We just finished a game in a tourney and while the team we played was usually big I thought nothing of it. Watching them play there were some clear differences physically. We lost and after the game ended a couple of our boys recognized some of their players and knew for sure they were in an age bracket older than us. Nothing you can do about it, but I'm curious how often this happens.
Using another player's card
- Thread starter sbay
- Start date
Almost 20 years ago, back when we got all our soccer discussions on the long-dead gotsoccer forum, there was a long discussion of a team in Cal SOuth that registered overage players by using false documents (cousins' birth certificates, as I remember it). They were found out when they played a team that included some of their school friends. The coaches and club administrators were banned for a long time, the players were required to play a year or two up until they aged out of the youth soccer system.
Wez
DA
It's hard to believe this still happens. I assume you are talking about the FC Golden State team you guys lost to in West Coast. We scrimmaged a LAUFA team awhile ago that had some amazing size. I wish there was an easy way to keep this from happening.
Pro sports are filled with huge people so there is no reason to fault a team for picking large talented kids, but to outright cheat on the ages is pathetic.
Wez
DA
I'm guessing the majority of complaints are just sour grapes. I'm referring to the legitimate cheating cases, that sbay alluded to.
Just conjecture, not trying to convict anyone without due process...
I am not mentioning any club or any team. Please do not assume. I have no idea if it is true nor would I begin to assume that a kid saying "hey I know that kid from school and he is a year older" is true or not. No proof No reason to question any coach or club....To be clear. I am just wondering if this happens often.
In our club, we had a kid who tried out for and made the roster of one of our teams (BU10 or so). Only when the registrar tried to sign him up with Cal South did she determine that he was a few weeks too old, due to confusion between the coach and the kid's parents.
Then we were pressured to put him on the team a year older, even though he really wasn't good enough for that team.
gauchosean
SILVER
Very rarely, penalties for getting caught can be harsh and coaches/DOCs/registrars won't risk it, especially the bigger clubs where their livelyhood would be threatened if they got caught. Kid being in an older grade may not mean he is older. With the new age brackets you are going to have a lot more teams with kids from different grades, the previous age brackets were about keeping kids in the same grade together now they are not.
I should have said older age bracket instead of grade. Either way....just curious about this.
A lot of kids play up a year, my younger son did until u12. He would also guest with the team his actually age at the same club on a fairly regular basis whenever they needed a player. Probably looked like older player playing down but nothing illegal. With lots of kids on vacation during the summer teams often have guest players which can look like cheating but let's face it coaches rarely ask bad players to guest they usually ask good players and that affects outcomes and pisses people off.
GunninGopher
SILVER ELITE
It is good of you to reiterate that you aren't accusing anyone of actually doing it, because your original post might have been interpreted that way.
Too often a kid will suggest something, maybe out of blind ignorance, and other kids pile on supporting the claim. You always have to take something kids say with a grain of salt.
I'd be surprised if a team did this on purpose. Well, almost surprised, depending on the club.
Yes, I am clarifying. Not directed at any club or team. Could be the kid was pissed about the outcome and made the comment in out of frustration. No assumptions please
They may have been last season. Since its the calendar year, Jan~July kids were in fact older bracket than your kids.
Also, if its 12~14 yrs old range, puberty has a huge effect so it may be a case of early puberty too. I wouldn't jump to your conclusion, based on heresy from kids and drag it publicly like this....
Wez
DA
He didn't mention any names, I did, but I also said this was all conjecture and not meant to deny the teams due process to defend themselves. It's a discussion about how prevalent people think this is.
Socal United
SILVER ELITE
I saw him just a few weeks ago, he looks the exact same now as he did then. He was with his girlfriend, my how time flies.
During my son's first season at U7, we had a young man that was at least a foot taller and 50 pounds bigger than every kid. We carried his paperwork everywhere, but usually just having dad there removed any doubt he was the right age(6'9" 295).
As for how often, I remember a few years ago at U10 our team and a South Bay Force team with Luis Gil were the favorites. Out of nowhere, a Celtic team started just running over everyone through state cup. By the 3rd weekend, every parent known to man had done their due diligence including following people home,etc. Needless to say, they had 4 players overaged and the team was forced to drop. As was said, losing keeps people from caring.
It still happens believe it or not. There was an extremely talented kid playing a year down, physically he was way more mature than others. Well the opposing team older brother recognized him at a league game. The other club turned in the team and the player is suspended for two years not sure what happend to the coach.
The kid I was referring to grew to about average height, but he still had no left foot.
Socal United
SILVER ELITE
Yeah, SI. Such a quiet kid, complete opposite from dad. His body never seemed to completely recover from growing so fast so early.
I heard rumors he played pro in Mexico for a while.
His little brother was supposed to be a better player, but I lost track of him after seeing his name in box scores for Palomar College.