How can I register?
Click on Play Soccer in the site navigation, and click on any link that says 'REGISTER.'

Do you need help with coaching?
Yes – we need parents to sign up as head coaches or assistants so that we can place all the children who want to play. Please don’t wait to be asked – just sign up if you’re interested.

What is the volunteering commitment?
Every family must volunteer for something during the season, or surrender a $50 volunteer deposit. Please check our Volunteering page for policy information and other details of the voluntary activity program. We’ll have a few pre-season activities, but if you aren’t able to help with those don’t worry – we’ll need most help during the season, and there will be something to do every week.

Most volunteer activities require a one-hour commitment, while coaching and serving as Board Member require more hours. 

Is my child in the correct division?
Parents occasionally ask if their child is in the correct division, because the “U” number seems so high compared with the child’s age.

The reason for this is that the “U” means “under”, and most divisions span multiple years.

For example, we have a U7 (co-ed division for 6-year-olds), but we don’t have a U8, so U9 is for players who will be 7 or 8 on April 1 (Spring season) or October 1 (Fall season).

And in the older divisions the spread gets wider – so U14 has players who are 11 to 13, and 19 ranges from 14 to 18.  Don’t worry – it works fine!

What clothing and equipment do I need to buy, and where I can get it?
The club supplies a shirt, which must be worn to every game. The shirt must be tucked in during games, and must not be mutilated.

You need a ball for practices:

• Players aged 6 and under use a Size 3 ball
• Players 7-13 use a Size 4 ball.
• Players 14-18 use a Size 5 balls.

You don’t need a name-brand ball - but we recommend a stiched ball (not glued). Please bring a ball to each practice for use in drills, and make sure it is clearly marked with your child’s name and phone number. 

You also need to provide:

• Soccer Cleats (not mandatory, but highly recommended for all divisions)
• Full-length black socks
• Black Shorts
• Shin Guards (required – see advice below)

Shin guards must be covered by socks (socks OUTSIDE shin guards).

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get soccer stuff for a beginner. Wal-Mart, Target, etc. all have sportswear sections that carry soccer balls, shin guards, even goalie gloves.

• Dick's Sporting Goods in Freehold is good for all equipment, but things like socks tend to sell out close to the first week of the season. 

• More specialized stores include the Soccer Post (Eatontown).

• Amazon and online retailers also carry a variety of products, but be sure you know the size you need. 

Some advice on shin guards:

• Shin guards are a matter of preference and comfort. There are a variety of sizes, some with velcro, some with sleeves, some with stirrups.
• If your shin guards have stirrups or padding, be sure to bring them to try on cleats. 
• The bigger shin guards with ankle pads offer more protection, but are also nearly impossible to get over either small size cleats or high-end cleats that do not lace. 
• We advise against one-piece sock/shin guard combinations. 
• Be sure your sock fits over any shin guards. 

Are there any other uniform rules to know?
In addition to the soccer equipment noted above, as a reminder players are not permitted to wear any jewelry including earrings. Please don’t have your child’s ears pierced less than six weeks before the start of the season. They won't be permitted to play by coaches or referees with earrings that are in. 

Where are games played?
Games are played at the Hugh Hoffman Memorial Fields at 449 Adelphia Road (Route 524), Howell, behind the office building. Click here for a map.

When are games played?

• For most divisions we schedule games on Friday evenings after 6 p.m. and Saturday mornings. between 8:30 am and ending by noon. If there is high enrollment in a season, the late Saturday games may kick off at 12:15 p.m. 

• Occasionally we need to schedule makeup games on mid-week evenings – usually because of rain-outs, but occasionally for other reasons.

Where and when are practices held?  Do U4 and U5 players practice?
Practices are at Howell school fields – coaches determine the day, time and location. Teams in Divisions U7 and older usually practice for one hour, one evening a week, between Monday and Thursday.

We cannot guarantee that your team will practice at a convenient location, day or time, and we cannot move players between teams after assignment. However, if your child can’t make your team’s practice you’re welcome to practice with another team in the same division. We’ll be happy to let you know details once we have them, and put you in touch with the coaches.

There are no separate practices for the Under-4 & Under-5 programs – they practice and play on Saturday morning. There are also no practices for the Challenger program.

The schedule isn’t available yet – can you give me an idea of when my child will play?
Below are some general guidelines that may help you to plan your family’s activities. We can’t promise anything until the season’s schedule is published, as scheduling is complex and depends on the number of teams we have in each division, and the availability of coaches. (As an example, we cannot schedule a team to play at 6:30 p.m. on Friday if the coach tells us they work Friday nights). 

