Welcome to the official website of the Northern Virginia Coaches League, a men’s soccer league with two divisions, 36-teams, and more than 650 players based in Fairfax, Arlington, and Loudoun counties outside Washington, DC.

Here you can do everything from checking the schedule to contacting a referee assignor.  League news and information will be posted here on the home page and on the blog tab above. Stay in touch by checking back often to see the latest of what’s happening in the Coaches League!

NOVA-CL! All out soccer. Anytime. Anywhere!

Managers:  I wrote the following email to Phi Nguyen, manager VASO United, after he requested to have one of his former teammates referee some of VASO’s matches — a request I denied.  I share the letter because it highlights the reasons why the managers voted to require use referee assignors for both divisions of NOVA-CL.

(Copy of email, sent November 9, 2011 to Phi Nguyen:)

1. There is an unavoidable appearance of bias when a referee officiates a match vs. his former team.  For someone with Tri’s integrity, “appearance” is all it would be, as his officiating would be impartial and professional.  However, the atmosphere of fairness & objectivity that competitive matches require is compromised by suspicion when an opposing team sees a referee officiate in matches involving his former team.
2. In my experience as a player (who witnessed the impact of “home team” referees) and as a league director (who has resolved conflicts between teams), this perceived bias is at the root of rough play, retaliation and assaults.  Though assaults are rare, bitterness can linger which, in turn, feeds rivalry that can carry over into future matches.  This means the next referee may inherit a match with preexisting tension, not a good start in a league that relies on single-man officiating.
3. Other teams may follow suit, in fact, I’ve already seen it happen. The weekend of Nov 4, Erich Molina (who has not been evaluated or approved as a referee by our league assignors) sought to referee a match involving his team, Hangover City.  (Their opponent instead declined to play).  Should Tri be allowed to officiate matches involving his former team, it opens the door for all teams to abandon what I believe is the most important league policy for “keeping it sane out there”:  Independent referees by league approved assignors.
4. Use of referee assignors eliminates perceived bias — and although teams will continue to be critical of referees — they cannot call into question the  objectivity of an independently assigned ref.  More importantly, there are times when a referee becomes a witness to reckless play, player assault and referee assault.  Though these actions are rare, the ref and his observations are key components in my investigations, something that is lost when a referee officiates a match involving players who are former teammates.
5. Lastly, experience has shown that when teams hire a former player to ref their matches, there is an assumption by opponents that it’s a cost-cutting measure. Although it does not apply in Tri’s case, standards can quickly drop, leading to more on-field complaints and bickering.  Overall game satisfaction declines.

So, while I trust Tri — and understand your desire to have a great guy and friend referee your matches — I must decline your request to have him officiate any match involving VASO.  There are potentially too many negative impacts that could take away from the sportsmanship and league culture that we’ve all worked so hard to achieve.

White Division Team 8 has been place on watch for failure to meet league obligations.  Should the team miss any more matches this Fall it will be immediately removed from the schedule until changes in the management demonstrate the team’s ability to meet league obligations.  Further, prior to being accepted into NOVA-CL in Spring 2012, Diablos Rojos will need to provide assurances the team will not continue to dump Saturday opponents.  This will be regardless of whether or not Diablos Rojos cancels any further Fall matches.

Sorry it’s come to this, especially for a stalwart like this team which has a rich legacy in NOVA-CL. However, the team managers were warned.  Although this watch may seem harsh, this is the same course of action I have taken with other teams.  To treat Diablos Rojos differently would be unfair to the others that have taken action to remain in NOVA-CL.

Earlier this summer, I notified Hangover City that the team was failing to meet league obligations and warned the team that any further cancellations would result in a suspension from league play.  Well, congrats to manager Erich Molina who has apparently addressed the matter, as I’ve received no reports of any further match cancellations by the team.

In the time since, I’ve also learned that match cancellations by some other teams has become a routine practice.  Hence, it would be unfair to single out Hangover City. So the warning to their team is no longer in effect.

White Division Managers: With heartfelt sadness over the end of a long-time team in NOVA-CL, I announce the folding of the Fairfax Sting.  Current manager, Travis Cioffi, has demanding professional commitments, including some out of country, and can no longer head up the team.

The Sting goes back to the mid-1990s when it was managed for 10+ years by Doug Kister.  Doug cut the teeth for NOVA-CL’s heavy presence at Lake Fairfax, where fields were all grass until 5-years ago.  As a result of the Sting and its sister team in the Grey division, the league gained a foothold for first priority at LFF, as this was the site where the Sting played its home games.

For now, the Sting will be replaced by a BYE week vs. being replaced by a new team.  In light of the widespread and frequent match cancellations in the White Division, this will create a possible match up between the team that draws the BYE week and another with no opponent.

1. From the Teams tab above, navigate to your division (white or grey)
2. Navigate to your team name
3. Click on the “Download Permit” link next to your field name
4. Your permit will automatically publish from Google Docs.
5. Using the “file” drop down in the upper left, you can then either print or save the permit. (I suggest both!)

As always these reminders: Contact your referee assignors with your full Fall requests. Make sure you have a hard copy on site in the event of conflict with other user groups.