PDL player rules

Only edit that I see right away is with pro players. They may no longer be paid to play. This is new for the 2003 season. They can still be pros but can't be paid to play.

 

Just to elaborate on what Calcio Supporter had to say. By Pro Player, he is referring to how the player is registered with USSF. There are two type of adult player passes with the federation, proffessional and amateur. As far as I know, you don't have to be an actual pro to be registered as one. Your registration fee is just higher.



So the PDL rule is that you can be a registered pro player, the team just can't pay you for playing.

 

That (pro players can no longer be paid) is what I understood as well, but it does directly contradict what the Chaos say on this site:

"College players are permitted to play along side professional players as long as: 1) The professional player is under contract to the amateur team, 2) The professional player is paid by the amateur team."

This is a brand new team/site, so it's not like it's leftover information from last year. It could be a typo. Or it could be they copied the (old) rules from somewhere else.

 

Chaos have rules from 2002 (& a few years before 1999-2002, I believe). Just not current to the lastest tweeks to satisfy the NCAA.

 

Does this mean the overage limit (8 over 23) has gone away?

 

No, the rest of the PDL rules stayed the same. There is an overage rule of 8 over 23's on the 26 person roster.

 

Weren't they originally going to drop the overage restriction down by a couple of players each season until the league was entirely U-23? I guess competitive fires won out. But will it happen eventually? Not that I'm complaining. I like watching guys like Bo Vuckovic and Bo Simic play.

 

PDL is excellent soccer, but they need to get rid of ALL the overage players. Why can't this strictly be a U-23 league? By the time a player is 23, he needs to be playing at least D3 or A-League...not PDL. If he's not good enough to play real pro soccer at the age of 23, it's time to hang it up. PDL needs to be for college players...plain and simple.

 

I disagree. I think that playing against some more experienced players is a benefit offered by the PDL that the younger guys don't get from college and age-group play. But there definitely needs to be limits. Eight is too many. Something like 3 or 4 would be more like it. In the past I've heard it said that the league is toothless in trying to enforce the rule and that some teams just ignore it anyway.

 

I disagree, I think the older players add quite a bit to the PDL. If the goal of the league is to develop players for the top league, then you could argue that the age limit should be more flexible as you'd want young players to be playing against the best competition possible. The guys who truly are prospects would get time no matter what.

Also, guys in their mid to late twenties tend to play differently than college players tend to play. In general, the older pros feature less frenetic running, more emphasis on possession, smarter tactics and tackling, and, among the forwards, often sharper finishing that makes defenders mark differently. The older guys can help top college players understand what the professional game and environment are about, and how it's very different from college.

And LuvDaBears, why should you hang up the boots at 23 if you're not going to make MLS or A-League? What about playing for its own sake?

 

Okay, let me clarify a few points. First, I don't mean to say that you shouldn't play the game after the age of 23, I just think if you're a high level player, then you should aspire to a level above PDL.

Don't most PDL teams play A-League and D3 teams during the season? I know that my local PDL team does, and I would assume others do as well.

Here's what I'm against. I'm against 26 year old guys taking roster spots from 19 year old college players...and that's exactly what happens. If I owned a PDL team, then I would certainly want the best players possible...and if I had a chance at a 25 or 26 year old guy with MLS or A-League experience, I would jump at it...provided the guy isn't so out of shape or banged up that he can't play. I agree that 18 and 19 year olds will learn A LOT from playing against older players in training sessions, but what I don't like, is that some of these older players are taking roster spots from youngsters who don't have any other options.

What do you guys and gals think?

 

#1. Because D3 is in danger of becoming obselete while PDL grows exponentially.

#2. Why bother with a U-23 league. Players will develop quicker if they play more experienced players. What is the point of a pure U-23 league.
Different cuts of meat need different amounts of seasoning. And it isn;t just a developmental league. You are right that if you aren't getting drafted right after college, you have little hope. But it is somthing you do for fun and it brings the possibility that soccer teams in smaller towns can develop a following and grow in stature (Des Moines, maybe?)
So respect the PDLs over-23 dual pronged attack

3. Stolen roster spots? They go to college. They have a chance to learn the game. How much beter are you going to get if you never play against better competition. PDL takes good college players and takes the competition level up a notch. It isn't as if we have tons of collegiate soccer talent falling through the cracks because a few guys over 23 play in the PDL.

 

I'm not quite sure I understand what you're saying Dave. To use your logic, what's the point of having a U-17 national team? Why have any age limits at all?

To reiterate my point....you shouldn't have washed up 26 year olds taking roster spots from 19 year old guys.

 

There are plenty of 26 year olds (and 24 and 25 year olds, for that matter) that are far from washed up but are simply not destined to play at a higher level. Some may have other careers or family ties to a particular region and therefore no desire to try out for more-distant D3 or A-League teams. Some are foreigners with little or no shot at ever being good enough for the few foreign slots available for MLS. And some (as is the case with my local PDL team) own the team. If he wasn't around, the team wouldn't exist.

