What we’re about
This group is for any adult (18+ years old or unless pre-approved by organizers) at any skill level as long as they have the interest, accountability, dedication, and most importantly passion to play the game. We have weekly meetup events in person, playing all year round, with about 120+ games annually, predominantly in Springfield and Elizabeth, but also sometimes Rahway, Summit, and Cranford.
For membership:
Be sure to set your app notifications to alert you when organizers send you messages & your privacy settings must be set to be able to receive messages from Meetup Organizers.
All members must sign the general waiver of liability and group rules (https://forms.gle/tFnDU1i3LaKVanbR7) & we do charge members a fee so the group can get permitted fields, provide pinnies, balls, goalie gloves, group liability insurance, and other equipment.
PLEASE READ THIS NEXT SEGMENT CAREFULLY ABOUT MEMBERSHIP FEES:
This group is a "pay-in advance" model where only players who have paid are given a "Going" spot.
During the main year, the group hosts two types of events 1) "Permitted" (The meetup event will tell you in its header if it is permitted having "Permitted" in its title) and 2) "Non-permitted" (Non-permitted events will not have the word "permitted" in the header). If you pay the "Annual Fee", you can play in both (permitted and non-permitted) types of events as opposed to the "Trial Fee", which only allows you to play in non-permitted events. The trial fee are for three non-permitted games and after your third trial fee game, you must pay the annual fee to continue playing in the group. The annual fee lasts from when it is paid till the end of the current calendar year, not 12 months after you pay ( ex: you pay in august '22, your annual will only cover till January '23). You can just pay the annual fee first and not have to worry about the trial fee. trial fees do not transfer over/reduce or apply to the annual fee; it is separate. Returning members from previous years cannot partake in the trial fee payments as they have already tried the group out.
The Annual Fee: 80 dollars via venmo or 85 in cash (exact change only).
The Trial Fee (non-permitted games only and must be paid when you attend matches if in cash): First game is free, Second game $5, and Third game $10 (exact change only or else the extra will be kept as an administrative fee)
For Venmo payment the account is: @Union-WestchesterCtyCoEdSoccer
- payee is responsible to cover any transaction fees associated with method of payment on-top of the fee owed
Players who want to pay cash for fees must arrange with the admin (Drew) before signing up for a game. When paying with venmo, in your payment message, please include your full legal name and age and must be sent before signing up for a game.
For returning members, (players who have been members of this group with prior attendance history/completed the trial membership), you are expected to pay for the coming year's annual fee before the end of the current calendar year (end of December).
Guests (i.e. +1s or not members of the group), can only play in non-permitted games. When bringing a guest, the member (host) who is bringing them must inform the group's admin (Drew) immediately after they rsvp for the spot and the guest must sign an ewaiver. Failure to notify the group's admin will result in you losing the +1. Once you have informed the admin an ewaiver and payment (for applicable fees) must be received to the email box and the venmo account/ cash payment arranged respectively before 21:00 the night before the match day or else the guest's host will lose the spot and their guest will not be allowed to play. People who bring guests will be held responsible for the trial fees associated with their guest if the guest does not pay and for their attendance, this also includes briefing their guest(s) about the rules. Members of the group cannot use +1's as a way to rsvp for other members of the group.
Failure to pay the applicable fees and attempting to play will result in attendance penalties and/or removed/ banned from the group.
For player equipment:
You are recommended to wear shin guards.
We play mostly on turf fields, so you must bring a specific type of cleats, turf (https://www.soccer.com/guide/artificial-grass-vs-turf-soccer-shoes , non- hard plastic or rubber, very low multiple stud shoes meant for short bladed artificial turf ex: adidas Mundial Team Turf Soccer Shoes, Nike Mercurial Superfly 8 Academy Turf OR flats ex: Sambas). When organizers approve, based on weather conditions, you may wear AG/FG cleats (it is suggested to have both turf and a back up pair with you), absolutely no metal cleats! If you have any questions about your turf shoes please message the admin (drew). Failure to adhere to the shoe requirements will result in you being unable to play and potentially removed from the group if it continues. If you notice someone not abiding by the cleat requirement, please let organizers know during the match (you'll get a reward).
