Rules

Cottage Grove Athletic Association

Traveling Soccer Division Rules

Date: 9-4-2008 voted on and amended by Traveling Soccer Board

A.    Fee and Season Structure

1.         All forms of payment given to Cottage Grove Athletic Association Traveling Soccer Division (CGAATSD) shall be deposited into the associations account within a reasonable amount of time.

2.         Information provided on registration forms may be provided to other organizations (i.e. Minnesota Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) Footholde).

3.         The CGAATSD season starts in the spring MYSA season and ends on the last day of the fall MYSA season. There shall be registration fees assessed for each of the two MYSA seasons.

4.         CGAATSD Board shall set a fee structure prior to sign-ups. A late fee may be assessed after the last scheduled registration dates have been held and shall only be accepted if openings are available on a team or there are enough new sign-ups to form a new team.

5.         Players injured after selection to or placement on a team shall not be entitled to any form of a refund with the exception of a medical release and Board approval.  Only a partial refund will be considered.

6.         Head Coaches shall receive a registration fee discount of 50% for the spring MYSA season for one child. Board Members shall receive a registration fee discount of 100% for the spring and fall MYSA seasons for one child. This refund is contingent upon meeting the guidelines in rule J.4. All registration fees shall be paid in full up front and the discount given after the season is completed. Head coaches and Board members that step down during the current MYSA season shall forfeit said registration fee discount. No discount will be given for the fall MYSA season for coaches.

7.         A head coach’s refund is also contingent upon the timeliness, condition & contents of the equipment bag turned in at the end of the season.

8.         Players that have been placed on a team are not entitled to any form of a refund. Placement on a team is defined as “placement on a viable team” (see rule F.12) Players that are cut due to no team available or a team not fully formed will be issued a full refund.

B.  Additional Fees

1.         The soccer Board shall be permitted to assess additional fees under extenuating circumstances.

2.          CGAATSD may hold a yearly fundraiser in order to supplement the clubs costs. Each family is expected to participate. For multi player families, the responsibility will be assigned to the youngest players’ team. If the board chooses to participate in a fundraiser, each family is responsible for their portion of the liability.

C.  Tournament Funding and Fees

1.         A team meeting needs to be held with a 2/3 majority rules that shall approve any extra funds spent on soccer activities or team trainers/coaches. All parents shall be required to pay their portion, which shall be divided evenly among all players if the majority of the parents approve the dollar amount to be spent.

2.         No training can be required to attend before April 1^st unless approved by the Board, the Board shall only approve if all parents sign a waiver that they agree to pay.

3.         All families are required to volunteer a minimum of 4 hours of time at the annual Runnin’ with the Wolves Tournament or any other board determined club activity. For multi player families, the required hours will be assigned to youngest players’ team.  Teams will be responsible for the volunteer hours of the families assigned to volunteer and failure to comply will result in tournament funds being reduced.

D.  Player Participation

1.         Any child who lives within the boundaries of Cottage Grove, St Paul Park, Grey Cloud Island or Newport.

2.         Any child who attends school within Cottage Grove, St Paul Park, Newport or Woodbury.

3.         Any child that lived in and played soccer in Cottage Grove, St Paul Park, Grey Cloud Island, Newport or Woodbury will be allowed to play and considered a community player if they move outside the area.

4.         Other players shall be allowed to play on traveling soccer teams if they do not prevent a child covered in D1, D2 or D3 from playing on a team.

5.         Players that are not registered to a team and wish to participate in off-season training will be required to fill out a “Training Registration Form” and will pay a separate fee set by the Board on a yearly basis.

E.  Coach Selection

1.         Traveling Soccer Board shall appoint all traveling coaches after receiving evaluations and discussion that may include an interview. The Director of Coaches shall formulate at least one team coach evaluation for each MYSA season and make sure all parents, players and referees receive one.  All evaluations become part of the coach’s permanent file held by CGAATSD.

2.         Coaching candidates shall fill out a coach information sheet to be considered for a coaching position for that MYSA season.

3.         Director of Coaches and other Board members shall monitor all coaches during the traveling soccer season.

4.         CGAATSD shall not pay any coach to perform coaching duties. Parents can give a monetary gift to the coach if they desire. Gifted coaches will be subject to the same rules as outlined in the rules E.1 through E.10.  

5.         All coaches have to carry at least a MYSA “E” license or equivalent in order to be considered for a head coaching position.

6.         Premier team coaches shall be required to have a MYSA “D” license or equivalent in order to be considered for a head coaching position.

7.         Any Head coach shall only head coach one team during a MYSA season. The Board may make an exception in the event that a team is in need of a coach and there is no other qualified candidate available.

