Homewood Soccer Club

The World Wide Structure of Soccer and Where Homewood Soccer Club fits in

I. International Soccer Organization

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football), commonly known by the acronym FIFA is the international governing body of association football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its current president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth successive term. FIFA is responsible for the organization and governance of football’s major international tournaments, most notably the FIFA World Cup, held since 1930. Nineteen editions of the FIFA World Cup have been held so far.

The next edition is to be held in Brazil in 2014.

FIFA has 208 member associations, not all members are sovereign states.

The laws that govern football, known officially as the Laws of the Game, are not solely the responsibility of FIFA; they are maintained by a body called the International Football Association Board (IFAB). FIFA has members on its board (four representatives); the other four are provided by the football associations of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, who jointly established IFAB in 1882 and are recognized for the creation and history of the game. Changes to the Laws of the Game must be agreed by at least six of the eight delegates.

II. United States Soccer Federation

The United States Soccer Federation (also referred to as the USSF or U.S. Soccer) is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men’s, women’s, youth, futsal and Paralympic national teams. U.S. Soccer is also responsible for sanctioning referees and soccer tournaments for most soccer leagues in the United States.

III. State Level Soccer Organizations

1. The United States Youth Soccer Association (U.S. Youth Soccer or USYSA) is the youth affiliate and largest member of U.S. Soccer, the governing body for soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer includes 55 state youth soccer associations, one per state except for California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas, which each have two state associations. Over 3,000,000 youth players between ages 5-19 are registered with USYSA. USYSA was founded in 1974

US Youth Soccer is a non-profit organization whose stated mission is to foster the physical, mental and emotional growth and development of America’s youth through soccer at all levels of age and competition; to make soccer fun; and to instill in young players a lifelong passion for the sport.

The US Youth Soccer membership is divided into four regions, each with a Director elected to the board. The regions are essentially East (Region I), Midwest (Region II), South (Region III) and West (Region IV). Each State Association has a Board of Directors, elected by delegates from their member leagues, clubs or teams.

Alabama Youth Soccer Association (AYSA) is our State Association and Homewood Soccer is active in this organization

2. United States Club Soccer (USCS) is another national organization and sanctioning body for amateur soccer in the United States

US Club Soccer was founded in early 2000 as the National Association of Competitive Soccer Clubs (NACSC) by a group of soccer club coaching directors, representing several well-known soccer clubs from various geographical areas.

The organization held meetings, launched its first website, and grew rapidly. As a result of this effort, in July 2001 the organization applied for and was granted membership in the United States Soccer Federation. This provided a seat on the USSF Board of Directors, and allowed the organization to sanction soccer clubs, teams, competitions, and events in the same manner as any other USSF member. The organization changed its name to US Club Soccer at the end of 2001

USCS is organized into four geographic regions, each of which is represented by two representatives on the organization’s board of directors. Its stated mission is “to create, develop, and grow the best USSF-sanctioned organization to foster the growth and development of club soccer programs throughout the United States. The result of which will be to improve the level of play of the competitive soccer player, and thereby the U.S. National Teams and professional leagues.”

Some Clubs in Alabama have teams affiliated with US Club Soccer, primarily Birmingham United Soccer Association (BUSA). In addition the Central Alabama Soccer League (CASL) a scheduling league for recreational teams, is sanctioned under US Club Soccer

Requirements and impact of affiliation with one organization vs the other.

All Soccer Clubs and Teams and all players and coaches must be registered with one or the other of the state level organizations in order to have access to insurance provided by the national organization and have access to referees sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation.

Some restrictions exist on teams and players from one organization playing games against Teams and players from the other organization.

IV. Scheduling Leagues

In order to arrange regular schedules of games between teams from various Soccer Clubs, Scheduling Leagues have been formed. These Leagues are established to serve a specific type of team. Each League has a Board which manages the league, some boards have a more open membership, and others are more restricted. Each League sets their own rules about fees, how teams can be formed, the ages of teams that will be scheduled, any brackets that will be set within ages, and all other rules about how the League will operate.

Clubs register their teams with Leagues that meet their needs. Leagues do not register players, just teams.

The League is responsible for establishing game schedules, fields, and referees.

Scheduling Leagues Used by Homewood Soccer Club

Alabama Youth Soccer Association (AYSA) has created four Levels of Play Divisions and places restrictions on how teams can be formed within each division.

Division IV (Intramural play within a club): The club establishes all team formation rules.

Division III (Recreational, Beginning, or Entry Level): The use of tryouts, invitations, recruiting, or any like process to roster players selectively to any team on the basis of talent or ability is prohibited. Division III Teams may be formed by evaluation of in-house (Intra-Club) players for the purpose of creating teams of comparably skilled players

Division II is an Inter-Club AYSA administered program in which no rule restricts the manner in which players may be rostered to a participating team. The use of tryouts, invitations, recruiting, or any like process to roster players selectively to any team on the basis of talent or ability is permitted

Division I is an Inter-Club AYSA administered program in which no rule restricts the manner in which players may be rostered to a participating team. The use of tryouts, invitations, recruiting, or any like process to roster players selectively to any team on the basis of talent or ability is permitted

Competitive Soccer

AYSA State League (A Scheduling league administered by AYSA)

Division I. Division I will provide a highly competitive league environment for players who desire to play at the highest levels within the state of Alabama regardless of match locals. The following age groups may be offered: U-13, through U-19.