For match day attendance:
Players will have to queue in the waitlist before being given a "Going" spot.
If you get listed as "Going" you are counted as someone who is expected to be at the match day by the "team selection time" and playing on the field the entire game time. If you are "Waitlist" you are someone who is waiting for someone from the "Going" list to drop and you are not expected to attend the match day.
You are responsible to remove yourself from RSVP list (Going or Waitlist) when you sign up and if you are unable to attend the match day. If before the RSVP close, organizers will move the next qualified person(s) from the " waitlist "into the "going" list .
If you don't show up after being listed as "Going" or drop from the Going" list after the RSVP close time, you will given an attendance penalty (this will also apply you if you have a guest that does not attend or drops after RSVP close time). After 3 times, you will be "suspended" from being allowed to play in games. The first instance of getting three penalties aka strikes within a calendar year will be a suspension for one week and the penalty will increase by one additional week as you stack multiple instances of three strikes. A strike can go away after 6 months of when it was received or can be "paid" away at 15 dollars per strike (you have 12 hrs after receiving one to pay it away). Strikes will also reset once a new calendar year starts.
Should you need to drop after RSVP closes and you are on the RSVP list, you are obligated to message the match day organizer & the group's admin (Drew) as to why you need to drop (general reasoning) and consideration will be taken as to whether or not you should receive a penalty. If you do not, you will be given an automatic penalty until the issue is resolved. If you were on the "going" list and drop after rsvp is closed, you are then obligated to post the your open spot on the match day page chat, you cannot assign your spot to someone else. If there is a wait list and you do not post your spot you are subject to be given a strike and a half (1.5 strikes), if there is no waitlist, you will recieve just 1 strike. Waitlistees will not automatically be moved into "Going" list, after the RSVP closes. If you are someone who wants to claim an open spot you must, in the match day discussion board/comment section that is on the match day event page, reply directly to the post for the open spot. You cannot claim a spot that is not open and anyone under a suspension is not allowed to claim a spot. If the open spot is not advertised after the a late dropper drops then it becomes first come first serve in the comment section for the spot, where you must claim that specific person's spot
You are to be at the field by the designated "Team Selection" time, that is listed in the match day header, and have personally checked in with an organizer. If you are on the "going" list and show up after the "team selection time" specified in the match day header you will be marked as late and recieve a 1/2 strije. Assuming the game does not have a full roster, you will automatically be placed into goal for 10 minutes. Should there be a paid member of the group who is not on the RSVP list but waiting at the field and ready to play, this person will be allowed to take an open spot for the match (we call this the "vulture/walk-on rule").
Once there is a full roster of players playing on the field, any excess players are subject to an organizer decision to either be sent home (along with facing applicable penalties) or implement substitutions, games will not exceed 12 v 12. Players may wait around the field for a potential spot opening if something happens to a player on the field. If organizers agree to implement substitutions, they will determine the rules of how substitution will work for that match day, this includes interval of change out, whether or not it will be voluntary for other members to substitute with players on the side and if a substitute presents an unfair advantage to a team, in which they (Organizer(s)) are then allowed to adjust teams.
If you voluntarily leave before the allocated end time of a match day (found in the match day information), you will be penalized depending on the nature of why. The general exception is either emergency or injury. When leaving please notify the match day organizer.
For Team Formation and Selection:
Most match days days will consist of 24 players on the field 12 v 12 with 2, 45 minute halves or if temperature warrants it 3, 30 minute thirds. Each team will start with two captains picked by organizers, and the captains will decide formation, who they pick for their teams, and other matters that organizers need their opinion on. Everyone is expected to play every position and to stay at their position (including goalie), if you cannot due to some reason, please message the group's admin (Drew) a day in advance and organizers will decide if you should be playing or not. if you do not do this, and you inform organizers the day of you will be warned and if the injury is debilitating to a team's or player's ability to play, suspended from playing until given organizer approval.
