Secondary Play

Secondary Play historically has been the term encompassing all programs outside the regular, primary, open-registration season program that players in AYSO can participate in. This was mainly a focus of tournaments that were both concurrent and long after the Primary Play season. Such tournaments were sometimes organized with all-star, select team participation. With the formalization of the Flex Play program recently, Secondary Play may be scaled back to just tournaments and possibly non-concurrent leagues.

Secondary Play has been governed not only by the traditional rules sources, but also the National Tournament Commission?. They aperiodically publish a National Tournament Handbook outlining the rules and requirements for both tournaments and other special programs. The NBOD has been approving pilot, conditional programs in various regions, areas and sections for concurrent and secondary play leagues. Most are based on having higher skill-based tryout teams. Clearly concurrent leagues with the primary season are now covered by the Flex Play program. Leagues in a season after the Primary Play program are unclear as to whose program they will fall under.

In 2005, the National Tournament Commission put into place a Coach Certification policy to take effect in August 2009. It requires a minimum coach training and certification level for any head coach involved with a Secondary Play team. Some Sections and Areas have implemented this policy earlier.

Planned updates to the National Tournament Handbook are covered in the separate documents issued for the 2010 National Games. These concern Player Eligibility and Team Formation. Such rules are expected to be enforced and applied to all tournaments and secondary play (and likely Extended Play) programs going forward. They are provided here as a fore warning, if not already in effect.

National Tournament Commission Handbook (local copy)
National Board of Directors Policies (see Section 2 on Secondary Play) (also local copy)

Coach Certification from National Tournament Commission

Player Eligibility from 2010 National Games
Team Formation from 2010 National Games

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