New Jersey Soccer Association

3100. PLAYER REGISTRATION POLICIES

 

3101. REGISTRATION COMMITTEE

 

 

a) Composition

 

The Registration Committee shall be composed of a State Registrar and as many Assistant Registrars as there are leagues which handle their own registration. An Assistant Registrar may handle the registration of more than one league provided there is a written agreement between the leagues involved.

 

b) Duties of Members

 

The Registrar shall be solely responsible to the Board of Directors of the NJSA and shall be empowered to take any action necessary to enforce these policies. The Assistant Registrars shall respond solely to the State Registrar. Each Assistant Registrar is authorized to validate registration passes for the league or leagues he represents. The State Registrar has the power to remove an Assistant Registrar if such assistant does not follow and/or applies all the NJSA registration policies or does not follow instructions from the State Registrar and/or the NJSA.

 

c) Consolidation of Records

 

Each Assistant Registrar shall report to the State Registrar, the registration activities under his/her jurisdiction on a monthly basis. The State Registrar, in turn, shall keep complete and accurate records of all registered players in the NJSA.

 

d) Power of Registration

 

The Registration Committee shall have full power in the matter of registration, transfer or release of all amateur players in the manner under the conditions set forth in the USSF rules.

 

 

3102. PERIOD OF REGISTRATION

 

a) Beginning Date

 

All players shall be considered registered when the NJSA State Registrar  receives the registration forms. Any player that has an outstanding obligation shall not be allowed to register until such obligation is resolved.

 

b) Ending Date

 

1) At the end of the current season as defined in the Constitution and By-Laws

the NJSA (automatic release)

 

2) He is released by his team during the regular season by means of a release

form (regular release) validated by the Assistant Registrar of the league where he was registered.

 

3) When granted a release by the Assistant Registrar upon request by the

individual to be released. The Assistant Registrar will have to verify that such individual does not have any outstanding obligations toward a club or affiliated league before granting such release (executive release). Before granting such release, ALL leagues shall be notified and requested for any objection.

 

A professional player shall be registered for a team for a period of one (1) year from the

date of registration, unless properly released, as per USSF rules.

 

 

3103. REGISTRATION FORMS

 

Each year, any individual who wishes to play for a club affiliated with the NJSA may do so by filling an amateur registration or professional registration, depending on the player status as described in the following rules. All these forms MUST be purchased at an annual fee set by the General Council of the NJSA, from the Registration Committee. These forms must be properly completed, including all signatures requested, and presented to the league’s Assistant Registrar for validation. Failure to complete the form is sufficient cause to REJECT the request of the player. All registrations and releases must be presented for validation within five (5) days of its signature. Each player must inform his team manager of his previous soccer activity and his current status (if he was signed, he must get released before being re-signed).

 

 

3104. DETENTION OF REGISTRATION

 

A club or league may request to the Registration Committee to detain the registration of a player who was signed by that club and who wishes to sign for another club, if such player has any outstanding obligation toward such club. Such player shall not be allowed to register and play for any new club until such obligations have been resolved. The requesting club must show proof of such obligation and must specify, with all the details, the reason for such request, and the Registration Committee must verify such claim before issuing the detention.

 

 

3105. PLAYER PASSES

 

a) Content

 

Upon registration, each player shall be issued an official USASA pass. It will contain all the information required to identify the player and to determine his or her eligibility to play for a specific team.

 b) Property

 

Player passes are the property of the NJSA and must be returned to the Registration Committee 1) upon termination of the playing, 2) upon release of the player during a season, 3) upon request of a Registration Committee member. Failure to return a player pass at the end of the season shall result in a fine to be determined by each Assistant Registrar and per player pass. Clubs shall be held responsible for such fine. Failure to return the player pass at the time of releasing him, shall be sufficient reason to DENY his release. Player passes shall be kept by the club manager and never given to a player other than for the purpose of identification at the time of the game. Player passes must be returned to the league’s Assistant Registrars when releasing such players.

