North Texas Bylaws

I keep seeing the word Tryouts in June in many posts. It is illegal to hold tryouts until July 1st.
It is illegal to offer a player a roster spot in June as they don't become "free agents" until July 1st
So for all you manager/coach posting here are the rules that apply and will be sanctioned under recruitment with enticement should you not follow them


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3.10.9
1. Recruiting is defined as:
a. Allowing a player to participate in practice or games with a team on which the player
is not rostered unless such participation is otherwise expressly authorized by these
NTSSA rules, and all paperwork incidental to said authorization has been fully
completed prior to such participation.
b. Allowing a player to participate in camps, skills, clinics, academies or other training
activities unless such participation is otherwise expressly authorized by NTSSA rules,
and all paperwork incident to said authorization has been fully completed prior to
such participation.
c. Actively soliciting a player to break a commitment to his current team in order to join
another team. This rule does not apply to Free Agents.
d. Making false, misleading, and/or unsubstantiated negative statements which could
reasonably be expected to influence the decision of a player regarding his choice of
teams.
e. Offering anything of monetary value to anyone to induce a player to commit to play
for a particular team; provided, offering to pay, waive or reduce a player’s expenses
associated with participating with a particular team does not constitute recruiting so
long as (i) the offer is, in good faith, based on financial need and (ii) any value received
is in fact applied to the reasonable and necessary expenses associated with such player
’s participation.
f. Committing to or on behalf of a team, a club, a player, or a coach for the upcoming
soccer year prior to July 1, whether in writing or otherwise, or requesting or
requiring a commitment to or by a team, club, player, or coach for the upcoming
soccer year prior to July 1 whether in writing or otherwise. (Note: A coach
requesting a returning player to state his intention concerning returning the
following soccer year, or a player inquiring about his status on the team for the
following year is permissible prior to July 1, but the commitment is not binding on
either the player or the coach..)
g. As long as the above rules are observed, nothing herein is intended to restrict the ability
of a player at any time to express a general interest in a prospective team or for a
prospective team to express at any time a general interest in a prospective player.
2. It shall be a violation of these rules for any person, team, club or other organization to engage
in recruiting as defined above. Coaches are responsible for the actions of all of the above listed
participants associated with their team. Failure to comply with this rule shall result in sanctions
against the offending party which could include suspension from all soccer activities for a
period of time to be determined by the NTSSA Competitive Committee. Allegations against
registered youth players are subject to review before punishments are considered. Complainant
will file his complaint with the Youth Commissioner, who shall render a decision. Either party
may file an appeal of the Youth Commissioner’s decision with the NTSSA State Executive
Committee according to the Bylaws of the NTSSA.
3.10.10 Soccer-Playing Year for Competitive Players
1. NTSSA has established the seasonal 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 of 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 try out, practice, or participate with any other
team, unless they are a competitive player in the same club or 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
Revised February 2014
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included on the guest player release. A competitive player practicing with a team in the same
club is permitted throughout the seasonal year. Otherwise, a 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 he 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 release or other permission, although formal tryouts may not
be held until July 1. Players wishing to guest play in tournaments must always obtain a properly
signed guest player release. (See Rule 4.7.1.) 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 soccer year may sign a contract for the current soccer year at
any time. (This does not include indoor soccer.)
2. Failure to comply shall result in sanctions against the offending party (coach, assistant coach,
manager, parent, or other team representative), which could include suspension from all soccer
activities for a period of time to be determined by the NTSSA Competitive Committee.
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.
.

Relax...it has come to just mean you can talk to a team and workout with them without permission...and without a lawyer present...and most of these kids are 10-15 after all

Shouldn't this have been posted under the craziest sayings topic?

I guess it comes down to how you define "try-outs". Yes a person can not be offered a contract until July 1 at 12:00:01AM. Any player can go to any open practice in June. No releases needed for that. So if I am a coach and a player comes out to my "open practice" yes I am trying to understand where that player might fit into my team. If there is not a spot I am letting the parent and player know so they can keep looking. June is the opportunity to decide what players a coach will extend a contract to as well as for the families to decide what is best environment for their players. They have to let those players know with a nudge nudge wink wink type communication.
The use of Try-out is what is confusing because NTSSA endorses the June period for players to attend open practices. How can that period not be in all effects be a "tryout"?