Team Formation and the Division Coordinator

Balanced Teams is one of the six AYSO philosophies and a hallmark of the organization.

Many different methods are used to form and balance teams. Factors which determine the methods used include: maturity of the Region, geographical distribution of the players, and players’ ages and skill levels. With any given method, coaches, players and parents should not expect to be re-paired in succeeding seasons. More information can be found in the AYSO Reference Book.

The method used for U-6 and U-8 players is very different from the method used for older age groups.

In the youngest age groups, geography (nearness to school or park where practice is held) is extremely important. Because the youngest players have not yet had the experience, exposure or maturity to develop individual skills, team formation based on location and age usually results in balanced teams.

A blind formation performed by a committee, based on numbers of children available and taking into account nearness to schools, works well for most Regions. The child whose parent is the coach can be assigned either in the beginning or at the end of the procedure.

For the older children who have more experience in playing and are usually coached by individuals with both more coaching background and more knowledge of the individual players, many Regions have a draft in which players are chosen one at a time by all participating coaches after the players have been rated by either the coaches or the committee. It is important that everyone agrees to the ratings of the players before the selection procedure begins, and that all coaches be present during the selection process. New or inexperienced coaches are at a disadvantage in this type of selection, unless a “blind” draft procedure is employed.

Another option is to have the coaches agree to the ratings for the more experienced players. A committee then looks only at the ratings, makes up the teams, places the coaches’ children, and distributes the teams to the coaches or has the coaches make a blind draw for teams.

The RMS has a team-balancing function built in, and will form the teams and assign the coaches using the data that’s been entered into the system and confirmed to be current.

As a Region grows and matures and coaches gain more experience, there can be more complaints about unfair selection procedures. Stronger coaches will usually end up having stronger teams, no matter what method of selection was used and weaker coaches will end up losing more, and possibly complaining more. The best answer to this is more and better training for coaches, and the use of a team formation system which does not allow coaches to participate at all in the assignment of players.

Initial rating of players can be accomplished by coaches at the end of the season or by divisional committees prior to the beginning of the season.

Skills are usually a primary factor in rating, but size, age, years of experience, and attitude are also used by many Regions.

Some Regions are disbursed so greatly by geography that all children are randomly mixed each year and everyone has to travel some distance for practice and games.

In any system where geography plays a part, coaches stand a good chance of getting at least some of the same players back each year, even when everyone is placed in a blind drawing. Entire teams never stay together as at least 30% will move up to the next division each year.

If a geographical formation of teams results in only one team per division per location, conflicts may occur. To avoid this, work toward having a minimum of two teams per division from the location or go to a more standard team formation process where all available children in the age group are in one pool.

There are several stages involved in the formation and balancing of teams. They are:

• registration

• player evaluation and rating

• team formation

• player notification

• late sign-ups and waiting list

• transfer of players

REGISTRATION

Registration should be scheduled so that ample time is available to sort the players into age groups and into new or returning players.  The more players registered before teams are formed, the easier it will make the job.

PLAYER EVALUATION AND RATING

Most Regions want to have all new players to be evaluated in some other way, usually at an evaluation event. Players should be notified of the evaluation date and location well in advance of the actual evaluation; a good time to do this is on registration day. They should also be given an alternate date in case the player is unable to make the original scheduled time. If coaches will be allowed to choose their own teams, they also must be notified of the evaluation time and date.

Many Regions have returning players evaluated and assigned a rating by their previous season’s coach. If this is done, a review committee should be formed to ensure the ratings are fair.

Evaluation — the method used to evaluate a new player’s ability and often, players returning from previous season. Evaluations are usually held by age group, when coaches from the age group can be present to form their own opinion of the players participating.

A player evaluation committee can be formed whose job is to observe each player, form an opinion and decide upon a rating for each player. Ratings must be recorded and should be made available to the coaches, if the coaches are to select their own teams. An age appropriate skills list can be obtained by calling the AYSO Player Development Department. This may prove helpful in determining a player’s ability.

Rating — this is usually given by number, i.e., 1 through 5, 1 through 10, or 1 through 15, with 1 being the low rating. An additional option is rating players weighted by team standings and age of players, i.e., first or second year in age group.

Some Regions take many things into account when determining this number. For instance, age, number of years played, height and weight are often given a specific value which, when added to the ability rating, are used to give a final value for use in team formation.

Some Regions will only use the ability rating determined at the evaluation or by the previous season’s coach.

Note: Sample Player Evaluation Forms  are provided in the Appendix.

TEAM FORMATION

Now that each player has a rating number, a method for team formation must be decided. There are many methods, but usually a variation of one of the following two methods is used:

1. Each coach is allowed to select his/her own team by picking players one at a time in a predetermined order. (The order can be decided by drawing lots for position.) If the coach has a son or daughter, then this player is selected during a certain round. It is a good idea to decide which round individually, depending upon the ability or rating of these players.

