While the SFSA Board will make all reasonable efforts to place all eligible players on a Travel Team, placement on a Travel Team cannot be guaranteed due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to, PA West roster size limitations, the number of registrants of particular age, and available volunteer coaches who meet the minimum requirements imposed by PA West. Should this occur, players not placed on a Travel Team will be given the option of playing in the SFSA In-house program.

All decisions by the SFSA Board of Directors are final.

Factors Considered in Travel Team Formation

1. SFSA Constitution indicates the following
   • SFSA will have Affiliations as deemed necessary
   • The Soccer year is from July 1 through June 30
2. SFSA Soccer Association By-laws indicate that
   • SFSA is affiliated with PA West
   • SFSA is therefore subject to the authority and rules/regulations thereof
   • Fall and spring registration of teams
   • The Travel Coordinator recommends travel teams to the board for approval and is directed to attempt to field at least one Division 4 or higher travel team in each Travel Age Group of the Affiliate, provided that the team should be competitive at that level. The final number of teams in each age bracket shall be recommended by the Travel Coordinator and approved by the board
   • SFSA will utilize the results of 3rd party evaluations and previous/future coaches input to create competitive teams among the various divisions of the Affiliate
   • Teams are to be gender specific
   • Travel rosters may be supplemented by dual rostering or by adding players that are “playing up” in soccer age
3. Affiliate (PA West) Regulations
   • Affiliate dictates divisions (skill levels of D4, D5, D6 with D4 being the highest for non-club teams such as those created by SFSA) age group composition, format (i.e. 9v9 etc.), maximum roster size, field size
   • These factors are subject to change periodically
4. The number, gender, and birth year of registrants
   • These factors may dictate that there are too many or not enough players to form a team at a particular division or age

SFSA Team Formation Process

1. Evaluate number, gender, and birth year of registrants
2. Determine potential roster makeups based on ages an number of registrants
   • For each age group determine how many teams can be made with enough players for substitutions based on playing format, not to exceed PA West roster limits
3. Determine if registrants were evaluated in the spring preceding the season for which teams are being formed
4. Create draft teams based on the evaluations with consideration to D4 teams first and then dividing the rest of the teams and divisions for each age group
   • In the case of ties or borderline evaluation numbers solicit or review coaches input from end of season evaluations or interviews to make an educated decision with regards to team placement
   • Depending on the number of registrants, this may result in the formation of teams with all the same birth year (i.e. an all U12 aged team) or an “older” team with mixed birth years (i.e. a U12 team with U12 and U11 aged players)
   • If there are not enough registrants for an age group teams no team will be created
   • If there are too many registrants “younger” players may be selected to “play up” on an older birth year team, based on evaluations, with similarly skilled players
5. Review draft teams with Board
6. Finalize teams and submit for Board vote
7. Review volunteer list and ID head coach candidates
   • Confirm head coaches
   • Solicit head coaches for teams for which there were no volunteers
8. Process must be completed in a short time window after registration in order to create teams and declare age groups/divisions/number of teams to PA West to meet their mandated deadline

Additional Information Regarding Travel Soccer

1. Every player must attend at least one Travel Evaluation during late spring in order to be placed on a Travel team. The Evaluations will be for the upcoming Fall and Spring travel Seasons.
   • Example: If the evaluations are in the Spring of 2018, it is for the Playing season for the Fall of 2018 and Spring of 2019 seasons.
2. If a player cannot attend one of evaluations, a parent or guardian must petition the board for approval for the child to play Travel soccer for the upcoming season prior to the formation of travel teams.
   • Upon the parent’s in-person petition at a regularly scheduled Board meeting, the SFSA Board shall have discretion on whether to allow the player to be placed on a team.
3. Travel rosters “may” change from the fall to the spring season based on a number of factors as stated above, one primary reason being the number of players that registered.
4. There is no guarantee that Travel teams will be formed by specific birth year (U11, U13, etc.). The registration numbers dictate and will drive how teams are constructed.

Current PA West Roster Limits

U10 Max Roster is 12
U12 Max Roster is 16
U14 Max Roster is 22 (dress 18)
U16 Max Roster is 22 (dress 18)
U18 Max Roster is 22 (dress 18)

PA West Website
PA West Youth Playing Rules