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Team Divisions

Palo Alto AYSO operates a graduated approach to learning soccer with teams of varying size, depending on the age of the players, as recommended by the United States Soccer Federation

Divisions Summary

Age Division Season Format Half Game
Slot
Field Size Ball
Size
Under-6 Fall Jamboree n/a n/a 25x15 3
Under-7 Fall Double short sided games, 4v4 10 min 1 hr 30x20 3
Under-8 Fall Double short sided games, 4v4 10 min 1 hr 35x25 3
Under-9 Fall Double short sided games, 5v5 12 min 1 hr 15 min 45x30 4
Under-10 Fall/Spring Single game, 7v7 25 min 1 hr 15 min 60x40 4
Under-12 Fall/Spring Single game, 9v9 30 min 1 1/2 hr 90x60 4
Under-14 Fall/Spring Single game, 11v11 35 min 1 1/2 hr full 5
Under-16 Fall/Spring Single game, 11v11 40 min 1 3/4 hr full 5
Under-19 Fall/Spring Single game, 11v11 45 min 2 hr full 5
VIP Fall n/a n/a n/a n/a 5

Under-6 Division (KLeague)

Commissioner: David Miklos, Shalina Miklos,

Under-6, or Kinder League, is for the youngest players, kindergarteners and younger 1st graders. Players must be 5 years old by July 31, 2008. A child who will be in kindergarten but won't turn 5 until fall may apply to "play up with grade" during the registration process.

The KLeague program is a gentle introduction to organized group athletic activity and the game of soccer, starting with individual drills and working up to small-sided, informal games. No formal teams are created; each coach works with a group of 8-12 boys or girls. Each player must be accompanied by an adult, who is expected to participate in most of the activities, often as the player's partner.

K-League usually begins the Saturday after the season starts for the older age groups and continues for 6 weeks. For 2008, the first session is Saturday, September 13, 2008, and it continues through October 18. Soccer time is 3 to 4 p.m. Meet at the soccer fields behind JLS Middle School on East Meadow. Each player will be issued a two-color reversible uniform shirt. Shinguards are required. Please wear good "kicking shoes", and socks that cover the shinguards. Official cleated soccer shoes are not required. A water bottle is recommended.

Late registration will be available on the first Saturday at 1 p.m. We will need some of the late registering parents to be coaches as well, for the kids who are joining at this time. But coaching for this group requires only a basic understanding of soccer (like, you kick the ball toward the goal) and is great fun.


Under-7 Division

Boys Commissioner: Keith Ferrell ,
Girls Commissioner: Hans Erickson ,  

Schedule

4 v 4 Game organization
Info and Tips on 4 v 4

Players in the Under-7 Division are 6 years old by July 31, 2008. Teams generally have about 10 players on the roster. Games are low-keyed and instructional in format.

Games are 4 vs.4, or 4 players to a side. For a game, the team divides up into two groups, different combinations each week. The two sub-teams play at the same time against the two sub-teams of another team on fields set up for side-by-side games. Further description of this format is available on the 4v4 Game Organization page. There is also a page with News, Info, and Tips about this program.

Games are refereed by parent volunteers from the teams playing. Refereeing for this age group is described in more detail in the Referee section, U7/U8/U9 Laws page.


Under-8 Division

Boys Commissioner: Richard Ho ,  
Girls Commissioner: Sushant Rao & Tara Farnsworth,  

Schedule

4 v 4 Game organization
Info and Tips on 4 v 4

Players in the Under-8 Division are 7 years old by July 31, 2008. Teams generally have about 10 players on the roster. Games are low-keyed and instructional in format.

Games are 4 vs.4, or 4 players to a side. Fields are somewhat larger than in Under-7, approximately 40 x 30 yards. For a game, the team divides up into two groups, different combinations each week. The two sub-teams play at the same time against the two sub-teams of another team on fields set up for side-by-side games. Further description of this format is available on the 4v4 Game Organization page. There is also a page with News, Info, and Tips about this program.

