Added 5/30/18

Junior Boys/Junior Boy Club may play with and/or against Junior Girls/Junior Girl Club up to the age of 14 and under.  If a Junior Boys Team plans to compete against a Junior Girls Team or a Junior Girls Team has  a Junior Boy on the team, the Club Director or Coach MUST contact the tournament director of the event.  The tournament director may accept or deny the request.

Per USAV Guidelines

• Junior players participating in beach events are unattached to their indoor club. 
• Junior players may partner with players from another region as long as they compete in the same age group and gender. 
• Junior players may compete in beach events at the same time as their indoor club.

At the conclusion of USA Volleyball's Junior National Championships, a junior member is automatically unaffiliated from his/her North Country Region club.

Clubs can join together in what is known as clubbing, as long as all the below parameters are meet.

• A club may only club with one other club; which will be effective at all age divisions.
• Once clubbing has been approved by NCR, it will remain for the duration of the current season.
• When clubbing, no more than four (4) teams per age division will be allowed.
• Clubbing requests must be made before the first weekend of the Regional National Bid Tournament.

CLUBBING PROCEDURE

• Register a new team  (with a new name).
• Submit a new roster with all “Clubbed” junior players added.
  • The newly formed team may not use their win‐loss results while they were affiliated with their separate clubs.
  • The new team’s rank will automatically be placed in the next consecutive order of the lowest age division between the two clubs.

The intent of the Clubbing Policy is to allow two separate clubs struggling to fill rosters within the same age division, join together in order to form full teams. If it is determined by NCR, the Clubbing Policy is not being utilized as intended, clubbing requests may be denied or revoked.

Junior Girls: 14 and Under Girls (born on or after July 1, 2008). Updated  July 2021

• A junior player  may be offered a letter of commitment by a club and the junior player may sign the letter of commitment on or after the first official try out date.

Junior Girls: 15 and Older (born on or before July 1, 2007). Updated July 2021

• A junior player  may be offered a letter of commitment by a club and the junior player may sign the letter of commitment on or after the first official try out date

Open Commitment 18s Age Division- Junior Girls and Boys Entering 18s age division (NCR BOD passed - July 2019)

• Junior members who are entering the 18s age division may commit to any North Country Region sanctioned club starting August 1.

Junior Boys

• All age divisions: The first tryout for forming of teams may be held the first Sunday after Labor Day or after.

Junior Player is a participant who was born on or after September 1st, 2001.   For North Country Region the term can also include the junior player’s parent or legal guardian. (updated 5/20/2020)

Grade Player is a junior player whose birthdate places him/her in an age division older than their current grade.

Club is an entity created to promote the sport of volleyball through the selection of junior players to participate on teams.  Club also includes the following personnel: club director, coach, team representative, team chaperone, manager, or anyone in an authority position within the club.

Letter of Commitment is a signed agreement/contract between a junior player and a club indicating that a club has made an offer to a junior player to compete on a team for the club and the junior player has accepted the offer.

A “Club” that has a Junior Player, whose date of birth places them in an age division older than their current grade (Age Classification Guidelines), is eligible to register that team under the following options:

REGISTER THE ENTIRE TEAM AT THE DIVISION OF THE OLDEST PLAYER

• This option is required if the team wishes to play outside of NCR‐sanctioned events.

REGISTER ENTIRE TEAM AS A “GRADE” TEAM

• This allows the team to play at the current grade in NCR sanctioned events, excluding the NCR Regional National Bid Tournament. Grade teams that wish to play in other USA Volleyball Regions, participation would be at the discretion of each tournament director
• If a “grade” team later decides to play in the NCR Regional National Bid Tournament, USA Volleyball National Championships and/or a Qualifier, they would have the following options:  
  1. Keep the waivered player on the roster and register in events based on age classification (play up).
  2. Register and pay team fee for a new team (with a new name).
  • Submit a new roster with all waivered junior players removed.
  • The newly formed team may not use their win‐loss results while they were a “grade” team.
  • The new team’s rank will automatically be placed in the next consecutive order within that age division of the club.

