Rule 2201. Player Registration (Rev. 09-05)

Section 1.(a) A youth player must register each seasonal year in the state association in which he or she resides with his or her parent or parents or guardian or guardians, or, for a student in residence at a boarding school, college, or university, or division of the college or university is located. NYSWYSA may determine any other questions of residency by which state the player is registered to vote, holds a current driver’s license, or from copies of school transcripts.

(b) In NYSWYSA, clubs and teams are required to register in the district in which they reside.

Section 2. (a) Any youth player wishing to play on a team of a member of NYSWYSA other than the State Association where the player is registered, must receive written permission from –

(a) The state association where the player is registered; and NYSYWYSA

(b) permission must be obtained each seasonal year.

More detailed instructions for registration of non-residents can be found by following the link to the document: Registration Guidelines for Non-resident Players

Section 3. A youth player is registered for a seasonal year from the moment the player or the player’s representative executes the registration form and pays the appropriate fees.

Rule 2202. Player registration Fee

The NYSWYSA player registration fee shall be $12.25 for each player each seasonal year. In addition, NYSWYSA shall charge an additional fee of $10.00 for all players who require a US Youth Soccer Member Pass. These player registration and pass fees must be paid to NYSWYSA by the last day of each month of the seasonal year for which the fees were due.  Fees are collected via RosterPro Invoices.

It must be noted that due to the limits imposed by US Youth Soccer Rule 224, Section 4, for players and teams involved in National Championship/State Cup play. This roster move will count as a transfer. By US Youth Soccer Rule 221, Section 2, Cup teams are limited to no more than 5 transfer adds in a seasonal year. A fee of $10.00 payable to NYSWYSA will be charged for this roster transaction.

Rule 2203. Olympic Development Program Player Tryouts

Section 1. Any player wishing to try out for the Olympic Development Program shall do so through the National State Association member of the State in which the Player may be registered under US Youth Soccer Rule 201.

Section 2. Any player released to play in another National State Association under Rule 201, Section 2 (a) may request, in writing, \ permission to try out for the Olympic Development Program in that National State Association.

Written permission must be received from:

• the State Association where they are registered
• the State Association where they wish to try out

Section 3. A player shall not be eligible to try out for the Olympic Development Program in more than one National State Association Member territory. A player shall be responsible for all Olympic Development Program fees of the National State Association in which the try out occurs.

More detailed information for non-resident players who wish to participate in NYSWYSA’s Olympic Development program can be found by following the link to the following document: Out of State ODP Policy and Forms

Rule 2204. Proof of Age

Proof of age shall consist of a birth certificate, a Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card (DD Form 1173) issued by the uniformed services of the United States, a birth registration issued by an appropriate government agency or board of health records, a passport, an alien registration card issued by the United States government, a certificate issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service attesting to age, a current driver’s license, or a certificate of a United States citizen born aboard issued by the appropriate government agency. Hospital, baptismal or religious certificates will not be accepted.

Rule 2205. Roster Limitations (Rev. 09-05) (Rev. II 08-08) (Rev. III 08-11)

Except as otherwise provided by Rule 1105 - a team, 13U and older may not have more than 22 youth players on its roster at any given time during the seasonal year; and all teams may not have fewer than 7 youth players on its roster at any given time during the seasonal year.

For age groups permitted to roster more than 18 players, a game roster shall be used.  The game roster shall have a maximum of 18 players and a minimum of 7 players.  The game roster shall be prepared by the team and submitted to the competition authority at a time designated by the authority.   Every player listed on the game roster must be included on the team roster to be eligible to participate with the team except for tournament/league competitions that may permit guest players.  Those guest players must be included on the game roster of that match/event in which they intend to guest.

Teams that take advantage of the expanded roster at any time during the seasonal year could disqualify themselves from Cup eligibility dependent on the team age group.

Region I Championship rules limit Cup rosters of 12U small sided teams to a limit of 16 players for their Cup roster.  NYSW 12U teams in Cup must abide by this limit to their Cup roster.

National Championship rules permit Cup rosters in the 13U through 19/20U age groups to a limit of 22 players.  

Age groups 12U and 11U shall have a maximum roster size of 18 players. Small sided teams of players 10 & Under age groups shall not have more than 16 players on its roster at any given time during the seasonal year. No team, regardless of age group, shall have less than 7 players at any time during the seasonal year.

Rule 2206. Multiple Rostering (Rev. 09-05) (Rev. 02.24)

The NYSWYSA permits multiple rostering of a player to more than one team during a season in accordance with US Youth Soccer Rule 206. However, a player can only be designated a primary player on one team. US Youth Soccer Rule 224, Section 4 has conditions regarding US Youth Soccer sponsored competitions:

"When a State Association allows a player to be rostered on more than one team, the first team to which the player is rostered is the only team with which the player may participate in National Championship competitions (State Cup, Regionals, Nationals) for a seasonal year, except if a player is rostered to more than one team on the same day, the player must designate on that day the only team for which the player is to be rostered for National Championship competitions and failure to so designate on that day makes the player ineligible for any National Championship competitions for that seasonal year; and As provided by Section 2 of US Youth Soccer Rule 221."

Although NYSWYSA allows multiple rostering, no player is permitted to be rostered to more than TWO (2) teams at any one time during the seasonal year. Any player rostered to more than one team must participate in the game played by their primary team in case of a schedule conflict. The player’s first obligation is to the primary team.

Leagues and tournaments may have further restrictions on multiple rostering. Each league has the autonomy to permit or not permit the use of secondary players within that league. It is incumbent upon the team to verify that they comply with any such restrictions. The most common restriction is to require that all team members be registered as primary players. Teams should determine from all tournament hosts if their multiple rostered players are eligible to participate before submitting the tournament application.

