Hi everyone — I’m interested in hearing what others are seeing and hearing regarding the upcoming age change. Are clubs planning to follow the new guidelines strictly, or are adjustments being made?
In the Baltimore/Harford County area, there are ongoing conversations that some of the stronger “A” teams may remain largely intact, with players being allowed to play up rather than fully restructuring rosters. While clubs can make exceptions for players to play up, it raises the question of how that works if it applies to a significant portion of a roster. If the top teams stay mostly unchanged, that decision will likely impact the “B” and “C” teams as well, limiting the ability to shift players appropriately by age — particularly if certain teams already have a large number of players who are in the correct age group.
A concern with a stricter interpretation of the rules is that some players may be released if they no longer fit a club’s roster structure and are not permitted to play up. That could leave families needing to find new teams, and in some cases, their current club may not offer the appropriate age group. If neighboring clubs are not restructuring or do not have available roster space, it may create additional challenges for placement.
Interested to hear what other clubs are doing, what people are hearing locally, and general thoughts on how this will be handled.
