"Team Formation Rules - Being a Responsible Parent"
Nebraska State Soccer, the governing body of club soccer in the state, approved new rules regarding Team Formation on January 21, 2008.  These new rules are effective immediately.  This will effect any team playing in state (NSL— Nebraska Soccer League), regional or national leagues.

Being a Responsible Parent
Fully research all teams that your player may be interested in.  It is imperative to be well-versed in the Team Formation (events such as tryouts) information.  

Fees, requirements, team formation dates, etc are on this site.  Once a player signs with a team they are bound to that team for the year and may not transfer.  Therefore, take the time to be prepared, well informed and compare teams. 

• Permission to communicate with a player or parent must be requested from a player’s
  primary coach.

• An “Intent to Form a Team” application will require clubs, teams and coaches be up front with expectations.  

• Each Affiliate Member is required to submit a complete “Intent to Form a Team” application with the state office for each team they plan to form.  This information will be available for parents and players to evaluate their options on May 7th. 

• A coach (paid or unpaid) is registered and bound to a Affiliate Member once an “Intent to Form a Team” application is submitted listing them as a coach. 

   

• Open Opportunity Period — starts on the second Thursday of June for the U11/U12 age groups and the Thursday after the Midwest Regional for U13 and older age groups and will consist of no physical or on field activities for players (e.g. clinics, training, ball handling, etc.) for the first two days (Thursday and Friday) of the period. 

• Shorter acceptance timeframe allows for quicker closure of team formation process, reducing stress on everyone.  A player could be offered a spot on a team immediately on the first day of Team Formation and can accept the offer the Monday after Team Formation begins.

• Once a player signs with a team they are bound to that team for the year and may not transfer. 

• A coach who leaves an Affiliate Member does not grant cause for a player to transfer.  The team is a part of the Affiliate member and a player is truly signing up for that member.

• A coach desiring to contact a player of another team, ethically must contact the player’s existing primary coach prior to contacting the player. 

• Completing the “Intent to Form a Team”  application requires coaches to be up front about their coaching plans for the upcoming year. 

• During the open opportunity period a coach no longer needs permission from primary coach to speak with a current player.