File Name: STSOINST.WDL

NEBRASKA SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION

500 Charleston Street, Suite 1

Lincoln, Nebraska 68508-1119

402-489-0386

TO: Athletic Director/Coach of 2024 State Soccer Championship Qualifiers

FROM: Ron Higdon, NSAA Assistant Director

SUBJECT: State Championship Instructions

DATE: May 2024

Congratulations

to you and your team for qualifying to compete in the State Soccer Championships!

Included in this email:

State Championship Bracket

Administrator Instructions

Team Instructions

Directions

Map of Morrison Stadium

Please make sure your Team information for the Championship Program has been

completed through the NSAA website following the conclusion of your district/district

final. Email Jakub VanWesten [email protected] to verify that we received

your information for the program.

The Athletic Director of the qualifying school will be emailed a link from Creighton Ticket

Office/Ticketmaster to 6 courtesy e-tickets that may be used by Administrators & Supervisors. These

e-tickets can be transferred via email.

**NEW** FOR THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Each of the last several years it has become more and more difficult to get people willing to be ball

shaggers. Even when we have people commit, they sometimes end up not showing up. Therefore, we

are asking each qualifying team to bring (3) people that can shag for your respective game. Each time

you play, the team host will give you (3) additional passes for these individuals to get into the games

for that day. This can be lower-level players, other students, younger brothers/sisters or even adults.

Coach Conduct/Communication

1. Coaches are permitted to stand and move in the technical area for the purpose of instructing

players.

2. ONLY the Head Coach is allowed to communicate with the referee or other members of the

referee crew.

3. Coaches are NOT to approach Officials at half-time or the end of game for any reason.

2024 STATE SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR INSTRUCTIONS

1. Admission Tickets. All admission tickets will be sold electronically through the Creighton

University ticket office – Ticketmaster.

2. Administrator Passes. To receive the six courtesy passes, you will be emailed a link directly

from the Creighton ticket office to order your electronic tickets to use for school

administrators, supervisory personnel, bus drivers, athletic trainers, etc.

3. Participant/Coach Admittance. Participant and coaches passes WILL be issued and will

be given in your team packet when you arrive. A maximum of 28 players/coaches/team

personnel will be given credentials. Within this 28 you can have 24 suited players and the

remaining personnel can include coaches, trainers, managers or other (non-suited) players.

Athletic trainers will not receive free admittance without being included in your allotted 28.

Teams traveling with more than 28 will be required to purchase tickets for any additional

personnel. Participants and coaches must use the designated pass gate located on the north

end of the stadium.

4. Sideline personnel. Each team will be allowed a total number of 30 personnel on the

sideline which will NOT include your athletic trainers (maximum of two). However, please

remember that you can only have 24 suited players on the sideline. The total number of

sideline personnel is the monitoring responsibility of a designated school administrator from

each respective school.

5. Student Media Passes. NEW THIS YEAR – Activities Directors or Journalism Advisers will

be responsible for providing, in advance, the names of the student(s) that will be serving as

student media for their school. Jeff Stauss [email protected], will be sending out a

Google Sheet for the AD/Journalism Advisor to fill out. Student media will be required to show

a matching Student ID or license at the sign-in area to receive their credential. If students do

not have a matching ID to the name(s) provided by the school, they will not be given a

credential.

a. Each qualifying team can obtain two student media credentials. Credentials provide

free admission and access to media areas. A Journalism or Yearbook adviser will be

allowed one credential for yearbook & school publication purposes only if no

students will be using credentials. Parents, community members, etc. will not be

issued a student media credential. Credentials should be kept for the entirety of the

championship. Lost credentials will not be replaced.

b. The full NSAA Student Media Policy is available on page 11 of the NSAA

Media Manual – please have your students review prior to attending the event.

6. Filming, Video Taping & Photographers. Schools are permitted to film or videotape the

games in which their team participates. There is a designated filming platform on the

mezzanine level of Morrison Stadium. Filming and videotaping future opponents is prohibited.

