I will let someone correct me if I am wrong, BUT the WSYL eligibility rules USED to require each U.S. player to have just finished 7th grade. I just checked that that is NO longer a requirement.
In addition, the rule on having to be a "real" member of the team now has the following guidance: "Minimum requirements are that players must compete with their team/program for at least two other tournaments or in a seasonal league. These events do not need to precede the qualifier but must precede the Championship event."
Sounds like they took grade-based and threw it out the window. But then again, it is age-based! – and the age vs grade debate continues.
Once again we will have age-based and grade-based team match ups with absolutely no governance. Tourney's everywhere will be tilts. What will the club directors do for tryouts for 2016-17. Will they be age or grade based? Will tourney brackets now be A, AA, WSYL? Will WSYL be the new governance?
My True2021 son has a summer of 2003 birthday, and is one of the top players on his current elite 2021 team. Will he now be an untouchable stud when placed on the age-based WSYL team for 2017 if grade will no longer matter?
ALSO: 4. No player may compete, or be rostered, on more than one team during the tournament.
Is that the Championship tourney only? We need clarification if the 'tournament' includes the Qualifiers as well.
So, for example, Express/Icon, Outlaws/Sweetlax, 3d/fl$, Crabs/Big4, - any two teams, you name it - can technically transfer players back and forth during the year (really for only two tourneys on 'off' weekends the way Express/Icon did this fall)? Then, the better team gets a safety net plus a major boost in the championship tourney roster by pulling kids over from the other team that did not make it through the qualifier. After all those kids played two tourneys together.
The implications of this may be very destructive. (unless everything goes age, which we know it will not)
Hmmm, I wonder how National Lacrosse Federation is going to play this one! "Hey Laxachusetts, sorry you didn't make it through, but since we're fellow NLF members, do you mind if we borrow a few players to play with 91 (or Express, Big4, Crabs, Leading Edge) to make an uberteam and destroy competition. Your kids will get exposure, it'll keep our brand going and the college coaches in our pockets. We'll take care of you next year if we don't make it, but sshhh, nobody needs to know that. Let's just monopolize the sport, reap the rewards and keep it amongst ourselves. NLF all the way baby! Heeheehee-hahaha." (twist of mustache madness here)
WSYL may lose all credibility...or begin to govern by taking the sport by the horns and level the playing field.
But of course, the organizations that take advantage of these rules and loopholes will bring this sport to it's knees. They're probably the same teams that roster the private school holdbacks, or create a Survivor-like alliance similar to NLF.
