IGHSAU Soccer Memo #1
March 26, 2025

I hope your practices have been going well and that your student-athletes are enjoying the start of the season! Please carefully review the following important rules and season information.

Site Administrators: It is important for site administrators to be present during regular season and postseason soccer matches. Administrators, please communicate with officials prior to each match and let them know where to find you if a problem occurs during a contest. Proper communication between officials and site administrators can help keep problems from escalating.  In addition, if there is an issue during the match, the officials will be reaching out to the administrator in charge (if no administrator is present, the official will reach out to the head coach of the home team).  Also, following the match communicate with the officials as to assistance as needed for leaving the playing field and supervising them appropriately.  This process is a priority of the IGHSAU and the IHSAA in prevention of any issues that may occur between the spectators and officials.  Your help is greatly appreciated!

Coaches Online Rules Meeting – Thanks to all of the head coaches for watching the online rules meeting on Bound.

Preseason Prospectus: A preseason prospectus is available on the IGHSAU website in the Coaches/Administration tab – soccer or by clicking here.  Though not required, any information you can provide will be extremely helpful in putting together preseason rankings. Please contact Jason Eslinger with questions regarding your prospectus at jasoneslinger@ighsau.org.

Email List: Please confirm with your AD to make sure they have updated your contact information in the Online Forms in Bound to ensure you receive mailings from the IGHSAU throughout the season.

Score Reporting: There will be a daily score page on the IGHSAU website and on Bound. Please enter your scores in Bound as soon as possible after each match. 

Bound: Varsity coaches are required to submit their varsity roster and schedule through Bound prior to their first match.  Varsity coaches are required to have their individual match results updated on Bound every Tuesday during the regular season.  Coaches are also expected to update their statistics throughout the Regional Tournament series. Failure to submit the required information by the mandatory dates may result sanctions.

Medical Ear Piercings:  An ear piercing for medical purposes (Daith piercing) is permitted to be worn during competition, PROVIDED the head coach has a letter from the IGHSAU granting permission for the Daith piercing to be worn.  Athletic directors need to submit a request and doctor’s note stating a need for the piercing to Gary Ross, IGHSAU Soccer Administrator at the IGHSAU. The head coach must keep the letter on hand to show the referees prior to each of their games. 

IGHSAU Shoutouts: During the course of the season, the IGHSAU makes mention of superlative accomplishments from our female student-athletes. If you have a significant accomplishment you would like to mention (school record broken, coaching milestone wins, etc.), let us know and we’ll do our best to mention your athletes' accomplishments on our Twitter account. Feel free to email Jason Eslinger any news at jasoneslinger@ighsau.org. 

New rules for the 2024-25 season

1.  No overtime will be permitted for any regular season match at any level with the exception being a bracketed tournament in which a team must advance to the next round.  In this case, teams would proceed directly to penalty kicks from the mark to determine which team advances to the next round of the tournament.  Post-season matches will have overtime (if needed) to determine the winner - 10 minutes followed by 10 minutes and then proceeding to penalty kicks if still tied. If a tie ends up in regulation at one of these tournaments, the result entered into Bound would be considered a tie. The advancement in the tournament would be a guideline for advancing (not deemed as a win) on Bound.

2.  During the 1st half of a contest, when a team is ahead by 10 goals, the clock will run continuously until either the score falls under 10 goals or halftime arrives.  (Previously the 1st half needed to be played to the entirety with normal stoppage).

3. During the post-season matches in which there is a weather delay in the 2nd half, no match may be started/restarted any time after 3 hours of the originally scheduled time.  (A game scheduled to start at 7:00 pm could not start/resume after 10:00 pm).  During this weather/delay, teams may mutually agree to end the game if there is a team leading during this delay. (Rule 7-1-3 of the NFHS rules allow the officials and teams to end the game in the 2nd half if there is a team in the lead - this provision provides a timeline for teams to delay/restart).  A game that has met the complete game requirements (one half completed) but has ended due to weather/facility/injury may be recognized as a complete game, even if it ends in a tie.

4.  The Iowa Adaptation of a 5-minute sit out period when a yellow card is received will be eliminated and the NFHS rule will be applied.  A cautioned player shall leave the field and be substituted.  The cautioned player may not re-enter until the next legal substitution opportunity.  (Previously Iowa Adaptation required a 5-minute sit out period). 

State Tournament Location and Schedule

The 2025 IGHSAU State Girls Soccer Tournament will be held at Iowa State University with the following schedule:

2025 State Soccer Tournament

Tuesday, June 3 Lied Recreational Fields

• Class 1A: 10:00 am, 10:15 am, 11:45 am, 12:00 pm

• Class 2A: 1:30 pm, 1:45 pm, 3:15 pm, 3:30 pm

• Class 3A: 5:00 pm, 5:15 pm, 6:45 pm, 7:00 pm

Thursday, June 5 Lied Recreational Fields

• Class 1A: 12:00 pm, 12:15 pm

• Class 2A: 2:30 pm, 2:45 pm

• Class 3A: 5:00 pm, 5:15 pm

Saturday, June 7: Cyclone Sports Complex

• IGHSAU Class 1A: 11:30 am

• IGHSAU Class 3A: 2:30 pm

• IGHSAU Class 2A: 5:30 pm

If you have questions or comments, please contact Gary Ross at gross@ighsau.org or 515-401-1842.

Best of luck with your season!

Gary Ross

IGHSAU Associate Director/Soccer Administrator