Recruitment of Premier Level player(s) actively playing for another team is prohibited, except as specifically provided for in this rule. A player is actively playing for another premier team if the club has a **signed letter of intent for that current year (Fall, Winter and Spring) and/or payments have been made to the club showing commitment.

 **A player's name is in the Got Soccer database and listed on a roster for a club DOES NOT constitute that player being registered with Soccer Maine for that team in the current soccer year.

The current soccer year begins August 1st of each calendar year and concludes immediately following the Region 1 Championship. No adult registered with Soccer Maine (administrator, coach, trainer, director, booster, or any other club position paid or unpaid) shall recruit players actively playing for another team for participation in their program during the Soccer Year (Fall, Winter and Spring). No adult may encourage players within their program to recruit players actively playing for another team during the Soccer Year.

Recruitment includes the following activity:

Communicating with a player or parent on the subject of that player's participation with a club or on a team.

Inducing, soliciting, or otherwise using current players, or their parents to persuade players from another team to transfer.

Providing incentives to players such as reductions in fees, trips, uniforms, and other equipment, other than financial aid with respect to Club fees in cases of financial need or hardship.

Using a position of authority to persuade a player to transfer from one team to another. This may include adults involved with the State ODP program, other competitive soccer federations and organizations, adults involved with clinics and soccer camps, and adults involved with school programs or other programs such as indoor soccer. 

SPECIAL RULES APPLICABLE TO COACHES

All Soccer Maine rules pertaining to recruiting shall be strictly observed by coach, manager, and all team representatives.  Compliance with these rules shall be the responsibility of the coach, and the club director of coaching. Violations of this rule may be regarded as violations of the Coaches Code of Ethics and subject to Soccer Maine's Disciplinary Policy (see appendix A).

Any direct contact with a player or parent with the intent to recruit must begin with an inquiry as to the players' current status, with any other team.

Continuing any contact with a player or parent after learning that the player is actively playing for another team is prohibited and considered a violation of this recruiting rule.

Discussing a club or program with a player from another team without notifying the player's parents is prohibited.

At all times, when discussing the advantages of his/her Club, program, or organization, the coach has an obligation to be truthful, forthright, and refrain from making derogatory remarks regarding other coaches, teams, and organizations.

No coach may make a statement, at any time, to a prospective athlete who cannot be verified as true, or promise any kind of compensation or inducement for play.

Once an authorized direct contact with a player has been made, no further contact with that player may be made without the consent of the players' parent or legal guardian.

All invitations or offers to join a premier level team (U12 to U19) shall remain open until September 1. Premier player registrations with Soccer Maine will not be valid until August 1st.

Players currently playing for a premier team may not be recruited by another premier team until after July 1. Players on teams involved in the Region 1 National Championship Series may not be recruited until after their final regional or national game has been played.

Premier tryouts held prior to July 1 may not include players currently rostered on another premier team. Premier tryouts held before or during the Region 1 National Championship Series may not include players currently playing in that series.

Players who have submitted a Soccer Maine letter of intent form signed by their parents for a premier team after August 1 are considered rostered and are not allowed to be contacted by another premier team for the purpose of recruitment until after July 1 (or after the Region 1 National Championship Series if they are involved in it).  

PENALTIES AND/OR SANCTIONS

A player recruited in violation of this recruiting rule shall be ineligible to play with the team in violation in Soccer Maine's State Cup qualifying, semi-final, final rounds, USYS Region 1 Championship series, and USYS National Championship series for the duration of the current soccer year.  Any player recruited in violation of this rule shall subject the coach and Club to such further sanctions as may be imposed consistent with Soccer Maine's Disciplinary Rule.

SANCTIONS / HEARING PROCESS

If a member ascertains that another member of the association has violated the recruiting rules, that member is entitled to seek redress by filing a grievance with the Soccer Maine Ethics and Grievance Committee.

RECRUITMENT SANCTIONS

The grievance committee (3 members of Soccer Maine board not affiliated with clubs involved) will identify the type of violation (see below), and recommend the following sanction(s).  If a coach, team official, player, parent of a player, or anybody acting on behalf of the team is found guilty of illegal recruiting, the sanctions may include, but are not limited to the following:

a.      Coach / Team Official Violation

                                                              i.      Warning and/or Club Fine ($250.00 up to $2,500.00)

                                                            ii.      Suspension of game(s) and/or suspension of season

                                                          iii.      Community Service Hours

                                                           iv.      Tournament Play Restrictions (ex:  no state cup coaching)

                                                             v.      Team disqualification of state cup tournament or league

                                                           vi.      Dismissal from team and must meet with Board for reinstatement

b.      Player Violation

                                                              i.      Warning and/or Club Fine ($250.00 up to $2,500.00)

                                                            ii.      Tournament Play Restrictions (ex:  no state cup tournament)

                                                          iii.      Suspension of game(s) and/or suspension of season

                                                           iv.      Community Service Hours

                                                             v.      Team disqualification of state cup tournament or league

                                                           vi.      Dismissal from team and must meet with Board for reinstatement

c.       Parent Violation

                                                              i.      Warning and/or Club Fine ($250.00 up to $2,500.00)

                                                            ii.      Parent’s child Tournament Play Restrictions (ex:  no state cup tournament)

                                                          iii.      Suspension of attending game(s) and/or suspension of attending entire season

                                                           iv.      Community Service Hours

                                                             v.      Team disqualification of state cup tournament or league

                                                           vi.      Parent’s child dismissal from team and must meet with Board for reinstatement

US Youth Soccer NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POLICIES AS THEY APPLY to Soccer Maine State Cup Rules

Section 1 (Player Transfer and Release)

The following rules apply to teams, which participate in the US Youth Soccer/Soccer Maine State cup play.

