COLLEGE: UConnÆs Ray Reid on latest move to limit subs

Interview by Mike Woitalla

SOCCER AMERICA: FIFA allows three subs, no reentry. The NCAA's only limits are restrictions on reentry in the second half and in each of the two overtime periods. What's the problem with college soccer's approach?
RAY REID: It disrupts the whole flow. It's not soccer. It's just a tactic to destroy the game. There's no rhythm to the game. There's no balance to the games. By limiting moves, hopefully we'll get a little more rhythm and balance.

SA: Skilled players also seem to be at a disadvantage, because opponents can sub fresh players into the game frequently to stifle a team's stars .
RR: Obviously the more players you can put into the game, the more it takes away from the guys who can play. Also, I think too many teams just sub too much. They take players out when they're tired. Players need to learn to pace themselves through the match and the only way they can do that is if we don't have the luxury to yank them out. We want to get closer to FIFA.

SA: So what's the plan?
RR: The Big East coaches voted to experiment with a limit on substitution in regular-season conference games: Eight moves during the course of the game. And two moves in overtime. Any moves at halftime to start the second half do not count against the eight.
Believe me, I came in with a much stricter one. We had to compromise on that as a starting point.
We're going to follow the NCAA rules in reentry. No reentry in the first half, one reentry in the second half, but they count as your move. If I start a player, bring him out in the 30th minute, that's one move. Put him back in the second half and bring him out in the 70th minute, that's the
second move. Put him back in following the NCAA rules, that's a third move.
The goalkeeper move, if due to injury, is a freebie. So if you made your eighth move and your keeper breaks his leg, we'll allow the keeper to be switched.

SA: So where does it stand at this point?
RR: We're waiting for the [Big East Championship and Competition Committee] to approve it. If it does, we're going to try and get this approved as an experiment by the NCAA Rules Committee.

SA: What if the Rules Committee doesn't approve it?
RR: If they say no, then we have a handshake agreement on it — as long the [Big East Committee] approves it — and will follow it in the league games. If we choose to do it on a handshake, we'll do it no matter what the NCAA says. They can't make us substitute