Form A Team

Are you interested in starting a new team in GMSA's fall or spring outdoor leagues? If the answer is "yes", we're pleased that you're interested in joining us!

Be sure to read all of the following information carefully on how to go about entering a team.

(Click here for information on entering a team in our annual 7v7 summer league.)

1. The most important first step to enter a new is to make sure you have the minimum number of players committed to play, then simply let us know. To do this, complete the PROSPECTIVE NEW TEAM FORM expressing your interest. (You'll ultimately need at LEAST 14-15 players to have the bare minimum; most teams carry 18-22 players. Over-35 teams will need at least 10, most teams carry 12-14.)

At this stage, the league can accommodate a maximum of about 44-48 men's teams, 24-26 coed teams, and as many as 16 over-35 teams, based on our available resources (fields, referees, etc.). Typically, we are very close to those numbers, so while we usually have enough space available to accommodate all new teams, immediate placement is not always guaranteed. New teams may be asked to meet more stringent registration requirements, including earlier registration deadlines, which will be communicated to each new team's coach/manager.
2. Once we give you the go-ahead that your team can enter the league, then every player on your team must register by the pre-determined deadline to be eligible for his/her team's first game. Registration averages between $110-$140 per player each season (slightly less for over-35 players). Dates and deadlines will be published on the website as they become available. All registration is conducted on-line via Affinity/Sports Connect. (You can find the typical registration costs breakdown for each season here.)

As part of registration, all players MUST provide a photograph for their league player card during the registration process, if they have not already done so in previous seasons. The photo must be in COLOR of the player from the chest up. The head of the player needs to be at least the size of a nickel, and the total image of the player should be at least 200 pixels high. If the registrar judges the photo not to sufficiently meet these requirements, he will ask that another be submitted. NOTE: Registration is NOT COMPLETE until a valid photo is submitted; players missing photos will remain INELIGIBLE until a suitable photo is added to their registration account. Please do NOT use your driver's license or driver's license photo.
3. Be sure to procure uniforms for your team well in advance of the season. Jerseys need not be expensive or extravagant, but they must be absolutely IDENTICAL (same color, style, and manufacturer) with unique numbers that are permanently affixed (screened or sewn to the jersey...no taped-on numbers are allowed). Each player must have their own jersey...no sharing jerseys. Players without identical jerseys will not be allowed to participate...no exceptions. When you order your jerseys, we encourage you to order at least a few (four or more) extra jerseys that you can have on hand, should you add players during the course of the season, or for that inevitable time that someone shows up without their jersey. (Get them now, in case that style is discontinued by the manufacturer!) If you get enough at once, you can usually use that same set of jerseys for several seasons.

* Before ordering your jerseys, you are advised to identify a jersey color that is not prevalent in your likely division, if possible. (In some of the larger divisions, most colors are probably taken by at least one team.) We encourage all teams to have an alternate jersey available to them, but any teams whose jersey colors conflict with other teams in their division MUST have an alternate jersey for that particular game. The home team is required to change shirts (or otherwise resolve the color clash) if there is a conflict. All alternate jerseys must meet the same requirements as your preferred jersey. (Matching shorts and socks are encouraged, but not required.) League loaner jerseys are available for conflicts that cannot be resolved any other way, but arrangements must be made several days in advance to use a loaner set.

Other Important Details:

Once your team is set and able to register, each team will need to complete the Schedule Request Form. This is VERY important information that will assist us in scheduling your team to play this season. While there are no guarantees on scheduling, accurately completing this form will give us a much better idea of when you prefer to play, so that we can schedule you on those days/times as frequently as possible. Any teams that do not submit a form by then will have no input into their schedule.
You will need to present a copy of your player cards to the referee crew for each (which they should return to you), as well as a copy of your roster (which the referee will keep). Both cards and rosters will be provided to you prior to the start of the season. The roster will list all of your players, their ID numbers, photos, and their jersey numbers...all of this information should be printed on the report, and it should be in color. The entire form should be completed before arriving at the field; do NOT wait to arrive to fill in jersey numbers.
Each coach/manager will need to collect enough money from his team to be able to pay the referees...currently referee fees are $100 per team per game for a full three-man crew. ($30 per team per game for over-35 games for one referee.) On those rare occasions where we have fewer than three referees, the cost goes down ($80 for two, $60 for one). You are guaranteed 10 regular season games, plus at least one tournament game for those teams that qualify. The league will pay the referee fees for the semi-finals and/or finals of each fall tournament, and for the finals of the spring tournament, but teams are responsible for all other league/tournament games. So, you should plan to pay for 11-12 games, depending on the tourney format, and on how far your team advances. (That's approximately $1000-1200 per season; divide that by the number of players on your roster, and collect that much from each player so that you've got enough to pay referees for the duration of the season.)
A PDF of your player cards and rosters will be available on the website for printing, and will be updated if you add players during the season. You MUST present your player cards to the referee prior to each match...no exceptions. Failure to present your cards, along with the game fee and roster at each match, will result in a FORFEIT...for reasons of liability, we cannot waver from this policy. If you know you're going to be out of town or unavailable to attend the match, relay the cards to someone else on the team. Don't get stuck without them. While players card will be available on-line in PDF format, and can be accessed via your phone or mobile device, a printed match report must always be presented to the referees.
Remember, illegal/unregistered players will absolutely not be tolerated. Again, for reasons of legal liability, it is very dangerous to have unregistered players on the field. Should they injure themselves or another player, there are potentially damaging and significant legal consequences that could be posed against the referee, the other players in question, and the league itself. Any team caught using illegal or unregistered players will be severely disciplined by the league, including suspension of the coach, barring of the illegal player from subsequent registration and/or participation for at least one full season, and for teams that are repeat offenders, possible expulsion from the league. We take our registration requirements very seriously...so should you.
Complete league rules are available here.

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