[ Home ]

SYSA COMPETITIVE DIVISION,

RULES AND REGULATIONS

   1. All references to Smithfield Youth Soccer Association / Competitive Soccer Division will be indicated as "CSD".

    2. All references to parents or guardians will be indicated as "parents".

    3. All references to a particular season or indoor session will be indicated by "season".   

B. PLAYERS:

    1. A player's age on August 1st of the seasonal year determines his/her age group.

    2. Any coach wishing to add a player to an existing team roster, whether indoors or Spring outdoors, after the first game of that season, must be approved through the following process:

a) Submit a revised roster to the CSD Vice President. The appropriate paperwork including birth documentation, player identification form and proof of current SYSA membership will accompany the revised roster and must be approved by CSD and Soccer RI before the player will be allowed to play a game with that team.
b) Players cannot be dropped from an approved roster in order to add a new player.
c) Limits of the number of players on a roster will be in accordance of the rules of the league the team is playing in.
d) No changes will be allowed after the beginning of the third week of that particular season.
e) No coach may approve and/or sign his/her own roster.

    3. All CSD players and teams will wear the approved uniforms at all games. Goalkeepers will wear the CSD uniform when not playing the keeper position.

    4. The CSD Committee has the right to review all complaints of harassment or inappropriate behavior towards another player, coach, or parent by a member of CSD. CSD retains the right to take appropriate action in such cases.

    5. No player will be allowed to practice or play before becoming a currently registered member of SYSA. All players will comply with any and all State mandated release / transfer forms required to place the player on the CSD team roster.

    6. If a player commits to playing for a particular coach the player cannot renege and play for another coach. All first year coaches will inquire with the second year coach to verify that the second year coach is not asking that second year player to be on the second year team. The reverse applies to the first year players. A third team may be formed in the same age division only after the first two (2) team roster players have been solicited. This will be done prior to the submission of any team rosters. This rule will only apply to Smithfield resident players.

    7. If a player commits to a CSD team and then breaks that commitment for reasons other than health, the player in question will be prevented from playing for CSD for the balance of the entire season including the full spring season and any tournaments until November 1st of the year following the infraction.

    8. A refusal to play for any coach in any age division will be considered an automatic "No" to all CSD coaches and that player will not play CSD during that competitive season. If the parent or player does not want to play for a specific coach, that parent must submit a letter to the CSD Committee at least two weeks prior to the CSD registration stating specific reasons. The letter will be reviewed by the CSD Committee, which may take appropriate action if it deems it necessary. Such a petition does not assure the player of being allowed to play for another CSD team.

    9. Players currently registered with SYSA and currently on a CSD team roster who desire to withdraw from that team must obtain a signed release form bearing the signature of the SYSA President or the SYSA Vice President of Competitive for approval. The approving SYSA officer cannot be the coach of the teams involved. A player cannot be denied a release. If a player does leave a CSD team after committing to that team, Paragraph 6 of this Section will apply.

   1. For CSD purposes, a tournament is defined as:

a) A single day or a single weekend series of games or,
b) A consecutive multi weekend or weeknights/weekday series of games.

    2. CSD coaches wishing to enter tournaments must submit rosters and appropriate travel forms to the SYSA Vice President of Competitive or the SYSA President for approval and signature before playing in any tournament. Once signed by SYSA the coach must forward the paperwork to the governing State Association for State approval. No team will be allowed to participate in any tournament without approved rosters, travel papers and player identification cards (ID's) in the coach's possession on the day of the tournament. The officers authorized to approve and sign rosters are the SYSA President and the SYSA Vice President - Competitive. No coach may approve and sign his own roster.

    3. CSD coaches intending to use a player(s) for a tournament who are currently listed on another Smithfield CSD roster must obtain permission from that player's permanent (current) head coach before adding said player(s) to the tournament roster. If the other coach agrees to allow the player to participate, the tournament coach will obtain and be responsible for the player's ID during that tournament, and then immediately return it to the originating coach upon completion of the tournament. The permanent coach must have valid reasons for declining the availability of the player. The CSD committee will settle any resulting disputes.

    4. In the event of conflicting tournament dates, the permanent coach will have the first rights to the player.

    5. The permanent coach does not have to take all players on his permanent roster. Guest players may be substituted for tournament play.

    6. The CSD Tournament / Safety Director will be responsible for making tournament information available to coaches. All tournament material (i.e.. flyers, tournament applications, tournament schedules, etc.) should be given to the Director since he/she will be the CSD source for all available information.

    2. CSD playing fees will be determined each season by the CSD Committee. Each year, the playing fee will include a travel shirt and a pair of socks for each player's first season at no additional cost.

a) If there are three competitive players from one family during the same season or session, the youngest child will pay 50% of the total required fee for that season including uniforms.

    3. CSD coaches are responsible for the total completion of all rosters, ID forms for coaches and players, collection of playing and uniform fees, travel forms (when needed), SYSA annual registration forms and fees, birth date proof and any and all information and/or forms deemed necessary by CSD. Incomplete paperwork will not be accepted. Missing documentation and / or improperly assembled paperwork will be considered as incomplete. Teams will not be registered unless all administrative items are in order.

a) The coaches will adhere to all deadlines for submitting appropriate paperwork and fees. CSD reserves the right to decline acceptance of information not submitted by announced deadlines. CSD also reserves the right to subject a CSD coach to a monetary fine if it chooses to accept late paperwork.

