Issue 1.0
Approved 10/8/2023
PURPOSE
To clarify when an evaluation is required, who shall be responsible for an evaluation and how teams are formed in the PTSC.
SCOPE & APPLICABILITY
This policy applies to all coaches and assistant coaches participating in Penn Trafford Soccer Club programs. It also applies to board members who will be taking part in player evaluations.
General
In-House (recreational)
1. It shall be the policy of the Penn Trafford Soccer Club to NOT require or impose tryouts for its in-house recreational programs.
2. The focus of Penn Trafford Soccer Club’s in-house recreational program(s) is on player development. There WILL NOT be cuts from any of PTSC’s in-house recreational programs.
3. For U-6 and U-8, players will play in PTSC’s internally run in-house league.
4. Following U-8, PTSC has decided to register its in-house teams in the Eagles Soccer League. The Eagles league currently features U10 boys, U10 girls, U12 co-ed and U14 co-ed options.
5. At the conclusion of each season (fall season for U6 being the first season), coaches’ input will be used to create balanced recreational teams.
6. Penn Trafford Soccer Club has partnered with Happy Feet to offer our youngest children opportunities to play soccer at our facilities. All children are welcomed to play at Happy Feet.
Travel (division 4,5,6)
7. Penn Trafford Soccer Club shall use evaluations to determine the skill proficiencies of players.
8. Evaluation dates & times will be posted and communicated at least 14 days prior to the established date and on the Penn Trafford Soccer Club website.
9. Evaluation dates will be determined by the respective travel coordinator(s) in conjunction with their evaluation team.
10. The evaluation team shall be selected and approved by PTSC prior to the evaluations
11. The evaluation team present during the posted date(s) shall consist of at least one or more of:
a. Head Coach or Assistant Coach – PTSC may at its discretion, ask the head coach or the assistant coach of the team under evaluation to run the session, upon which will be evaluated by (b.-f.) below.
b. Guest Coach – a coach or assistant coach that is not affiliated with the team that players are being evaluated for. The guest coach shall declare any conflict of interest prior to his/her assignment as an evaluator. PTSC shall prefer more experienced or highly licensed coaches as evaluators when possible.
c. Travel Coordinator – member of the PTSC board of directors, provided there are no conflicts of interest.
d. Outside Examiner – a knowledgeable body from the local soccer community such as our local high school or middle school coaches, provided there are no conflicts of interest. Outside examiners should be vetted such that they do not attempt to recruit our players for soccer programs outside PTSC.
e. PTSC Director of Coaching – executive board member, provided there are no conflicts of interest.
f. PTSC Board Member – a board member knowledgeable in age appropriate soccer skills who does not possess a conflict of interest.
12. The head coach and his/her assistant coaches shall be consulted for thoughts on player strengths and weaknesses; however, the vast majority of coaches have children
on the teams they coach and thus they cannot be considered entirely neutral evaluators.
13. Prior to the evaluation, the travel coordinator will be trusted with creating the scoring mechanism and ensuring that there is a system in place to conduct the evaluation.
14. Players will be evaluated in the following areas:
a. Physical Aspects – speed, strength, agility, endurance
b. Technical Ability – dribbling, passing, receiving, shooting, heading (U12 and above), throw-ins, etc.
c. Tactical Awareness – player can read the game at an age appropriate level and move appropriately both on and off the ball
d. Personality Traits – maturity, attitude, coachability, attendance, behavior, etc.
CREATION OF TEAMS
15. At the completion of tryouts, the player evaluation forms and head/assistant coaches’ comments shall be submitted to the travel coordinator.
16. A group consisting of the travel coordinator, guest coaches, evaluators and PTSC board members will be responsible for the formation of teams using the
provided evaluations.
a. In stating the above, it shall be understood that head coaches and assistant coaches do not have the authority to form the teams that they will be coaching on their own.
17. PTSC will attempt to field a team for each age group offered by PA WEST for TRAVEL teams (U9,U10,U11,U12,U13,U14,U15,U16,U17,U18 & U19) for boys and girls whenever possible.
18. In many cases, above U12, age groups are combined due to lack of numbers in community clubs. In such cases, PTSC will manage team formation to ensure the maximum number of children get to play soccer.
19. When the enrollment numbers indicate the possibility of two or more teams in any age group U9 and up, PTSC may decide to divide the teams based on the skill level of the players. The skill level will be determined based on the player evaluations.
a. Youth players U9-U12 shall be evaluated as players first and then goalkeepers as US SOCCER has stated there are not to be defined roles at the academy age.
b. In the unlikely event that a cut may be required, or for proper placement/balancing of two or more teams, the board may consider children who have shown an affinity for goalkeeping as an additional factor.
20. PTSC will combine age groups to form one team when necessary to give as many players the chance to play as possible.
21. PTSC shall comply with the rostering rules of its governing body, PA WEST in that:
a. U9-U10 : 12 max
b. U11-U12 : 16 max
c. U13-U19 : 18 max (per game) ; 22 may be on the roster
i. When PTSC rosters more children than can be on the game day roster, it shall be understood that PTSC will rotate players weekly to provide approximately equal game opportunities.
ii. PTSC reserves the right to deviate from the above when rostering division 4 teams.
22. PTSC will favor rostering the maximum number of children (particularly at U9-U12) in order to give more children an opportunity to play competitive soccer and to make
sure that there are enough children interested in playing competitive soccer at 11v11.
a. PTSC reserves the right to deviate from the above when forming division 4 teams at the club. Players need not be placed on division 4 teams when evaluations do not support such placement.
b. The director of coaching may at his/her discretion club pass players onto division 4,5,6 teams in the interest of player development. Such club passing shall not interfere with the player’s ability to play in primary team games.
23. The travel coordinator, guest coaches, evaluators and PTSC board will determine the division of play for all teams.
a. This is not a decision that head/coaches and assistant coaches can make unilaterally. Coaches shall not make any indication to parents on division of play until the message comes directly from the PTSC board.
24. All decisions are final.
SELECTION OF COACHES
25. Coaches wishing to coach the top competitive teams at PTSC are encouraged to obtain coaching licenses from US SOCCER.
a. It shall be understood that the US SOCCER licenses include the grassroots pathway (4v4, 7v7, 9v9, 11v11), National D, National C, National B, A Senior, A Youth and Pro.
26. In the absence of behavioral issues, reliability issues or performance issues, favor will go to the highest licensed coach to manage teams (head coach) enrolled in stronger divisions.
a. This DOES NOT mean that a coach’s child will play on said team if their evaluations do not support it.
27. In the absence of behavioral issues, reliability issues or performance issues, favor will go to the highest licensed coach to be the head coach of a team when we have multiple parties interested.
28. The head coach selects the assistant coaches for their team.
a. PTSC reserves the right to veto assistant coach appointments for poor sideline behavior or other indiscretions.
29. PTSC makes no guarantee that a coach will return based on incumbency or seniority. Coaching is a privilege and should be treated as such.
30. All decisions are final.
APPEALS
If a player and/or guardian believes that the process was not conducted fairly or they would like to indicate a conflict of interest between evaluators and players, they can begin the appeal process by a written statement to the executive board. The appeal will be reviewed and discussed at the next scheduled PTSC board meeting.