Soccer Operating Procedures

The Red River Athletic Conference is entering its 27th year as an affiliated conference of the NAIA, and this is the 27th year in which the conference has sponsored men's soccer, the 23rd year for women's soccer.

Each member/coach/SID is responsible for posting their information on the RRAC website. For representatives that are new to the conference, you will need to register for access at www.redriverconference.com/admin. After you are approved for access, you are able to navigate through the website to enter your team's schedule. Please be sure to include only official contests and to update if there are any changes.

Each RRAC soccer program is required to report scores on the day of each match, whether home or away. It's important that you enter your scores through SID Help for the RRAC instead of the SID Help for the NAIA. Your scores will automatically be posted to the national site, but scores posted to the NAIA first don't transfer to the RRAC site. Please log on and report scores through www.redriverconference.com/admin.

 

During each week of the season, RRAC coaches are encouraged to nominate players from their team for RRAC Player of the Week consideration. Nominations are not a requirement, but student-athletes that are not nominated will not be considered.

Enter your nominee's information at in the NAIA-Presto player of the week portal by 7 p.m. each Sunday. Ensure that you have registered with the NAIA website.

One week constitutes the previous Monday through Sunday.

There can only be one offensive and one defensive nominee per team per week.

Weekly winners will be announced each week through email, social media and www.redriverconference.com.

 

RRAC coaches and/or SIDs are REQUIRED to upload/websync their stats using PrestoStats software. You will need to download the software from Presto to begin.

 

If there are matches that are not updated, the NAIA will start issuing warnings that could lead to the loss of postseason recognition for your student-athletes if the oversight goes unresolved.

If you have any difficulties with the software, please contact Presto. Also, be sure to contact Darin David or Tony Stigliano to ensure that the NAIA is notified of your issue.

 

Prior to conference/group rating submission deadline, the rater is required to share their conference/group rating with the RRAC Oversight Committee for review. This must occur prior to official submission of conference/group rating in SID Help.

VII. Red Cards/Yellow Cards

All coaches are required to submit an email to the conference SID following any match in which a player received a red or yellow card. The information must include the name of the player, the match in which the infraction took place, the color of card the player received and the nature of the violation. Red Cards for foul language from players, coaches, or support staff will not be tolerated. All red cards received must be sent to the chairs. 

Acts of Unsportsmanlike Conduct before, during and following the athletic contest and Individual Penalties Acts of unsportsmanlike conduct shall include, but not be limited to:

The NAIA has allowed conferences to review protest rules for soccer rule 5.8.1. It expands the postgame protest rule to include a review of violent behavior II and fighting red cards.

• The protest, including video of the incident, must be filled within 48 hours of the copletion of the game (same as other protests)
• The scope would be limited to changing a violent behavior II tor fighting red card two-game suspension to a violent behavior I red card (one-game suspension)
• NAIA regular season and conference tournament protests will be reviewed by the conference office
• NAIA National Championship protest review committee will include: NAIA National Resource Advisor, NAIA Director of Officiating & NAIA Sport Manager

VIII. All-Conference Team

All-Conference votes will need to be in to the Conference office on a date/time that is to be determined. The first ballot will determine the first and second team, Newcomer of the Year and Coach of the Year. After the all-conference teams are determined, a second ballot will be sent to the coaches for voting on the Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year with first-team all-conference players eligible. The number of nominations per school will be determined by how a team is ranked in the conference and through the following format:

 

Teams 1 & 2 = 8 nominations

Teams 3 & 4 = 6 nominations

Teams 5 & 6 = 4 nominations

Teams 7 & 8 = 3 nominations

Teams 9, 10, 11 & 12 = 2 nominations

 

An All-Freshman team will include 11 selections from voting of the coaches as part of the all-conference process.

 

IX. Rules Interpretation

It is not allowed for a RRAC school to provide teams outside the conference with a scouting report on another RRAC team at any time during the season.

The RRAC will follow all NCAA Rule book procedures. For clarification, the NCAA rule for overtime is 2, 10 minute overtime periods with a "golden goal". In regular season conference play, if no goal is scored in the either overtime period, then the game is ruled a tie.

