To: Referee Working USYSA Games
From: Kevin Dearman, New Jersey State Youth Referee
Administrator
Subject: USYS/NJYS 2012-2013 Passes
Fellow Referees,
As referees we are required to inspect team passes (players,
coaches). The purpose of this email is to communicate some
important changes regarding passes, effective Immediately.
This email covers what you need to know about those changes, as
well as reinforcing current requirements that are still valid.
IMPORTANT: this information refers only to US Youth Soccer/ New
Jersey Youth Soccer (NJYS) passes. This information does NOT
apply to any passes from any other organization.
For the 2012-2013 season:
1) This year’s 2012-2013 NJYS player and volunteer coach passes
will all have pass numbers that begin with “NJ13 ….”.
2) Non-Volunteer (‘paid trainer’) passes are materially unchanged
from last year .. these passes begin with “NV….” and will be marked
as 2012-2013 passes for this year.
Non Volunteer ("paid trainer") Passes will have digital photos on their
passes this year ... no 'glued' photos. They will also have a stamp,
signature, and date on them generated from the State Office.
3) NJYS passes may or may not be laminated….there is NO
requirement for NJYS passes to be laminated for NJYS League
matches ….you will not reject a pass because it is not laminated, nor
should you instruct coaches/team mangers that the passes should be
laminated.
All the material changes affecting the new player/volunteer coach
passes this year affect the BACK of the pass:
PLAYER/VOLUNTEER COACH PHOTOGRAPH - All passes MUST
have a photograph of the person named on that pass. No Photograph
– No Play/Participate – No Exceptions. All passes MUST be
physically present and available for inspection before the match
begins, or before that player/coach is allowed to participate in that
match. NO copies of passes are allowed. NO photographs on 'smart'
phones are allowed. No Pass - No Play/Participate - No Exception.
There are now TWO acceptable types of photographs on passes.
The traditional “passport” style photograph glued on the passes, OR
photographs that have been pre-printed (computer generated) onto
the passes. Either version is acceptable and legal, and teams may
have a set of passes that have all ‘traditional glued on’ photographs,
or all ‘printed’ photographs, or they have a mix of both glued and
printed.
The important point is BOTH types of photographs are acceptable
and not all players/coaches need to have the same type of
photograph. As long as there is a photograph with a likeness of the
coach/player somewhere on the back of that person's pass (it does
not have to be in the top-left hand corner) the pass is OK, and the
player/coach is allowed to participate.
As we have done in the past, if there is no photograph on the back of
the player/volunteer coach pass, or if the photograph is detached
from the pass, the player/coach is NOT allowed to participate in that
match, and you MUST retain that pass and return it to the
League/competition authority that the match is being played under.
– Signatures are NO LONGER REQUIRED ON PASSES.
You will not see a player, volunteer coach, or Non Volunteer
signature on the back of the pass as in previous years, and therefore
the pass is OK without a signature from the player/volunteer coach or
Non Volunteer coach
PASS VALIDATION BY DISTRICT COMMISSIONER – as in the
past, passes are validated by District Commissioner (DC’s) and the
referee must look for this validation. There are three specific items to
inspect:
1) DC STAMP – The 12-13 stamp of the validating District
Commissioner will appear somewhere on the back of the pass. It may
touch part of the photograph, it may not touch part of the photograph,
but as long as the DC stamp is somewhere on the back of the pass,
the pass is OK.
2) DC SIGNATURE – The validating DC will sign the pass
somewhere on the back of the pass. As long as the DC’s signature
appears somewhere on the back of the pass, the pass is OK.
3) DC DATE – The validating DC will date the pass somewhere on
the back of the pass. As long as the DC’s date appears somewhere
on the back of the pass, the pass is OK.
All three of this items SHOULD be present.
IF THE DC STAMP IS IN ERROR OR MISSING, the player/coach is
NOT allowed to participate in that match, and you MUST retain that
pass and return it to the League/competition authority that the match
is being played under.
If the DATE or the DC SIGNATURE is in error or missing you WILL
allow the person to participate. You will note the problem in your
game report and notify your assignor and return the pass to the
player/coach at the end of the match (unless of course that person
was send off and the league requires you to retain the pass)
SUMMARY:
The referee will inspect NJYS passes for 4 items somewhere on the
back of the pass .. photo, DC stamp, DC signature, DC date.
PHOTO MISSING/DETACHED FROM PASS – player/coach does
not play under any circumstances, you keep the pass (do NOT return
to the team) and send the pass to the league.
DC'S 12-13 STAMP IS MISSING - player/coach does not play under
any circumstances, you keep the pass (do NOT return to the team)
and send the pass to the league.
DC'S DATE or DC’S SIGNATURE MISSING – the player/coach plays
in that match, the pass is returned to the team, but you must advise
the League and your assignor of the error.
The New Jersey State Referee Committee realizes that the above is
an increase in the administrative responsibilities for the referee, but it
is a requirement from one of the leagues that we get paid to serve,
and as such we will adhere to the requirements. More than ever, it is
important that the referees arrive to games with plenty of time to allow
for proper inspection of players equipment and passes and to allow
for a prompt start of the match.
Thank you.
Kevin Dearman
New Jersey State Youth Referee Administrator