families plan other activities well ahead of time.
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How can I sign up as a coach/assistant coach?
We
always need a LOT of volunteer coaches as well as assistants. If you
are willing to coach or assist please check the appropriate box when
registering your child and register yourself as a coach under your own
name using the online coach/assistant registration form. Do not worry about not being familiar with the sport, the club
will provide coaches with sample drills and have a coaches info session
before the season starts to go over basic skills and rules of the game.
If you are willing to coach but did not sign up during the registration process, please contact your program director.
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Why are there girls only and mixed teams?
Our data has shown that girls playing on girls only teams are more likely to stick with the game long term. The
WCSC will try hard to offer the option of girls only as well as co-ed
teams in each community. Depending on the number of players registered
this may or may not be possible. If you have a girl who signed up for a
girls only program where numbers were not sufficient you will be given
the option of moving her to a co-ed team in your community or joining a
girls team in a neighboring community. Girls divisions are available
U6-U17.
Please
note that while some girls opt to play on the mixed teams, most mixed
teams are predominantly male, often having only a lone female member or
none at all.
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My child is having such a great time, can he/she join second team?
During a given
season, a player can play for only ONE house league team within their
age division inclusive of a Girls or Mixed Division, with the exception
of being called up to an older age level if that team is short players. Players may only play up a maximum of 6 times during the course of a season.
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Practice/Game cancellations due to extreme weather
- Micro: in extreme weather practices can be cancelled at the coaches' discretion.
- U6 - U8, if, 90 minutes before scheduled kick off, the humidex is equal to or greater than 37C, the practice/game shall be cancelled.
- U10 and higher, the rules of the league the team is playing in applies for cancellation of games. Practices for WCSC teams U10 and higher shall be cancelled if the humidex is 45 degrees or more 90 minutes before the scheduled practice time.
- Lightning PRACTICE - if lightning can be seen from the field, the practice will be canceled by the coach.
- Lightning – GAME - this decision is only made by the Referee and is made at the field at start time or during the game following the CSA Lightning Policy
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Can any child join the practice/game if they are short players?
Unfortunately players
MUST be registered with the WCSC to be on the field, otherwise they are
NOT covered by insurance. In fact players must wait 24 hours after
registration to play to allow the insurance coverage to take effect.
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Can my team call up players during the season if they are short players for a game?
Yes you can but only if the following criteria is met:
- Players MUST be registered with the WCSC to be called up. Otherwise they are NOT covered by insurance.
- A player can be called up to an older age level within their own community if that team is short players.
- A player can only play a maximum of 6 games at the higher age level.
- Players from another same aged team within their community, or from another community, may not play across.
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Updated: Feb 2018