·         A team shall be allowed unlimited drops from its roster provided the player status form is properly completed and must demonstrate continuity of rosters between the league and National Championships competition by maintaining a minimum of 9 players common to the rosters of both competitions.

·         A team shall be limited to a total of five (5) previously rostered players per seasonal year, who were previously rostered with a club other than the club of which the team is a member, the rostering of such players with such club can only be made in compliance with the rules of Soccer Maine.

·         A team is allowed an unlimited number of adds prior to roster freeze provided the roster does not exceed eighteen (18) players or (22) players for ages 14 up.

·         The Cup Committee, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, shall determine the dates that the cup team rosters are frozen each year. This decision shall be made by January I of each year.

·         All requests for rostering of a player previously rostered with another club shall be submitted to the affiliated member's registrar and State Association Registrar in writing on the appropriate form, stating the reason this action has been requested.  It then must be approved by Soccer Maine.

·         No player may transfer to a second team during the seasonal year without first obtaining a release from the first team.

·         All registration procedures not specifically addressed in the Soccer Maine Constitution and By-Laws are governed by the United States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer, Rules and policies.

Section 2 (Approaching of Players)

No team, club, coach or player or any other person may approach a registered player to leave his club. Refer to the Coaches code of ethics policy that governs this offense.

Section 3 (Non-Resident Player and Teams)

Any player or team residing in another state Association, wishing to play in the Soccer Maine boundaries, must register and receive approval from his resident state Association prior to playing within Soccer Maine boundaries.

Section 4 (Release of Player from Team or League)

Any player registered to a team is bound to that team for the entire seasonal year unless he/she requests a release; in the case of the recreational program the seasonal year is defined by the affiliate’s program. A request for release shall be submitted to the affiliated team in writing on the appropriate form.

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

o   The player has violated bylaws, policies, or requirements of US Soccer, the State Association, or the member of the State Association through whom the player is registered.

o   The player has moved beyond a reasonable travel distance.

o   The player is injured in such a manner that the player will not be able to participate for the remainder of the season. To affect the release, the coach must complete and sign a Soccer Maine Player/Team Status Form stating one of the above reasons.

o   A request for release for a player may be denied if the player owes money, uniforms or any other obligation to their club or team.

 _________________________________________________________________ 

Soccer Maine Code of Ethics for Coaches

Coaching a team of young athletes for a Soccer Maine affiliated club or the Olympic Development Program is a high privilege that carries with it great responsibility. A coach should always demonstrate the highest ethical character and should serve as a role model for the players on his or her team. A coach must always remember the influence that he or she has over young athletes. The game is for the players.

If at any time Soccer Maine shall determine that a coach has failed to fulfill these expectations and standards, that shall be cause to discipline, suspend, or remove the coach.

1. Soccer is the players' game. The paramount concern of coaches is the holistic development, welfare, enjoyment and safety of their players. A coach should never place winning above character or good treatment of athletes. While striving to win, a coach should deal honestly and fairly with players with regard to team selection and playing time, while remaining free to make decisions based on the best interests of the team as a whole.

2. Coaches bear responsibility for teaching their players to strive for success while playing fairly with the highest levels of sportsmanship, observing the laws and the spirit of the game.

3. Coaches shall treat officials with respect and dignity, and shall teach their players to do the same.

4. Our opponents are worthy of being treated with respect. Coaches will model such respect for opponents and expect their players to do likewise.

5. In both victory and defeat, the behavior of a coach shall model grace, dignity and composure.

6. Coaches shall adhere to the highest standards and the regulations of the institutions they represent: clubs, Soccer Maine, US Youth Soccer Association, and US Soccer Federation. The position of head coach assumes knowledge of the rules of the game, of registration and rostering requirements, of tournament rules and other requirements of Soccer Maine and affiliated clubs and organizations. The coach is responsible for compliance with all rules.

7. Coaches shall model inclusive behavior, actively supporting cultural diversity while opposing all types of discrimination, including, but not limited to, racism and sexism, at all levels of soccer.

8. Coaches should take a role in educating their players about sports nutrition and fitness and about prevention of drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse. The coach should avoid the use of alcohol or tobacco products when in contact with players or at other times while in official capacity as coach.

9. Coaches shall refrain from all manner of personal abuse and harassment of others, whether verbal, physical, emotional or sexual, and shall oppose such abuse and harassment at all levels of soccer.

10. Coaches shall respect the declared affiliations of all players, and shall adhere to all guidelines and regulations on recruiting established by their clubs, leagues and Soccer Maine. At the first point of contact between a coach and a player, the coach will ask the player if he/she is rostered or committed to another team. If the answer is affirmative, the coach must refrain from further recruiting of that player. In any event, the coach cannot make any statements in regards to the merits, philosophies, programs, coaches, players, board members, or facilities of another club nor extend an offer of any type of financial incentive, including "scholarships", to any prospective player unless the player's family has demonstrated a financial hardship.

11. Coaches shall seek to honor those who uphold the highest standards and principles of soccer and shall use appropriate protocol to oppose and eliminate all behavior that brings disrepute to the sport - violence, abuse, dishonesty, disrespect and violations of the laws of the game and rules governing competition.