As long as the number of slots for this type of player is limited, I don't see a problem with letting them play. There are 51 teams in the league, for crying out loud. I just don't see that allowing a few overage spots would result in a huge pool of talented players getting left out.

 

Sue...we can agree to disagree on this. From what I understand, PDL was designed as a league to help the development of current and future college players, not PAST college players. Until MLS starts developmental teams, college is going to be the primary developmental source for players in the USA and I just believe that our college guys NEED to play PDL to develop into pros.

 

And I believe that a few slots per team for more experienced players can only help the overall level of play, thereby improving the development of the few dozen guys in the league who have legitimate shots to move up to a higher level. The bottom three or four per team that your saying "deserve a shot" probably won't ever develop beyond this level. I suppose there is a rare chance that some diamond in the rough who barely gets onto the roster could suddenly blossom into a great player. But I don't see it.

You're right. We can agree to disagree.

 

I thought about this some more during lunch and realized some of the problem I have with completely ditching the over-23s is that most of them would then have no further options for continuing their careers. There are only 13 D3 teams in the entire country, barely bigger than MLS. If there was a viable nationwide D3 league with 20-30 teams, I might change my mind. But as it is, I hate to simply ditch the careers of a bunch of good players when they reach the age of 23. Most players don't reach their peaks until around 25 after all.

 

From the W. Virginia web-site...

If the PDL team is a separate corporate entity, the PDL team may sign college players to their rosters.

PDL teams are allowed to register unlimited from any one school.

College players are not permitted to train, practice or play with any PDL team during their scheduled season.

Division I players are allowed to play with PDL teams during official school breaks, such as Thanksgiving and Winter, and after May 1, as long as it falls after his spring season and it does not interfere with classes or exams.

-------------------

Point #1, #3, and #4 are correct and are all inter-related to each other and to point #2. Point #2 is incorrect.

PDL Clubs are not allowed to registier an unlimited number of players from one school. Well maybe they can register an unlimited number, since NCAA regs say nothing about "registered" players, but only about players "competing".

Prior to the summer break, and after May, only five (5) players from one particular DI school can "compete" in any outside amateur soccer competition. This is also true during holiday periods such as Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring Break.

Of course it also has to be outside the school's declared playing and practice season. During Thanksgiving a player can't play in an outside competition since NCAA soccer is still in season.

Over the Winter & Spring break a player could possibly play in an outside amateur competition, but only if his/her school isn't having a declared training and playing session (see Spring practice and games).

Basically, when school is in session (September through May), a DI NCAA player can only play outside amateur soccer when classes are not held because of an official school vacation and when his/her team isn't training/playing. During this time only five (5) players from one particular school can compete in outside amateur soccer.

During the Summer, six (6) players that still have eligibility remaining from one particular DI school can compete.

These restrictions don't apply to Olympic and National Team Development Programs.

See NCAA regs 17.9.8.1 through 17.19.8.2.1 which became effective or were revised (depending on the regulation) 8/1/91, 1/16/93, 8/1/94, 8/1/97, 2/21/02.

 

If a 19 year old player isn't good enough to beat out a washed out 26 year old player, then that 19 year old player isn't going anywhere anyway. Any 19 year old player good enough to be developed into a potential MLS or A-League player would beat out a "washed up" 26 year old PDL player. Also, if he really couldn't beat out one 26 year old then surely he could beat out someone in one of the other 9 positions (not counting GK's here) if he has any real talent.

I think the 8 over 23 year olds help the teams from smaller towns be competetive with the larger city PDL teams. These smaller communities don't have enough talented under 23 year olds like the teams in large cities would. The benefit of playing older players is very important for the under 23's that are good enough to develop into high level players.

 

Thought I'd add my 2 cents since I've played PDL last year with a team that had a good number of over 23 players. I had just graduated high school and was the youngest player on the team (Tampa Hawks, quarterfinalists). The older players made this team really. All of our older players were former MLS or A-League players, and they helped me out a ton. Playing with them and against other older players made the league much better then it would with only college players. The fact is that there is a big difference playing against men and playing against college players. They helped me out so much with their knowledge, not necessarily about the game, but about how the whole system of pro soccer works. The fact is they add experience that us college kids don't have, and it made me a better player and the league better. I just wish I would have joined sooner. I joined the last 2 weeks of the regular season and for playoffs. As far as over age players taking spots from younger players, then so be it. The league needs to be competitive, and more often then not it doesn't happen anyways. Look at me, I had just turned 18, joined with 90% of the season gone and they still picked me up and dropped an over age player. The fact is, as other's have mentioned, if the younger player isn't good enough the more likely he won't be in the end.

 

If we want the D in PDL then older players have to be a part. I only wish that NCAA players could have joined the PSL.

The recreational thinking expressed on this thread is an awful influence in the US

Great post manutd2.

 

I believe it was only one poster in the thread with those opinions ...