USA Ultimate

Colorado Springs, Colo. (Feb. 22, 2017) - USA Ultimate’s (USAU) Youth Competition Working Group (YCWG) has made a number of revisions to the 2017 Youth Guidelines. After continued discussion, further consideration of feedback from local youth organizers, and a review of plans for organizing the upcoming season, three key revisions were made to the guidelines for the Youth Club Championships (YCC).

Summary of changes:

1. Expansion of player eligibility opportunities to include USAU-sanctioned youth club leagues.
    
2. Clarification of age eligibility rules for USAU-sanctioned youth club league participants.
    
3. Clarification of priority status for teams from states with USAU state championships, and addition of a specific priority status for USAU-sanctioned youth club leagues in states without USAU middle or high school state championships.

Explanation of changes:

1. Player eligibility has been expanded from the current requirement to participate in the USAU high school state championship structure to also include the option to participate in a USAU-sanctioned youth club league. 
   
   Compared to last year, when eligibility was limited to just players from youth club leagues, the addition of players from USAU high school state championships results in a much larger potential pool of players from which organizers can draw.  This change re-incorporates the sole player eligibility path from prior years, while keeping the new additional option to gain individual eligibility through the USAU middle and high school competition structures. This change should greatly reduce the number of individual player exceptions needed by providing an alternative USAU-sanctioned pathway to eligibility for players who are not USAU middle or high school competition participants. At the same time, by maintaining the new school-associated requirement, local organizers and players are given more flexibility to determine which USAU playing opportunities are most appropriate for their YCC program participants and, again, a larger potential pool of players from which to draw. Together, these player requirements highlight some of the benefits of USAU-affiliated youth participation at the local and state levels.
   
   Note that the exception request process will still exist for players who fall outside of the two primary eligibility pools. However, to ensure player eligibility, organizers and players are encouraged to use the two primary participation paths by organizing and/or encouraging participation in USAU-affiliated programs.
    
2.  The U-20 age limit, based on calendar year, will apply to YCC eligibility from either path. However, for participants in youth club leagues to be eligible for YCC, they will need to be enrolled in or recently graduated from high school. This will ensure that one of the goals of the high school participation requirement – to primarily keep YCC an event for pre-college athletes – remains consistent across all eligibility pathways.
   
   Note that local disc organizations may set different participation rules for individual leagues but that only YCC-eligible players will be allowed on YCC rosters.
   
   Also note that the "grandfather" exception is still in place - this year only - for players who participated at YCC in 2016, graduated from high school in 2016 and do not turn 19 before June 1, 2017.
    
3. The YCWG also wants to clarify and emphasize the organizational standards for YCC bid priority. New in the 2017 guidelines is the requirement, at all top levels of bid priority, for the state from which a team originates to either (a) have a USAU high school state championship in operation or (b) have approved plans to develop a USAU state championship structure (division-specific rules apply per the guidelines). Taken together with the bid priority order for other USAU-affiliated youth activities, these requirements emphasize the importance of developing and growing a broad spectrum of both school-based and non-school-based USAU-affiliated youth-serving playing opportunities. 
   
   All teams from states without a USAU high school structure will be considered "at-large" teams, with the following new revision: At-large teams from a USAU-sanctioned youth league will be given bid priority over non-affiliated groups, in order to encourage development of local USAU-affiliated playing opportunities in states that have still not developed a USAU school-based state structure.

• Any team ["At-Large" teams] originating from a state that did not host a USAU High School State Championships in the appropriate divisions in 2016.
  
  
  • For a boys’ team to receive any bid priority it must originate from a state which has held either a boys’ or mixed division USAU state championships in 2016.
     
  • For a girls’ team to receive any bid priority it must originate from a state which has held either a girls’ or mixed division USAU state championships in 2016.
     
  • For a mixed team to receive any bid priority it must originate from a state which has held either a girls’ or mixed division USAU state championships in 2016.
     
  • A team may still be considered for a priority bid under the condition that they commit to hosting a 2017 USAU State Championships in their state, in the necessary division, and fill out a "High School Development Plan".  Both the application and development plan are due by the application deadline.
     
• [Within this group of teams bid priority will be given to teams sponsored by a USAU-sanctioned youth club league.]

Youth Club Championships - U-20 and U-17 sub-sections for Player Requirements.

Player Requirements (U-20) 

1. Each player on the roster must be a USA Ultimate member in good standing.
    
2. All players must not turn 20 or older during the year of the USAU Youth Club Championships.
    
3. Players must have [either]:
   
   
   1.  a. participated in the most recent USAU High [or Middle] School State Championships or State Qualifying Event [during the academic year immediately preceding the USAU Youth Club Championships, OR
       
   2. participated in a USAU-sanctioned youth club league initiated during the 12 months prior to the current Youth Club Championships and been enrolled in high school or middle school during the academic year immediately preceding the USAU Youth Club Championships.]
      
      
4. Player Eligibility Exception Process: Teams and Players that do not meet above requirements [but wish to participate may be granted an exception and are encouraged to apply for one. These situations require completion of] must complete a Player Exception Application (FORM HERE).
   
       [Examples include but are not limited to:]
   
       i. Players who [do not meet Rule 3a or 3b above] did not participate in the most recent USAU High School State Championships but are enrolled at a school whose top (Varsity/A) team participated in the most recent USAU High School State Championship or Qualifying Event [will be allowed to participate] (must complete form).
   
       ii. All players who have not yet attended High School [and do not meet Rule 3a or 3b above] will be allowed to participate (must complete form).
   
       iii. Players who participated at YCC in 2016, have graduated from high school, and do not turn 19 before June 1, 2017 are allowed to participate (must complete form).
   
   a. All other players will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
   
   b. USAU reserves the right to determine whether players on applying teams meet the above criteria.

Player Requirements (U-17) 

1. Each player on the roster must be a USA Ultimate member in good standing.
   
   
2. All players must not turn 17 or older during the year of the USAU Youth Club Championships.
   
   
3. Players must have [either]:
   
   
   1. participated in the most recent USAU High [or Middle] School State Championships or State Qualifying Event [during the academic year immediately preceding the USAU Youth Club Championships, OR
      
      
   2. participated in a USAU-sanctioned youth club league initiated during the 12 months prior to the current Youth Club Championships and been enrolled in high school or middle school during the academic year immediately preceding the USAU Youth Club Championships.]
      
      
4. Player Eligibility Exception Process: Teams and Players that do not meet above requirements [but wish to participate may be granted an exception and are encouraged to apply for one. These situations require completion of] must complete a Player Exception Application (FORM HERE).
   
       [Examples include but are not limited to:]
   
       i. Players who [do not meet Rule 3a or 3b above] did not participate in the most recent USAU High School State Championships but are enrolled at a school whose top (Varsity/A) team participated in the most recent USAU High School State Championship or Qualifying Event [will be allowed to participate] (must complete form).
   
       ii. All players who have not yet attended High School [and do not meet Rule 3a or 3b above] will be allowed to participate (must complete form).
   
       iii. Players who participated at YCC in 2016, have graduated from high school, and do not turn 16 before June 1, 2017 are allowed to participate (must complete form).
   
   a. All other players will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
   
   b. USAU reserves the right to determine whether players on applying teams meet the above criteria.
   
   

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