8.         The club will only cover the cost of 2 assistant coach’s passes for each team.

9.         One assistant coach shall be required to have a MYSA “E” license or equivalent in order to be considered for an assistant coach position.

10.       All board members can vote in the coach selection process unless they are applying to be a head coach in which case they would be excluded from that team’s interview and final board approval for the head coach of that team.

11.       All required MYSA license classes shall be reimbursed by CGAATSD to head coaches and assistant coaches after completing and passing the class.

F.  Team Selection

1.         Roster size shall be set with head coach’s input with final approval made by the Board.

2.         Roster sizes shall adhere to MYSA rules.

3.         All team formation shall be done from the MYSA spring season sign-ups.  Players anting to play the fall MYSA season shall need to sign-up during spring sign-ups and tryout if they want to be considered for the higher-level team.  Late sign-ups for fall shall be done but only for available roster spots or formation on another team if the numbers dictate.

4.         Tryouts for traveling soccer teams shall be held only in age groups that have enough players to form multiple teams or cuts have to be made to conform to MYSA roster guidelines.

a.   Where cuts of players shall be made a minimum of two (2) independent evaluators shall be used plus appointed coaches for the age group may observe the tryout.

b.    Where cuts shall be made a minimum of two (2) separate sessions on different days shall be held.  Cuts shall not be made until after the second session.

c.    The evaluators rank the players from 1 to total number of participants. Depending on the team size the locked players, (players that are locked to that team), coach’s selection and bubble fluctuate.

§  10 players on a team shall have the first 5 ranked players on the team with 6 to 16 ranked as bubble players.

§  11 players on a team shall have the first 5 ranked players on the team with 6 to 16 ranked as bubble players.

§  12 players on a team shall have the first 7 ranked players on the team with 5 coach’s selections from 8 to 18 ranked players.

§  13 players on a team shall have the first 7 ranked players on the team with 6 coach’s selections from 8 to 19 ranked players.

§  14 players on a team shall have the first 8 ranked players on the team with 6 coach’s selections from 9 to 20 ranked players.

§  15 players on a team shall have the first 9 ranked players on the team with 6 coach’s selections from the 10 to 21 ranked players.

§  16 players on a team shall have the first 10 ranked players on the team with 6 coach’s selections from the 11 to 22 ranked players.

§  17 players on a team shall have the first 10 ranked players on the team with 7 coach’s selections from 11 to 23 players.

§  18 players on a team shall have the first 11 ranked players on the team with 7 coach’s selections from 12 to 24 ranked players

§  In multiple team age groups from U10 through U12 the lock will decrease by 2 and the bubble will increase by 2 and in age groups from U13 through U18 the lock will decrease by 3 and the bubble will increase by 3 after the top team has been selected.

§  The Board feels that it is very important that a coach has some input on picking the roster to fill out the team’s needs. The coach has the option to review the tryout results with the clubs Director of Player Development and Vice President and make a valid argument for a change within the bubble that he or she thinks will help the team the most.

d. Goalies are exempt from being locked out if taken as a goalie and shall play goalie at least 50% of their playing time.  Only one goalie exemption shall be awarded per team with the selection coming from one of the coach’s picks. Goalie exemption selection has to be someone that is a proven goalie from the past season.

e. Only players trying out shall be charged the cost for the tryouts.

5.         Players must attend a minimum of one of the tryout sessions set forth by the Board. Failure to make all tryout sessions could drop that player to the bottom team or cut if the numbers dictate. Exceptions to this rule shall be considered by the Board for medical reasons with the proper medical documentation and shall have Board approval. Other exceptions to this rule must be presented to the Board in the form of a formal request and shall be considered based on what is in the best interest of the club, team and /or individual player.

6.         All unpaid money to CGAATSD has to be paid in full before participating in tryouts.

7.         All tryout results need to be sealed by the evaluators and signed over sealed envelope brought to the next meeting by the Board member in charge of tryouts. Envelope shall be opened in front of all Board members at meeting with the required quorum for a vote to be taken.

8.         Team classification for playing level in MYSA shall be determined by MYSA rules. Teams petitioning to change their level of play need to have Board approval before petition can be submitted to MYSA. The required petition must be filled out by head coach and submitted to the Board in a timely manner in order for the board to review the coach’s rationale at a monthly board meeting.

9.         All head coaches shall have a team meeting with parents before the season begins (season begins means before any practices or games take place)

10.       All head coaches shall contact all players on their team within 7 days of receipt of the team roster supplied by CGAATSD.

11.       Any player cut from playing shall be called within 7 days of the final roster decisions and made by the Vice President of CGAATSD.

12.       Teams that are not fully formed at the time coaches receive their rosters will not be considered viable teams until we have met the required minimum number of players as determined per MYSA guidelines.

