Dispatches from Commissioner Keith.

Opening Night — what you need Friday.

Hello Coaches — Opening Night is this Friday, 9.11! I know you all have been working hard to get your teams ready.

Fields & schedule

All games are played at Lake Forest Sports Park. Home teams face Saddleback Mtn. Fields will be marked:

• 1 thru 5 — on the Grass
• 1 thru 3 — on the Turf closest to the parking lot
• 4 thru 6 — on the Turf field on the backside

There will be field flags to assist you. Let your team families know they can always check game time and field number on the league website under the Schedule tab. Check the schedule every week, as there are adjustments that occur — and look one more time this Thursday night to make sure we didn't change anything. If you're using an app to connect with your team families, make sure your schedule matches what's on the website.

If your game is on Turf 1 thru 6, please inform your team families that NO CHAIRS of any type are allowed on those fields. Chairs are fine on the natural grass fields.

Uniforms & game balls

All players must wear the FNL uniform during the game. Jerseys tucked in, no exceptions. All game balls must have the FNL logo — the brown ball, the blue/white ball or the pink/blue ball are all allowed, with the FNL logo.

Line-up cards

Don't forget to get a line-up card at the FNL Snack Bar if you need one — they're also on the league website under the Coaches Corner tab. Line-up cards are required (except the Kinder division) and must be turned in to the referee prior to the beginning of your game. List the player name and jersey number, and follow the substitution rules.

If you have a player who shows up Friday without a mouth guard, send them to the FNL Snack Bar to purchase one — they are $6. We will also have flags, footballs and mouth guards at the Snack Bar for purchase.

And finally — have fun

HAVE FUN on Friday night. This is a Recreational Youth Sports league and everyone just wants to have FUN. Yes, we have some very talented kids playing… and some coaches with big egos. Please keep it all in perspective. There are no permanent records being kept, no coach of the year awards, nor scholarships being handed out.

Make sure each player touches the ball at least one time each half — parents are watching. The referees will make bad calls… expect it… move on to the next play. We have a great team of referees who want to do the best possible job. Look again at the Coach Code of Conduct you agreed to follow. Stick to the script and you'll have a great time Friday.

If you have an out-of-control issue during your game with a referee, coach or parent, call me on my cell — don't text. If we can't resolve the issue on the phone, I will come down to your field. Don't be that person who gets booted from a youth sports event.

I can't wait for Friday Night! Good luck, Coaches!

Rush marker moves to 10 yards.

Coaches — several FNL leagues had opening night last Friday. That gave us a chance to get input on how the evening went.

One item of importance is that other FNL leagues have moved the rush marker back from 7 yards to 10 yards for the defender or defenders rushing the QB. The outcome of that change is that quarterbacks have a couple more seconds to throw the ball, and it has also reduced roughing the passer penalties.

The updated rules are posted on the league website — click on the Coaches Corner tab. Let me know if you have any questions.

Uniforms out, schedule coming.

Hi Fall Coaches — we're getting close to the season start, 9.11.26. Uniform pickup ran Saturday from 9am to 11am and again Sunday from 10am to Noon at the Lake Forest Sports Park Snack Bar, on the upper pavilion overlooking the Turf fields. It's a quick handoff — you're in and out in a few minutes. If you couldn't make it, an assistant or team parent could pick up for you. Anyone who missed the weekend window can get uniforms again on Opening Night.

Handing out your uniforms

Remember the shorts match the jersey sizes. If you have four Youth Large and four Youth Medium jerseys, you will also have those same quantities and sizes in shorts. Line your team up tallest to smallest and hand out the uniforms the same way.

Remind parents that these are not meant to be a custom fit. Because our uniforms are all custom made and can take weeks to replace, we recommend using a tailor who can customize jersey size inexpensively and quickly. If you want to put player names or nicknames on the back of the jersey, that is fine.

Fall schedule

The Fall season schedule should be posted by Labor Day weekend. Keep in mind that if you want to change or rearrange a Friday game, it requires that your opponent agrees with your change, and the two teams who would be swapping times with you. That's at least 32 sets of parents who need to go along with your request. No small feat.

If you head coach one team and assist coach on another team, there may be overlapping game times. If that happens, we try to at least have you on fields next to one another — i.e. Turf 1 and Turf 2.