Please contact site supervisor to request accommodations. Only NSAA credentialed

photographers/media will be allowed access to the field.

7. Supervision.

EACH PARTICIPATING SCHOOL MUST HAVE SUPERVISION PRESENT

AT THE CONTEST.

Please have someone from your supervision staff check-in with the Site

Director when arriving at the site. Please advise your students and parents that no one will be

permitted on the playing field or along the sidelines except players, coaches, and

championship officials. Supervisors are required to be on the field at the conclusion of their

schools’ matches and are expected to keep their respective student fans off the field. Failure

to meet this expectation could result in school sanctions from the NSAA. A school supervisor is

responsible for ensuring (the 30 on the sidelines).

8. Spectator Seating. At Creighton Stadium seating is on a first come first serve basis, with

Home team fans sitting at the south end of the west stands and the Visiting team fans on the

north end of the west stands. The Home team is the higher seed.

9. Bands/Artificial Noisemakers/Banners/Flags. Bands are permitted during State contests.

Members MUST pay regular admission to State contests. The use of artificial noisemakers is

prohibited. (Examples: air horns, whistles, bells, etc.) Band instruments, including drums, are

not to be played at any time other than when the entire band is playing. Bands should not be

permitted to play except prior to the game and at intermissions. Hand held signs will be

permitted inside the stadium provided they are appropriate and not derogatory.

Banners, yard

signs, large flags will not be permitted.

10. Cheerleaders & Drill Teams. Cheerleaders, drill team, and student cheering

sections members MUST pay regular admission to State events. Due to potential

injury liability, mounts and pyramids by cheerleaders and drill teams during the State

championships are prohibited. A mount is defined as any stunt where another individual or

individuals support one individual above the level of the floor. The height of the mount or

pyramid, or the number of people involved, has no bearing on the type of stunt performed.

you plan to bring a bus load of students, please contact the NSAA in advance so that we can

accommodate them at the ticket gate.

11. Certificates of Participation. Participation certificates are available for download on your

AD login page.

12. Food and Beverages. Outside food, beverages, and coolers will not be allowed at the

facility. Gum and sunflower seeds are prohibited on the field turf at Creighton. If teams bring

food, they will be asked to eat outside of the stadium fencing. Outside food will not be allowed in

the stadium.

13. Inclement & Severe Weather. In the event of severe weather, all in attendance will be

evacuated to the designated shelter (Ryan Center – north of the stadium) or be asked to

return to their vehicle.

TEAM INSTRUCTIONS – 2024 STATE SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS

1. Game Times. Please refer to the enclosed championship bracket for the time of your game.

2. Admission/Team Parking. No player or coaches passes are issued. Players and coaches

must enter through the pass gate located on the north side of the stadium. Only players and

coaches listed on the official team roster, as submitted to the NSAA will be allowed access to

Morrison Stadium free of charge through the pass gate. The pass gate opens 1 hour before

the first match of the session. A MAXIMUM of 28 players/coaches/team personnel

are allowed free admittance. Teams traveling with more than 28 personnel will

be required to purchase tickets and enter through the ticket gate on the west side

of the stadium. (

Refer to Page 2 for team drop off site.)

3. Programs. Each team will receive two programs before their first game of the

championship.

4. Home Team. The

higher seed

of each paired bracket is the

home team

and shall wear

dark shirts and dark socks. The other team shall be considered the visiting team and shall

wear solid white shirts and solid white socks.

5. Players should NOT remove shirts/jerseys when on or in the area of the playing

field.

6. Team Benches. Team Benches. The home team is on the South bench, and the away team is

on the North bench. Water will be provided for each team. Bench players will be required to

wear contrasting color pinnies.

