Home Forums Long Island & Eastern New York Soccer Message Boards BOTN Main Message Board Player Card Release

I know this was covered here before but I need some help. If a kid playing with a 2008 EDP team wants to leave thay club and join another club now (technically between the fall and spring season) can the original club hold his card and make him sit out a year? The dad will pay his original club all the tuition due etc, it's just releasing the card. I thought someone in here mentioned that there is an actual youth sports law prohibiting this, that kids must be allowed to move freely? Any help would be appreciated.

You are correct. The Ted Stevens Amateur Sports Act clearly states that amateur sports players are not chattel. BOTN has posted this document and I have posted it here for you and everyone else once again.

Thanks Larry. That was it

Why leave mid season ? Is it playtime , or competition , or training ?? Just wondering

OK, I just scanned the document, so I may have missed it, but where does it address the issue in the OP?

To the OP, IS the original club holding the card? Did they give a reason why? Or is this a hypothetical?

The kid is moving from one club to ours because he likes the training and coaching better. Right now it's just hypothetical. The father believes the original club will put up a stink and threaten not to let him go and sign over his card. Hopefully none of this happens and all is smooth. Thanks

I don’t think a club would hold a card to a kid or dad who don’t want to be there.

The club that currently holds his pass has the ability to make things difficult by dragging their feet and/or refusing to release the pass. There is technically nothing illegal about doing this, but it would at least be an ethical issue. Why would an adult at any club refuse to release an individual player who clearly wants to leave? From a business perspective, clubs do not want to get a reputation for disrupting individual player movement or being difficult to deal with.

In my experience, the only scenario where this becomes a factor is when multiple members of the same team request their release at the same time, or when a club fears that a single departure may have a snowball effect that impacts an entire team/age group. Even so, the worst they can do is refuse to release the pass (and/or any monies already paid), which only means the player would not be able to play in league games for the new club. If the training/coaching at the new club is a significant upgrade, I would still consider making the move and let the situation with the pass unfold between the 2 clubs. It's only U12 and training is much more important at that age.

Unless the family owes the club money the old club has little choice in the matter.

Happens more times than it should which is zero times....simply put there is no reason or right for any club to hold back a players pass. The league that club belongs to needs to get involved and if they dont then go directly to the sanctioning body, US Club or USYSA and file a complaint.

Let me repeat myself. NO CLUB IS ALLOWED TO HOLD A PLAYER HOSTAGE FOR ANY REASON.

Yeah I was gonna say 'how long have you been in youth sports?' It's particularly egregious in hockey.

what if the player owes the club money?

Happens all the time. East Meadow held up my daughter's card years ago until we called US Club Soccer and told them about it and they forced the release.

US Soccer will tell you to file something in Small Claims court. They do not get involved

Someone (either you or US Soccer) does not understand what small claims court is.