A new proposal by the NCAA may change the way overtime games in men’s and women’s soccer will be decided.
During its annual meeting in February, the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer Rules Committee proposed to eliminate ties by shortening the sudden-victory overtime periods and implementing penalty kicks if the game has not been decided.
Currently, men and women play two 45-minute halves. If the score remains tied, they enter two 15-minute sudden-victory overtime periods, and if it’s still tied afterward, the game ends in a tie.
Rules committee Chairman Phil Pincince, the women’s soccer head coach at Brown, declined comment.
In a March 4 NCAA News article, the committee based the decision on student-athletes’ physical and mental well-being. The committee also said the changes would bring uniformity to college soccer and allow media a chance to gauge the length of games, which could allow more coverage.
“Although, the committee realizes this change may cause some anxiety,” Pincince said. “The group in the end felt that student-athlete welfare and the best interests of soccer were the two most important considerations.”
MSU men’s soccer head coach Joe Baum said the rule change should not have been proposed. He said he was shocked when the committee made the proposal.
“A rule change like this needs to have a coaching survey,” Baum said. “It’s critical. You can’t just shove a rule change down people’s throats.”
The change not only will affect the 300 Division I schools, but all Division II and Division III schools.
Baum said besides looking out for the welfare of the athletes, the committee may be trying to “Americanize” the game.
“The typical American sports family doesn’t like ties,” Baum said. “But to us there’s nothing wrong with a tie.”
Last year, the Spartans finished 13-6-1, so ties were not a huge factor. Baum said if the committee wants to look out for the athletes, it should just end the game after 90 minutes of play, with no overtime.
Baum said being a part of games that have ended in penalty kicks leaves both teams feeling bad.
MSU women’s soccer head coach Tom Saxton said this is an important issue to him and something worth fighting for.
“Right now we still have time to fight them before they set the rules,” Saxton said.
Saxton, who is this year’s Big Ten women’s soccer chairman because MSU will host the tournament this year, said if these changes are made, it would have a profound effect on the sport.
“I think the rules committee thought this change would be positive,” he said. “But I think they tried to backdoor this rule.”
Chrissy Kaesebier, an NCAA spokeswoman said via e-mail the proposed change will be forwarded to the Championships/Competition Committee for a vote in June.
