Playing Up Policy

DCYHA - Davis County Youth Hockey Association

DCYHA "Playing Up" Policy

Policy on Advancement to an Age Division other than a Player’s Calendar Age Division


Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to outline the conditions under which a DCYHA player may advance to a higher age bracket (herein after referred to as “playing up”) than that associated
with their calendar age division, i.e 8 and under for Mites, 9 and 10 for Squirts, 11 and 12 for PeeWees, and 13 and 14 for Bantams. This policy also defines the mechanism by which a player can/will be allowed to play up.


Scope
This policy covers all DCYHA players.


Intent
The intent of this policy is to provide a structured means by which players of advanced abilities or size may gain permission from DCYHA to play up. All due consideration will be given to ability, size and safety. No player will be required to play up, nor will any player automatically be allowed to play up without application to the Board of Directors.


Eligibility
A player must meet the following criteria to be considered eligible to play up:

  1. The player must be within one year of advancing to the next age division, and;
  2. The player must be able to play at the ability level of the average player in the age division to which the player seeks to play, as determined by a panel of coaches, or;
  3. The player must be of a size that poses safety risks to other players if allowed to play in his/her calendar age division.


Application
A player’s parent must make a written application to the Board of Directors of DCYHA, stating the reasons their child should be eligible and wishes to play up, within one month of the season’s first game. The Board of Directors or a member of the coaching staff may recommend a player for advancement, based on parental approval.

Selection Criteria
A player will only be advanced to an age division/team which the coaching staff for that age division/team has determined there are available positions, without adversely affecting other ageappropriate members of that age division/team.

A player may, at the Board of Directors or coaching staff’s request, be asked to perform skill sets to determine playing ability. A minimum of 3 members of the coaching staff, with at least one coach each from the age-appropriate group and the group to which the player seeks to advance, will be final judges determining whether the player qualifies based on skill level.

No consideration will be given to any situation where a player may elect to leave DCYHA if not allowed to play up.

Finality

The decisions of the Board of Directors and coaching staff are final. If a player is allowed to play up, that player forfeits the right to play the remainder of the season in his/her age-appropriate division, electing instead to play in the advanced age division. If a player is denied the opportunity to play up, he/she will play the remainder of the season in his/her age-appropriate division.

This policy is made effective January 1, 2003 by a vote of 6 to 0, with one abstention, by the DCYHA Board of Directors. The vote was held on December 23, 2002.