FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Football
If you can't find the answer you are looking for here, contact your child's coaching staff or email us at westviewyouthfootball@gmail.com. For information on Flag Football please go to the Flag FAQ page for more information.

General:

Who can sign up for Tackle Football?
Youth in the 5th through 8th grades are eligible to sign up if they live within the Westview High School attendance boundary or if their private school is located within the Westview High School boundary. To find out if you live within the Westview High School boundary, click here (Beaverton School District locator).

Who can sign up for Flag Football?
Youth in Kindergarten through 4th grades are eligible to sign up if they live within the Westview High School attendance boundary or if their private school is located within the Westview High School boundary. To find out if you live within the Westview High School boundary, click here (Beaverton School District locator).

What is TVYFL?
TVYFL is the Tualatin Valley Football League. It is the umbrella organization that coordinates the play between the 31 individual youth football associations in the Portland Metro area. They provide the rules, the schedules and the officials for the approximately 200 teams and 6,000 players. For more information see the TVYFL website.

What is the time commitment?
Compared to other youth sports, football is a big time commitment. There are ten hours of practice per week before school starts, dropping to six hours per week after school starts. There is one game every Saturday after school starts. For more information see our Calendar section.

Do I have to start playing in 3rd grade?
No. We have many new players at each grade level who do great.

What if I have scheduled a vacation during practice time?
Go and enjoy yourself. Football will still be here when you get back. But please tell your coach as soon as possible that you will be gone.

With that said, if you have ANY flexibility, please try to schedule around the football season, especially in August. With TVYFL conditioning requirements and team division, it is important that your player be there if at all possible.

Can Girls Play?
Yes, we have had several girls play nearly every season.

Registration:

Where do I go to sign up?
Visit our Registration Page to get started for both Tackle and Flag Football.

Where can I get information about Scholarships?
We want everyone who wants to play to play. To that end there are scholarships available, you can find out more information here.

How late can I sign up?
It is best to register early so that you are guaranteed a place on a team. You should try to register by June 6thto get the early-bird discount and for sure by July 18th. Registration closes on July 18th, and no more registrations will be accepted.

Do I need a THPRD # to register?
Yes because we practice and plays on fields owned and maintained by THPRD, we are required to provide them that number. All players living inside and outside the THPRD boundaries are required to provide a THPRD number. Please contact THPRD to obtain your number. .

Does a Doctor have to sign my Medical Release Form?
An M.D. or a Nurse Practitioner must sign your medical release form. We will not accept a stamped signature. They do need to sign the form that Westview Youth Football/Tualatin Valley Youth Football League (TVYFL) provide. (Some medical offices give you their own sports physical form -- we will not accept this form.) Your child's player contract and medical release form were sent to you as a 2 page attachment to your registration confirmation e-mail. (Flag Football will not need a Medical Release Form)

When do I turn in my Medical Release Form? 
Please bring this form with you to equipment issue day. We must have this form completed and signed by both the parent and doctor or nurse practitioner before we can give you your equipment.  Example of the form can be found  here.

Do I need a physical?
This is up to your doctor. If they have seen the player for an exam recently enough, many doctors will sign the release form. Many insurance companies will only cover a physical once every two years. Frequently you can fax the form to your doctor's office and they will fax or mail it back to you. It is up to your doctor's discretion whether or not they have seen you recently enough to determine if they can sign the release.

Refunds:
All refunds must be approved by the President of WYF email. No refunds will be approved after equipment has been handed out.

Equipment:

 TVYFL Player Registration Contract and TVYFL Medical Release forms must be completed, signed and brought to equipment handout before you player can receive equipment.  Examples of those forms can be found here.

 What equipment is provided?
WYF provides almost everything you need to play. Your helmet, mouth guard, needed pads, practice and game pants, and game jersey are all provided. The white/grey football pants provided are for practice only and the navy blue pants provided are their game uniform pants and to be worn ONLY for games. Players will not be allowed to practice in their navy blue game pants. Your game jersey (and mouth guard of course), are yours to keep after the season ends.

What equipment do I have to provide?
Football cleats that are molded or are internally threaded shoes where no post is extending from the shoe. Maximum size of the cleat is 1/2 inch. No all metal, primarily metal or metal tipped cleats may be worn.

Athletic cups and supporters are not required.

Most players might need an additional mouth guard throughout the season. If you wear braces, you may want to ask your Orthodontist about any special mouth protection that you may need.

My helmet hurts -- can I get a different one?
It is very common for your helmet to feel uncomfortable and even hurt your head for the first couple of weeks. Helmets must fit tightly to ensure a correct fit. Our equipment managers take the necessary time to make sure that each helmet is fitted properly. We recommend that once you get your equipment, that you wear your helmet before practice in order to break it in and get used to how it feels. When you put it on, remember to pull it all the way down, hard. If you continue to have discomfort, please let your coach know and we will have our equipment managers adjust the fit of your helmet.

