Region 1096 Policy #1 - Refund Policy

If your player drops from our program, you may be eligible for a refund of Regional Fees. Please read through the following information carefully.

1. A player drop and refund request form must be completed if you wish to make a refund request. The form is online on our website www.ayso1096.org or please contact our Regional Commissioner or Regional Registrar for assistance with the process.

2. The Regional Commissioner authorizes the Regional Registrar and Regional Treasurer to execute the Drop and Refund Requests as described within this document.

3. The Regional board must authorize exceptions to these policies, requiring a 2/3 vote. No Coach, Team Parent or Board Member other than the Regional Commissioner or Registrar can authorize a refund or specify a refund amount. Exceptions to this policy will be considered for extenuating circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.

4. The Region is unable to Refund the AYSO National Membership Fee, the Area Fee, or the Sports Connect Processing Fee. Any Refund Requested from the Region will be for the Regional Fees only.

5. All Refunds will be reduced by a $10 per/player Regional Administrative/Cancellation Fee.

6. If a family was granted financial aid for one or more players, any refund granted would only be for the amount paid for the dropped player or players in question. Registration fees and/or financial aid is not transferable between players for the purposes of refund requests. Refunds for fully sponsored players will be returned to the sponsor, not the sponsee.

7. Refunds will be applied back to the Card used for registration, whenever possible. If that is not possible, a physical check will be sent via mail to the address provided in the request. If the check is reported lost or destroyed, a replacement check can be requested but will be reduced by the fees incurred by the Region to cancel/replace the check.

8. Refunds requested BEFORE August 1st (Fall) or March 1st (Spring) will be granted a Full Regional Refund, minus the previously mentioned fees.

11. Refunds requested AFTER August 1st (Fall) or March 1st (Spring) will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Consideration will be given:

    1. to the date of the request

    2. team formation status

    3. the ability to fill the empty spot from a waitlist if one exists

    4. the ability to form teams

12. The Refund amount may also be reduced if the Region is unable to recover per-player expenses already spent.

13. Refunds will not be granted due to team assignment, coach assignment, or any other item related to following the AYSO philosophies of balanced teams, open registration, or everyone plays.

14. Refunds will not be granted following the first match weekend of the season.

• In divisions 8U and up, team formation is done with random coach assignments. The formation meetings take place in March for Spring Season and August for Fall Season and may be preceded by a player evaluation session (these are not "tryouts"!).

  • The board and coaches meet to form teams collectively. If needed, this meeting may be at a Player Evaluation practice. Coaches must make every effort to attend.

  • The board and coaches will are charged with making teams as balanced as possible.

  •   a. Coaches and board members will be unaware of team selection until teams are drawn. 

  •   b. Once teams are formed, they will be labeled. 

  •   c. Each coach will pick a team label at random.

  • If for some reason a coach cannot attend the team formation meeting, an executive board member will draw for the missing coaches.

  • In the event that a coach picks a team their child is not on, a player at the same rating level will be swapped.

• Late registrations, or registrations that occur after the formation of teams may unbalance teams.

  • Late registrations will initially be waitlisted while a decision is made for placement.

  • Players will need to be rated so they may be placed while minimizing the affect on team balancing.

  • Assuming team balance considerations have been satisfied, we allocate players mostly on the basis of first come first served. Placement preference may be given to a player where we are short of head coaches or, in very exceptional cases, assistant coaches and a qualified parent is willing to head coach the team.

  • We will not allow late sign-ups to be used to manipulate the system.

• Team balancing takes priority, and requests for placement with specific coaches or players will not be approved. Exception may be made for siblings and for children living in the same household where age and gender would place them in the same division. We will accept requests in these situations for the children to be placed (a) on the same team or (b) on different teams. Requests to place players with extended family members (ie. cousins, aunts, uncles, half-siblings living in another household, etc.) will not be approved.

• Please be flexible with your schedule. Coaches schedule practices on days that work best with their schedules. There are almost always someone with whom you can share carpooling and other responsibilities. Don't worry about your children not knowing anyone on the team. One of the joys of AYSO is the opportunity for children and their parents to make new friends and it is done so easily in the context of participation on a sports team. If you have exhausted alternative means to work around the practice schedule assigned for your team, you may choose to have your child put on the wait list until there is an opening at his/her evaluation level on a team that practices on a different night.  However, there is no guarantee that all players from the waiting list will be placed.

• All changes to standard Regional policy require a 2/3 vote by the board. No board member has the authority to unilaterally make a decision that goes against National, Area, or Regional bylaws. Any safety issue that is brought to the attention of any board member will be immediately brought to the attention of the Regional Commissioner and either the Safety Director or Child Advocate (or both) for immediate action. Changes and adjustments to Regional policy will be done in the best interests of the program and in particular to take steps to prevent and counteract any manipulation of the system.

