Oh, how the game has changed

[Unregistered]

This game USED to be so much more fun when I was young

*We played on grass (in mud) all the time instead of playing on this garbage turf stuff

*We were able to play the ball back to the keeper who could use his hands instead of just booting it when it was played back to them ( BTW: US soccer should revisit the “no pass back “ rule since no heading is allowed )

*We did not have to wear shin guards

*We were able to tackle/hit players and if they fell they were definitely hurting not this diving I see on TV all the time.

*Didn’t worry about what we were ranked in our State or Region. The players knew what players/teams were good

and most of all
*Our Parents didn’t have to spend a penny for us to play this game

Oh, how the game has changed for the.....

[Unregistered]

Thanks gramps for that trip down memory lane. Did you have to walk 5 miles to school barefoot in the snow, uphill both ways?

[Unregistered]

This game USED to be so much more fun when I was young

*We played on grass (in mud) all the time instead of playing on this garbage turf stuff

*We were able to play the ball back to the keeper who could use his hands instead of just booting it when it was played back to them ( BTW: US soccer should revisit the “no pass back “ rule since no heading is allowed )

*We did not have to wear shin guards

*We were able to tackle/hit players and if they fell they were definitely hurting not this diving I see on TV all the time.

*Didn’t worry about what we were ranked in our State or Region. The players knew what players/teams were good

and most of all
*Our Parents didn’t have to spend a penny for us to play this game

Oh, how the game has changed for the.....

I appreciate the history lesson. But I think you have a couple of things wrong.

If you were playing the ball back to the keeper, you didn't grow up here in the U.S. This country has up until recently ALWAYS been a kick-n-run mentality.

But more importantly, there is a big reason why a keeper can't pick it up when a field player plays it back: Its so they don't just keep doing that to wast time (since the other team can't touch the keeper when he's holding the ball). So it would be an ugly game if that was allowed. Not allowing the keeper to pick it up on a back-pass allows the other team to pressure and keep the game moving.

Also, "hitting" players only leads to bad soccer and kick-n-run soccer (to avoid getting hit).
Tackling is fine, but when hard tackles are encouraged, it takes the "beautiful" out of the game. The game needs to be aggressive; not dirty.
As far as preventing "diving", I agree. But I'm not sure I would allow hard-hitting to achieve that.

[Unregistered]

This game USED to be so much more fun when I was young

*We played on grass (in mud) all the time instead of playing on this garbage turf stuff

*We were able to play the ball back to the keeper who could use his hands instead of just booting it when it was played back to them ( BTW: US soccer should revisit the “no pass back “ rule since no heading is allowed )

*We did not have to wear shin guards

*We were able to tackle/hit players and if they fell they were definitely hurting not this diving I see on TV all the time.

*Didn’t worry about what we were ranked in our State or Region. The players knew what players/teams were good

and most of all
*Our Parents didn’t have to spend a penny for us to play this game

Oh, how the game has changed for the.....

The game has been perverted by adults. Those running the clubs who want the money. The misguided parents who think their kid is going to be a pro and ruin the game for the other kids on the team. Coaches who are insecure and act like fools. There isn't anything FUN about the game, especially after U14. Clubs wonder why they are down to 1 team per age group at the older ages? you have basically ruined the sport for half the players who no longer want to deal with your BS. The game of soccer has become some kind of redemption for not living a productive life off the field for these folks and they can't understand why others are not living and breathing the sport every minute of every day. To you all, I say GET A LIFE. cheers

[Unregistered]

The game has been perverted by adults. Those running the clubs who want the money. The misguided parents who think their kid is going to be a pro and ruin the game for the other kids on the team. Coaches who are insecure and act like fools. There isn't anything FUN about the game, especially after U14. Clubs wonder why they are down to 1 team per age group at the older ages? you have basically ruined the sport for half the players who no longer want to deal with your BS. The game of soccer has become some kind of redemption for not living a productive life off the field for these folks and they can't understand why others are not living and breathing the sport every minute of every day. To you all, I say GET A LIFE. cheers

lets be honest many people associated with FYSA soccer clubs are losers. Sorry but it's true. Because our kids love this sport, our weekends get hijacked by 27 year old coaches without a college degree that can barely write a persuasive paragraph in English.

