Hauppauge Soccer League Intramural ProgramSportsmanship and One-Sided Game Management Policy

At Hauppauge Soccer League, our Intramural Program is all about fun, learning, and building friendships — not keeping score. Even though we don’t track official results, we ask coaches, players, and parents to help manage one-sided games to make sure every child has a positive experience.

Policy on One-Sided Games:

• If a team leads by 4 or more goals, coaches must actively manage the game to keep it balanced and fun for everyone.

• Coaches should:

  • Move players into different or less familiar positions.

  • Create team challenges, like requiring a set number of passes before taking a shot.

  • Play down a player until the other team scores.
    

Expectations for Coaches, Players, and Parents:

• Every child deserves a fun, competitive game — no matter the score.

• Players and parents should win with humility, lose with pride, and always show respect.

• Celebrations should focus on teamwork and effort, not the score.
  

Why It Matters: The players we compete against today are often our friends, classmates, and future teammates. Building good habits of sportsmanship now helps create a better environment for everyone, both on and off the field.

Enforcement:

• If a coach fails to manage a one-sided game appropriately, it may result in a warning or further follow-up by league leadership.
  

Our Goal:

We want every child to leave the field feeling encouraged, respected, and excited to come back and play again.

Friends today, teammates tomorrow — respect every player, every game.