 

c) Issue, Renewal and Re-Issue

 

When registering, a player shall request either the issue (if no pass was ever made for him) or the renewal (if pass exists) or the re-issue (is pass was not returned) of a player pass. In case of issue, the player must submit one pass and one color picture of himself (only current passport size pictures are valid), where he can be clearly recognized. Pictures depicting the individual wearing a hat or sunglasses, or who do not show the current physical appearance of the player shall not be accepted as valid pictures. Failure to complete this pass or to procure a valid picture is sufficient cause to REJECT the registration of the player.

 

d) Documentation

 

All players registering are required to submit:

 

1) Proof of Date of Birth

2) Copy of SSN or other official document that shows at least the last 4 digits of his/her SSN. Foreign born players that have no SSN, must submit copy of his passport from which the serial number shall be used to create a player pass number.

 

e) Falsification of Identification

 

Any player found guilty of presenting false documentation shall be suspended for a period of six (6) months.

 

f) Use of Passes

 

Player passes must be presented to the referee before the start of all games. Players not presenting a pass, or presenting an invalid player pass, shall be reported to the league. This rule does not apply for exhibition, all-star or fund raising games or for any other activity, which has the written authorization of the NJSA.

 

g) Alteration of Pass

 

Any club found guilty of altering or tampering with a pass for the purpose of changing the player identification or eligibility to play, shall be fined a sum not to exceed $250.00 for the first offense and not to exceed $500.00 for the second offense, as determined by the Registration Committee. Repetition of the offense a third time shall force the suspension of a club for a period determined by the Registration Committee of the NJSA.

 

h) Loss of Pass

 

A report of loss of player’s pass shall be investigated by the Registration Committee to make sure it is a real loss. Re-issue of a lost pass shall require a fee as determined by the Registration Committee.

 

 

3106. NUMBER OF PLAYERS

 

Each League or Competition (i.e. State Cups) shall determine the maximum number of players that can be registered and/or used in a competition by each team. A Club with multiple teams (all with the same Club Name) shall be permitted to register all its players under one Club name and shall be eligible to play for one the club teams but must abide to all requirements and restrictions of the Competition or League they play in. No team shall be allowed to have less then eleven (11) registered active players.

 

 

3107. TYPES OF PLAYERS

 

a) Professional Player

 

Is a person who receives or has received payment for playing and has signed a USSF professional player form.

 

b) Amateur Player

 

Is any player other a professional player. An amateur player may not receive and retain any remuneration for playing, except expenses directly related to a game or games, which have actually been incurred by the player.

 

c) Reinstatement of Professional to Amateur

 

Reinstatement procedure and requirements are defined in the USSF rules.

 

 

3108. PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS

 

Registration of a professional player is entirely handled and processed by the USSF Registrar, through the NJSA Registrar. Registration forms must be purchased from this Association.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3109. AMATEUR PLAYERS

 

All procedures of registration, transfer and release of all amateur players under the jurisdiction of this Association are defined in the USASA rules and shall be carried and performed by the Registration Committee members as described in these rules.

 

 

3110. YOUTH PLAYERS

 

a) Must have a Properly executed “Junior Player – Amateur Trial Game Permission“ form.

 

b) This form must be signed by parent if the player is under the age of 18 y.o.

 

c) Maximum number is FOUR (4) except for youth teams of the same club (no limit).

 

 

3111. FOREIGN PLAYERS

 

See USASA rules.

 

 

3112. PLAYERS ELIGIBILITY

 

A player will be eligible to play only after the Registration Committee member receives all  forms and documents, considers them in proper order and signs and validates the player’s pass.

 

 

3113. FALSIFICATION OF INFORMATION

 

Any falsification of information on the registration form will result form will result in the immediate suspension of the player and/or the responsible party for a period not to exceed six (6) months from the time of discovery, as decided by the Registration Committee.

 

 

3114. DOUBLE REGISTRATION

 

Any player who registers for two or more teams during the same season, without being properly released from the earlier one, shall be immediately suspended for a period no to exceed six (6) months form the time of discovery, as decided by the Registration Committee.

 

Double registration is allowed for:

 

1) Under 23 Program run by the NJSA

2) Regional teams (both amateur and professional)

3) Summer league or Tournaments

4) Different Leagues

 

 

3115. FINAL REGISTRATION DATE

 

Each individual league or competition will set its own registration deadline.