Division II: Division II will provide a competitive league environment for players who desire to play at a high level within the state of Alabama and if number of teams permit, within the Northern or Southern part of the state. The following age groups may be offered: U-11, through U-19.

Recreational Soccer

MARS League

The Mid-Alabama Recreational Soccer (MARS) League provides

scheduling services for recreational soccer (D3) teams throughout the

middle-region of Alabama. The league’s charter and decisions are based

on what is, ‘for the good of the players’. The age groups serviced, for both

boys and girls, are Under 9 through Under 17, which includes a high school

age group for both seasons.

CASL

The Central Alabama Soccer League (CASL) provides scheduling services for recreational soccer (Division III) teams in the near Birmingham area.

There statement of purpose and philosophy is given below:

CASL Is Not a Competitive Soccer Organization

We love competition, and we know that many of your clubs have both recreational and competitive soccer teams. CASL is not the place for competitive teams to play. We have established and run this league for the benefit of the recreational player, and it’s unfair to them to be pitted against “travel” teams that are honing their skills for Division I or II play.

Our divisions do not have standings because, while everyone likes to win, winning the division is not what the league is about. When we talk about trying to make our games more competitive, we are referring to the balance of the run of play, not an expectation that the teams will be competitive teams. CASL’s goal is providing recreational soccer excellence – with the emphasis on “recreational.” Soccer is a game. Let the kids play it as a Game.

New Proposed Developmental Program League

A new League has been proposed that would begin in the Spring 2012 season. The league will be for Division III players in the age brackets of U-9 and U-10. The league is designed for players that desire a more challenging environment of play in order to prepare for Division II State League play when age appropriate. The details of the league are currently under going development and approval

V. Soccer Clubs

Soccer clubs are independent organizations formed to gather soccer players, form teams, provide coaching and training, arrange field space and equipment and meet the needs of the club members for a fee. Players and teams register under the name of the club with the local, state and national organizations and then play organized soccer within the organized structure outlined in the paragraphs above.

Clubs can be formed by individuals, cities, church organizations, Park and Recreation Departments and many other structures. Each Club will have some managing structure and will establish the rules and procedures for their functioning.

Homewood Soccer Club, Inc.

Homewood Soccer Club was incorporated as a nonprofit cooperation on May 30, 2007.

The Corporation was granted the status covered by Section 501 (c )(3) of the Federal Internal Revenue Code on March 8, 2009, which means that donations to the Club are exempt from Federal tax.

The Corporation is governed by a Board of Directors operating under a set of By-Laws. The Board elects a set of Officers annually in May at its annual meeting.

The Club is not affiliated with the City of Homewood or with the Homewood Park and Recreation Department. The Club has signed a Facility Agreement with the Park Board which establishes rights and responsibilities for both parties in the use of Homewood Soccer Park. For this agreement the Club pays the Park Board a seasonal fee.

The Board of Directors establishes policies and procedures for the operation of the Club and the soccer program. Officers and board members are assigned roles in support of the activities of the club.

The By-Laws establish the position of Soccer Director who is assigned the daily management of the program. To assist in the fulfillment of his duties the Director has established a Management Team and assigned team members specific and general duties in the implementation of the program. Soccer Program decisions within the Policies and Procedures are the responsibility of the Director.

Levels of Play

Homewood Soccer Club has established programs for four levels of play and assigned them the titles: Patriots, Red Teams, White Teams, and Blue Teams. The names are shorthand for the total program under that title within the Club. The designations do not carry any meaning outside Homewood Soccer Club.

Detail information on the four levels can be found elsewhere on this website.

Standing, L-R: Mason Cook, Coach Sam Monroe, Ian Ross, Brooks Glover, Chris Simpson, Will Wood, Bain Rhodes, Merrill Johnston, Joseph Heeter, Michael Heeter. Sitting, L-R: Chris Castro, John Michael Brasher, Alex Rodriguez, Jordan Eppenger, Sidney Knight, Peter Trujillo, Peter Simpson, Justin Griffis, Henry Bernard. Ground: Frank Trujillo, Mascot

Homewood Soccer Club is very proud to announce that the Homewood U-16 Freedom Team finished as State Champions in the Alabama Youth Soccer Association State Cup Championship Tournament.

This annual tournament is the only state wide soccer championship and as state champions this team is qualified too participate in the US Youth Soccer Region III (South) Presidents Cup in Greensboro, N. C., June 7-10, 2012. “After a year of hard work the U-16 boys clenched the final match with a 6-0 win over Fusball,” says Coach Mason Cook. “The boys should be very proud of their undefeated season and their hard work. Congratulations on your state championship.”

The US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup is designed for those teams seeking additional challenges to play against teams of similar abilities for a national title. The cup provides a progressive, competitive experience to teams that might not otherwise get the opportunity to participate in a series of unique experiences highlighting competition, camaraderie and community from the state to regional to national levels of US Youth Soccer.

Regional qualifiers, known as US Youth Soccer Regional Presidents Cup events, will determine the teams competing in the US Youth Soccer National President Cup, July 11-14, 2012, and feature boys and girls teams in the Under-14 through Under-17 age groups.

“Congratulations to the Homewood U16 boys and Coach Mason Cook for finishing the season as State Champions,” says Sean McBride, Director of Coaching for Homewood Soccer Club. “The club is especially proud of the way these young men represented Homewood with class and dignity throughout the season, this is a testament to the way they were coached.”