 

X. Rain-out Protocol/Rescheduling Procedures

In the instance of a rain out, both teams should attempt to play the game the next day. If that is not possible, then the game will be played at the end of the conference season IF NEEDED. If the game has no impact on the conference standings/seedings in the conference tournament, then the game will not be played. If possible, notify the visiting team in advance of travel if it looks like weather will prevent the game from being played.

 

If it is not possible to play a rained out game on the following day, it needs to be rescheduled within 72 hours. All communication between coaches needs to be done in email form. If one team does not make an effort to reschedule within 72 hours, they will forfeit the game.

All game fields should meet the standards of the NAIA. If either coach feels the field is unsafe for play and this is not agreed upon by both coaches then the officials will be consulted. If it’s not decided at this point then the Commissioner will make the decision and the 72 hour rule goes into effect.

 

If a game is rescheduled due to weather, teams are required to schedule within 48 hours from the date the game was canceled. 

 

XII. Conference Tournament

If a team is eliminated by one of the tie-breaker procedures and other teams remain tied, the process reverts back to the first tie-breaker procedure, which is head-to-head. The process goes through the rest of the tie-breaker procedures until a winner is determined.

 

Tie-breakers are in place to determine conference tournament seedings. If two or more teams tie for first in the conference, they will be named co-champions.

 

 

In All-Tournament voting, the tournament champion will have four votes, the runner-up will have three votes and the third and fourth place teams will have two votes each.

 

XIV. Conference Uniforms

The home team will wear their dark uniforms for every Thursday conference game and white (light) on every Saturday game unless otherwise agreed upon by both coaches and athletic directors.

 

Game times are 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. If a team has lights, the Thursday games will be played at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. unless both Coaches and ADs agree on a change. Saturday games are at 1:00 and 3:30 unless both Coaches and ADs agree on a change. Women will play first and men will play second.

 

The home team coach will send an email to the visiting coach regarding parking, etc., to make game day easier.

It is the responsibility of the home team to provide a trainer and water for the visiting team. If the home team is unable to provide a trainer the visiting team needs to be advised of this in advance so they can bring their trainer.

Every attempt should be made to have a Game Administrator at every game.

The home team is responsible for taking stats. Stats will be provided to both of the coaches after the game for verification and signatures.

Teams must notify the RRAC and the coaches of home field locations by August 15. 

If the fields don't meet the NCAA requirements/measurements, the two athletic directors can agree to play. 

XVII. Athletic Trainers

Trainers need to be available at least an hour and a half (90min) prior to game times.  In the event an athletic trainer will not be available, the visiting team needs to be notified one week in advance in order to make any necessary adjustments.

XVIII. Sportsmanship Policy

Inappropriate acts by Administrators, Coaches or Players before, during and following athletic contests shall be handled by the Commissioner using the following guidelines, until the matter is resolved.

1. An informal phone call from the Commissioner shall be made to the coach and administrator requesting correction or attention to the matter.

2. A formal letter from the Commissioner to the coach, administrator and/or athlete, detailing examples and requesting correction or attention to the matter. This letter will be copied to the offending party’s supervisor and the President of the offending party’s institution.

3. Inappropriate acts by Administrators, Coaches or Players before, during and following athletic contests that are deemed to be conclusive following a review by the Commissioner, with the approval of the Council of Presidents, will result in an automatic one game suspension for next athletic contest for the offending individual.

4. A second inappropriate act by Administrators, Coaches or Players before, during and following athletic contests subsequent to the first offense that are deemed to be conclusive following a review by the Commissioner, with the approval of the Council of Presidents, will result in an automatic two game suspension for the next two athletic contests for the offending individual.

5. Ineligibility for the remainder of all regular season and post season participation will result for the offending individual if that Administrator, Coach or Player accumulates a third inappropriate act before, during and following athletic contests in a single season that are deemed to be conclusive following a review by the Commissioner, with the approval of the Council of Presidents.

There is no appeal for an ejection. Suspensions may be appealed. This appeal may be sent to the Commissioner’s Office for review. The appeal will follow the bylaws and the constitution process.

XIX. Ball Shaggers

Ball shaggers are required for every conference soccer contest and will be provided by the host school. 

XX. Championship Host Hotels

For 2024-25, when host schools have agreements with hotels and rooms are part of the commitment for RRAC championship events, teams that qualify for those events are required to stay at the hotels designated by the host.