The Championship for U15 through U18 age groups is played during the Fall of the previous year. The Championship for the U13 - U14 and U19 age groups is played during the Spring.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Players must be registered PRIMARY to the team making application. No GUEST or SECONDARY players will be eligible to compete. Transfer and adding Non-rostered player deadline is fourteen days prior to your first game. We recommend that you have all transfers made by May 13, 2009 (6:00 p.m.) to be safe and any player transferring after the deadline will be ineligible to compete. Please be advised that Nebraska does not permit players to play with hard casts.

All coaches and players participating must carry a US Youth Soccer player pass. Passes must have a picture, signed and laminated. All teams are also required to carry written medical releases from parents/guardians in case emergency medical care is necessary. Medical Releases are not required to be notarized, this is a policy of US Youth Soccer and the Nebraska State Soccer Association.

Players under suspension from any part of last year's Nebraska, Regional or National Championship must serve the suspension before being allowed to compete in Championship play. Suspensions received in Championship Play will be served in the next Championship game(s) that a player or coach participates.

Any out-of-state player wishing to play on a Nebraska team must receive permission (release) from -
1. The state where the player is lives or is registered.
2. The Nebraska State Soccer Association.

TEAM ELIGIBILITY
Note: Primary and Secondary players count towards roster limits.
Teams, consisting of not more than 18 players at any time of the year at the U13 - U15 age group and not more than 22 players at the U16 - U19 age group, must be registered and in good standing with the Nebraska State Soccer Association. U13 - U18 teams must compete in at least one (1) four - (4) team sanctioned league during the current seasonal year and must compete against different teams in each game. A team is limited to five (5) - transferred players before 14 days prior to their first game. The team must demonstrate continuity of roster between league and Championship competition by maintaining a minimum of seven (7) players common to the rosters of both competitions.

All clubs that have teams entered in the Championships will be assigned job duties at the tournament. Failure to complete the assigned duties will result in a fine and/or suspension for the club.

REFEREE
We will only use US Soccer Federation Registered Referees and a 3-Referee System will be used on all matches. Referees accompanying teams to Omaha are invited to "call" games during the tournament. Individuals interested in refereeing contact the Referee Assignor GK Rhoads - Email him at gkrhoads@tconl.com or call him at (402) 498-0556.

REFEREE ABUSE
Referee abuse will not be tolerated during the tournament. Referee abuse by a player, coach or fan will be reported to Nebraska State Soccer Association within 48 hours of the end of games. The player, coach or fan will be removed from the soccer complex and will not be allowed to return.

CHAMPIONSHIP DRAW/SEEDING
a. At the U13 Age Group: If all teams entered in the Nebraska Championships are leagued in the same age group, the top four teams will be seeded off the fall league results. In any division with 5 teams or less, teams will be seeded #1 through #4 and the last spot (if needed) will be filled by a blind draw. In any division (6 teams or more) with two brackets the #1 and #4 seeds will be in one bracket and the #2 and #3 seed will be in the other bracket. All other spots will be filled by a blind draw. In the event that a team changes clubs or name a team must demonstrate continuity of rosters between the old team and new team by maintaining a minimum of 9 players common to the team rosters to maintain their spot in seeding. If a team loses their spot they will be put in the blind draw and the next highest team will take their spot. If not all teams entered in the Nebraska
Championship are in the same league (i.e. a team plays in older age group league), the seeding for the top four teams will be reviewed and placed by a group consisting of the Nebraska Championship Committee members , Operations Manager, and Director of Coaching.

b. At U14 and older Age Groups: The top four teams will be seeded from last year's Nebraska Championship results. The Champion will be seeded #1, the Runner-up is
seeded #2, the Semi-finalist that lost to Champion will be seeded #4 and the Semi-finalist
that lost to Runner-up will be seeded #3. In any division with 5 teams or less teams will
be seeded #1 through #4 and the last spot (if needed) will be filled by a blind draw. In any division (6 teams or more) with two brackets the #1 and #4 seeds will be in one bracket and the #2 and #3 seed will be in the other bracket. All other spots will be filled by a blind draw. In the event that a team changes clubs or name a team must demonstrate continuity of rosters between the old team and new team by maintaining a minimum of 9 players common to the team rosters to maintain their spot in seeding. If a team loses their spot the vacated seed spot will be filled as part of the blind draw. If one or more of the final four teams from the previous year does not participate in the current year's tournament, the vacated seed spot will be filled as part of the blind draw.

The Tournament Committee
Nebraska State Soccer
10700 Sapp Brothers Drive - Suite B
Omaha, NE 68138
(800) 909-4458
(402) 596-1616, Ext. 201
programs@nebraskastatesoccer.org

COACH OF MORE THAN ONE TEAM
Coaches who coach more than one team need to make sure they have an assistant available at the tournament as we will not be able to accommodate every request for conflicts. Additionally, it is unreasonable to request no early morning games.

WITHDRAWAL FROM THE TOURNAMENT
The entry fee will be forfeited if a team withdraws after being notified of its acceptance and team may be fined and/or suspended.

ACCOMMODATIONS (and rental cars if needed)
Accommodations, Transportation and Expenses - Your Entry Fee includes cost for referees, games, field painting and Referee and Game Scheduler. You will be responsible for transportation, lodging, meals and any other costs associated with the tournament. Accommodations list will be mailed with your Acceptance letter, you will be responsible for finding your own rooms.

REGION II MIDWEST REGIONAL
U13 - U19 age group teams that are declared the Nebraska State Champions will represent Nebraska at the Midwest Regional. Any team that withdraws from the regional or is fined by the National or Regional tournaments the club will be subject to pay the said fine and could be fined and/or suspended by the Nebraska State Soccer Association.

All teams qualifying for the Midwest Regional will be required by US Youth Soccer Region II to stay in their assigned hotel rooming block. If a team does not stay in the assigned hotel rooming block they will not be able to play in the Midwest Regional's.

U13 - U19 age group teams will need to have Birth Certificates for each player or be able to produce them in twenty-four hours. If there is a complaint filed, a birth certificate will have to be produced or the player cannot play.

TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION
Follow the directions on the registration form. To complete the registration process, mail the printed receipt and a check or money order to the address on the receipt.

Register your team here