Spring Team Formation Guidelines

The procedures presented below represent guidelines that the MLAX Board of Directors follow to appropriately place players on teams for the Spring Season.  The Board reserves the right to have final judgment on all decisions made with regards to Spring Team Allocation.  Exceptions to these guidelines are subject to MLAX Board approval and may be made if they are determined to be in the best interest of the team and/or player.

AYL Age Groups

1st Grade 7v7
2nd Grade 10v10 through 8th grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade


1st Grade Division 7v7
 

• Teams will be formed with a minimum of 8 players and a maximum of 13 players (Final numbers will be determined by the MLAX Board and Head Coach of each team).
• If there is more than one team, all players will practice together for approximately 2 weeks and then game rosters will be constructed.
• If there is more than one team, teams will be formed by the Head Coaches and members of the MLAX Board with the goal of equally competitive teams.
• Parent requests for specific teammates, carpools, or other groupings will be considered and every attempt to accommodate these requests will be made.  However, no guarantees of player placement on any specific team can be made.

U9 (2nd Grade) – U11 (5th) Divisions

• 10 v 10 Teams will be formed with a minimum of 13 players and a maximum of 18-20 players (Final numbers will be determined by the MLAX Board and Head Coach of each team).
• In the event that more than 36 players register for a division, MLAX will make every effort to recruit enough players and coaches to form a 3rd team.  Players that register after the 36 maximum (for 2 teams) may be placed on a waitlist in order of their registration date and time.
• In the event that 3rd team formation is dependent upon reducing existing team roster numbers, players considered for movement to the additional team will be tenure based.
• Returning players will automatically be reassigned to their previous teams unless they request to go into the MLAX blind draft (no guarantee of movement will be made - see further information below, “Blind Draft Procedures”).  New U10 (10v10) teams will be formed with the goal of equally competitive teams and grouping players with their classmates and friends.
• New players will be allocated to teams based on the blind draft process outlined below.

U12, U13, U15- Player Assessment for Team Formation

• The U12, U13, U15 age groups will form teams based on player assessment sessions to form teams based on skill level.

• All players in the respective age groups will need to be registered prior to the assessment dates.

• Team announcements will be distributed to the league as soon as practical after the assessments.

• Players that do not attend at least one of the assessment sessions due to injury will be placed by a committee made up of members of the MLAX Board and the Head Coaches of U-Level.

• Teams will be formed with a minimum of 13 players and a maximum of 18-20 players (Final numbers will be determined by the MLAX Board and Head Coach of each team).

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Recruiting

• Coach recruiting of players from other MLAX teams is strictly prohibited.

• New recruited players will be placed on the recruiting coach’s team assuming available roster spots per the MLAX team formation guidelines.  Coaches may not “bump” returning players with recruited players.  Players recruited to a team that is full (18-20 rostered players) will go into the blind draft.

• Coaches must email their list of recruited players to MLAX Board of Directors prior to the blind draft.
 

Blind Draft Procedures

• All returning players that have requested to be placed with a new team and all new players to a division (defined as did not play for MLAX in the previous season) will be placed in the blind draft pool.

• The blind draft pool will be equal to the number of available roster spots, as determined by the MLAX minimum and maximum team guidelines, and will be filled with players in order of their registration date and time.  Remaining players will be placed on a waitlist.

• From the blind draft pool, players will be randomly selected to first fill the team with the lowest number of players equal to the second lowest players in the division.  From there, blind draft pool players will be allocated alternatively to all the teams in the draft to reach their maximum players.