Sideline Personnel. The only individuals permitted on the playing field and sidelines are

coaches, the players on your championship roster, student managers, team athletic trainers,

and championship officials. A team shall not dress more than 24 players. REMINDER: ONLY

THOSE 24 SUITED PLAYERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO WARM UP PRIOR TO THE GAME.

Please

do not request to have additional people in your team area. A total of 30 will be allowed.

8. Locker Rooms. No locker room facilities will be available at Creighton. Creighton and the

NSAA are NOT responsible for your valuables.

9. Food and Beverages. Outside food, and beverages, and coolers will not be allowed at

either facility. Gum and sunflower seeds are prohibited on the field turf at Creighton.

10. Spectator Seating. At Creighton seating is on a first come first serve basis, with Home

team fans sitting at the south end of the west stands and the Visiting team fans on the north

end of the west stands.

11. Team Photos. Callam Photography is the official photographer of the NSAA. Professional

photographs will be taken of each state qualifying team on the north side of the field prior to

team warm-up at the Rasmussen Center. Photographs of teams playing in the first match of

the day will be taken one hour prior to match time. Championship and runner-up team

photos will also be taken at the conclusion of the final match. These photographs will be

available for purchase. Parents/spectators will not be allowed on the field at the conclusion

of the match for photographs.

12. QUARTERFINALS & SEMIFINALS. The NFHS Network will webcast the quarterfinals and

semifinals. The link can be found through our website nsaahome.org. Scroll down and click

on the NFHSnetwork.com/NSAA logo.

13. FINALS. Our broadcasting partner Nebraska Public Media will televise the finals of both the

boys and the girls Class A and B Final matches (See Championship Bracket for times). There

will also be a one-minute TV timeout after the first 20 min. of the finals games.

14. COACH QUESTIONNAIRE. Please have coaches fill out the corresponding form in the links

below. These will be used in the Championship Coverage provided by Nebraska Public Media.

Boys Coach Questionnaire:

https://forms.gle/A5SVJJ8cUDjb3SRS6

Girls Coach Questionnaire:

https://forms.gle/e8UcPZvUTEAZ9wbt8

15. Warm-Up. Teams will be allowed to warm-up at the Rasmussen Center located north of

the stadium. Please do not warm-up in this area until the teams playing the next game have

gone to the playing field. Portable goals will be available in the warm-up area.

a. Depending upon the time when the game in progress is completed, teams may or may

not have time to warm-up on the game field. Every attempt will be made to provide at

least 20 minutes of warm-up on the game field. Teams will not be allowed to warm-up

on the playing field until the game in progress is over.

b. When warming up on the playing field, each team will warm up on the end of the field

nearest its team bench. Only the 24 players listed on the submitted roster for that

game can participate in the warmup.

c. Help protect the turf! Teams shall refrain from a TEAM WARM-UP inside the 18 yard box

such as a possession drill and other small sided warmups. At no time should the entire

team be warming up inside the 18 yard box. Teams should limit any shooting drills to

less than 8 minutes. Goalkeeper warmups are allowed inside the penalty area but all

ballhandling, stretching and other warmups that do not require a goal should be off to

the side and not in the goal area.

16. Officials. Four officials will be used for each game.

17. Introduction of Players and Coaches. Immediately following the coin-toss, teams will

line up in front of their respective benches in numerical order (lowest to highest) followed by

the coaches (only the 24 players suited for the match will be introduced). Teams will then

walk out single-file at the midfield line and then turn to face the grandstand (World Cup

format). The visiting team and coaches will be introduced first, then the home team and

coaches. At the conclusion of the introductions teams will return to their benches and be

ready to begin play immediately. The National Anthem will be played prior to the first game

of each session. Please send a team representative to the announcer’s booth to assist with

pronunciations.