What kind of cleats do I need?
TVYFL rules require that our players wear football cleats that are designed for youth football. They must be either a molded cleat or internally threaded shoes where no post is extending from the shoe (instead, the cleat post--screws internally into the shoe). Maximum size of cleat is 1/2 inch (measured from tip of cleat to base of shoe). No all metal, primarily metal, or metal tipped cleats may be worn.

What if there is a problem with my equipment?
Many problems can be corrected using the tools and supplies that each team has, so contact your coach for assistance. If they can not resolve the issue, then they will arrange to get you a replacement.

When and Where do I get my equipment?
There are two equipment handout dates TBD. You must attend one of those days as this will be the only time equipment is fitted. Equipment handout happens at Five Oaks Middle School, check the Calendar page for times.

Equipment Care:

Helmet Care
Try keeping your helmet clean and free of debris. You can do this by simply wiping with a damp cloth. NEVER use abrasive cleaners or solvents to clean helmet. The Westview Youth Football Equipment Managers have special helmet cleaning solutions if a damp cloth will not work.

Always inspect your helmet – paying particular attention to the fasteners that attach the face mask and chin strap. If the helmet appears damaged in any way – IMMEDIATELY show your Coach or one of the Westview Youth Football Equipment Managers. NEVER play or participate in contact drills with a damaged helmet.

Wash & Care Instructions for Integrated Pants & Jerseys
COLD WATER WASH

COLD WATER WASH, please. And wash them separately from other garments. Keep whites and colors apart.
DO NOT DRY CLEAN OR PRESS garments. This will discolor the fabric.
Do not allow perspiration soaked or muddy garments to lie in a pile or rest on top of each other for any period of time. Launder them immediately if they really, really need it. However, it is not necessary to launder after every wearing. Simply hang them on a plastic or wooden hanger until the next day of practice. DO NOT OVER-WASH pants.
DO NOT remove the belt or pads. FASTEN HOOK & LOOP belts before washing so they don't bounce around in the washer.
DO NOT use chlorine bleach. DO NOT use fabric softeners. DO NOT soak the pants. Softeners deteriorate garments with spandex. They also restrict the effectiveness of Dri-Fit technology and act as a magnet to dirt.
Use MILD powdered detergent. Detergents with pH under 10 are recommended for athletic uniforms. Powdered detergents are recommended for athletic colors.
REMOVE garments from the machine immediately after washing. This will help avoid color bleeding, particularly on color blocked garments.
AIR DRY - Allow the pants and game jersey to AIR DRY. If you must dry them, do so on the LOWEST setting. Line Drying is recommended, particularly with these garments.
Be sure these garments are completely dry before storing.
ONCE again, COLD WASH and AIR DRYING are the best way to launder these items so that they stay looking new!

Teams:

Do I have to try out?
No. As long as your registration is complete and paid, and you are not on a waiting list, you will be placed on a team.

How are the teams divided?
When there is more than one team at a grade level or division (i.e., 3/4; 5/6; JV; Varsity) the teams are divided by a draft. The purpose of the draft is to ensure that the teams are divided as equally as possible. TVYFL rules and Westview Youth Football Bylaws dictates that all teams be evenly matched across talent and skill levels, with no "stacked" or "developmental" teams. Each team in an age level will have the same number of players of a given grade level.

Can I request to be placed on a team with a friend?
Unfortunately no. TVYFL requirements are very straight forward. One of the great things about Westview Youth Football is that all of the players will be mixed with same-aged players from other elementary and middle schools. All of these schools feed into Westview High School, so this helps them develop friends they will eventually go to school with. Siblings are the one exception to this rule.

What if I need to carpool?
Teams of the same grade level generally practice at the same field at the same time. So, if your player needs to carpool with someone on a different team, this should usually not be a problem.

Can I request a specific coach?
No, see above.

How are the coaches picked? 
Applicants for head coaching positions are reviewed and selected by the Westview Youth Football Board. Assistant coaches are selected by the head coach, usually from among the parents of their players. All coaches are subject to a background check.

Practices:

When do practices start? 
Practice starts following Wildcat Week. See Flag for practice details

How long are practices? 
Most practices are 2 hours long. Practice time does NOT include water breaks, so plan on two and a half hours for each practice.

