Eligibility

Player Eligibility

  1. Age Requirement for spring and fall seasons is based on the player’s school age.
    1. U14 Division: If a player is in middle school, they are eligible, regardless of age.
    2. High School Division
      1. If a player is still in high school, they are still eligible, regardless of age.
      2. A player, who has graduated high school but is not yet 18 as of the prior August 1 is still eligible to participate.
      3. A player who graduates from high school early (at the conclusion of the fall semester) is still eligible for the spring season.
II. Players who are rostered on a non-MARS league team are NOT eligible to participate in MARS games during the MARS season. Please note the exceptions to this rule for players on their high school team, which is listed below.
  1. Carded players
Definition: A player who plays for a club (i.e. classic, challenge, etc.) is carded for each fall and spring season - whether their club team is active that season or not.In general, this covers the period from August 1 through June 1. For example: a girl who plays club in the fall is still considered carded in the MARS spring season. A boy, who plays club in the spring, is still considered carded in the preceding MARS fall season.
  1. Clubs and their teams participating in MARS have all agreed to the following:
    1. U14 and younger Divisions: Under no circumstances may a U14 or younger carded Challenge or Classic player participate in a MARS game.
    2. High School Divisions: A team may have up to three carded U15 or older age Challenge or Classic players participating on the field in a game at the same time (i.e. 3 of the 11 on the playing field), providing:
      1. The player is not rostered on any local High School Varsity or JV teams.
      2. It is during the non-club season for those players:
        1. Spring is the non-club season for girls.
        2. Fall is the non-club season for Boys.
      3. During the MARS End of Season tournament, only one carded player at a time (i.e. 1 of the 11 on the playing field) may participate. Any additional carded player(s) would be on the sideline and essentially sub in for the carded player in the game.
  1. High School (HS)
  1. If a player is on their school's Varsity roster at the time of the first scheduled MARS spring game, they will be ineligible to participate in the MARS HS level. If the player is called up to Varsity from JV after the first scheduled MARS fall game, they will remain eligible to participate in the HS level.
  2. EXCEPTION: If a girl is rostered on her HS Varsity team as of the first scheduled MARS spring game, she is still eligible to play MARS HS COED.
  3. It will be the coach's responsibility to obtain the respective high school team's Varsity and JV roster by the time of the first scheduled MARS spring game and submit it to their respective Club Commissioner and the MARS Coordinator. This is intended to resolve any issues that might later arise regarding eligibility.
  1. High School Divisions Team Eligibility
    1. Each team is allowed a maximum of six out of season Varsity players per team. There is no limit for out of season JV players.
    2. The maximum number of out of season JV or Varsity players permitted on the field at the same time is six.
    3. The above will be re-evaluated before the tournament. Adjustments will be made if needed.
  1. Rosters
    1. An exception to rostered players is in place for the regular season but NOT during the End of Season Tournament. See Guest & Shared Players.
  1. Guest & Shared Players
    1. Definition:
      1. Guest player is not on the roster of the team but must be a player registered with another MARS team.
      2. Shared players are rostered on two different teams (during the regular season) within the same age group (i.e. rostered on two different HS Girls teams, etc.). This enables a team with a limited number of players to have enough players to compete each game.
    2. During the regular season, ONLY ROSTERED players are permitted to participate in MARS games, except for the following provision:
      1. Guest or shared players are permitted if a team has no more than fourteen total players, for a game.
      2. Guest players must still meet eligibility requirements.
    3. During the End of Season Tournament:
      1. Guest players are NOT permitted. A team discovered using guest players during the tournament is subject to forfeiture of that tournament game.
      2. Sharing players between teams within the same age group division (i.e. two different HS Girls teams, etc.) is NOT permitted. A team discovered using a player from another team (within the same division) during the tournament is subject to forfeiture of that tournament game.