ECNL / Guest Player Question

Can a DD that plays on a LHGCL team guest play on a ECNL team? Different clubs.

I'm assuming that our Club coach would sign a guest player release. I'm just wondering if the rules would allow it?

I think that is called a discovery player and that it counts against the max number of players for the ECNL team- I am sure somebody can answer that for us. But another question is, would an ECNL team do it, even if it is permitted. Seems like they would already find it hard to give enough time to the girls already in the club.

This is how I believe it works:

They would have to be on the ECNL roster to play. No 'guests' as far as I know. So if you are on a LHGCL team now, and then get on an ECNL roster, you are 'dual rostered'.

Now, there are five ECNL clubs. If you play for one of those clubs then you can only dual roster on that clubs ECNL TEAM.

If dd is not on a club with a team that is in ECNL, then she can dual roster for any ECNL team.

Example, play with Sting? You can only dual roster with Sting ECNL.

Play for American Eagles or TFC? Then dd can dual roster with any ECNL club.


make sense?

Now, intrinsic mentioned 'discovery player'. A discovery player is someone who plays for a non ECNL club, or anywhere else (rec or not at all). Each ECNL team is allowed two discovery players per year I believe. So, a coach would have to really like that player to use a discovery spot on them.

ECNL rosters are limited to 30 players max. They can only bring 18 girls on game day. So if they have room to add girls just for a tournament or a game, I guess it's possible. I know there were a few teams that had a lot of injuries last year and added girls from their club teams. I only know of one discovery player in my dd's age group and that girl never actually played a game all year. She was on the roster, but never played.

old man wrote:Can a DD that plays on a LHGCL team guest play on a ECNL team? Different clubs.

I'm assuming that our Club coach would sign a guest player release. I'm just wondering if the rules would allow it?

IF DD plays for a Club that has an ECNL program then she can and cannot play for another ECNL Program; what I mean is that there is an unwritten rule between coaches where they will not use players from each others club but the US Club rules are pretty laid back and allow player flexibility and movement as long as they are not on another US Club roster. It's is a gray area.

If your DD plays for a Non ECNL team then she can play with only ONE of the Five ECNL teams and be used as a discovery player. Once she is signed as a discovery player she will be locked in to that particular ECNL Team for one year beginning August 1 and ending July 31 of the following year. She will however be allowed to continue to play for her regular (State or Regional) club team.

hooper96 wrote:

old man wrote:Can a DD that plays on a LHGCL team guest play on a ECNL team? Different clubs.

I'm assuming that our Club coach would sign a guest player release. I'm just wondering if the rules would allow it?

IF DD plays for a Club that has an ECNL program then she can and cannot play for another ECNL Program; what I mean is that there is an unwritten rule between coaches where they will not use players from each others club but the US Club rules are pretty laid back and allow player flexibility and movement as long as they are not on another US Club roster. It's is a gray area.

If your DD plays for a Non ECNL team then she can play with only ONE of the Five ECNL teams and be used as a discovery player. Once she is signed as a discovery player she will be locked in to that particular ECNL Team for one year beginning August 1 and ending July 31 of the following year. She will however be allowed to continue to play for her regular (State or Regional) club team.

This has come up several times in the past. I have an email from the commissioner last year that says there is nothing gray about it. The ECNL does not allow a non-ECNL player from an ECNL club to play for another club's ECNL team.

I'm not saying you can't get away with it, as no one really polices it in the registration process, but if the ECNL team were notice and complain, I was assured there would be a problem.

Personally, I believe its wrong, but having had the situation come up more than once, I'm pretty sure of the rule.

From the ECNL Handbook:

Multiple Club Rostering

• After being registered as an ECNL Registered Player for an ECNL Season, an ECNL Registered Player may not appear on any roster in any competition for any other ECNL club except for rosters of the ECNL Club on which she is rostered as an ECNL Registered Player. (The ECNL Registered Player may appear on any number of rosters, in any competition, of the ECNL Club to which she is registered as an ECNL Registered Player.)

• If an ECNL Registered Player appears on a roster for a different club besides the ECNL Club to which she is registered as an ECNL Registered Player after the date she became rostered as an ECNL Registered Player (“Multiple Club Rostering”), the eligibility of the ECNL Registered Player will be reviewed by the ECNL Board of Directors and/or the ECNL Disciplinary Committee.

• If it is determined by the ECNL Board of Directors, at its sole discretion, that the ECNL Club to which the ECNL Registered Player is registered was aware of the Multiple Club Rostering, the ECNL Board of Directors may take any or all of the following actions: (i) declare the ECNL Registered Player ineligible for the remainder of that ECNL Season; (ii) declare all games in which the ECNL Registered Player appeared on the ECNL Roster as forfeits by the ECNL Team on which such player was rostered; and / or (iii) recommend immediate revocation of the ECNL Club’s membership in
the ECNL.