AJAX UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB TRYOUTS
The NorCal Board of Directors would like to thank all club representatives who attended last week's online RAC meetings. Recognizing we do not have all the answers, yet we still need to make decisions, your opinions and advice have been extremely valuable.
There seems to be a consensus that one size does not fit all, that flexibility is necessary, (balanced against providing an even playing field for all clubs) and finally, that time may bring more clarity as to when children can safely return to the soccer field. Our aim is to provide clubs some stability while recognizing the inherent right of a parent and player to choose where they play during the upcoming season.
Based on feedback from the RAC meetings and the recent extension of shelter-in-place mandates for much of the Bay Area, the NorCal Board has instituted the following changes to NorCal's Tryout Window, effective immediately:
The Tryout Window has been postponed. New tentative dates for the 2020 Tryout Window are June 6 - June 26 (these dates may be subject to further revision as conditions change). The NorCal Board of Directors will confirm or adjust the revised Tryout Window (or a window for open player movement) by no later than May 29. This decision will be based on updated guidance from the State of California, public health authorities, US Soccer, US Club Soccer, and feedback from member clubs.
From now until the Tryout Window opens, existing NorCal rules regarding tryouts and recruiting still apply to all clubs:
- NorCal clubs may not hold open tryouts (open to players from other NorCal clubs), in any format until the Tryout Window opens
- Adult members of NorCal clubs may not initiate contact, for recruiting purposes, with any player registered in another NorCal club
- Contact, for recruiting purposes, with a player registered in another NorCal club requires that the player be released, or written permission from the player's DOC (Clubs are permitted to send generic information on tryouts to players who have contacted them)
- Clubs are permitted to request commitments from their current members and may register any players who are not currently registered with another NorCal club, at any time.
Thank you for your patience and support as we work through this challenging and uncertain situation together.
Questions? Contact Carlos Zavala at [email protected]
From NorCal Premier:
- Players may attend tryouts for any club DURING THE TRYOUT WINDOW for their region.
- Players MUST complete the season with their CURRENT spring team.
- No club transfers should be accepted before June 3rd, allowing all teams to finish their seasons.
- The deadline to add BRAND NEW players to spring league rosters (those moving up from recreational teams/never had a competitive card with US Club) is being extended to NEXT TUESDAY 4/16.
- Clubs found to be using transfer players will be subject to the"Illegal player" policy in our handbook:
- 2.6 - Illegal Players - Any player who does not appear on the official NorCal game card or has a valid US Club Soccer Player Pass issued by the same club at the time of the match shall be considered an illegal player. Any team using, or attempting to use, an illegal player shall forfeit the game, the coach of the team using the illegal player will be suspended from all NorCal competitions for one year, and the Club of the illegal player will incur a $500 fine.
Original Communication :
As part of the NorCal Tryout Window 2019 , we announced a roster "freeze" from April 1 through June 3rd. As such, no players transferring from one NorCal Member Club to another after April 1, 2019, will be allowed to participate in NorCal competitions for their new club until after the end of the 2018/19 NorCal season (June 3, 2019).
This is to encourage players at all NorCal Member Clubs to honor their season-long commitment to their club. Players may try out with another club during their regional tryout window, before the end of the 2019/20 season, but should plan to complete all spring games with their current team.
To be clear - players already registered within a club on April 1 will still be able to move between different team rosters within the same club for NorCal league competitions (a roster freeze will remain for State Cup). But any player looking to transfer between April 1 - June 2 will not be eligible to play for their new club in NorCal competitions until June 3.