Meeting recap — two rule changes.

Hi Coaches — thank you for your participation and thank you again for your hard work. We could not run this league without folks like you who are willing to lead and teach the game of football. I'm here to support you, so shout if there's something you think I can help with. We have a bunch of experienced coaches who you can use as a resource, and there's also a ton of good info on the coach website.

Two rule changes this season

Read the rules, then re-read them. We have two important changes this season:

Schedule & practice

• Let me know if you have a critical schedule request for your Friday night games. We do the best we can, but can't guarantee we can satisfy everyone.
• Coaches with multiple teams, don't worry — we will make sure your games do not overlap, and we will keep you on the same field for both games if you're playing back-to-back.
• Everyone should have received an email link to the Google Sheet with available practice times at Lake Forest Sports Park, Rimgate and Tamarisk Park. You are not required to practice at these locations if you already have or know of a favorite spot.
• If you require an insurance endorsement from a city or association, let me know.
• Game schedules will be posted around the end of this month on www.southocfnl.com, under the "Schedule" tab.
• Rainy weather: Lake Forest posts field status daily after 2pm on the city website. That's the mud-line.

Before your first Friday

• Contact your teams now. Let me know if someone drops from your team or you can't reach someone.
• If you couldn't make the meeting, contact me to make arrangements to get your flags and footballs.
• Line-up cards are on the league website under the Coaches Corner tab, and we also have them at the FNL Snack Bar every Friday night. These must be filled out prior to the start of your game — include the player's first name, jersey number, and what quarters they are playing or not playing.
• If you have not acknowledged the Coach Code of Conduct, the Child Sex Abuse Awareness Guide and the Zero Tolerance Policy, please do so now — the acknowledgement form is here.
• Download and create a login for the Flagsnap App. It's the app our referees use to score games throughout the season, and you can follow along live.
• Read my weekly emails throughout the season.

Fall head coach homework.

Hello Fall Head Coaches — we've got a few months before practices begin, and Opening Night is Sept 11th. Our head coach meeting will be held on Aug 11th at 6pm, Lake Forest Sports Park. Not a lot for you to do in the meantime other than enjoy your summer!!

There are a few housekeeping items, coach homework if you will. Over the next couple weeks, please try to complete the following:

1 · Pick your uniform

Go to www.fnlcoach.com to view over 900 uniform styles available for this Fall season. Some of you have already told me what team you want to be — thank you. Please give me the ID description of the uniform, i.e. Air Force Falcons GR Alt 2. You'll find a uniform ID on the picture of the uniform you select.

2 · Acknowledge head coach documents

Please go to our website, www.southocfnl.com, and click on the Coaches Corner tab. There are 3 important documents you must acknowledge having read:

• FNL Coach Code of Conduct
• Child Sex Abuse Awareness Guide
• Zero Tolerance Policy

Once you've read them, click here to acknowledge all 3 head coach documents.

3 · Complete the background screen

On that same tab of our website, you will find the 2026 Head Coach Background Screen link (top of that page). If you have previously completed that screen process, you do not need to do it again for Fall… unless I can't locate a record of you completing it (my records are pretty good!). For those of you who have NOT completed the FNL Background Screen, just click on the link — it takes just a few minutes to complete. This is not a credit check and FNL pays the cost.

That's a wrap — Spring 2026.

Hi Coaches — thank you all for a really solid Spring 2026 season. You were a great group of head coaches, and everyone communicated well. I very much appreciated everyone who cooperated with me on game changes or time changes — you helped other coaches who had a time conflict, and we also helped many teams have better game matchups.

I know many of the championship games were decided by last-minute scores, so it was great competition to say the least.

Farewell to our 7/8 grade coaches

Every Spring we say goodbye to many 7/8 grade coaches who have played their final FNL games. This year we appreciate the following who have been part of FNL years and years (in no particular order):

• JT Ayers — Go Trabuco Hills HS Track Team!
• Robby Garrett — Go Cowboys!
• Jeremy Ratzlaff — Go Fresno St! Winner of 5 boys' season championships & 1 FNL TOC championship (playing for a second TOC championship in 2 weeks).
• Fred Peckson — Go Army! Winner of 5 boys' season championships & 2 girls' season championships (playing in TOC in 2 weeks).
• Alyssa Hayes — Go UCLA! (playing in TOC in 2 weeks).
• Todd Maffetore — Go… well, what team do you want to be this season, Todd?!
• Oscar Martinez — Go Raiders!