The detailed schedule is usually published after the team assignments have been made, and at least one week before the start of the season. We cannot give you advance information about the schedule, and we cannot assign a player to a team based on the team’s schedule, even after the schedules have been published. If your child already has a commitment that is likely to conflict with the times below we recommend that you do not over-commit by registering with Pinelanders as well.

• Challenger Program: Always on Saturday mornings. We try to keep the time the same for the whole season.

• Under-4 & Under-5: Always on Saturday morning, for one hour. All teams in each of these divisions play at the same time, on small fields with small goals. The time will be the same for Weeks 1-5, and may change for Weeks 6-10. Start time for U4 is typically 9:45 am and for U5 is 8:30 am or 11 a.m.

• U7 & U7G: Games in these divisions are scheduled on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, for one hour. Friday games are likely to start at about 6:30 p.m., while Saturday games could be any time from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (or possibly a bit later if we have a lot of teams). 

• U9 & U9G: Games are scheduled on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, for one hour. Friday games are likely to start at about 6:30 p.m.while Saturday games could be any time from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (or possibly a bit later if we have a lot of teams).

• U11 & U12G: Games are scheduled on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Friday games are likely to start at around 6:30 pm or 7:45 pm, and on Saturday they can start at any time between 8:30 am and 12:15 pm. Usually games last for one hour, but if registration in the division is low we might play a round-robin schedule – in which case the overall length of the game will be 90 minutes. See the next question for info about round-robin scheduling.

• U14: Games are generally scheduled for Friday evenings, but could be Friday games are likely to start at around 6:30 pm or 7:45 pm. Usually games last for one hour, but if registration in the division is low we might play a round-robin schedule – in which case the overall length of the game will be 90 minutes. See the next question for info about round-robin scheduling. 

• U19: Games are always scheduled on Friday evenings. We typically have two teams in this division, with the players divided into teams by the coaches each week to play the game based on attendance. 

What is a round-robin schedule?
In some seasons one or two divisions only have enough players registered for us to form three teams. In these divisions all the teams are scheduled to play in a single 90-minute slot, and each team plays two 25-minute games – one against each of the other two teams in the division. Each week one team has a 30-minute break between games, and the others play two back-to-back games.

What if it rains?
You should always assume that games are ON unless you hear otherwise. Pinelanders does play soccer in the rain as long as there's no lightning/thunder and the fields are playable. Games may be canceled if there are concerns for the players’ safety or well-being, if the fields are in poor condition or may be in poor condition due to play. 

The decision for Friday games is usually made mid-to-late afternoon. The decision for Saturday games is usually made at the fields around 7:00 am. If we cancel, we announce via the app, our web page and Facebook. We will e-mail members and coaches of the teams scheduled to play that day. If the weather looks “iffy,” you should definitely check our website, Facebook page and the app. 

Remember: If there is no information that says games are canceled please assume that they are on, and be at the fields in time for your game.

Note that our practice fields are closed on any days that schools are closed, either for a break or emergency closure. The Board of Education sometimes closes school fields for school events or because of inclement weather. Should that happen, we’ll notify coaches and post a notice on our web page. Always check before coming out to practice on a rainy day.

What if there’s a thunderstorm during a game or practice?
For safety, at the first sign of an approaching thunderstorm all games are immediately suspended and the fields are cleared. Operations may be canceled for the day. Coaches must follow the same procedures during practices.

What can my child wear under his/her uniform for cold-weather games?
Safety and warmth are things we pay very close attention to. Your child can wear anything warm under his uniform shirt. As long as the shirt is showing, that’s all we care about…. sweat pants, jackets etc. are all acceptable… even gloves and hats if it gets too cold… your choice! If the weather becomes too inclement we would call the games.

Hooded sweatshirts are discouraged, and if worn the hoods and drawstrings must be tucked completely into the team shirt. 

What is the Winter Indoor Soccer program?
You’ll find information on the Indoor Soccer page.

What does Trophy Day/Night involve?
Trophy Day/Night is held on a Saturday, usually the weekend after our last games of the season. In the Spring season we hold a big family BBQ at the fields, rent some inflatables and each team has a mini picnic.

In the Fall season it’s held indoors in the Middle School North cafetorium.

It takes about an hour per division, and different divisions attend at different times. Teams usually bring pizza, snacks, treats, etc., and we award trophies to the players, and make various other awards. Players should wear their team shirts. In the Fall season Trophy Day is also our Annual Meeting of Members, so we hold elections for Board positions and vote on any other bylaws that require membership approval. 

How old do you have to be to qualify as a referee?
The minimum age for a referee license is 13. More information about becoming a referee is available via the New Jersey State Referee Committee. There is now a digital referee certification option, which is a great and affordable way for young referees to get their start.