Guest Player Allowance: Iowa Soccer USYS League America Festival

Iowa soccer USYS league america festival

The Iowa Soccer USYS League America Festival offers recreational soccer players an opportunity to play in a high-quality tournament in a fun atmosphere, where the emphasis is placed on participation, fun and competition.

The tournament is for Iowa Soccer member and non-member teams and players classified as "recreational".   All teams must be registered with Iowa Soccer or another governing body during the season the tournament is being played (fall or spring).  Player eligibility requires that each participant have a current seasonal-year Iowa Soccer-issued player pass, or a player pass from another governing body.

This annual event is the largest recreational youth soccer event in Iowa. Iowa Soccer has run a tournament for rec soccer players/teams every year since 1992.

Guest Player Allowance

Iowa Soccer recreational tournament opportunities are targeted to and intended for regular-season rosters.  We understand that not all players or parents can commit to a full weekend of soccer.  And we also know that some regular-season rosters barely have enough players to field a team and needs subs in order to play in a tournament.

• If you need to add up to three Guest Player(s) in order for your team to enter, that is what the Allowance is designed for - a tool that will enable you to enter your team.

• You've asked all players on your team if they are available to play in the event and some are not (do NOT exclude players!), or
• You have a small roster and would like to have extra players for substitution reasons.  

Every attempt must be made to find guest players who are of like skill -- don't seek out 'ringers'  who make your team stronger -- that is not in the spirit of the Allowance.  Maximum number of guest players is three.

• 07U-08U = 6
• 09U-10U = 12
• 11U-12U = 16
• 13U-14U = 22; 18 "game active"
• 15U-16U = 22; 18 "game active"

• May 4 by end of the day Guest player requests due - requests begin the process of being vetted
• May 5 by 5:00pm Guest player denials communicated
  • Iowa Soccer will contact only those who have INELIGIBLE guest players and will do so by 5:00pm on TBA.
  • If you don't hear from us by that date/time, your guest players have been approved.

Checklist for being in compliance - do NOT abuse this allowance!

Iowa Soccer officials will make the final determination of compliance and eligibility.  Your submission is a request, not a guarantee.  Once submitted, requests are vetted.

• In a past recreational tournament, it was confirmed that a coach abused the guest player allowance -- and the coach will not coach at a rec tournament event again.  We rely on coaches to do the right thing and we conduct our own queries on the information provided in your Guest Player Form.  Disregard for the requirements or spirit of the Allowance will be penalized accordingly.

• You have asked all members of your team to play and some cannot.
• Or, you have a small regular-season roster and need guest players for substitution reasons.
• You are requesting no more than three guest players.
• You've checked that your requested guest players are currently registered with Iowa Soccer and that they are registered as a RECREATIONAL player only (if they are also classified as a Select player, they are not eligible).
• Your requests are from players from your club or other Iowa Soccer clubs
• Your requests are such that for each United Cup game, your team will comply with the regular-season maximum roster size.
• You are submitting this form by the deadline; late forms not accepted.

Submit your guest player request form