West Seattle Soccer Club
Player Rosters, Eligibility Rules, & Guest Player Policy

Purpose
West Seattle Soccer Club exists to provide long-term, sustainable support for youth recreational soccer in our community. Our eligibility and guest player policies are carefully designed not only to protect the club’s integrity and viability but also to clearly outline the responsibilities of our Volunteer Coaches. These policies work in your favor by ensuring that you, the coach, are protected through the club’s administrative processes and the insurance coverage maintained by dues paid to our governing bodies. 
 
While strict adherence to eligibility and verification rules is critical to maintaining fair play and safety for all players, we recognize that mistakes can happen. In rare cases where ineligible players participate, disciplinary actions are necessary to uphold the integrity of the league and protect everyone involved. We strongly encourage coaches to reach out proactively with any questions or concerns—our goal is to support you in navigating these requirements confidently and effectively. 

Section 1.  Player Rosters and Eligibility Rules
Your Responsibility

• Only players listed on your official roster may participate in practices and matches, except as allowed under Section 2: the Guest Player Policy. Players not on your official roster (hereafter “unrostered players”) may participate only as specified in that policy.
• Rostered players are registered and insured through Washington Youth Soccer (WYS). You are not responsible for registration or insurance but must confirm all players on the field meet these criteria.

Why This Matters:

• Coaches who allow unrostered or ineligible players risk significant personal legal liability. 
• Players not listed on official rosters do not have WSSC or WYS insurance coverage.
•  Injuries involving unrostered or ineligible players may expose coaches to personal financial responsibility for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other costs. 
•  Liability protections from the club or WYS may be voided if rules are violated. 
• Courts may find that coaches who knowingly allow unrostered or ineligible players have acted with intentional and reckless negligence, potentially resulting in punitive damages.  
• The club may also face legal and financial consequences.

Preventative Steps:

• Always verify your roster before each practice and game.
•  Contact club administrators if you are unsure about a player’s roster status. 
•  Review and understand all applicable rules and regulations. 

Section 2.  Guest Player Policy
Purpose:
West Seattle Soccer Club’s Guest Policy is designed to ensure a fun and active playing environment for teams who are suffering a critical lack of players for a specific match while also ensuring maximal compliance with our responsibility to ensure only players covered by the club’s insurance and liability protections take part in sanctioned team events.  

Key Rules:

• No Guest Players are allowed at U6 and U7. An informal reduced number of players on the field can play a friendly.
• For U8 – U12, Coaches must submit a request by email to the VP of Players and their opposing Coach by 12pm local time the Thursday prior to their match day. All passes will be approved or denied by Friday evening. 
• Required information will include:
  • Name of Guest Player
  • Team Guest Player is currently allocated to
  • Division and Age Group Guest Player is allocated to
  • Date of birth for Guest Player
  • Number of players expected to attend the match and who is missing (First and Last Name)
• When Can Guest Players Be Used:
  • 5v5 teams (U8) can have guest players to bring their gameday roster to a maximum size of 7.
  • 7v7 teams (U9 and U10) can have guest players to bring their gameday roster to a maximum size of 9.
  • 9v9 teams (U11 and U12) can have guest players to bring their gameday roster to a maximum size of 11.
  • Approvals for any Guest Player are good for only the requested match. Approvals are entirely at the discretion of the Board.
• Who is eligible:
  • Players rostered on girls’ teams can guest play in boys’ divisions, but players rostered on boys’ teams cannot guest play in girls’ divisions.
  • Only players who are currently rostered and in good standing with an active WSSC team are eligible to guest play.
  • No player rostered in the same division or older is eligible as a guest player on a given team. ie. A U9 player may not guest play on a different U9 team.
  • No player may choose to miss a team event for their primary roster in order to guest play.  

Section 3.  Coach Responsibilities:

• Coaches are solely responsible for ensuring guest player policy compliance on their teams.
• Coaches must verify guest player eligibility before allowing participation.
• Verify guest player eligibility before participation by checking the online roster or confirming with your age group coordinator or WSSC Board member via email: [email protected].
• Coaches who allow unregistered or ineligible players to guest play may be subject to disciplinary action, with consideration given to whether the coach exercised due diligence in verifying player eligibility based on the information reasonably available at the time.

Section 4.  Disciplinary Actions

• If a team is found to have been negligent in preventing the participation of ineligible players or abusing the guest player policy, that team will forfeit the game in question and will face an additional 3-point deduction in divisions where standings are kept.
• All team staff confirmed in attendance at the match will be suspended for two weeks of club activity.
• In the case of Volunteers who feature on multiple teams they are suspended from activity with all teams for the duration of their suspension.
• Suspension periods will not include weeks where there was no scheduled game or the team or teams in question had scheduled BYE’s.
• If no eligible volunteer is available to oversee match days during suspension, those games will be forfeited without refund or opportunity rescheduling.
• Replacement volunteers must complete all required safety certifications and background checks before assuming team duties.

Please review this document carefully. If you have questions or need support, contact the club at any time. We are here to help you succeed in your coaching role.

Policy Approved August 11, 2025
Page Updated August 17, 2025
PDF Version:  [Approved 8.11.25] WSSC Player Rosters, Eligibility Rules & Guest Player Policy.pdf