WAYS Guidelines

For BAYS Team Selection
updated June, 2007

General Guidelines for all teams

 

·   A board member should chair a committee for each age group.  The board chair is responsible for instructing the committee on the team formation process. If there is not a board member available to chair an age group, the president will designate a coach to play the coordinator role.

 

·   All coaches from the season just concluded should be invited. The goal is to have at each team represented by at least one coach at the team formation meeting.

 

·   Team selection is to be skill-based following the guidelines listed below.  Formation of each team is to be done by the whole group.

 

·   Children are to play with their appropriate age group. No playing up.

 

·   Age group coordinators are to abide by the guidelines for team roster size and seek approval from the Board of Directors for any exceptions.

 

·   Ultimately, all final decisions are the responsibility of the Board of Directors which has the authority to waive guidelines as circumstances dictate.

 

·   After team formation meetings rosters are to be kept confidential until they are posted and announced prior to the ensuing season.

 

·   Roster changes after team formation meetings are limited to accommodating late registrations. Once rosters are announced and posted there will be no roster changes unless approved by the President and relevant commissioner.

 

 

 

All adults involved in this process,

please consider the following:

 

1.    Our goal is to ensure that our kids are playing at a level where they can succeed and have fun so that they want to keep playing and enjoying the game of soccer!

2.    Player movement is a critical part of our team formation guidelines.

3.    We recognize that player movement is not always easy. It is up to all the adults involved to help our all of our kids to have fun playing regardless of the team level they are assigned to.

4.    Player movement is a continuing part of our guidelines for each age group so bubble players will continue to get a chance to play “up” and “down” from season to season.

5.    There are advantages to both playing “up” and “down” – it is up to the adults involved to give our kids the support they need to get past the initial upset that can occur after team assignments are announced so they get playing and having fun playing soccer again.

6.    We look to our coaches to set the example – please do not use the team formation meetings to try to manipulate your child’s placement.  Obviously this can set up a challenging dynamic as it is often hard for parents to have an objective view of their child’s skill level. Let the other coaches recommend the skill level for your own child.

 

Note: Please keep in mind that every year the high school varsity teams include players who never played on their age groups 1st BAYS team and every year the JV teams include players who never played on their age groups 1st or 2nd teams. Development occurs at different times for kids.

 

 

 

Guidelines for U9 and U10 6v6 Teams

·       Team selection for all 6v6 teams should aim to have a cross section of children from each of the three elementary schools on every team.

·        Putting only one child from a particular school on a team is to be avoided

·        The database of age group players should be sorted by rating level to facilitate the selection process.

·        Do not place a clear high division player on a low division team.  Do not place a clear low division player on a high division team.

·        In no event should a player be prevented from playing if it means placing the maximum of 12 players allowed by BAYS on all teams.

·        Players should not be selected for team placement based on their ability to play goal. U9-U10 coaches should endeavor to play all players at all positions.

·        PLAYER MOVEMENT #1: From season to season there should be player movement between the different division/skill levels. At least 2 to 4 players should be moved up or down a level. Attention should be paid to skilled players who may benefit from playing on a less competitive level. It is critical that top players on the lower level team are afforded the opportunity to play “up”.

·        PLAYER MOVEMENT #2: From season to season teams playing at the same level should also exchange at least two players from each team in addition to players who are moved to or from different division/skill level teams.  This will expose players to different coaches and different groups of teammates. Keeping the same kids together on the same team from season to season is to be avoided.

·        Movement of just one player off any team is to be avoided.

 

·       TEAM FORMATION : Teams should be divided into three groups of teams. The top group of teams should be of equal strength, composed of the top rated players and similar BAYS placements requested, ideally consecutive and in the same division.  The second group of teams should also be of equal strength, composed of the middle rated players, and similar BAYS placements requested, ideally consecutive and in the same division. The third group of teams should follow the same pattern for the remaining players. 

·        If there are only enough players for four teams, then there should be two team groupings as indicated below. There should always be two equal strength teams at the lowest skill level except in the rare instance where there may only be 3 teams in an age group. The following table shows how this works for various numbers of teams:

 

Number of Teams

Group 1 (Highest)

Group 2

Group 3

3

Team 1 &2

Team 3

 

4

Teams 1 & 2

Teams 3 & 4

 

5

Teams 1 & 2

Team 3

Teams 4 & 5

6

Teams 1 & 2

Teams 3 & 4

Teams 5 & 6

Guidelines for U11 & U12 (8v8) 

 

·        All U11 and U12 teams will play 8v8.

 

·        U11 and U12 teams should be formed one at a time and based on skill level. The most skilled players should make up the first team. The next most skilled players should make up the second team and so on. However, when there are more than three teams, the last two teams in the age group are to be of equal strength.

 

Player movement for U11: From season to season there should continue to be player movement between the different division/skill levels. At least 2 to 4 players should be moved up or down a level. Attention should be paid to skilled players who may benefit from playing on a less competitive level. It is critical that top players on each lower level team are afforded the opportunity to play “up”.

 

Note for U10 teams who will be U11 in the fall – the move to straight skill based teams from the equalized format of the U9 and U10 years can be a difficult transition.  Some kids who have been on one of the top two teams will not be placed on the top team for the fall. The same will happen for some kids on the mid-level equalized teams.

