Grading & Team Formation Policies

1. At all times the primary concern is the happiness, well being and development of our junior players.
2. Correct placement of players into teams and correct placement of teams into grades will help ensure happy and successful teams.
3. Teams with players of the same age group will ensure that teams are not constantly broken up as players change age groups.
4. Forming teams with players of similar skill / ability levels will make the job of teaching and developing players much easier.
5. A group of no more than 3 (three) ‘team selectors’ may be required to assist the Age-Coordinator in grading and forming teams, as the club grows and expands its membership. The team selectors will be a group of coaches within similar age groups chosen by the Age-Coordinator to assist in recommending team formations and grading. *This particular policy may require further revisions in the future depending on membership numbers.

Grading Policy

1. Unless a problem exists, teams should not be disturbed
2. Coaches, team managers, coordinators and parents should discuss grading issues and possible player movements before junior players are notified or involved.
3. Primary consideration should be that players are of similar playing ability. Often it is possible to run a team with a wide range of skill levels. This will depend upon the age level and grading (e.g. A, B, C) of the team concerned. Ask yourself the following questions when considering the players in your team:
   1. Is the grading of the team putting any weaker or smaller players in danger of injury?
   2. Are there dominant players who restrict the “ball contact” of the majority of the team?
   3. Are there weaker players who do not receive their fair share of “ball contact” due to the higher skill levels of the rest of the team?
   4. Are some players ready to learn new skills that other players in the team are not capable of?
   5. Is the coach spending significant amounts of time teaching basic skills to some players, to the detriment of the rest of the team who already have these skills?
4. Secondary consideration should be to ensure that players are of the same age group (i.e. top-age or bottom-age). This will allow teams to stay together rather than being broken up every year. This does not preclude players from playing up in a higher age level if their level of ability allows this.
5. Consideration can also be given to player friendships, parents requests etc. but these should not be considered if they conflict with the primary and secondary considerations above.

Team Formation Policy

1. Age Group coordinators must always be involved when adding players to teams.
2. Age Group coordinators must always be informed when players leave the team.
3. Players on the waiting list must be placed first in order of entering the waiting list where they are of a suitable age / skill level.
4. No coach will be forced to take more than eight players (but they can if they wish to).
5. Where a team has less than eight players, and a player on the waiting list is of a suitable age / skill level, that player should be placed into the team.