• Any late registrations occuring after teams are formed will be put on a wait/replacement list. When and if able to place on a team, they will be placed on the team with the least number of players in the age group and with team balance first priority.

AYSO Region 1096 Policy #3 - Playing Up and Playing Down Policy 

Please fill out a Playing Up/Playing Down Request Form  to be eligible.

Purpose: To ensure Region 1096 has a standard policy, process and defined criteria for Players requesting to Play Up or Play Down in conjunction with the National Policy. 

AYSO National Policy

2.17 Playing Up or Down an Age Division 
AYSO’s National Rules and Regulations define AYSO’s Standard Age Divisions, consistent with US Soccer’s Player Development Initiatives, AYSO’s Age-Appropriate Coaching methodologies, and in the best interest of the player. From time to time, Regions may receive requests from parents for their child to be placed in an age division other than his/her standard division. These requests for an exception should be handled on a case-by- case basis annually and considered in the context of what is in the best interest of both the specific child as well as those children affected by the exception. 

Requests to “play up” in the next older age division may be considered if doing so would be of genuine benefit to the child socially, developmentally, as well as athletically and as long as: 

1. The Region secures formal written acknowledgement that this is what the parents want for their child and confirm that they believe their child is developmentally ready for that age division. Parents should acknowledge that this exception does not guarantee that future exceptions will be granted.
2. The Region determines that the child is developmentally able to safely play and compete in the next division. Children restricted by age from heading the ball should not be allowed to play up in a division where heading the ball is allowed. 

Similarly, requests for an exception to “play down” an age division may be considered if doing so would be of genuine benefit to the child socially, developmentally, as well as athletically and as long as: 

1. The Region secures a formal written request for an exception, expressing the need to play down and the need is determined to be truly warranted based on the developmental readiness of the child as opposed to a preference to be with classmates, friends or siblings. 
2. The Region determines that the child does not pose any greater safety risk to the children in the younger age division. 
3. The Region secures confirmation from the child’s parents that the child may not be eligible to play with his/her team in competitions outside of the Region. 
4. Full disclosure to all division coaches of the fact that a player has been approved to play down is required, but the reason for the approval is not subject to the disclosure to the coaches. 

AYSO Region 1096 Policy (in addition to the AYSO National Policy): 

1. For any players requesting to Play Up or Play Down, the request must be in writing to the Regional Commissioner before the teams are formed for the season. 
2. The Regional Commissioner must verify the below criteria before submitting the request to the AYSO Region 1096 Board for approval:
   a. Player must be registered for current season 
   b. Previous seasonal placement. Is the player in, or going into, the 2nd year at their current age division for playing up or are they in the first year at their current age division for playing down?
   c. Physical, social and emotional development. Board Member or non-parent volunteer must conduct player evaluation for skills development, leadership development, social/emotional development. 
   d. Reason for the request (i.e. convenient, player dominates, player is ready to move on to another level of development, etc.) Note that physically, a player may be ready to play up, while socially and/or emotionally they are not for playing up. Conversly, a player may be physically unable to compete at their current age division, but are too socially or emotionally advanced for younger age groups.
   e. Age division from and to 
   f. Experience. Number of years/seasons played.
3. No Approval will be given for players under the age of 11 to move to 15U due to AYSO and US Youth Soccer polices on heading the ball. 
4. Special approval/evaluation will be required for players who did not play the previous season. 
5. Division requesting to play up must have an open position for the player. 
6. Regional Commissioner will review tthe request and must submit the Play Up or Play Down request to the Board for approval. Board approval must be given before the player may be moved up to the next level or down to the previous level and only one level from their current registered division is allowed. 
7. If 10U and 12U have been combined a player cannot Play Down or Play Up a division. Exceptions include 12U players that meet the above criteria may be moved up, and 10U players that meet the above criteria may be moved down.
8. The safety of the child of the requesting party, as well as the safety of the children in the affected age groups is the primary consideration when making the decision to place a child outside of their normal age group assignment.
9. This is a one-time approval for the request to Play Up or Play Down. New approval must be submitted by the player parent or guardian each season.

AYSO Region 1096 Policy #4 - Chargeback Fee Recovery Policy

1. The Regional Refund Request Policy is to be the sole method used to cancel registration and request a refund. If the registrant circumvents the Regional Refund Request Policy by initiating a dispute with their bank, the region will challenge the chargeback request per the terms of the Regional Refund Policy.

2. The Region is currently charged $45 per dispute, regardless of the outcome of the dispute.

3. The chargeback dispute fee, whatever current value, will be charged to the registrant prior to being allowed to register any players for the current or upcoming season(s). The fee will be applied as a fee on the current registration. Payable through the registration site.

4. If the registrant refuses payback of the dispute fee within 15 days of notification, then their players will be canceled and any payments refunded, in accordance with the Regional Refund Policy.

5. ONLY the Regional Commissioner can authorize exceptions of rules. No Coach, Team Parent or any other Board Member can authorize a waiver of this fee.