Wisconsin Soccer Central

The so-called "soft" red card is being shown the door in high school soccer.

Starting in the 2012-13 school year – or the prep boys season in Wisconsin – players who will receive a second yellow card not only will be sent off, but their team will not be allowed to replace them. This follows the standard rule on red cards used on nearly every other level of soccer.

Under the current National Federation of State High School Associations rule, which will continue to be in effect for this spring's Wisconsin girls season, if a player is issued a second yellow, their team is still permitted to field 11 players. Teams cannot replace players who receive straight red cards.

Another rule change announced by the NFHS earlier this week involves handballs in the box.

The existing rule states that a player who deliberately handles the ball in the penalty area to deny a goal-scoring opportunity will be issued a red card, regardless of whether the goal is scored or not.

Starting next fall, if a goal is scored in such a situation, the offending player will be cautioned with a yellow card and only receive a red card if the handball prevents the ball from going into the goal.

• Soccer is the fifth-most popular sport for high school boys and girls nationwide, according to the NFHS. The organization's annual participation survey showed that 398,351 boys and 361,556 girls played prep soccer in the 2010-11 school year.
• Defenders Katy and JoJo Chryst will return for the Madison Edgewood girls team this spring, Crusaders coach Chris Martinelli confirmed. Their girls' father, Paul, was the offensive coordinator for the University of Wisconsin football team and was named the coach at Pittsburgh in December. JoJo Chryst has been a unanimous All-Southern Badger Conference pick each of her first two seasons at Edgewood and was a Best of the Rest selection on last year's Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association All-State team. Senior Katy Chryst, meanwhile, is coming back from a torn ACL in her knee.
• After two seasons as an assistant to Matt Heilman, Jennifer Faulkner was named the Verona girls coach. Heilman stepped down last year after 12 seasons as Wildcats coach.
• Dave Wermuth is the new Stoughton girls coach, adding that position to his role as the school's boys coach. He succeeds Greg Wiepz in the girls program.