Secondary players must complete the appropriate paperwork on the NYSWYSA Release to Secondary Team form. Once you receive the form, numerous signatures are required; namely, parent’s, primary team coach, and secondary team coach. Once you have all the signatures except the registrar, take or mail the completed secondary release form to the secondary club registrar along with the player’s primary team pass, the secondary club registrar should make the appropriate entry into the GotSport system marking the players as secondary.  A charge of ten dollars ($10.00) will occur on the club GotSport invoice for this transaction.

A secondary player pass is issued by the secondary club registrar to the player using the primary registration number and indicating the team to which he or she is designated as a secondary player. Upon fixation of the player photo and signature, the registrar will validate the secondary pass. This pass will then be laminated with a colored laminate to designate it as a secondary pass. Primary and Secondary passes will be laminated with clear laminate.

Prescribed roster limits on the number of players will be observed.  See NYSWYSA Rule 2205 in regard to specifics regarding roster limits.    

A player may become secondary only if he or she is rostered to a team as a primary player. If the player transfers or is released from their primary team, their secondary player pass becomes void. If the primary team is disbanded, the secondary player pass becomes void. If the player desires to switch primary and secondary designations of his or her two teams, this should be done via the NYSWYSA Player/Team status form using the release and transfer sections.

It must be noted that due to the limits imposed by US Youth Soccer Rule 224, Section 4, for players and teams involved in National Championship/State Cup play. This roster move will count as a transfer. By US Youth Soccer Rule 221, Section 2, Cup teams are limited to no more than 5 transfer adds in a seasonal year. A fee of eight dollars ($8.00) payable to NYSWYSA will be charged for this roster transaction.

A player can only be added to an existing roster as a secondary player. This means, that the team must already exist before secondary players can be added.

Therefore, a team of 22 players can have a maximum of fifteen (15) secondary players on the roster. The maximum for small-sided teams is seven (7) secondary players. US Youth Soccer Rule 205, Number 2 states, "No team shall be allowed to have less than seven (7) [understood to mean primary] players on its roster at any given time during the seasonal year."

Rule 2207. International Clearances (Rev. 03-15, 08-16)

The Federaton and FIFA have international clearance requirements and procedures for players coming to the United States to play soccer.  A player age 10 or older is prohibited from registering until the Federation provides appropriate clearance. The clearance would need to be granted after the completetion of the Federations ITC(International Transfer Certificate) Process. 

FIFA requires all players over the age of 10, regardless of their ability or citizenship, to receive an international transfer clearance (“ITC”) from their former country when they are attempting to register to play soccer in a different country (i.e., the United States). U.S. Soccer is responsible for obtaining that ITC on behalf of all players in the U.S. participating in affiliated leagues.

Rule 2208. Adult Games

Section 1. A youth player may play an unlimited number of adult games without losing his or her youth eligibility. The youth player must notify NYSWYSA and his or her youth coach or other authorized team official of the players’ intention to play adult games. The youth player shall request, in writing by means of the NYSWYSA Player/Team Status form, (1) eligibility clearance from NYSWYSA, and (2) permission from the appropriate Adult State Association. When clearance and permission have been granted, the Adult State Association has sole discretion in permitting a youth player to play adult games and will be responsible for establishing procedures under which the youth player will be allowed to play. In the event of a conflict between an adult game and a youth game, the youth games shall take precedence. A youth player who is required to sign an adult form shall retain youth eligibility.

Section 2. (a) A youth team with the written permission and mutual consent of both NYSWYSA and the Adult State Association may play in an adult-approved league and not lose its youth eligibility to compete in NYSYWYSA Cup events. If the youth team’s players are required to sign an adult form, the team shall retain its youth eligibility. Permission to Participate in Adults Games form.

(b) The youth team will be required to play under the rules of NYSWYSA concerning registration, roster rules, transfer rules, and any additional qualifications that are required to be eligible for NYSWYSA cup competition. Participation in any adult leagues will not qualify a youth team for NYSWYSA cup competition.

Rule 2209. Use of Ineligible Players

A team shall forfeit each game of the team in which; An unregistered player was with the team at the game in a uniform; or a player was improperly entered on the team’s roster.

Rule 2210. Movement of Players (Rev. 08-04)

All player movement must be done via the NYSWYSA Player/Team Status form.

The following is defined as player movement in NYSWYSA:

• (a) Voluntary Release - a voluntary release is the removal of a player from a team’s roster at the request of the player. This right is granted to players by the Player Rights Policy.

  (b) Transfer - A transfer is the placement of a player on a team’s roster after the player has been released from the previous roster. Once a player is released from a team, he/she is considered a transfer whether or not the player is placed on a different team roster or back on the same team roster.

  (c) Involuntary Release - A team may not release, voluntarily or involuntarily, any player from its roster unless a written request, stating the reason why the release has been requested, has been made to and approved by NYSW on a form provided, and within the guidelines of Part III of the this registration policy, entitled Player’s Rights.

A team may release involuntarily a player from its roster only if the player is unable to play for one of the following reasons:

• (a) The player has violated bylaws, policies, or requirements of the Federation, USYSA, NYSW or the member of NYSW through whom the player is registered.

  (b) The player has moved beyond a reasonable travel distance as defined by NYSW.

  (c) The player is injured in such a manner that the player will not be able to participate for the remainder of the season.

Teams in NYSWYSA may not roster more than five(5) previously rostered players.

A player is considered rostered to a team not later than when the player first participates for the team in any competition approved by US Youth Soccer, NYSW or its member leagues, clubs, or teams. NYSW is not required to consider the following as a rostered player:  

• (a) A player on a school team in those instances when NYSW administers school programs.

  (b) A player on a Recreational Team.