General Info
Purpose: The Division
III - Recreational Level is the Mississippi Soccer Association's entry
playing level for boys and girls Under 6 through Under 19 Coed teams.
It is the developmental playing division, which U.S. Youth Soccer Association
requires its State Associations to provide.
Objectives: Its
registered teams are formed for the express purposes of teaching
the necessary playing abilities and skills of The Game; maximum game
and practice participation of each rostered player; physical and
mental fitness; and the enjoyment of The Game. Division III teams
are not formed to play competitive level soccer. All programs in
the Under 5, Under 6, Under 7 and Under 8 age groups shall play either
3 on 3 or 4 on 4 play. Single year age divisions shall be used whenever
possible. Boys and girls programs should be separated though under
special circumstances girls may be allowed to play in the boys division. For
details refer to Small Sided Games.
Program: To
be considered a Division III program, it must be open to any and
all players from its MYSA-approved territorial boundaries and meet
the following additional requirements.
- Register Players: Conduct
player registrations in accordance with Section 4. and Section
5 of the Mississippi Soccer Association Administrative Manual.
- Approved player assignment: Make
player assignments to teams in accordance with the Mississippi
Soccer Association
Administrative Manual.
- No discrimination: Accept
all eligible youths desiring to play The Game in the member organization,
subject to reasonable terms of registration.
- Level teams: Adjust the
composition of its teams each seasonal year to ensure a
competitive balance between all teams that would routinely play
against each other in the member's Division III program. Organizations
must publicize spring registration procedures to ensure that all
fall registrants are advised of the new season and makes restoring
team strength the responsibility of league officials.
Organization teams in an age/gender
group qualify as Division III teams if:
- Exemption: They
have a Division I team in an age/gender group or if there are two
players per team in an age/gender group that reside within the organization’s
territorial boundaries that are playing Division I in another organization.
- Assign players correctly: All
proper player assignments criteria must be met. Organizations who
do not have a division I team playing out of their organization
must supply the names of the players and the Division I teams for
which they are playing to the District Director prior to the organization
forming teams so the information may be verified for eligibility.
- Send notification: Organizations
send written notification to the MYSA State Office designating
the number of teams in each age division that will participate
in Division III at the start of the seasonal year, using the Age
Gender Division Assignment Form.
- Players Rights: Establish
a written policy governing the players' rights to "play up" in
a higher age group than their bona fide age group. This policy
should include specific decision-making criteria if policy requires
consideration on a case-by-case basis.
Small
Sided Games:
Rostering For Small Sided Games: Organizations
may roster as many players as are necessary for the overall success
of the program. The obvious and recommended number to use is six
(6) for teams of three (3) and eight (8) for teams of four (4). If
every player shows up then every player gets to play at least half
a game. Should an exceptional number of players be missing on any
given day organizations may need to pool the players from both teams
dividing them up equally to play the game.
Alternative Method: Register
all the players in their appropriate age groups and when they show
up each Saturday for games, they are ‘rostered’ to a
team only for that day. This can be done in advance or on the day. MYSA
only requires that the entire numbers of participants are included
on a single roster to MYSA.
- Players may play on different
teams every week. In fact by doing this, the organization actually
gets away from an overly aggressive team concept in these formative
years and everyone gets the idea of ‘belonging’ to
the larger organization. This method of rostering also removes
the instant and extreme competitiveness that ‘new’ parents
sometimes display and allows them to grow into ‘real soccer’ along
with their players. The players are all given the same color T-shirt,
one with the local organization logo on it and their own individual
number. On game day to differentiate between teams, training vests
are used for one of the two teams. Organizations might also consider
reversible soccer shirts or issuing two different colored T-shirts.
Imagine the effect before and after games seeing all these players
in one color and one organizational T-shirt or uniform. What an
impression that would have on awareness for soccer in the community!
- Practices are run on the same
days and time every week and the ‘designated’ coaches
just split the players up into equal numbers and proceed with the
instruction. Obviously these coaches would keep their own child
within their own group.
- League Standing are not necessary: There
are no league standings to keep and the score is of no importance,
only the fun and enjoyment the players should have in playing the
game.
- Single Year Aging: The
difference in maturity and abilities between a player in an under
eight (8) program who turns eight (8) in the fall and a player
who isn’t even seven (7) until the spring or summer is such
a huge one, it needs addressing. Getting players into single year
aging is the answer. You will also keep more players in the program
and help your eventual numbers for 11-aside. This will not totally
eliminate the problem of dealing with the advanced player who dominates
his or her team and those around him but fewer players on the team
means more chances for the other players to touch the ball and
to play. An organization may chose to move the advanced player
up in age group if his physical and mental readiness allows it.
There is nothing wrong with players, ‘playing up’ as
long as they are ready for it. Extreme caution should be used whenever
considering this option as some parents can too often push their
children too far too soon.
Additional information regarding Small
sided games may be found in the Mississippi Soccer
Association Administrative
Manual Section 18. |