U9/U10 – Required minimum – 8 players

U11/U12 – Required minimum – 10 players

U13/U19 – Required minimum – 11 players

The Board will give teams that are not viable every opportunity to make a viable team within the timeframes allowed per MYSA guidelines at which time the Board will determine whether the team is viable or not.

13.       Recruiting is the responsibility of the coaches, teams and players. The Board will make every effort to recruit and offer support to these efforts but cannot be solely responsible for the filling of teams.

G.        Playing of the Game

1.         The basic rules and regulations put forth by MYSA shall be followed with the following amendments:

a. Except for disciplinary reasons, which could include not going to practices, coaches must play players who attend the games an equivalent of one quarter of the game. The only exception to this would be if the team is participating in an international tournament, which provides for limited substitution rule. Every player would then be required to play one quarter of a game equal to the number of games of the tournament, i.e. the team plays four games in the tournament, each player would have to have had playing time equal to one full game. Coaches shall explain this situation to parents and players.

b. All traveling team participants whether in MYSA league play or tournament play are representatives of Cottage grove and shall wear in their entirety CGAATSD issued uniforms, which cannot be modified without Board approval. This shall include but not limited to name on the back of the uniform, patches, sponsors, etc.   

c. The referees, which are defined as a center and assistant game officials, are a vital part of our soccer community. No coach or parent shall use loud or foul language during or after a game towards these game officials. Coaches can ask for clarification of a call/non-call or voice concern over a call/non-call but this needs to be done in a professional and appropriate manner. Belittling or carrying on about a call made by the referees will not be tolerated. The handshakes before or after the game shall be the only physical contact with any game officials.

H.   Players Moving Up

1.         All players shall play in their age group with the following exceptions:

a. If there is no team in an age group, players may try out for the team in the next highest age group.

b. Players with August birthdays as well as younger players may play with their school grade group.

c. Players moving up shall only be considered by the Board to fill teams or not to cut a player from playing.

d. Any player can try out for one age group above them but will only be placed on the higher team if that player is a lock on that team. Any player that wants to be considered for their age group has to go to and pay for that tryout session as well as the higher age group one. Any player that wishes to try out for one age group above needs to indicate that on their registration form.

I.   Registration and team Fines

1.         Player pass shall not be given to a coach if any and all outstanding money owed to CGAATSD is not paid in full.

2.         MYSA fines assessed to a team or coach shall be the responsibility of that team to pay (i.e. failure to call in game score, forfeiting of game, cleanup at State Tournament, etc.). Fine shall be divided by number of players plus head coach to determine players and head coaches share.

3.          Teams that reschedule home games without 72-hour notice to Referee Coordinator shall be responsible to pay referees for the game that was originally scheduled.

4.         All over rostered players on a team shall be responsible to pay full registration fees.

J.   Board Meeting Rules

1.  Vice President sets the agenda but follows the following format:

a. Call meeting to order.

b. General Membership can bring concerns or comments to Board with 15 minutes total given to this section.

c. Each Board position gives update for their respective position. The Treasurer shall bring financial recap for the month and year to date information on a monthly basis. The Secretary/Registrar needs to distribute the last meeting’s minutes and Board has to approve them.

d. Old Business.

e. New business.

f. Adjournment.

2.  All meetings have to have minutes taken with accurate details and filed.

3.   All meetings follow Roberts Rules of Order with the Vice President presiding over the meeting. The Secretary/Registrar shall preside over the meeting in the absence of the Vice President.

4.   All Board members shall be required to attend 75% of all Traveling Soccer Board and General Membership meetings. Attendance shall be defined as 75% of the total time of each meeting. Secretary/Registrar shall note in all minutes’ attendance of Board members and note the time if anyone leaves early.

K.  Discipline for Infraction of the Rules and Coaches Code of Conduct

1.   Coaches or parents who break any of CGAATSD rules shall be notified to appear before the Board to respond to the infraction. Ruling by the Board (simple majority) that a rule has been broken in the minimum of a written warning or the maximum of a one-week suspension from all CGAATSD games and practices would be decided and enforced by the Board.

2.   Coaches or parents who have two or more written warnings in their file from the last two years shall have a minimum of one week suspension from all CGAATSD games and practices to a maximum of one year suspension decided and enforced by the Board.

3.   Board members who break any of CGAATSD rules shall be notified to appear before the Board to respond to the infraction. Ruling by the Board by 2/3 majority that a rule has been broken, the accused Board member shall be suspended for one month (30 days) of Board activity and all CGAATSD games and practices.

4.   Board members who have been found to be in violation of K3 two or more times shall be suspended from all CGAATSD activities until the next General Membership meeting. The Board member’s status shall be voted on by a simple majority vote by the General Membership whether the accused Board member should continue serving on the Board.