SUNNYBANK SAINTS SOCCER CLUB
POLICY ON GRADING OF SENIOR TEAMS
1.0 PREAMBLE
This policy outlines the Club’s position on grading of senior women, senior men and over 35 men’s teams
2.0 APPLICATION
This policy applies to all senior women, senior men and over 35 players.
3.0 GRADING PHILOSOPHY
3.1 Most clubs grade players on their ability and place them in divisions commensurate with their ability, without reference to friendship groups.
3.2 Our Club’s grading philosophy does take into account friendship groups.
3.3 Fair application of the policy will rely in part on the integrity of coaches and players, and their compliance with the policy’s intent.
4.0 DEFINITION OF A FRIENDSHIP GROUP
4.1 A friendship group would exist where a significant number of players, perhaps even an entire team came to the Club as new players and asked to remain together because they were friends.
4.2 A friendship group would also exist where a team had been together in the Club for a number of seasons and asked to remain together, rather than be possibly broken up by annual grading.
4.3 A friendship group could be extended if a new player came to the Club on the recommendation of an existing player or players with the express intention of playing with them.
5.0 GRADING PROCESS
5.1 Friendship groups are allowed to remain together from season to season and to be graded as a group into the appropriate division.
5.2 If a returning player chooses not to remain with a friendship group from the previous season, they can ask to be graded into the highest possible division commensurate with their ability.
5.3 If a new player comes to the Club to join a friendship group, that will be allowed, provided the new player has adequate skill for the division into which the friendship group will be placed. If the skill level is not adequate, the new player will be placed in the division commensurate with their ability.
5.4 If a new player comes to the Club without any affiliation to an existing friendship group, the new player must be graded and will be placed in the highest division commensurate with their ability.
6.0 APPEALS IN REGARD TO GRADING
6.1 Where disputation arises with regard to the grading of a player, the matter will be referred to the Senior Teams Coordinator (STC).
6.2 The STC will consult with all coaches in the relevant grouping (eg. all coaches of Senior Men’s teams if grading of a senior men’s player is disputed) before advising a decision to the player and coaches.
6.3 Grading decisions by the Senior Teams Coordinator can be appealed to the Club’s Management Committee by the affected player.
Such appeals should be in writing and should set out the grounds for disagreement with the decision.
6.4 The Management Committee will consider the appeal within 7 days of its receipt.
6.5 Coaches from the relevant grouping who are also Management Committee members may contribute to Management Committee discussions in regard to the appeal, but will abstain from participation in any vote to resolve the appeal.
6.6 Decisions by the Management Committee will be final.