Louisiana Competitive Soccer League (LCSL)

Starting with the 2011-2012 soccer year, there will be two levels of soccer in Louisiana: Recreational and Competitive.

Recreational Soccer is defined as teams formed WITHOUT the use of tryouts, invitations, recruiting or any like process to roster players selectively to any team on the basisof talent or ability. Teams are formed by a method tocreate a balanced or impartial distribution of playing talent among all teams participating. Each player shall be required to play the minimum of 50% of the time.

Competitive Soccer is defined as teams formed WITH the use of tryouts, invitations, recruiting or any like process to roster players selectively to a team on the basis of talent or ability. Each player has no guarantee of minimum playing time.

Competitive team tryouts for the following soccer year shall be conducted during the established Tryout Period. At the conclusion of the Tryout Period, an established Dead Period will ensue. Teams may not host tryouts or directly solicit players during the Dead Period. Invitations for team membership shall be extended to players on the Invitation Date. The invitations must be sent by one of the approved methods detailed in Policy 311.

Players shall accept in writing, by email, or by online registration to only one team. Players who are not placed/selected by this procedure may contact any team with openings after the Dead Period.

What does this mean to your Club?

All Competitive teams are encouraged to participate in the “LCSL”. The “LCSL” is for all U11-U18 Boys & Girls. To participate in a Competitive State Cup (the previous Premier or Division I), the team must participate in the “LCSL” or a Region III Premier League. Every team that participates in one of the above leagues will be eligible to participate in a Competitive State Tournament. There will still be a U19 State Tournament however there is no league play requirement. The U19 Teams may elect to participate in either the Competitive I or II State Tournament.

What is the Louisiana Competitive Soccer League?

The “LCSL” is a league where depending on your level of play you will either participate in a Regional league or a
State Wide League. There will be a champion at each age group/gender of each league and results will determine
which level of the Competitive State Tournament you participate in and will provide seeding for the State Tournament. Generally most teams will need to allocate slightly less than half of the available weekends in a given
playing season to league play, including weekends for potential playoffs if applicable and make up dates.

When do you apply to the Louisiana Competitive Soccer League?

Teams must apply to the “LCSL” by August 8, 2011. If a U11 or U12 team is formed after the August 8 deadline, there will be an additional period to add a team to the “LCSL” for the spring. The deadline for this Letter of Intent will be November 15.

What input does a team have toward the schedule for the Louisiana Competitive
Soccer League?

On your letter of intent U11-U13 teams can list 2 weekends for each of the seasons (Fall & Spring) and U14-U18
teams can list 3 weekends (Fall through Spring combined), when their team is not available to play league games
(Blackout Dates).

Teams can also list tournaments that they would be willing to play league games in and the “LCSL” schedule will try
to incorporate these tournaments. However only half of a team’s league games can be played in a tournament and
the game must be the first game of the day for both teams and the tournament must have previously agreed to allow leagues games to be regulation length.

With agreement of the their opponent and the Competitive Commissioner, U11-U13 teams can re-schedule 2 games for each of the seasons (Fall & Spring) and U14-U18 teams can re-schedule 3 games (Fall through Spring combined).

Determination of which league your team will play in?

Level of play (State or Regional League) for the initial year of “LCSL” will be determined by the results of the 2011 State Tournaments. Teams must maintain more than 50% of their roster to retain their placement, otherwise the will be placed in the Regional league initially. Teams can petition the Competitive Committee if they feel extenuating circumstances exist why their team should be in the State Wide League. The top finishing teams from the 2011 Premier State Tournament will be eligible to participate in the Region III Premier Leagues.