EBU Rec & Juniors FAQ
Q: What is the season schedule?
A: The EBU Rec program has two seasons—Fall and and Spring. Fall runs from Mid August to just before Thanksgiving. The Spring season runs from March to May. During the winter and summer, EBU Rec players are encouraged to participate in our soccer clinics and camps.
Q: When and where do EBU Rec teams practice and play their games?
A: Games are on Saturdays and Sundays during the Fall and Spring seasons, Most EBU Rec home games are played at Alameda Point Soccer Fields or ECCL. Away games are played against other local teams at fields in Oakland, Alameda and Piedmont. During the Fall, EBU Rec teams have one weekday practice per week, at either Mills College, Bushrod or Alameda Point. EBU Rec teams do not have a weekday practice during the spring season—just weekend games.
Q: When is the deadline to register?
A: There is no hard deadline to register a player for the EBU Rec program; however, the longer you wait, the greater the risk that your child will get stuck on a waitlist without team placement. Returning players get priority placement on their former team as long as they register by June 30. The deadline to register a team is July 31. If you wait until after that date to register your team, we may not be able to enter them into the local rec soccer league and get them on the schedule.
Q: What is Rec + ?
Experimented in the Spring 2024, Our entry level competitive program is designed to provide recreational coaches with more resources and support, while also offering your players a development path suitable for those who aspire to play at higher levels, such as high school or beyond.
We understand the importance of providing players with opportunities to grow and excel in their soccer journey, and we believe that our program can offer just that.
Initially, our focus will be on providing an intermediate level of play, ensuring that players receive appropriate challenges and opportunities for growth. We have structured our fees to be accessible, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder participation. Additionally, we aim to provide players with exposure through guest playing opportunities and pathways to higher levels of competition in our Bay Oaks Program.
Q: I’m organizing a team—how do I set up the roster?
A: We will set up / populate all of the team rosters on PlayMetrics. Each family needs to individually register their player. When they register there is space to request a team placement by putting the coach’s name, team name, or name of another player that they would like their child to play with. If you are a returning player, you are welcome to provide us with a list of players that you expect to sign up, but this is not required. The maximum roster size for our U10 (3rd & 4th Grade Teams) is 12 players. The maximum roster size for our U12 (5th & 6th Grade Teams) is 14 players. The maximum roster size for our U14-U19 teams (7th Grade & Older) is 20 players. These are strict caps—please keep this in mind if you are forming a team and outreaching to other families. Returning players get priority placement on their former team as long as they register by June 30. After that we will begin adding players to rosters on a first-come, first-served basis.
Coaches and Team Managers will not be added to the PlayMetrics Roster until after they have registered with CalNorth and completed the background check clearance. Players will not be added to rosters until they have completed the registration process, including providing the necessary forms (Proof of Birth, CalNorth Registration Form).
Q: What documents can I submit for “Proof of Birth” when registering my child?
- A birth certificate
- A Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card (DD Form 1173) issued by the uniformed services of the United States
- A birth registration issued by an appropriate government agency
- A passport
- An alien registration card issued by the United States Government
- A certificate issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service attesting to age
- A current driver’s license
- An unexpired federal, state, or local government identification card (if documentation of date of birth is required)
- A certification of a United States citizen born abroad issued by the appropriate government agency.
Q: What equipment/gear/uniform does my child need?
A: Each team should have a volunteer Uniform Coordinator to help families organize/pick jersey numbers so that no two players have the same number on the same team. SoccerPost in Alameda will be able to assist you with sizing and with placing your order.
Q: How do I know what age group my team or child should register for?
A: Our EBU Rec teams will be grouped by age. When you register you will indicate your child’s grade (3rd – 12th).
Q: How do I become a volunteer head or assistant coach?
A: During registration, fill the volunteer form, our club registrar will contact you. You can also email our Director of Recreational and Juniors Program.
Q: What kind of support do parent volunteer coaches get from the club?
A: All volunteers get direct support on how to lead successful, fun and safe activities under the current restrictions. We can provide session plans, observe and support your practice, provide feedback and resources. Parent Volunteers will be required to complete an online safety training before hitting the field. Additional training & support for Parent Volunteers is available, including:
- US Soccer Learning Center (online courses)
- On-field support during activities
- SafeSport Certification
- Sideline Sports Injury Recognition Training
- Positive Coaching Alliance
- Support from our experienced EBU Staff Coaches
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Q: How many players can be on one team?
A: Our maximum roster sizes for EBU Rec Teams are:
- U10 (3rd & 4th Grade – 7v7) 14 players
- U12 (5th & 6th Grade – 9v9) 16 players
- U14-U19 (7th Grade & Older – 11v11) – 22 max players in which only 18 of them may be rostered per game
Q: What is the competition/game format for EBU Rec Teams?
A: EBU Rec teams compete in the Jack London Youth Soccer League against other teams from EBUSC, Alameda Soccer Club, Montclair Soccer Club, Oakland Soccer Club, and Piedmont Soccer Club. The league creates the game schedules and assigns referees for each match. Game formats are as follow
- U10; 3rd & 4th Grade; 7v7, 25 minute halves; size 4 ball
- U12; 5th and 6th Grade; 9v9; 30 minute halves; size 4 ball
- U14; 7th and 8th Grade; 11v11; 35 minute halves, size 5 ball
- U16; 9th and 10th Grade; 11v11; 40 minute halves, size 5 ball
- U19; 11th and 12th Grade; 11v11; 45 minute halves; size 5 ball
Q: How does the Team Referee Requirement work?
A: Jack London Youth Soccer League requires all participating teams to provide referees for the league. Each team needs to have/provide affiliated Team Referees. These Team Refs are normally parents of children on the team, but they may also be siblings or any other ref that is willing to affiliate with your team. The amount of games that each team's referees need to cover depends on the age of the team. Jack London will reimburse our referees for the cost of taking the online course. Visit our Referee page from more info.
Q: What if it rains?
A: On some weekends during the winter/spring we may need to close Grass Fields due to heavy rain to avoid damaging the field. More than likely the League will give you a heads up on whether the games will be canceled that weekend but if you do not hear about it leading up to the game weekend, please check in with our Director of Rec and Juniors or our fields status on our website.
Q: What is the Refund Policy?
A player’s circumstances may change between registration in the spring and the start of the soccer season in the fall. The club may consider partial refund based on the following schedule:
Fall Season:
- Prior to July 1, 100% less $100.00 administrative fee
- From July 1 through September 30, 100% less $175.00 administrative fee
- October 1 onwards, NO refund
Spring Season:
- Prior to March 1, 100% less $100.00 administrative fee
- From March 1 through March 30, 100% less $175.00 administrative fee
- April 1 onwards, NO refund
Full season:
- Prior to July 1, 100% less $100 administrative fee.
- From July 1 through March 1, $100 refund.
- After March 1, no refund.