18. Suspension of Play. If a game is suspended because of conditions which make it

impossible to continue play, the on-site championship director, head referee, and NSAA staff

member shall declare it an official game if one complete half or more of the game has been

completed and the score is not tied. If less than one-half of the game has been played or if

more than one-half of the game has been played and the game is tied, the game will resume

at the point of interruption. If a game is resumed from the point of interruption, and one

team is clearly in possession, the game shall be restarted by an indirect free kick by the team

in possession at the point where the ball was when play was suspended. If there is no clear

possession, there will be a drop ball at the spot where the ball was declared dead, provided

the ball is not in the penalty area.

19. Mercy Rule. The match shall end when one team has established a 10-goal differential at

the end of the first half or during the second half. The margin of victory rule does not apply

prior to completion of the first half of play.

20. Awards. Following the championship game in both the girls' and boys' championships,

awards will be presented to the runner-up and team champions. Each member of the

runner-up team will receive silver medallions. The runner-up team will receive a trophy.

Each member of the championship team will receive gold medallions, and the championship

team will receive a trophy. To receive the awards, each team will line up on the sideline in

front of the grandstand. Twenty-four medals will be given out to the players listed on the

roster at the beginning of the game. As each individual's name is called, he/she will step

forward to receive the award. Parents/spectators will not be allowed on the field at

the conclusion of the match for photographs. Participants must be clothed during

the awards presentation! Coaches are expected to enforce this rule!

Expected Behaviors at Awards Ceremonies. Education-based activities give students the

ability to train, participate and compete in a structured setting. With that, students often learn

lessons that are sometimes not taught in the traditional academic classroom. Some of those

lessons includes learning to win and lose with dignity and grace. As such, the following

guidelines have been developed for awards ceremonies at the conclusion of sub-district, district

and state contests.

Only one team can win a district or state championship, yet the NSAA provides trophies, plaques

and medals to the losing teams in many of the postseason activities. It shall be the expectation

that both team shall accept their medals and trophies in a sporting and willing manner. Some

losing teams have been reluctant to step forward and accept their awards, and coaches and

administrators need to assure sporting behaviors for their student athletes. It is natural to be

disappointed in losing the contest, but stepping forward at this time of disappointment is a life

lesson that helps mold proper and sporting behaviors. It is the expectation!

The executive director or the NSAA Board of Directors shall determine the type and severity of

sanctions to schools that do not comply with these expectations.

DIRECTIONS TO CHAMPIONSHIP SITE

Creighton University, Michael G. Morrison, S.J. Stadium

19th & Cass, Omaha

Morrison Stadium is located between 17th and 19th Streets to the north of Cass Street, on the east

side of the Creighton University campus in downtown Omaha. The main entrance and ticket window

is located on the west side, at the intersection of California and Florence Blvd. (19th Street).

From Interstate 80: Take Interstate 80 to the I-480 interchange. Follow I-480 North to I-480 East,

take the Capitol/Civic Auditorium exit. Turn left on 19th Street (Florence Blvd.) at the light signals

and follow to the facility.

From Interstate 29: Take Interstate 29 to the I-480 interchange in Iowa. Go west on I-480 across

bridge into Omaha. Take the 14th Street exit which will run into Cass Street. Follow Cass Street to

the facility.

From the Airport: From the airport, make a left onto Abbott Drive. Follow Abbott Drive toward

downtown, Abbott Drive will change into Cuming Street. Follow Cuming Street to 17th Street. Turn

left on 17th Street and follow to the facility.

Team Drop Off Procedure

Teams will be dropped off NORTH of Morrison Stadium from 17

street. (See map enclosed). Please

have the bus driver come down 17

street from the north and stop at the NE entrance to Morrison

Stadium. Team buses will park in the center lane of 17

Street.

Contact Mark Matthews (402-686-9940) prior to arrival and we will arrange a team host to greet you

at the drop off area.

If your players are traveling on their own, please notify them that the player entrance is on the

north side of the stadium. They will not get admittance to the stadium from any other entrance

throughout the championships. We will have the team rosters at that entrance and anyone that

wants to come through the team entrance must be listed on the team roster that was submitted to

the NSAA.