WPIAL soccer is fit to be tied.
The PIAA last week made a major rule change by eliminating overtime in regular-season games, meaning teams will settle on a draw if they are tied after 80 minutes of regulation.
A unanimous decision by the PIAA soccer committee led to the game-changing decision.
The rule goes into effect for the 2026-27 season.
Overtime — one or two 15-minute golden goal periods — will still be used for playoff games.
Reducing injury risk is one of the main reasons the state decided to nix overtime.
Local coaches are indifferent to the new format.
“I can see both sides,” Norwin girls coach Ashley DeVito said. “Player health and fatigue are obviously big safety concerns to consider. The later-than-usual nights and the early mornings back at school, plus the extra minutes competing are definitely hard on their bodies. However, no one is ever satisfied with ending in a tie. We all play to win, and finding a way to win in those critical moments means so much to players and teams. Every result matters, so we’ll just have to make sure we get those results in the 80 minutes of regulation.”
Franklin Regional girls coach Scott Arnold said more recovery time could allow overtime to stay — and keep the excitement factor intact.
“Golden goals are very exciting, and some of my most vivid memories of the last six years are from overtime golden goals — both for and against us,” Arnold said. “In an ideal world, with 2-3 days to recover between games, I would prefer to keep (overtime).
“We typically play games Monday and Wednesday. Studies show one day of recovery between games isn’t sufficient for soccer players to be fully ready to play the next game. Overtime minutes occur when the players are most fatigued and susceptible to injury, and those extra minutes extend the time needed to recover between games. Ending matches after 80 minutes should reduce injury risk, improve readiness for the next game, and keep players healthier across the season.”
Golden goals are an important part of the game’s fabric, Penn-Trafford boys coach Ryan Hankey said.
“The past two years, we have only played in two OT games and won both of them, so it would have stunk to only have tied those games,” Hankey said. “Overtime was very exciting. Scoring a game-winning goal and seeing the team run out onto the field with enjoyment was awesome to see. Now you lose that excitement.
“I understand the WPIAL doesn’t want the kids to be getting home too late, especially from an away game. But I am sure the kids are already staying up that late anyways.”
Mt. Pleasant girls coach Rich Garland, executive director of the Western Pennsylvania High School Girls Soccer Coaches Association, said he has been expecting the rule change to come “for a long time,” although he is opposed to it.
“It appears that administrators are concerned with the late-night home arrivals and then up for school the next day and wanted to minimize it,” Garland said. “I know several proposals were looked at with nonsection play. I am not in favor of it because it can prepare you for when playoffs arrive and it is going to happen. Just look at our last match at Quaker Valley. Overtime makes for great matches.”
Franklin Regional boys coach Nick White likes the change because it lines the PIAA up with other leagues.
Colleges, for instance, play 90 minutes of regulation and no overtime.
“If you take a look around the world, whether it be in top leagues like the EPL or in local club soccer in Western Pa. — or anything in between — regular league games do not include extra time,” White said. “The only time we see extra time/overtime is in knockout stage games (playoffs). In the WPIAL, teams play a full, aggressive (regular season) schedule from the end of August to the middle of October. The players don’t need the extra wear and tear on the body after already playing for 80 minutes.
“To align the game with standard international rules and to reduce player fatigue, removing overtime from the regular season is a positive change, in my opinion.”
Count Mt. Pleasant boys coach Floyd Snyder among those who wanted to keep OT.
While the urgency to score will increase to gain wins, some teams will stop attacking to force a tie.
“The advantage will go to teams that are less skilled, since packing it in and playing for a tie will make it easier for them to accomplish their goal,” Snyder said, “I am disappointed that this decision was made. We only had one game go to overtime last season, and it did not even go the full time because we scored a goal early in the overtime period. I am not sure why this change was made, especially since there is already a golden goal rule that ends the game.”
One tweak to the no-overtime change is teams can use penalty kicks to decide tournament games.
The Moe Rosensteel Kickoff Classic, organizer and Ringgold coach Ed Rosensteel said, will play 80-minute games with no overtime or PKs.
“We’ll use straight games,” he said. “The games count for the WPIAL season, so it’s not a tournament.”