This system has an advantage because each coach knows their selections and can have other reasons for making a selection than a player’s rating alone. The main disadvantage is that some coaches do a very fine job of selecting a team, while others fail miserably for one reason or another. This can create a very unbalanced situation.

It is also recognized that coaching ability varies considerably, so even with meticulous balancing some teams will bypass other teams in skill and overall performance.

2. Select teams based only on the rating numbers without reference to the player’s name. If this is done, some provision must be made for the coach’s son or daughter so that they are held aside and inserted into the team based on their rating or traded for a like-rated player after formation.

A method can be used which does not require a computer. Simply make up a card for every player which contains personal history on one side and a rating on the other. Separate all sons and daughters of coaches and keep them turned rating side up. Turn all the remaining cards so the rating side is up. Determine how many teams are to be formed. Balance each team based on age and rating without referring to the players’ names. Place each son and daughter of a coach on different teams, also subject to their age and rating. The team will now be coached by the coach whose son or daughter happens to be on that particular team.                   

RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES FOR BALANCING TEAMS – “BLIND DRAW”

These guidelines are offered as a model for balancing teams. These suggestions have proven their merit many times in many Regions and are endorsed by AYSO’s National Coaching Advisory Commission.

Geographic dispersion may not allow the use of these guidelines. However, in all instances for the enjoyment of all players, coaches, and parents, the primary goal is to strive to balance teams within each Region. Use this method.

1. Under the direction of the Regional Coach Administrator or appropriate Division Coordinator, a meeting of all coaches in each age division and gender should be scheduled. These meetings will take about one hour for each group and can be scheduled consecutively during an evening or on a weekend.

2. In advance of the meeting, a 3” x 5” index card with each player’s name, age and prior soccer experience is made up. The meeting commences with each 3” x 5” card placed face up on a table. The coaches are instructed to rate the soccer/ athletic ability of each player they know personally and to write that rating, using a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being most skilled), on the player’s card. Players whose playing skills are unknown may be assigned a (3). If ratings are made at the close of the prior season by each coach of each player in the Region, these can be used to great advantage in this exercise.

3. After all coaches present have recorded their rating on each player’s card, a consensus rating is noted in a different colored pencil or pen by the Regional Coach Administrator or Division Coordinator. Now all players have been rated. Recognize that an absent coach will not be at a disadvantage in this draft system.

4. All players in the older of the two ages in the division are equally, distributed by talent rating, to each team. The player name cards should be placed in columns equal to the number of teams in the division. This generally occurs by having the highest rated players distributed first to the lowest rated players distributed last. The same is now done for the younger age of the division. At the conclusion of this effort, there should be “x” number of columns of 3” x 5” player cards, equal to the number of teams in the division.

5. All coaches suggest as many switches of cards as required to more equally balance the teams. This effort generally is of a short duration. Once each coach feels all the teams are generally equal the switching is concluded.

6. Now each column is numbered and a corresponding number is written on a piece of paper. The pieces of paper are placed in a “hat,” mixed, and each coach selects a piece of paper, noting the column of player cards that is now “theirs.” If coaches’ children are not on the coach’s team, a switch is made with an equally talented player from another team. This switch is done by the Coach Administrator or Division Commissioner with the consensus of all coaches. At this point each team is equal and complete. The players on each team are recorded on a piece of paper from the cards. The 3” x 5” player cards should not be released to coaches but be retained by the Division Commissioner or the Coach Administrator. The coach’s copies of the appropriate registration forms can be given to each coach and the next draft can commence.

BALANCING TEAMS IN AGE GROUPS WITH LIMITED ENROLLMENT

Often Regions find themselves with a problem of how to balance teams when they only have enough players in an age group to make up two or three teams. To compound the problem, these Regions often do not have a neighbor Region to inter-play with or the nearby Region does not want to inter-play.

One suggestion which has proved successful is to let the players choose their own teams at each game. It works like this:  Determine the number of players in the age group and what playing dates are available for this group. Once the field, date and time schedules are known, schedule the players to show up in groups.

Schedule a minimum of 12 players per game (six-a-side); between 14 and 16 players will assure full teams and substitutes. Two players are designated as “captains” for each game and are responsible for choosing teams. The captains should be of somewhat equal skill. Coaches and assistant coaches are involved in this program by conducting practices and being present at every game to coach the “teams” as they are chosen up each week. This system will not work for everyone, but those who do use it, will relish the opportunities it creates.

Late Sign-ups and Waiting Lists

It is recommended that if players sign up after teams have been formed, they be placed on a waiting list. Be sure that you have a rating on each of the players either from the year before or according to the Region policy on new player ratings.  As players drop from teams, those on the waiting list can be assigned based on rating.  The newly assigned player’s rating should as closely as possible equate to the rating of the one being replaced -- assignment to teams should retain the balance.  If there is no way to rate the player, then it is recommended that they be placed on teams on a first-come, first-served basis. The main thing to remember is to always be consistent; do not say you will do something, and then fail to follow through.