For non-sports fans like me, going to a sporting event doesn’t sound like the most exciting thing to do, especially when I sit there confused for hours on end.
The Scribe wants to solve that problem! Introducing Sports for Dummies: a column that explains the ins and outs of each sport, so you actually know what’s happening when you attend a game. Today’s edition will tackle soccer first with volleyball and cross country to come next.
UCCS has a women’s and men’s soccer team. The men’s team is undefeated and ranked fourth nationally among division II teams. The women’s team was ranked 6th prior to the season’s start. All UCCS sports compete in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, or the RMAC. According to the RMAC website, there are 16 schools with full membership from four states: Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and South Dakota.
All home soccer games are held at Mountain Lion Stadium, which is right next to the Ent Center. Entry is free for UCCS students, faculty and staff. It has bleacher seating and a grassy area on a hill, which is perfect for lawn chairs or your favorite picnic blanket.
The stadium has two scoreboards on the south and north ends of the field. The south scoreboard has a game clock, the score, the half in play and the number of shots on goal and corner kicks. The north scoreboard has the game clock, score, number of shots and the period or half being played.
Collegiate soccer games are played in two 45-minute halves with a 15-minute halftime, and the teams switch sides at halftime. Each game starts with a kickoff at the halfway line. After each score, there will be a kickoff at the halfway line. Points are scored in soccer with goals. A goal can happen during natural play or during a penalty kick.
According to the NCAA Rulebook, penalty kicks will be taken on the penalty kick line by the identified attacking kicker. All other players must remain 10 yards behind the penalty kick line until the ball is kicked. The defending goalie is allowed to block penalty kicks.
When the ball goes out of bounds, the time clock will stop, and the game will be reset by the team that did not last touch the ball by throwing or kicking the ball back into bounds.
Offsides is an important rule in soccer. According to the NCAA, “The offsides rule is caused when an attacking player is closer to the goal line than the second-to-last defender at the time a pass is made.”
Direct or indirect free kicks are awarded when a player is fouled. Severe fouls are more likely to receive a direct free kick as a penalty. According to the NCAA Rulebook, a direct free kick is one from which a goal can be scored directly from the kick without touching another player. An indirect free kick requires another player’s contact for a possible goal. During free kicks, no opposing player may be within 10 yards of the ball until it has been kicked into play.
On UCCS’ athletics website gomountainlions.com, you can find schedules, rosters and stats for each team, as well as livestreams for home and away games. All regular season RMAC games are free to watch online except for tournament games at the end of the season.
The current record for men’s soccer is 9-0-2, and women’s soccer this season is 3-6-2.
The men’s soccer team plays next on Oct. 17 at home against Fort Lewis College at 7 p.m. The women’s team plays next on Oct. 18 at home against Black Hills State at 11 a.m.
Graphic by Neako Hallisey.