If I missed anyone, it wasn't intentional. Best wishes to a great group of head coaches!

What you all do

Every season, I leave you with what follows, which captures my feelings on your significance.

Only a handful of teams made it to the Championship game Friday night. But don't feel bad if you didn't — most of the years I coached, my teams didn't make it either. No matter where you finished, I think you should feel good about what you accomplished this Spring season. Success isn't always defined by wins, and certainly not at this level of competition. I know you all volunteered many hours conducting practices, getting ready for games, and coming out on Fridays to put on the best show you could.

We have seen our South Orange County league continue to grow in popularity, and that's the biggest win you can bring. I truly hope I see you all come back in future seasons. I started coaching when my son was in Kindergarten, and I couldn't wait for another season to try, try again.

I can't say it enough: THANK YOU! I hope you enjoyed your experience. The children on your team could not have experienced the game of football without you.

Championship Friday is here.

Coaches — this is it. The final Friday of the Spring Season. Championship Friday is here!

Congratulations to all the teams that have made it to this week's final games. No small feat — we had numerous close battles, overtime, and other last-minute, game-winning scores that allowed teams to advance. Brackets are posted on the website homepage.

Zero Tolerance — Sportsmanship

Last Friday, there were numerous instances of bad behavior, by some coaches and parents. FNL has a Zero Tolerance policy on all forms of referee abuse, coach-to-coach smack-talking, or parents voicing their opinions. That includes criticizing, arguing with, or harassing the referees. Referees can eject individuals for abuse without a warning.

Please, please exemplify great sportsmanship, even in the face of adversity — or a call/no-call you don't agree with. We will have at least 2 referees per game, and 3 per game for semi-finals and finals.

Field Setup & Team Family Reminders

22 of the 40 games scheduled will be played on the Artificial Turf fields, including all Championship games. Remind your team families that chairs with legs (must be a sleigh bottom) and dogs are prohibited.

Multiple Games

Those of you making it to the championship game will play 2 games (girl's divisions) or 3 games (boy's divisions) if you are winning. Manage your players, keep them fresh and focused. You will be at the park for several hours! Spread the ball around, don't burn out your star players in game one. This will be a marathon night if you go all the way to the Championship game. All games played with 10-minute quarters.

The Snack Bar will be open this Friday, with Pizza, Hot Dogs, Pretzels, Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Drinks, Mouth Guards, and Footballs.

Upsets Happen

Teams that manage this marathon night of football best usually win, regardless of their regular season record. We've already seen some surprises — check these out:

• Boys 1.2 Grade — Into the quarterfinals: #11 Seahawks Blue, #10 Raiders White, #12 Oregon Ducks
• Boys 5.6 Grade — Into the quarterfinals: #10 North Dakota
• Boys 7.8 Grade — Into the quarterfinals: #14 Dolphins

Ring Ceremony

Ring ceremony for all teams playing in the Championship game immediately following the Championship game. Champion and Finalist rings will be handed out.

Tournament of Champions

The two teams playing in the Championship game get an automatic invitation to the FNL TOC on May 30 and 31. All 24 FNL leagues send their two best teams from each grade division, boys & girls, to compete and see who is Best of the Best. If you aren't one of those final two teams, and you think your team can roll with the elite, let me know and I will add you to the list if there are open spots due to cancellations.

Friday playoff brackets posted.

Congratulations Head Coaches! The Spring 2026 regular season is in the books (whew!). Whether you finished first, last, or somewhere in the middle, every team starts the playoffs 0–0. Last Spring, only three of the eight #1 seeded teams won the championship. Upsets do occur…

Playoff brackets are posted on the website for the May 8 match-ups. They are on the website homepage, at the top. Playoffs are single elimination; win and keep playing, lose and you're out! Eighty plus teams will be eliminated on 5.08. Here's a quick explanation on the brackets:

1. May 8 games are highlighted in yellow.
2. Division winners get the top seeds, regardless of record.
3. If multiple teams finished with the same record, and all those teams didn't play one another, they are ranked by defensive points allowed. You may see a few instances where you beat a team that is seeded higher as a result.
4. The higher seeded team is home team. Home teams face Saddleback Mtn. (#1 is higher than #2, etc.)
5. There is a tab for each grade division. Girls start with a "G".
6. I tried to keep game-to-game field changes to minimum movement, but sometimes that was just not possible because of coaches with multiple teams. You may play your first game on T2 for instance, and then need to move to G3 for your next game. Let your team families know in advance what to expect so everyone is ready to move to the next field when the game ends.
7. All games are played with 8-minute quarters this week. The game will go fast, be prepared! We need to keep games on time, so if you're late to your game, all the games that follow on that field will run late.
8. Playoffs are super exciting, always unexpected results and upsets. Enjoy the craziness of it all and always practice great sportsmanship no matter what happens!

If you survive the May 8 games, you will come back on May 15 for Championship Friday! A marathon night of football and the crowning of our Spring Season Champions.

1st and 2nd place conference awards (medallions) will be available at the FNL Tent Friday 5.08 & 5.15.

Good luck to all.

Final regular season games.

Hi Coaches, a ton of info in this email, please read it carefully. Let me know if you have questions. Here we go…

Always check the online schedule

As a rule, I do not make opponent matchup changes on the final week of the season, unless two teams competing for a 1st or 2nd place conference finish want to play each other. That request needs to be initiated by both coaches.

Scores

Check them to make sure we have them recorded properly. Let me know ASAP if you see a wrong score posted.

Final regular season games this Friday

We say goodbye to the Kinder teams this Friday. Thank you for all the pint-sized excitement and previewing the next generation of stars in FNL. Don't forget to pickup your Participation medallions this Friday. Also, Conference champions will be crowned! 1st & 2nd place teams in all conferences receive newly designed medallions. Very exciting! Final standings are determined in this order:

1. Winning percentage.
2. If the same, head-to-head match-up results — did the teams with the same record/winning percentage play each other?
3. If no, then fewest average points allowed per game.

If you have a conference first or second place wrapped up already (thru 7 weeks), I will have your medallions available this Friday. All other conference medallions will be available on Friday 5.08. See me at the Snack Bar.

Playoffs begin on 5.08

Every team enters the playoffs with a 0–0 record. There will be upsets, it happens every season. Win and continue, lose and you're out, it's that simple. 80+ teams will be eliminated on 5.08. Single elimination playoff brackets will be posted on the website by Sunday PM May 3rd. For the few head coaches with who coach multiple teams, I will do my best to not overlap your games, but you will probably end up with back-to-back games. If so, I will try to keep you on the same field or an immediate adjacent field. Engage your team parents to help you get your teams warmed up. If you head coach one team and are an assistant for another team, there may be game time conflicts and you'll have to pick one to be at.

Friday 5.15 — Championship Friday, all divisions (Quarters thru Finals)

For those who have not been thru the FNL playoffs… Championship Friday is a marathon night! Multiple games as long as you are winning. To claim the championship, Boys teams will need to win 3 games; Girls teams will need to win 2. Again, this is single elimination, win and keep playing, lose and you're out. Teams playing in the Championship game will receive bling rings. Those two teams from each grade division (girls/boys) get an automatic invitation to the FNL Tournament of Champions on 5.30 & 5.31 in Los Alamitos. There are always a few openings for the TOC, so if you aren't one of those finalists, you may still get to compete in the TOC. Let me know if your team is interested (100% sure) and I will try to get you into one of those ad-hoc open spots.

Playoff Seedings

All conference winners get top seeds, regardless of record. If multiple teams finish with the same record, and you ALL did not play one another, then seedings go by fewest average points allowed per game. If those are the same, then we flip a coin to determine the higher seed (it has happened once before). Because of these seeding rules, you may find that you are a lower seed than a team you may have beaten during the season.

Final 2 weeks, then playoffs.

Coaches — final 2 weeks of the Spring Season, then playoffs! There is some chance of rain Tuesday PM / Wednesday AM. Many of you contacted me about field closures. To check on field closures after 2pm daily, here is the link to the Mudline: Lake Forest, CA — Official Website.

Reminders for this Week

Participation Medallions

Kinder division can pick up their Participation Medallions this Friday OR on Friday May 1 at the FNL Tent.

Division Medallions

Grades 1–8 first/second place medallions for all conferences (boys & girls) will be at the FNL Tent on May 8th & May 15th.

