Dan Falloon
Most new players joining the Borderland Soccer Association will be subject to a draft this season as a move to create parity between teams.
Returning players will have the option of throwing their name into a pool, noted association president Tristan Hutton.
“We decided to go for a partial draft, which basically means that we will be asking if they’re willing to participate in the draft, and that will be going to last year’s members,” he remarked.
“New players will automatically go into a draft with no questions asked.
“We can try to redistribute some of the new players coming in to try to bolster some of the weaker teams,” he reasoned.
The league will allow for some “draft dodgers,” though. The Voyageurs team, made up of Muskie players and those from Fort Frances Youth League, as well as any team from Emo, because those are community teams, will be exempt from the draft.
“[For the Voyageurs], it’s all about learning to work as a team so they’re better prepared going forward,” Hutton explained.
Under the rules of Soccer Northwest Ontario, players in adult leagues must be 16 years of age or older. But Hutton said the local association will apply to have the limit lowered to 13 years of age for girls and 14 for boys.
To be eligible, the player must have reached that respective minimum age by the first game of the season.
The change has not yet been approved, but Hutton doesn’t anticipate any problems doing so.
He said all players under age 16, along with their parents or guardians, will be required to attend a meeting about the risks of playing in an adult league.
Another rule change the association announced is that teams must carry a minimum of 20 players on their rosters, and a maximum of 25.
However, a team only can register 20 players before the draft before rounding out its roster.
“We noticed that teams under 20 players generally tend to whittle down as the season goes on, and when you get to the last third of the season, only eight or six players or five players are showing up, so the teams have to be large,” Hutton reasoned.
The association also decided to make its fee structure team-based, charging $1,700 per team for this season.
Under this structure, the association will subsidize the $15 surcharge for out-of-town players.
“We won’t be adding that onto individuals because it’s just too complicated,” Hutton explained.
Players are required to register at one of the two nights the association has set aside. The registration dates are Wednesday, May 5 and Tuesday, May 11.
Both will run from 6-8 p.m. in the Fort High atrium.
The registration process comprises of completing the form and having a photo taken for the player book, which is required by Soccer Ontario.
As well, the players will receive a handout about the league rules to ensure all are clear as to what conduct is acceptable out on the pitch.
“In the past, people were always saying, ‘I didn’t know that was a problem’ or ‘I didn’t know that was illegal’ or didn’t know that that was a cardable offence, so we’re going to hand that out to every player who shows up,” Hutton said.
However, fees will not be collected at registration because team reps are responsible for doing so.
Hutton said if a player only is available to play for part of the season, it is up to the team to decide whether it wants to allow the player to pay a reduced rate.
“If somebody can only play for half the season, that’ll be up to the team reps to decide how they want to deal with that,” he remarked.
Hutton also reiterated the need for referees and officials, stressing that if the association is unable to field a sanctioned referee and two linesmen, the game will be cancelled without a refund.
The association is subject to a $1,000 fine by the Ontario Soccer Association if it is found to be using uncertified officials.
Hutton added the association is willing to reimburse the costs of travel and for training.
“It’s a ‘You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ type of situation,” he explained. “We need to go and encourage them to go do the work.”
The final rule change Hutton brought to light is a new FIFA rule that bans smoking around pitches where youth are present, stressing it is not a local or provincial bylaw but from the sport’s governing body.
Under the rule, a referee is required to suspend a game until the tobacco is extinguished.
Hutton also noted the association has started up a Facebook page for current and past members to receive information.
He also is available at 274-0831 or via e-mail at huttontp@sympatico.ca
