Playing Up Procedures
Please note that the IYSA believes it is beneficial to keep players in their age groups. By players not moving up after each first year in the age-group, they will have the opportunities to become mentors and learn leadership skills. These are skills that will prove to be useful in the real world.
Requests for players to “Play up” – The Club recognizes that certain players with advanced skills may seek a higher level of competition among those who are in older age categories. However, no recreational player may “play up” more than one age category (i.e. if the player’s age places him normally in U8, he may request to play up to U10 but not to U12).
FYSA Statute 211.3
Playing up (above a player’s normal age group):
It is FYSA's policy that all players compete at a level they are capable of both physically and developmentally. For a player to move up more than one normal age grouping will require approval from the affiliate's director of coaching or agent of record and FYSA Director of Coaching. Failure to obtain proper permissions may result in the player being removed from the team’s roster.
It is NOT the policy of the club to automatically move player's up if their birthdate is between August 1-September 1 to play with their school peers. The process to obtain approval to “play up” is as follows and must be followed by all players:
ü Register your child online under the appropriate age group that they are supposed to play. DO NOT FALSIFY YOUR CHILD’S BIRTHDATE.
FYSA Statute505.4 Falsification of documentation is defined as the submission to any authority a document(s) that have been altered or are deceptive. This shall include but not be limited to player registration cards, birth certificates, rosters and player passes. Violation shall result in suspension of not less than three (3) years to a maximum of fifty (50) years
ü Complete a playing up request form and mail it to the club at:
IYSA
PO Box 33612
Indialantic, FL 32903
ü Letters of recommendation from the last two coaches. The coach must explain why this move would be beneficial to the player. What level does this player perform and what skills does this player possess. The coach submits this to the club.
ü Once request is received, the player will be assigned to their age category but placed on a waiting list for the requested age category. Once registration is complete, if there is space available the player will be put into the draft pool of the requested age group.
ü If space is available on a team once open registration closes, all requests for that age group will be evaluated. If the number of requests equal spaces available, all who have followed and meet the guidelines will have their requests given to the board. If there are less spaces available than requests, it will be on a first come, first served basis.
ü Coaches’ children are also subject to the same approval procedure. If a coach is moving up to coach a different age group than his/her child, they must follow the above stated procedure to move their child up.
ü Other than a coaches’ child who has been approved there is no requests for which team the player will be placed.
ü The Board will notify the guardian of the final decision. This is a final decision and there will not be an appeal.
ü Once a player is approved for a specific age-group they will be grandfathered into that age group. Playing up in one age-group does not guarantee playing up in the next age-group. Standard procedure will apply for movement in the next age-group.
ü The player will be able to request a play-up the following season if denied; but must once again follow the posted procedure.
Indialantic Youth Soccer Association reserves the right to move players when it will be in the best interest of developing the player and to maintain a team at a particular age group. This discretion is NOT bound by any of the guidelines in the Playing Up consideration process. The Club reserves the right to build teams based on, but not limited to, the following considerations:
ü There are some situations where the club will ask a player to play up if it makes the overall numbers for the teams more favorable.
ü An under age player may be asked to play on the next age level team when it is deemed he/she has clearly demonstrated exceptional play on the age appropriate team the previous season.