 

Movement of just one player off any team is to be avoided unless it is to move a player up a skill level

 

Player movement for U12: The goal is to continue to seize every chance to provide opportunity for players to play up a skill level as circumstances dictate. Keep in mind that the move to 11v11 as U13s means that team rosters will expand by another 3-5 players which means that some U12 2nd team players will be playing on the U13 1st team.

 

It is also critical to continue to give deserving players from equalized lower level teams the chance to play up. This could mean movement of as many as 2-3 players from each of the lower level equalized teams. In order to make this happen 4-6 players from the next higher level team would need to rotate onto the lower level equalized teams.

 

Movement of just one player off any team is to be avoided unless it is to move a player up a skill level.

 

 

Guidelines for U13 and U14 11v11 Teams

 

·        BAYS combines the U13 and U14 age groups into a single U14 age group.  

·        Unless there are compelling reasons to combine ages, WAYS forms only single age group teams.(i.e., either all U13 or all U14 players.) Players of mixed ages may be placed together should enrollment numbers dictate (if keeping teams age-homogeneous were to lead to too large or too small a roster for teams within an age group.)

 

·        U13 and U14 11v11 teams should be formed one at a time and based on skill level. The most skilled players should make up the first team. The next most skilled players should make up the second team and so on. However, when there are more than three teams within an age group, the last two teams in these age groups are to be of equal strength.

 

Note for U12 teams moving up to U13: the transition from 8v8 to 11v11 means that rosters will grow by 3-5 players. This represents a new opportunity for 2nd team players to play on the 1st team.

 

·        Player movement between teams from season to season should continue at the U13 and U14 age levels as circumstances warrant.  Giving deserving players from equalized lower level teams the chance to play up should continue. This could mean movement of as many as 2-3 players from each of the lower level equalized teams. In order to make this happen 4-6 players from the next higher level team would need to rotate onto the lower level equalized teams.


 

Recommendations for Bays Team Placement

·        Use previous season BAYS IDs if the record of that team is an indicator that supports your requested placement.  Otherwise indicate that it is a new team. For all equal strength teams, indicate that they are equal strength and request placement in consecutive sections.

·        Endeavor to place teams at a level that will allow for at least a .500 record. The goal should always be for players to play multiple positions.

 

 

Special Considerations for the combined U14 Age Group

The U14 age group coordinator should coordinate with his or her U13 counterpart to determine the relative recommended placements. If teams are all of a single age group (either U13 or U14), the recommended relative placement order is as follows:

           1.   Top U14 team

2.      Top U13 team

3.      2nd U14 team

4.      2nd U13 team

5.      3rd U14 team

6.      3rd U13 team etc.

This order may change if an age group has an exceptionally strong team, or if there are fewer numbers of teams than the other age group. In most instances, however, this ordering should apply.

 

U14 spring time placement for our U13 teams

U13 coaches need to be aware of towns positioning their teams for MTOC qualification in division 2. Many towns’ top U14 teams are placed in middle to low division 2 sections, which are all MTOC eligible. The difference in player sizes between true U14 teams and U13 teams are substantial, and can lead to unpleasant mismatches.  Therefore, we recommend the following:

1.      On your placement request forms, be sure to note that your team is 100% young, and request that you be placed with teams of similar numbers of U13 players.

2.     The top U13 team should consider requesting a low division 2 section or high division 3 section. 

3.      Carefully review your preliminary section assignment when available in February, and confirm that your opposing teams are appropriate for you. Request a change if this is not the case.  

  

 

WAYS GUIDELINES FOR TRAVEL TEAM ROSTER SIZE


 

Total numbers for an age group drive final team size. The following are guidelines. Note that a distinction is made between top division and lower division teams. In general players on top division teams are more committed and generally with better stamina. As a result, roster size for top division teams should be slightly smaller than for lower division teams.


6v6 Divisions 1 and 2
9-10. Ideal is 10. Absolute maximum of 11.

WAYS roster by-law: WAYS maximum roster size for 6v6 is 10. In practice roster size of 11 has been allowed in the past but is discouraged due to the impact on playing time.

6v6 Divisions 3 and 4
10-12, ideal is 11. Absolute maximum of 12.

WAYS roster by-law: WAYS maximum roster size for 6v6 is 10. In practice roster sizes of 11 and 12 have been allowed in the past. 12 is discouraged due to the impact on playing time.

 

8v8 Divisions 1 and 2

11-12. Maximum of 13

8v8 Divisions 3 and 4

12-14. Maximum of 15.

 

11v11 Divisions 1 and 2
14-16. A roster of 16-17 is acceptable for the U13 age group due to Bah/Bat Mitzvah conflicts.

WAYS roster by-law: A roster of over 16 requires board approval.
BAYS roster by-law: In the spring season the BAYS maximum roster size for all Division 1 and 2 teams (MTOC eligible) is 18.

11v11 Division 3
16-18. A roster of 18 is advisable for the U13 age group due to Bah/Bat Mitzvah conflicts.

BAYS roster by-law: The BAYS maximum roster is 22.
WAYS roster by-law: Though a roster of over 16 requires board approval, at the Division 3 level a roster of 18 falls within the intention of the by-law language.