LUBBOCK SOCCER ASSOCIATION

BY-LAWS

and

GENERAL RULES

September, 1987

REVISED: August, 2006

LUBBOCK SOCCER ASSOCIATION

BY-LAWS and GENERAL RULES  

Chapter 2: By-Laws of the Lubbock Soccer Association

Lubbock Soccer Association

General Rules

2. Chapter 2: Player Registration and Team Formation

2.2. PLAYER RELEASES AND TRANSFERS

            Release: Means the withdrawal of a player from a roster during the current
            soccer year.

        2.2.1. The Lubbock Soccer Association reserves the right to assign players to
                 recreational teams as necessary when fewer players than required return from
                 a previous team.

        2.2.2. Lubbock Soccer Association youth players may only be transferred once
                 during the soccer year. Should the Lubbock Soccer Association desire to
                 transfer a youth player more than once during a soccer year, it may file an
                 appeal directly with the North Texas State Soccer Association Youth
                 Commissioner. Only those circumstances which directly affect the
                 successful completion of the Lubbock Soccer Association program or the
                 welfare of the player will be considered.

        2.2.3. Any player rostered to a team is bound to that team for the entire soccer year
                 unless the player requests a release or is released involuntarily. A player
                 release shall be submitted to and approved by the NTSSA Youth
                 Commissioner in writing on the form provided stating the reason for the
                 request for the release.

        2.2.4. A player may be released from a team involuntarily only if the player is unable
                 to play for one of the following reasons:

            2.2.4.1. The player has violated rules of the United States Soccer Federation, the
                        United States Youth Soccer Association, the North Texas State Soccer
                        Association, or the Lubbock Soccer Association.

            2.2.4.2. The player has moved beyond a reasonable travel distance.
                        Determination of what constitutes a reasonable travel distance is subject
                        to definition by NTSSA.

            2.2.4.3. The player is injured to such a degree that the player will not be able to
                        participate for the remainder of the season.

            2.2.4.4  Any competitive (select) coach who releases a player involuntarily for any
                        reason other than listed above may be brought before the NTSSA Competitive
                        Committee to explain his actions.  An assertion by the coach or any person
                        with authority or assumed authority on the team, either verbally or by
                        action, that a reasonable person would interpret to mean that the player
                        is no longer welcome on the team may be considered an involuntary
                        release by the coach, even if no formal steps to complete release
                        paperwork have been taken.  If the Competitive Committee finds the
                        involuntary release was not justified or could have been avoided in the best
                        interest of the player, the coach is subject to severe sanctions including, but
                        limited to, suspension from all soccer activities for a period of time determined
                        by the Competitive Committee.  The coach is responsible for the action of
                        persons in authority, or with assumed authority, on the team.

        2.2.5.  A competitive (select) player is obligated to his competitive team for the soccer
                  playing year from the time he signs a contract until the end of the subsequent
                  soccer playing year (August 1 of the prior soccer year through June 30 of the
                  current soccer year). Any release to transfer to another NTSSA competitive team
                  will be allowed only in limited circumstances. Transfers that are approved by the
                  player’s current coach may be granted at any time on or prior to April 1. 
                  Any request for transfer that is not approved by the player’s current coach
                  must be filed in writing with the NTSSA office to be decided upon by the
                  Competitive Soccer Committee which shall be chaired by the NTSSA Youth
                  Commissioner or his designee.  This shall be done between the dates of
                  December 1 and January 31 for U‑11 through U‑14 and December 1 and March 15
                  for U‑15 through U‑19 only.  (NOTE: The Competitive Committee may grant
                  transfers prior to the start of the fall season in extremely limited    
                  circumstances, and only after receiving input from the coach or club
                  official.) Upon receipt of the written request for transfer, the NTSSA office will
                  forward a copy of the transfer to the player’s current coach or manager for a written
                  response. The Competitive Committee will render a decision based on the written
                  reports received. Any appeal of this decision must be received by the NTSSA office
                  in writing within five (5) days of receipt of the original decision and must be
                  accompanied by a fee of $50 (refundable at the Competitive Soccer Committee’s
                  discretion). Upon receipt of the appeal, the Competitive Committee will schedule a
                  hearing with all parties being invited to attend. Any appeal of the decision of the
                  Competitive Soccer Committee after the hearing must be made directly to the
                  Executive Committee of NTSSA within 5 days. A player may leave a competitive
                  team and go into the LSA recreational player pool at any time on or prior April 1 of
                  the current soccer year with the written permission of the NTSSA Youth
                  Commissioner. Players may not be released from their competitive team after April
                  1, as no recreational pool is available.  (Exception: player has moved outside
                  NTSSA territory, current team has disbanded, or medical documentation the player
                  has been injured and is unable to play the remainder of the soccer year.)  Any
                  recreational player currently rostered to a recreational team and wishing to be
                  released to join a competitive team may do so only between December 1 and
                  March 15, and may do so only with the written permission of the Lubbock Soccer
                  Association. A competitive player registration form must be completed prior to the
                  player’s transfer to a competitive team. 

        2.2.6. The United State Youth Soccer Association and North Texas State Soccer
                 Association have established the soccer year as being from September 1
                 through August 31. However, these rules provide that a competitive player is a
                 free agent beginning July 1. That player will continue to be a free agent until
                 the player and/or his parents or guardian have signed a contract with a team.
                 The period from August 1 of the prior soccer year through May 31 of the
                 current soccer year is considered the ‘soccer playing year’ for competitive
                 players. During the soccer playing year, players are not allowed to tryout,
                 practice, or participate with any other team, unless they are registered as a
                 guest player with another team, in which case the proper release must be
                 signed by all parties. Practice with a team on which a player is registered as
                 a guest player is permitted only if the practice dates are included on the
                 guest player release. A competitive player may practice with another team
                 if he has received a written permission letter signed by his current coach
                 that sets out the dates and the team with which the player will practice. 
                 The player is to give the letter to the coach of the team with which he will
                 be practicing, and must keep a copy for himself.   After May 31 (the end of
                 the soccer playing year for competitive players), players may practice with other
                 teams without any required guest player release or other permission, although
                 formal tryouts may not be held until July 1 and players desiring to sign with a new    
                 (different) team may not sign any contract or otherwise commit to a team for the
                 following year prior to July 1. Players desiring  to return to the team on which they
                 played the soccer year immediately preceding may sign a contract as a returning
                 player beginning July 1. .  Players wishing to guest play in tournaments must
                 always obtain a properly signed guest player release.  Contracts may be
                 signed beginning July 1, although signing July 1 is not mandatory.  After
                 July 1 players who are not or have not been rostered to a team for the
                 current season may a sign a contract for the current season at anytime.  (This
                 does not include indoor soccer)

        2.2.7. Failure to comply constitutes a violation of current NTSSA directives
                 concerning illegal recruitment and shall be punishable by suspension of the
                 guilty parties, i.e., coach, assistant coach, team manager for a minimum of
                 one (1) year. Allegations against registered youth players are subject to
                 review before punishments are considered and punishment periods are at the
                 discretion of the Youth Commissioner committee hearing such allegations.

                 NOTE: If a player currently registered to a team and/or his parents should
                 contact a coach, assistant coach or team manager to try out for another
                 team, the above stated procedure must be followed.