Games are refereed by parent volunteers from the teams playing. Refereeing for this age group is described in more detail in the Referee section, U7/U8/U9 Laws page.


Under-9 Division

Boys Commissioner: Barbara Pitkin and Denise Provost ,  
Girls Commissioner: Dahna Pasternak,  

Schedule

Players in the Under-9 Division are 8 years old by July 31, 2008. Teams generally have 12 players on the roster. They play games of 5-player teams on fields of approximately 50 x 35 yards, using slightly larger goals than the U8 games.

Games are 5 vs.5, or 5 players to a side. For a game, the team divides up into two groups, different combinations each week. The two sub-teams play at the same time against the two sub-teams of another team on fields set up for side-by-side games.

Games are refereed by parent volunteers from the teams playing. Refereeing for this age group is described in more detail in the Referee section, U7/U8/U9 Laws page.


Under-10 Division

Boys Commissioner: Srinivasan Subramanian ,  
Girls Commissioner: Keith Ferrell ,  

Schedule

Players in the Under-10 Division are 9 years old by July 31, 2008. Teams generally have 10 players on the roster. They play games of 7-player teams on a field of approximately 60 x 40 yards with reduced size goals.

Games are refereed by parent volunteers from the teams playing. The home team must provide a trained center referee. (Failure to do so means the home team forfeits the game.) The two assistant referees who work the sidelines may come from either team. Under-10 Rules and refereeing are described in more detail in the Referee section, Under-10 Rules page.


Under-12 Division

Boys Commissioner: Susan Usman & Christine Schlenker,  
Girls Commissioner: Sushant Rao & Bert Bell ,  

Schedule

Players in the Under-12 Boys Division are 10 or 11 years old by July 31, 2008. Teams generally have 13-15 players on the roster. Their games are on a field of approximately 90 x 60 yards with 9 players to a side.


Under-14 Division

Boys Commissioner: Gordon Short ,  
Girls Commissioner: Reed Freyermuth & Carol Sexton,  

Schedule

Players in the Under-14 Division are either 12 or 13 years old by July 31, 2008. Teams generally have 13-15 players on the roster. Their games are on full size fields with the standard 11 players to a side.


Under-16 Division

Boys Commissioner: Mike VanDiver ,  
Girls Commissioner: Lee Berg,  

Boys Under-16 Division schedule

Girls Under-16 Division schedule

Players in the Under-16 Division are 14 or 15 years old by July 31, 2008. Teams generally have 14-18 players on the roster. This division plays U-16 teams from AYSO Area 2A, which includes Portola Valley (Region 25), Palo Alto (26), Los Altos (43), Sunnyvale (44), Mountain View (45), and Menlo Park (109). Games are on Sundays for this division.

In the Under-16 and Under-19 Divisions, free substitution is permitted in the 4th period for players who have already played 2 full quarters. See the referees' Free Substitution Rules page for a full description.

Under-16 and Under-19 finish their season in early November to avoid running into the high school soccer season. CCS rules do not allow a player on a high school team to participate in another soccer program at the same time.


Under-19 Division

Boys Commissioner: Cathy Rivlin ,  
Girls Commissioner: Cathy Rivlin ,  

Boys Under-19 Division schedule

Girls Under-19 Division schedule

Players in the Under-19 Division are 16, 17, or 18 years old by July 31, 2008. This division plays U-19 teams from AYSO Area 2A, which includes Portola Valley (Region 25), Palo Alto (26), Los Altos (43), Sunnyvale (44), Mountain View (45), and Menlo Park (109). Games are on Sundays for this division.

In the Under-16 and Under-19 Divisions, free substitution is permitted in the 4th period for players who have already played 2 full quarters. See the referees' Free Substitution Rules page for a full description.

Under-16 and Under-19 finish their season in early November to avoid running into the high school soccer season. CCS rules do not allow a player on a high school team to participate in another soccer program at the same time.


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