    4. Players will not be denied the opportunity to play competitive soccer of the basis of financial hardship. The SYSA Vice President of Competitive has the authority to waive part or all of the player and uniform fees upon receiving a written request from the player's coach. This request must be made prior to the start of each season and will be considered as a part of the rostering process.

    3. SYSA and CSD will not tolerate abusive behavior by any player or coach towards an opposing player or coach or towards any game official. Complaints involving such matters that are brought to the CSD Committee will be reviewed and may result in disciplinary action at the discretion of the Committee.

/\ Top of Page

     3. Medical insurance provided through the governing State Association for Rhode Island is considered as excess coverage over the coach / player's own primary medical insurance

/\ Top of Page

 1. All fund raising events involving CSD teams, tournament or otherwise, must be approved by the CSD Committee prior to commencement.

    1. All coaching assignments will be determined by a CSD committee assembled each year by the SYSA Vice-President of Competitive for the purpose of reviewing coaching intents and assigning coaches for the next season. The committee shall consist of the SYSA Vice President of Competitive, the Boys and Girls Coordinators and at least two other CSD Committee members. This will be done no later than August 15th of each calendar year. All intents to coach shall be submitted in writing through an "Intent to Coach" form provided by CSD and submitted prior to the pre-determined deadline.

a) Some of the criteria used by the coaching selection committee will include:Willingness to assist with SYSA or CSD committee work, willingness to help with field preparation, appropriate behavior at all SYSA / CSD functions including games and practices, improvement in the overall skill level of the team from one season to the next, timeliness and orderliness in submitting paperwork and other administrative duties, an ability to be selfless when it comes to compromise without complaining
b) Before being including on an approved roster, all assistant coaches must be approved by CSD Committee.
c) All coaches will have obtained the appropriate coaching license in order to be considered for a head coaching position.

     3. Coaches and assistant coaches must be current members of SYSA and in good standing. Good standing is based on status of dues paid and eligibility to vote at SYSA meetings. CSD head coaches should have at least one season of experience as a competitive assistant coach before becoming a competitive head coach. This will not apply to the U-8 divisions. However, a U-8 competitive head coach must have at least one season of experience as a recreation level head coach.

a) Coaches are expected to attend all CSD meetings or have their assistant coaches represent them in their absence. If the head coach or an assistant coach cannot attend, then the head coach will be responsible for appointing someone else to represent that team at the meeting. That person will be responsible for any handouts / information given to the teams at that meeting.
b) Coach license fees will be reimbursed by CSD upon presentation of proof that the particular coach has successfully passed the licensing course.

     7. Failure to fulfill any or all of the above requirements may be grounds for denial of a future coaching position.

   1. It is the intent of CSD to form teams at the U-14 level and below based on single age divisions.

    2. The Division 1 coach will choose all second year players. The Division 2 coach will choose all first year players. The Division 1 coach may choose a first year player only if the Division 2 coach chooses not to select that player. The Division 2 coach may choose a second year player only if the Division 1 coach chooses not to select that player. Before the player may be rostered, both coaches will specifically agree on the status of the player. This rule applies to all Smithfield resident players only.

a) The primary Division 1 and Division 2 coaches in a specific age division must make their player selections known to a coach who has announced interest in fielding a third team in that same division. The third coach will be advised at least two weeks prior to the CSD imposed deadline for submitting the rosters for that particular season. This will enable the third coach to determine if the numbers and ability level is available to field a competitive second Division 1 or 2 team in that age division.

    3. Players chosen for a competitive roster are considered to be above average in skill and deserving to play at the competitive level. Therefore, every player on a competitive roster will receive ample playing time in every competitive game unless there is a specific problem preventing the coach from doing so. Such cause would include player injuries or insubordination by the player.

    4. All teams will be entered in Division 1 or Division 2 playing levels. It may be possible to have more than one team in any age division at one time. If there are two teams playing the same indoor session, for example, two U-14 Division 1 Boys teams playing the first indoor session, the teams must play at separate venues. If there are two teams playing in the same division in the Spring, the CSD representative to the governing organization or league of competitive competition, will request that these two teams not play each other during the regular season.

    5. Teams will not be considered for play at the Division 3 level.

    3. Under no circumstances will a player be allowed:

a) To skip an entire age division, such as going from a U-10 Division 1 team the prior year to a U-14 Division 2 team the next year.
b) To play for more than one Smithfield team during any one season or session. The only exceptions to this rule are:

1) If the player is used to help another team for a spring game because that other team is short of players on a particular game day. This would only be done in accordance with the rules of the governing State Association and the applicable league of competitive competition or
2) The player is being "loaned" for a particular tournament.

    1. In U-15 Division and above, a player may play up to the next age division with the written consent of the parent being submitted to the SYSA Vice President of Competitive for approval at least one week prior to the commencement of the season or session being considered. The SYSA Vice President of Competitive will advise the CSD Committee of such request.

    2. Smithfield Regional Cup teams that earn the right to advance to the regional level will be responsible for paying its own expenses involved in its participation. Fund raising efforts may be utilized as hereinbefore defined.

    2. Copies of current SYSA Constitution and By-Laws including these CSD Rules and Regulations will be given to each CSD head coach at the beginning of each seasonal year.

Revised:

SYSA By-Law Meetings
December 12, 2002

Adopted:

SYSA AGM
January 9, 2003

[ Home ]