[Unregistered]

Tackling is fine, but when hard tackles are encouraged, it takes the "beautiful" out of the game. The game needs to be aggressive; not dirty.
.

Talking about hard tackles and dirty play, please watch the Barcelona v Real Madrid game this Saturday morning...you'll see loads of it

[Unregistered]

Agree with you on the playing on grass and mud. The turf sucks and it was nowhere to be seen when I was a kid except on some pro football teams fields. Now stinkin Middle schools have full turf fields that look like NFL stadiums. But is still sucks as a surface.

The sun cracks where no fun and the ball took a wicked bounce on those things and ant hills had to be kicked over before the first whistle.

I never wore shinguards, ever and had socks pulled down low.

Remember the short shorts too? Umbro?? Patrick Cleats??

But, the level of soccer was terrible and a hack like me could get by being faster than average and playing with a lot of testosterone and grit. Never could trap or pass a ball to save my life. ( thank you center back position, I was a natural).

The kids now are better and more skilled at age 10 than an 18 year old was in my day ( late 1980s)

My kids are so much better than me that is my team from U13 played my kids current team, we would get beat 15-0 and probably give up at half.

Memories are fun but in reality the situation right now is light years ahead of the gold old days.

[Unregistered]

Talking about hard tackles and dirty play, please watch the Barcelona v Real Madrid game this Saturday morning...you'll see loads of it

Exactly. It will probably wind up being a horrible game. As was their last game last season.

BTW, there are exception. There are ways to play dirty. Pro teams that excel at it. etc.

But to encourage it at the youth level is ridiculous.

[Unregistered]

My kids are so much better than me that is my team from U13 played my kids current team, we would get beat 15-0 and probably give up at half. .

It's not that the kids today are better, it's just that you stunk up the place back in your days....Are you telling me that CR7 and Messi are better than George Best and Johan Cryuff?
The defending in today's game is pathetic....No top 10 all time defenders playing currently....

[Unregistered]

It's not that the kids today are better, it's just that you stunk up the place back in your days....Are you telling me that CR7 and Messi are better than George Best and Johan Cryuff?
The defending in today's game is pathetic....No top 10 all time defenders playing currently....

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying old fella... Players of today are loads better than players of years ago.

Pele couldn't hold Messi's jock.

Maradonna is a scrub compared to CR7.

I grew up with those guys but the eyes don't lie, nor does human evolution. People are faster, more agile and more skilled in 2016 than in the 1970s.

Truth hurts..

[Unregistered]

Exactly. It will probably wind up being a horrible game. As was their last game last season.

BTW, there are exception. There are ways to play dirty. Pro teams that excel at it. etc.

But to encourage it at the youth level is ridiculous.

Agree. The new trend in youth soccer is to hit the players real hard like in football to defend or win the ball. You know , knock the player off the ball or off balance, then steal the ball. It's not like they are wearing protective gear!

[Unregistered]

Thanks gramps for that trip down memory lane. Did you have to walk 5 miles to school barefoot in the snow, uphill both ways?

Not Gramps but I did walk uphill to and from school each day. And since what have a bunch of geniuses on this site explain how that is possible

[Unregistered]

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying old fella... Players of today are loads better than players of years ago.

Pele couldn't hold Messi's jock.

Maradonna is a scrub compared to CR7.

I grew up with those guys but the eyes don't lie, nor does human evolution. People are faster, more agile and more skilled in 2016 than in the 1970s.

Truth hurts..

Maradonna would just coke up and beat both asses up and down the field.

[Unregistered]

Agree. The new trend in youth soccer is to hit the players real hard like in football to defend or win the ball. You know , knock the player off the ball or off balance, then steal the ball. It's not like they are wearing protective gear!

Another trend is forwards that dribble too much, run our of places to pass the ball and just fall and cry for the foul.

[Unregistered]

Not Gramps but I did walk uphill to and from school each day. And since what have a bunch of geniuses on this site explain how that is possible

You were a latch key kid with divorced parents, starting the day downhill at Dad's and after school hiking up to Mum's place?