Club Resources

NorCal Premier Soccer – New Club Membership Application Guide

OVERVIEW

Clubs seeking NorCal Premier Soccer membership for Fall competition must adhere to the timelines, recruitment policies, and application requirements outlined in this document.

The online application opens on October 15th and closes on December 1 (extended).
Applications must contain all required materials.

APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP

RECRUITING COMPLIANCE (23 months before admission)

Beginning 23 months before potential admission, and continuing through the review period, all applicant clubs must strictly comply with NorCal’s recruitment rules. These standards apply to all adults affiliated with the club—coaches, staff, and both official and unofficial representatives (including parents).

Prohibited Recruiting Practices

• Encouraging or facilitating violations of NorCal recruitment, eligibility, or competition policies.
• Recruiting players or teams from existing NorCal clubs.
• Targeted recruiting from external programs such as PDP, ODP, high school teams, or U.S. Soccer Training Centers.
• A coach joining an applicant club may not coach players they previously coached at another NorCal club for one year, unless granted written permission by the former club. (Ignorance of prior affiliations will not be accepted as justification.)
• Recruiting individual players from another club without prior written consent from that club’s Director of Coaching (DOC). If the player or parent initiates contact, the contacted adult (or their DOC) must notify the player’s current DOC.
• Misrepresentation of the applicant club or disparagement of other clubs, coaches, or teams.

TRYOUT WINDOW COMPLIANCE (15 months before admission)

Starting 15 months before potential admission, all tryouts must be held exclusively within NorCal’s designated tryout windows.

DEMONSTRATION of CLUB OPERATIONS (8 months before admission)

At least eight months before admission, applicant clubs must demonstrate:

• Active teams participating in inter-club competition.
• Professional club administration and organizational structure.

FIELD ACCESS REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must show documented, reliable access to quality fields sufficient to meet the training and match the needs of all intended teams.

Example: A club applying for Fall 2026 must provide permits from Fall 2025 demonstrating access to adequate facilities to meet the practice and game needs of all teams the club intends to enter into NorCal competitions.

APPLICATION TIMELINE EXAMPLE

Note: The NorCal Membership Committee and Board of Directors may consider off-cycle applications in strategic growth areas.

APPLICATION COMPONENTS

Applicants must submit the online application that includes the following:

• Club logo
• Club Code of Conduct
• US Club Soccer Sanctioning Confirmation (screenshot of your membership page or email confirmation of acceptance from US Club)
• Club Mission Statement
• Articles of Incorporation or 501(c)(3) documentation
• Club Bylaws or Constitution
• Proof of compliance with bylaws/constitution for at least 8 months before admission
• DOJ Custodian of Records documentation for LiveScan operations
• Technical Director (TD) or Director of Coaching (DOC) license(s)
• Active US Club background check and coach pass for TD/DOC
• Coaching staff licenses
• Technical plan or curriculum
• Field permits or rental agreements demonstrating previous usage
• Agreements with other clubs for shared field usage (if applicable)
• 5-Year Growth Plan
• Three Letters of Reference
  

Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered.

APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Confirm compliance with all application expectations.
2. Obtain US Club Soccer sanctioning.
3. Submit an online application and the required documentation.
4. Initial review meeting with the NorCal New Club Committee.
5. Member club feedback via survey.
   
6. Applicant presentations at Regional RAC meetings (DOC and preferably the President must attend).
7. Follow-up interview with New Club Committee.
   
8. Committee review and recommendation.
9. Board of Directors decision.
10. NorCal Premier Sanctioning agreement signed by accepted clubs.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Organizational Integrity & Standards

• Professionalism and ethics across coaching, administration, sportsmanship, and referee relations.
• Demonstrated ability to operate teams in inter-club competition before admission.
• Clear distribution of leadership responsibilities (no single individual holding multiple key positions).

Director of Coaching (DOC)

• Must have a minimum USSF D License or equivalent.
• Must oversee all teams and be active in NorCal competitions.
• Must pass a US Club background check and hold an active coach pass with the club.

Geographic Cohesion

• Club must serve a single, geographically connected community.

Field Access

• Verified access to quality fields for all teams.
  
• Documentation of prior access required.

Referee Availability

• Club must have a certified USSF assignor and adequate referee coverage.

Administrative Capacity

• Must designate an administrator responsible for managing NorCal communications and compliance.

US Club Soccer Membership

• Proof of active sanctioning required

Code of Conduct

• Written guidelines for the behavior of coaches, parents, and players.

Impact on Existing Clubs

• Must not displace current clubs from essential facility resources.

Player Base

• Current and unique player pool sufficient to form teams as proposed.
  
• Sustainable plan for future team formation.

Team Structure

• Clubs with U12 and younger: minimum of 3 teams (exceptions possible for clubs forming at U8–U10).
• Clubs with U13 and older: minimum of 6 teams total, including younger age groups.

Technical Plan

• Written development model and philosophy (club-created or sourced, e.g., U.S. Soccer).

NorCal Handbook Compliance

• Strict adherence to tryout window and recruitment rules within specified timeframes.

APPEAL PROCESS

If a club’s application is denied, it may request an appeal hearing with the NorCal Board of Directors within 10 business days of the decision. Clubs may then escalate an appeal to US Club Soccer if necessary.

NEW CLUB COMMITTEE