Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to contact GBYSA? Please email us at recreation@gbysa.org.

Interested in Coaching? Please register here: https://gbysa.org/recreation-program/register-to-coach/

What is the season length and format? Our fall season runs from November through the end of February. Our older divisions (U7+) end with a playoff tournament which starts in the second week of February and takes approximately 14 days to complete. Clear your calendars for some fun nights at the fields in February.

Where are the practices and games? All games and practices will be held at South County Regional Park.

When are the games? All of the age groups play on Saturdays with the exception of Boys Under 18. Depending on the amount of teams in the age group, we are looking at the possibility of adding Friday night games in the future.

What are the practice times and dates? Each team practices once per week on a specified day between Monday and Thursday. Tiger Cubs (formerly Dinomites), Kindergarten, U7-U10 divisions start practices at 6 PM, and U12+ divisions start practices at 7:15 or 7:30 PM.

When do we get team placements? Teams will be formed approximately 7 days after evaluations each season.

When are evaluations for the 2026-2027 Season? We will hold 2 evaluations, you must attend one of them. The dates are October 4th and October 11th. Times TBD.

At what ages do you separate boys and girls? Our Pre-K (Tiger Cubs – formerly Dinomites) and Kindergarten age groups are coed, and all age groups U7+ have separate boys and girls divisions.

Can I request a practice day? This is a very common question and while we would love to say yes to everyone, we would rather you tell us what practice days you cannot make work. We try our best to accommodate families on multiple teams, coaches and then players. After our registration period and team assignment, you will be contacted by your coach who will share the team details with you. At that time we can try our best to resolve any conflicts.

Can I request my child play with another child? One of the biggest challenges in recreational soccer is achieving team parity. It is nearly impossible to honor every request and maintain fairness throughout the league. For that reason, we can only honor teammate requests on a best effort basis. This is easier to accommodate in the younger age groups and more difficult as the players become older.

What if I require this pairing for carpooling reasons? Many teams in the same age group practice on the same fields as one another in the same time slots. You can still arrange travel to and from practices with the person you have made arrangements with if they are on different teams.

What age groups are available for the fall soccer season? Even though our registration system will place you into the age group which reflects the players age before 9/1 of the current year, we will combine age groups to the following age groups:

• Coed Pre-K (3, 4 year olds)
• Coed Kindergarten (5 year olds)
• Boys Under 7’s (1st grade)
• Boys Under 8’s (2nd grade)
• Girls Under 8’s (1st and 2nd grade)
• Boys Under 9’s (3rd grade)
• Boys Under 10’s (4th grade)
• Girls Under 10’s (3rd and 4th grade)
• Boys Under 11’s (5th grade)
• Boys Under 12’s (6th grade)
• Girls Under 12’s (5th and 6th grade)
• Boys Under 14’s (7th and 8th grade)
• Girls Under 17’s (12-16 year olds)
• Boys Under 18’s (14-17 year olds)

How does league communication work? All communication is initiated from GotSport and sent through email. Keeping your email accurate in your GotSport account is very important. We can also send text messages, but you must Opt-in. You can adjust your communications preferences by following this guide: https://support.gotsport.com/how-to-opt-in-to-sms/text-messaging-communications-in-gotsport

Do you use an App? Yes, we use the GotSport App. This is free to use and contains schedule information, team news, messaging and roster information.

How many players are on the field for each age group during the game?

• Pre-K – Variable
• Kindergarten – 4 v 4
• U7-U8 – 4 v 4
• U9-U10 – 7 v 7 (with goalies)
• U11-U12 – 9 v 9 (with goalies)
• Boys Under 14 – 11 v 11 (with goalies)
• Girls Under 17 – 11 v 11 (with goalies)
• Boys Under 18 – 7 v 7 (with goalies)

What are player evaluations and are they necessary for the youngest players? A top feedback we receive is to improve team balance. We are trying to control as much as possible and give the kids a chance to get back to the fields for a fun day of soccer with our player evaluations. For the youngest age groups we aren’t focused on the quality of the player like we are for the older age groups. It is still a great opportunity for everyone to get accustomed to our program, ask questions and to meet the GBYSA staff.

How does the Fall Season wait list work? After our regular registration period expires October 1, we open the wait list. You will only be charged the league fee if the player is assigned to a team. The earlier you get on the wait list the better, we have a much better change of placing the player on a team before, or early in the season than we do after the mid-season break.

What is the process of becoming a referee? The certification period for Florida Soccer Referees is July 1st – March 31st. The certification process is an online course and test, and then a field course. You should start the process as close to July 1st as possible. To start the process, please navigate to this URL: https://www.flsoccerrefs.org/new-referees/

Do you have a spring season? Yes, we have a spring mini season we call “5v5”. It is an 8 week season which starts shortly after our fall season ends.