Calendar Year Teams: Frequently Asked Questions

 

Why are Texas United FC recommending the change to Calendar year teams?

The change to calendar year teams is being mandated by STYSA, not by any individual club, so Texas United FC will have to register calendar year teams for 2016-17 in order to play in STYSA (or HYSA) competitions.

 

Will teams have to maintain roster integrity for the 2016-17 soccer year, with more than 50% of their players returning, to retain their qualification for specific leagues?

The roster integrity rule is being adjusted for 2016-17: to retain qualification for a specific league more than 50% of the players on the new roster must have played for Texas United FC in 2015-16, but there is no requirement for them to have played for the team that qualified.

 

Our team has very few players born August-December, do we have the option to form our team around our players born January-July, rather than move to the older age group?

Yes, but you will need to be aware of the play levels that are likely to be available. For 2016-2017, STYSA plans to expand the Division 1 and Super 2 levels, if there is sufficient demand and teams are rostered with players that have experience at that level of play.

 

Is there any way for a team to be accepted to play in SCL or SRPL, even though they did not qualify?

This would only be possible if a team that qualified for SRPL or SCL is not planning to play in their qualified league.   A TUFC team could apply for that spot.  However, STYSA uses previous season results when determining how to fill open spots in those competitions. For these high level competitions, it is important to field a competitive team, as both the cost and expected level of commitment are high. If openings at these levels arise then the club will work with teams that could possibly fill any openings.

 

Could we just try playing our team up for the 2016-2017 season, and if it doesn’t work out move down an age group for the 2017-18 season?

The adjusted roster integrity rule is only expected to be in place for the transition to Calendar year teams for 2016-2017 play. As we would not expect any further expansion of the Division 1 and Super 2 levels for 2017-2018, a team that moves down an age group may only be able to enter at the Division 2 level.

 

If a new team is formed, where will it play?

A new team may apply to STYSA to play at the Division 1 or Super 2 level, but acceptance will be dependent on the openings available and the whether the team roster includes sufficient players with experience at the requested level of play. New teams will always be able to play at Division 2 in HYSA.

 

When will teams be advised by STYSA that their applications to play at Division 1 or Super 2 have been accepted or rejected?

The timetable has not yet been issued, but for 2015-2016 the registration deadline was late July, and teams were advised very early in August.

 

Will play-ups still be allowed?

The rules for play-ups are not expected to change as a result of moving to Calendar year teams. Player development is still the primary objective of the club. For this reason, it is important that players are placed on the correct level of team, and that play-ups are based upon the ability of the player.

 

What if a team wants to play at their current age group and has players that are too old to stay on the roster; will Texas United help the older players find a new team?

Texas United plans to have a meeting with each age group to determine the rosters and play level. Texas United will find a team for the older players.

 

Can TUFC teams keep the same roster and stay together?

Yes, current TUFC teams can stay together, but TUFC encourages that all players play their calendar year as this will help teams to be competitive with other clubs.

 

Will competition be tougher if we play 2 years up?

It depends on the league your team will be competing in.  STYSA administered leagues (Premier, State Classic, Dynamo/Dash) will follow a 2 year age up for those teams.  Other local leagues may choose to operate under a calendar year method.  All clubs will be making adjustments to their team rosters to adapt to the new calendar year registration.  Some clubs may age teams up and others may implement pure age teams.