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2008 Application
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Playing Rules
[Updated 07/12/07]

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[Updated 01/11/08]

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Game Report
[Updated 03/03/08]

Archives
[Updated 07/26/07]

Participation in the Region I Premier League will qualify teams for their National Championship Competition. The Region I Premier League is available ONLY to those teams within the 15 State Associations in Region I. Read Bob Palmeiro's Forum on how the teams are selected for the Premier League.

Age Groups both Boys and Girls: Under 14, Under 15, Under 16, Under 17 and Under 18.

League Info: The League will consist of a sixteen (16) team Premier Division for both boys and girls in the Under 14, Under 15, Under 16, Under 17 and Under 18 Age Groups. The league season will begin in March and will conclude the weekend of Mothers Day with Semi-Finals and Finals.

The sixteen teams will be divided into two (2) groups of eight. Each team will play each team in their group once for a seven (7) game schedule. At the end of league play there will be a semi-final and a final match for the top four teams (top two teams in each group).

Games will be played on Saturdays and there generally will be two (2) games scheduled each day.

Team Acceptance: The Region I Premier League is for the top sixteen teams through out the Region in the U14 to U18 age groups for both girls and boys. The competition is designed to allow the very best teams in Region I to play each other in a league format. With only sixteen positions available in any age group through out the Region, entry into the league is competitive. Each year, selection of the 16 teams becomes more difficult. We have established a promotion/relegation system to assure that the best 16 teams are selected for the league. An automatic bids for the Premier League will be given to:

Therefore 15 of the 16 bids may be earned by teams playing regional competition.

Teams that receive an automatic bid must demonstrate continuity of roster from the previous year to the current year. To demonstrate continuity of roster, a minimum of 51% of the players from the team's previous year roster that is on file with the Premier League must be on the team's current roster. The League will verify the roster of all teams receiving an automatic bid. Any team that receives an automatic bid and does not meet the continuity of roster requirement will be fined $2000 and will be automatically removed from the league.

Only teams that receive an automatic bid must demonstrate continuity of roster. This requirement does not apply to any other team that is applying to play in the Premier League. A team that may have earned an automatic bid but cannot demonstrate continuity of roster may apply to play in the Premier League by forfeiting their automatic bid. They will then be considered with all of teams that apply for the league.

Wildcards: The Boys and Girls Under 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 Champions of the Region I Premier League will be the AUTOMATIC wildcard (regardless of their team’s actual age level) for the 2008 Boys and Girls Under 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 Region I National Championships respectively.

- If a Premier League Champion is a State Champion, the wildcard of that age group will go to the Premier League’s Runner-Up.
- If the Runner-Up is a State Champion, the wildcard of that age group will go to the Premier League’s third place team.
- If the third place team is a State Champion, the wildcard of that age group will go the Premier League's fourth place team.
- If the fourth place team is a State Champion, the wildcard of that age group will go the Premier League's fifth place team.
- If the fifth place team is a State Champion, the wildcard of that age group will go the Premier League's sixth place team.

If the sixth place team is a State Champion, the wild card of that age group will revert back to the Region I Championship Committee.

There will be no play off to determine the fifth and sixth place team. The league's tie breaker rules will be applied to the two teams finishing in third place in each division to determine the fifth and sixth place teams.

Teams participating in the Boys and Girls Under 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 Region I Premier League are subject to their own State Associations National Championship State Cup Rules as well as all US Youth Soccer National Championship Rules.

A team that participates in the Boys and Girls Under 14, 15, 15, 16, 17 and 18 Region I Premier League and does NOT participate in their State Association’s National Championship State Cup Competition CANNOT be the automatic wildcard and/or alternate.

A team who captures the Boys and Girls Under 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 Region I Premier League Championship and has forfeited a game(s) in their State Association’s National Championship State Cup Competition (either prior to or after the Premier League Competition) WILL NOT be eligible for an automatic wildcard and/or alternate in the Region I National Championships.

Guest Players: Guest Players will NOT be allowed on any teams participating in the Region I Premier League.

Application Procedures: Each Application and required Team Information Form MUST be accompanied with a League Fee (check made payable to Region I). Teams not accepted into the League will receive their league fee back. (Note: The league fee does not cover the Referee game fees). Teams who, upon notification of acceptance, withdraw from the league will forfeit their League Fee. Teams that are not accepted into the Premier League will be offered a position in the appropriate Regional League.

Referee Fees: The three (3) referee system will be used for all games. Fees will be announced at a later date.

Assignment of Officials: Game officials will be assigned by either the State Association’s SRA or SYRA.

Payment of Referee Fees: Each team will be responsible for bringing their half of the referee game fee to the field. A team that fails to pay their half of the referee fees will be fined $250.

Forfeit Fee: Any team forfeiting a game will be fined $250 and will also have to pay the entire referee fees of the game forfeited. Any game forfeited after April 15th will incur a fine of $500 plus the entire referee fees.

Game Availability: All accepted teams must make themselves available for ALL Premier League Games beginning March 1st through Mother’s Day Weekend .

Application Form: The Application Form can be downloaded off this site and the deadline date to enter is Friday, November 30, 2007. Notification of Acceptance or Non-Acceptance will be sent to each team's primary contact - via email - by December 30, 2007.

Questions regarding the Region I Premier League
should be directed to the Premier League Commissioner at 401-647-1501