How many practices are there per week? 
Between the end of the Westview High School Camp and the start of school, each team will practice 5 days a week. Practices may be held on Saturdays. After the start of school, each team will practice 3 days a week. Game day is not considered practice time. See Flag for practice details

Games:

How long are the games? 
Games are made up of four 10 minute quarters. With clock stoppages, half time, moving the chains, etc., most games last nearly two hours. In addition, players are expected to be at the field at least an hour before the game to warm up and weigh in. So count on spending 3 hours at a game. See Flag for game details

How many games are there? 
The 3/4 division teams each play 7 scheduled games and then one "Medal" game against an opponent determined at the end of the season.

The other division teams each play 8 scheduled games. Those in the top 4 of their TVYFL league will move on to two playoff games, and those two winners will play a championship game.

Where are games played? 
Our home games are played at Westview High School. Most of our away games are played against others in TVYFL's Montavon Division: Aloha, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Lincoln, Scappoose, St. Helens, Sunset, Southridge, and Wilson. Occasionally we might play an away game against any other TVYFL team, and while they try to keep us on this side of the Willamette, we can play anywhere from Banks to Sandy.

Why do I have to get to the game so early? 
Players are expected to get to the game site at least an hour before game time. This ensure that there is adequate time to warm up and weigh in. Being late for warm ups can increase your chance for injuries, while being late for weigh in can cause you to be disqualified from the game.

It is important to be on time to the game site. If you are "time challenged", consider carpooling or setting your alarm 30 to 60 minutes earlier than usual. You don't want to be hurt, and you don't want to miss a game!

How much will I get to play? 
TVYFL has a minimum 10 play rule. This means that you will play in at least 10 active plays per game (plays ending in penalties, kneel-downs, and for 3/4 division, PAT's are not considered active plays). Depending on your position, your skill, and especially your willingness to work hard, you may play more.

Notice that "position" was the first item on the list: if you insist on playing one of the "skill" positions, like everyone else, you will likely not play as much. There are a lot of people who want to be quarterback and receiver. But if you are willing to learn to play a line position, you will have a better chance to play more often. Think about it: there are nine starting linemen and only one starting quarterback. If ten people can play line well, and only four can play quarterback well, individuals from which group will get more play time?

What position will I play? 
Probably several. Most players will play "both ways", both on offense and defense. And most players will play several positions during the season. Your coaches will observe and work with you to find the best locations for you. We want you to be successful!

The Game Rules:

Football Basics for Youth Football:

Football is played between two teams with 11 players each. The playing field is 120 yards long, 100 yard playing surface with a 10 yard end zone at each end of the field. The field is broken down into 10 yard segments. The field is 53 1/3 yards wide. At the end of each end zone is a set of Goal Posts. The High School Goal Posts are 23’ 4" wide, 30’ tall with a cross bar 10’ off the ground.

The object of the game is for the offense to score points and the defense to stop them. Points can be scored by offense by either running or passing and catching the football in the end zone OR by kicking the ball between the goals posts above the cross bar. The defense can score points by running the ball into the end zone via turnover (A fumble or interception) or via a safety (stopping the offense in the offense’s end zone.

Point Values are: 
Touchdown = 6 Points
Point After Touchdown = 2 Point for kicking the ball between the goal posts or 1 Point for running or passing/catching in end zone
Field Goal = 3 Points
Safety = 2 Points

The game is divided into quarters of 8 or 10 minutes each for Youth Football. Between the 2nd and 3rd quarter there is a halftime period.

The team with the most points at the end of four quarters wins. If a game is tied an overtime period is played using a modified Kansas Plan. In Youth Football, the Kansas Plan starts at the 10 yard line and each team is given four plays to score. If the teams are still tied after each team has been given a possession, the game ends in a tie.

TVYFL Specific Rules:

Maximum Player Weight allowed to carry the football:

3rd and 4th Grade - 105 Pounds

5th and 6th Grade - 125 Pounds

JV - 150 Pounds

Varsity - 175 Pounds

Tualatin Valley Youth Football League adheres to all other rules and regulations as outlined in the current, official National Federation of State High School Associations rule book. (NFHS).

Coaches and Board Members:

Are Coaches and Board Members paid? 
Everyone associated with Westview Youth Football are volunteers donating hundred of hours year round to help make this program a success.

Who can be a Head Coach or Assistant Coach? 
Anyone with the ability to put in the time commitment. All coaches must register through the TVYFL website every season. Head coaches should have a basic knowledge of football, and can apply it at the youth level. Head coaching experience is desired, but not necessary. Head coaching candidates are interviewed by the board at the beginning of the year. All coaches are required to undergo a back ground check. All coaches will also be required to help out with equipment fittings and equipment handout prior to the start of the season.

Why are there so many coaches for each team? My son's soccer team only has two.
Football is a very technical sport. Players have to be taught both offensive and defensive skills and positions. Many coaching staffs are made up of a head coach and "experts" in each of the different disciplines. Additionally, because football is a contact sport, the additional coaching staff increases the safety factor at practice while players are learning new skills.