Trial Permits in the GKSSA

Revised May, 2007

Trial Permit Introduction

In the 2005 Outdoor Season the GKSSA introduced a system for teams being able to use additional GKSSA players on a trial basis. Similar systems have been used by both the ERSL and some of the local youth leagues. In 2007, based on experiences of the previous two seasons, the trial permit process was changed in a couple of significant ways.

• trial permits may now be requested and approved via e-mail
• the number of trial players a team may use in one season has been increased
• the fees previously associated with obtaining a trial permit have been eliminated

Trial Permit Advantages

• teams that might otherwise be short-handed for a game benefit by being able to borrow players in order to field a full team
• players who are interested in seeing if they are able to play at a higher level benefit by being able to play in another division without making a season-long commitment to a team (it also makes it easier for players considering such a transfer to discover if the player and the team are compatible)

Direct questions about this policy to both the GKSSA Statistician and to the Registrar.

Trial Permits Rules

1. A trial player must be a registered player in good standing with the GKSSA and the OSA.
   • Being in good standing includes, but is not limited to, the player not being under suspension.
   • The trialed player must be registered with a GKSSA team in a lower division (C for a trial in B, B or C for a trial in A). (For example, KUSC teams do not have automatic access to any player registered with the KUSC club. Only GKSSA-registered players are eligible.)
2. A trial player may only play in divisions higher than his own.
3. A trial player may only participate with one team per division each season.
4. A player can play a maximum of two trial games per season with another team without being obliged to complete a full transfer to that team.
5. A player can play a maximum of three trial games per season. If a player plays all three trial games with the same team, that player is considered to have made a full transfer to that team at no additional cost. In this case, the “automatic full transfer” is not subject to the deadline date for regular player transfers.
6. A trial player must have his completed and stamped OSA player book with him at all trial games for purposes of identification.
7. A card received by a trial player is treated as any other card and contributes to that player’s seasonal total.
8. A team may use a maximum of three trial players per game.
9. There is no seasonal limit on the number of trial permits a team may use.
10. The application for a trial permit must be received by both the GKSSA Registrar and Statistician 24 hours prior to the trial game. This may all be done by e-mail.
    • the application must clearly indicate the teams, game(s), date(s), and player(s) involved (typically, this is simply a copy of the e-mail the requesting manager makes to the manager of the team that has the GKSSA registered player who will be playing on the trial permit)
    • the application must include an e-mail from the player’s regular team coach or manager authorizing the trial player(s) to play
    • if making the application by e-mail, after the authorizing manager has granted permission for the player to play on a trial permit, the requesting manager need only forward the completed e-mail thread to the GKSSA Registar and Statisician
11. Trial players cannot be used for Cup games or Playoff games.
12. There is no fee for trial permits.
13. The trial player must be listed on the gamesheet and must be marked as TRIAL PLAYER.

An Example of Trial Permit Use

Terry plays defense with Italia 06 (C Division). Marcello Lippi, a friend of Terry’s, discovers that the Azzurri Blue (A division) will be short players, but wants to field a team to play a game and asks Terry to trial with their team for a game. Terry agrees and both the Azzurri Blue and Italia 06 team reps forward an e-mail to the GKSSA registrar and statistician informing them of this most important call up. With all the paper work completed, Terry plays the game. That means that he has now “played up” once, and can no longer play with any other team in the A division on a trial permit.

Roberto Donadoni, of Forza Italia (B division), hearing of Terry’s goal scoring prowess with the Azzurri Blue, asks Terry to give a run with them. Terry, seeing more goals on the horizon, does so again with all the paper work filled accordingly. That is his second game as a trial player, and now he can no longer play with any other team in the B division on a trial permit.

Terry now has one more game where he is eligible to trial this season, and it can be with either the Azzurri Blue (A) or Forza Italia (B). In both cases, it would be his third (and final) time to play outside of his division, but would only be the second game with either team, thus he would not make an automatic full transfer. Therefore, after using his final trial permit, Terry remains free to stay with his current team, or do a full transfer to any GKSSA team (assuming all conditions of that process can be met).

this page updated on Monday, June 25, 2007 at 20:07