Schedule

Please check the schedules online every week. There were a handful of changes for this Friday in the spirit of good competition. If you are in a hotly contested conference and want to play a deciding game for 1st or 2nd place on Friday May 1, both teams will need to agree on the schedule change. Final standings are determined by (1) win/loss record; (2) if the same, head to head results; (3) if you didn't play one another, then fewest points allowed on defense.

Scores

Let us know if anything is posted incorrectly.

On The Field Issues

If you have a rule question, or have an issue with a player/coach/parent/referee, please call (don't text) me or Jerry (head referee). If we can't work it out with a quick call, one of us will come to your field.

Rosters

As we roll towards the playoffs, your rosters are set and cannot be changed without my approval. In other words, no guest players and no borrowing players from another team. A minimum of 5 players is needed to play your game. Also, make sure you've read the Playoff Addendum — Player Advantage Rule. You can find that on the Coaches Corner tab, click on Spring 2026 Rules.

Playoffs

Friday, 5.08: Single elimination games begin. All teams enter the playoffs with a 0–0 record.

• Boys 1st/2nd grade teams will all play ONE game, EXCEPT teams seeded 7 thru 26 will play TWO games if you win the first one.
• Girls 1st/2nd grade team seeded #1 has a bye week, teams seeded 3 thru 7 play one game.
• Boys 3rd/4th grade teams will all play ONE game, EXCEPT teams seeded 11 thru 22 will play TWO games if you win the first one.
• Girls 3rd/4th grade teams will all play ONE game, EXCEPT teams seeded 4 thru 13 will play TWO games if you win the first one.

Game on. Final 3 weeks.

Coaches — final 3 weeks of the Spring Season (then playoffs)! Make sure to check the online schedules, there have been numerous updates.

Kinder Participation Medallions

Will be available for pickup on 4.24 & 5.01 at the FNL Snack Bar. Conference 1st/2nd place medallions for all other grades will be available 5.08 & 5.15.

Jerseys

Should be tucked in and flags worn on the hips, with the FNL logo facing out. Referees will be checking flags prior to the start of the game.

Know the Player Advantage Rule

8 or more vs 7. You must have 8 or more players to invoke this rule. If a team has 7 players, and you have 8 or more on your team, you can pick a player on that team who must sit one quarter. The coach with 7 gets to choose which quarter. If this is not identified prior to the start of the game, for whatever reason, and later recognized during the game, the 8+ player team's coach can still identify the player that must sit. Don't rely on the referee to let you know how many players your opponent has. YOU should be asking that question prior to the start of your game… "hey coach, how many players do you have tonight?"

Contact the Commissioner

If you have a rule question, or are encountering difficult parents / are coaches, please call me on my cell (don't text). If we can't resolve your question or issue with a quick phone call, I can send Jerry, our head referee, to your field.

Scores

Let us know if anything is posted incorrectly. Remember, playoff seedings are based on win/loss record, then head-to-head results and finally defensive points allowed. If multiple teams finish with the same season record, and they ALL did not play one another, then we place teams by average points allowed per game. Also, division winners get the top seeds, regardless of their season record.

Playoffs

Friday, 5.08: Single elimination games begin. All teams enter the playoffs with a 0–0 record. There are 6 rounds of games on 5.08 and we run the games super fast, with 8 minute quarters for all 6 rounds. Game times on the Turf fields are 4:45 – 5:25 – 6:05 – 6:45 – 7:25 – 8:05. Game times on the Grass fields are 5:00 – 5:40 – 6:20 – 7:00 – 7:40 – 8:20. It's a crazy night of football with everyone playing multiple games… if you are winning. Single elimination means if you lose, you're done for the season. If you head coach one team and assist on another, you will likely need to pick one as overlaps are imminent.

Friday 5.15 — Championship Friday, all divisions (Quarters thru Finals)

For those who have not been thru the FNL playoffs… Championship Friday is a marathon night! Multiple games as long as you are winning. To win the championship, boys teams will need to win 3 games on Friday 5.15, girls teams will need to win 2; all games will be played with 10 minute quarters. Again, this is single elimination, win and keep playing, lose and you're out.

That's it for now… let's make this Friday another FUN time for the kids.

Thanks for all you do.