Captains reserve the right to pick goal keepers (for up to 10 minutes unless agreed upon for a different arrangement), and to choose where the player goes on the field afterwards. Failure to take on the goalie position will result in ejection from the game and a red card. Changing of keepers will occur only when the team who wants to switch out keepers have possession of the ball and call for a keeper change. Goalies must have some sort of finger protection, there is no negotiation, safety is our primary concern!
Organizers are allowed to adjust teams as needed to ensure team balance
For game-play:
We follow most standard FIFA rules however there is NO SLIDING when near any players or ground play, you will be given a yellow automatically for doing so. Keepers are the ONLY players on the field allowed to slide (but can still be carded depending on severity, if a foul) with the understanding they do so with extreme care. For the rules of offenses, organizers/coordinators will hand out verbal warnings, yellow and red cards as needed to curb individuals from continued unsportsmanlike conduct and for violation of the FIFA/house rules. Yellow means warning and a 10 minute of sit out period (half time is not counted towards this penalty), red means you're kicked off for the remainder of the game and suspended for at least one week after receiving the card. You can accumulate yellows in back to back games, and 2 yellows in a game or in back to back games = a red card. Yellow cards stay with you for up to two weeks and after they will go away. The penalty of your first red card is at least one suspension based on the conditions in which it was recieved and more than 1 red card in a year will lead to harsher punishments, such as being suspended for an indiscriminate amount of time.
Offside can be called by the designated last man (by the captains), organizers and the keeper. Fouls can only be called by the person affected by it or organizers and it will automatically stop play. Hand balls no matter the situation also stop play as well. Individuals who abuse calling offsides and fouls when no situation has occurred will be warned and if it continues, promptly lose the ability to make such judgement by the organizers. However, should we have a referee, the calls will be made by referee or their designee. Further, when a referee is present all disputes will be managed by captains, organizers and the referee.
The organizers' ruling in anything game play related is final when the game is going on.
Ball Chaser rule:
Those who kick the ball out are obligated to get the ball and bring it back. Those who kick a ball and lose the ball, will be held financially responsible for a replacement ball.
Player conduct:
Players are expected to respect each other and the organizer(s) who run the events, fighting nor toxic behavior will not be tolerated. Fighting is an automatic dismissal from the group, for toxic behavior (overly coaching, verbal harassment, language, excessive force when challenging for the ball, racism) you will be warned and then asked to leave by coordinators should it continue. You are expected to stay at a game from start to finish. We must pride ourselves to have a sportsmen-like attitude win or lose, those who do not/can not, are not welcome to play. Any conflicts that arise during game play, you are required to bring in an organizer to facilitate the issue.
Should you need to step off the field (break, phone, bathroom) you must stay off till the ball is out of play, this is to avoid unfair player advantages during play.
Players who attempt to play through injury or attend games when they have injuries that prevent them from playing a full game will be barred from playing they fully recover. This is an organizer decision to prevent injuries from getting worse and to ensure teams do not become skewed with a numerical disadvantage and all players are able to play goalie, especially given matches are RSVP based.
Other information:
Organizers and coordinators reserve the right to also remove players from the group or games for any disciplinary reason or social, this includes poaching players for other groups without organizer approval.
Inclement weather does occur...Organizers are responsible to call games on or off. We will always try to notify people within a 12 hour notice to at least 3-4 hours before. You, as RSVPs, are responsible to check if games have been cancelled, and drop yourself if you have concerns.
Inactive players or those that do not meet minimal attendance requirements will be removed from the group.
Any other questions, please feel free to ask the leadership team or any other coordinator about anything that may concern you
you can also check us out on Facebook!