Valley United Soccer Club

POINT 1: Cost is not a factor
The Club wants to see teams win State titles.  To encourage teams to participate in post-season play, the Club picks up the MYSA fees and referee costs.

POINT 2: Your availability is a factor
Post-season play starts on the Thursday after league play ends (in 2011, it's July 14th) and can last until July 31 in some years.  If your team opts-in to playing in the playoffs, you must be willing to play all the way through to the final.  If your team no-shows a game, your team will be fined several hundred dollars by MYSA.

Rosters work a bit differently during post-season play, so keep these facts in mind when estimating the number of players that you will have available:

• Over-rostering is not allowed.
• Rosters are "frozen" on the first day of playoffs.  After that, you cannot add a guest.  
• A guest who is on your frozen roster cannot play for another team at any time during the post-season.
• A player on a team that was automatically seeded to Regionals or State Tournament cannot be a guest for a team that is going to be in League Playoffs

Here's how you opt-in
If you don't want to play in the post-season, you don't have to do anything.  If you want to play, go to the MYSA score reporting page, and log in using your MYSA ID and password that you were given at the start of the season.  You'll see an option to sign-up for the Playoffs.  You must do this before the third week of June.

Brace yourself- this can be confusing.

First, it's important to understand that the structure of the post-season varies widely by age group depending on the number of districts and the number of leagues within districts.  So for one team, the summer post-season could be a two-stage process, while for another team it could be a four-stage process.

Second, where you start in the process will depend on whether you finished first in your league (called "league winner" or "LW" by MYSA).

If you have never dealt with the MYSA post-season before, first read the items below before looking at the MYSA post-season charts that are linked below.

At most, your team will have a four-stage post-season:

1. Playout game
   When: on the Thursday after league play ends; in 2011 its July 14th
   This is an optional stage, used by MYSA only when a district has two leagues, one called "American" and one called "National".  The league winner of American and the league winner of National play one game.  The winner jumps to the Regionals, and the loser goes directly to the final game of the League Playoffs.
    
2. League Playoffs (formerly called "Districts")
   When: the Friday-Sunday after leagues end; in 2011 it's July 15-17
   There is always a League Playoffs.  In most cases, the League Winner starts at the final game of League Playoffs, and the rest of the teams compete in single-elimination to see which one of them gets to challenge the League Winner.  In League Playoffs, it is possible for a team to play up to three games.
    
3. Regionals
   When: on Tuesday-Thursday; in 2011 it's July 19-21
   This is an optional stage.  For the young age groups, this might be two games, while for older age groups it is a single game.
    
4. State Tournament
   When: on Saturday-Saturday; in 2011 it's July 23-29
   MYSA calls this stage the "State Tournament", but everyone else calls it "Finals".  The format could be round-robin pool play and then a championship game, meaning that your team could have at least 2 and maybe 3 games.  The format could also be single elimination. 

With all that as introduction, now you are ready to figure out this year's post-season scheme for your team.  Use the links below to access the MYSA charts.

From the Club's perspective, it is easiest if you pay the costs out of pocket, and then ask the Club treasurer for a single reimbursement check. 

How much might you spend?  For the Playoff round, most teams are looking at about $100, and if you win at the Playoffs (playing 3 games), you will spend about $200.  

So we'd like to suggest that you use this approach:

1. Go to the Playoffs and pay with your own money.
2. The minute you get home from the Playoffs, ask the treasurer for reimbursement of your exact Playoff expenses, AND if your team is still in the hunt, you ask for an advance for the Regionals and/or State Tournament (Finals).
3. The treasurer quickly sends you a single check for the full amount requested.
4. If your team loses at Regionals, you send a check back to the treasurer for the unused State Tournament (Finals) entry fee.

Below is detail about the specific costs that you will face:

League Playoffs

• Entry fee = $65 per team, paid to the host club before the first game.  This entry fee covers a Playout game, if it is needed.
• Referee fees: For each game, each team pays half the fees.  You pay the fees in cash, the exact amount, and you pay the ref on the field at the time of the game.  Here are the amounts:
     U11-12: Each team brings $22 for a line ref and $15.50 for the center ref.
     U13-16: Each team brings $25 for a line ref and $18 for the center ref.
     U17-19: Each team brings $32 for a line ref and $21.50 for the center ref. 

Regionals
Single payment of $100, payable to MYSA.  This covers the entry fee and referee fees, whether you play in 1 or 2 games.

State Tournament (Finals)
Single payment of $300, payable to MYSA before the first game.  This covers the entry fee and referee fees, whether you play in 1 or 4 games.