A junior player who is no longer playing in NCR sanctioned tournaments, can join another club which is still competing if the below requirements have been met. Until all these requirements are completed, the player in question is not to be allowed to participate with a different club in any manner.

TRANSFER PROCEDURE

• Junior player must request release from current club, in writing, to NCR.
• Current club must agree to release junior player.
• New club must agree to accept junior player.
• NCR will provide final approval, after verifying agreement of all parties and upon compliance with Transfer Parameters.
• Junior player is not allowed to participate with new club until transfer is approved.

TRANSFER PARAMETERS

• No previous transfer of junior player has occurred during the current season.
• Junior player is not transferring to a team that has already qualified for the USAV Junior National Championships (any division).
• Junior player has not been on the official roster for a USAV National Qualifier.

LIMITATIONS

Girls

• Once a player appears on a roster for a National Qualifier, that player may not participate in any other National Qualifier or GJNC with another club.

Boys

• Once a player appears on a roster for a Bid Event (Qualifier) and that team qualifies for the BJNC that player may not participate in any other Bid Event (Qualifier) or BJNC with another club.

FROZEN PLAYERS

• Girls: At the time the team earns a bid in a Qualifier, applies for a bid in an at-large process, or receives a bid through its regional process, the players on that team’s roster are frozen to that team.  A  frozen player cannot play for another team.
• All the players listed on the roster of a team that is qualified for the GJNC may not be on the roster of or play on any other team attempting to qualify for the GJNC.  This rule applies regardless of whether the qualifying attempt is in a Qualifier, at a regional event that determine which team(s) is awarded the region’s Club bid(s), or through an at large process.

• All members of an officiating team shall have completed officiating training for the positions they are working.
• No personal electronic devices are allowed for the officiating team (R1, R2, line judges and scoring team) while officiating. Tournament director and/or an assigned paid official have discretion to address non‐compliance issues.
• Teams are responsible for fulfilling all officiating responsibilities. Failure to do so may result in sanction.

(added 2019)

North Country Region members entering the 18s age division per USA Volleyball age division definition may commit to a North Country Region club and team starting August 1st prior to the upcoming USA Volleyball season and prior to NCR  designated tryout dates.

•    It is not recommended for a club to guarantee a junior player will make a specific team and/or play a specific position/role before the junior player has completed a try out.

•    It is recommended that  a third party not initiate contact with a junior player who has signed a letter of commitment to another club with the intent to have the committed junior player change clubs. 

•    It is recommended that a club document all contacts with each junior player not affiliated with the club.

•    It is recommended that a club hold a tryout for all prospective junior players.

•    It is recommended that junior players and clubs review relevant material pertaining to college bound prospective student – athletes through the NCAA Eligibility Center before accepting a scholarship or financial assistance from a club.

•    It is recommended that junior players and clubs review relevant material pertaining to state high school eligibility bylaws and policies before accepting a scholarship or financial assistance from a club.

•    It is recommended that a club make their club contact information easily accessible to prospective junior players.

•    It is recommended that the club educate each junior’s player who has signed a letter of commitment to the club the name of the club, the team on which the junior player has been assigned and contact information for the team.

•    It is prohibited for a club to initiate contact with a junior player who has signed a letter of commitment to another club with the intent to have the committed junior player change clubs. 

•    A club may contact and communicate with junior players who signed a letter of commitment (affiliated) to that club from the previous season. 

•    Clubs may respond to an inquiry from a prospective junior player not affiliated with the club, provided that the contact is initiated by the junior player.

•    Clubs may promote and provide informational materials about their clubs to junior players.

•    Clubs may not promote and provide informational materials directly or through a third party that targets a specific junior player(s).

A “Club” that is found to have violated the Recruiting, Tryout, or Commitment Date Policies may be subject to appropriate sanctions, including but not limited to a monetary fine, being prohibited from competing in any NCR‐sanctioned events, USA Volleyball National Championships, and/or Qualifiers, or being denied membership in NCR for a period of one year or a length to be determined, at the discretion of NCR.

(added 3/29/2020) Should a high school season be cancelled, tryouts can occur two weeks after USA Volleyball approves sanctioning.

2025-2026 season

Junior Girls born  July 2011  or after (14 and under and generally 8th grade or younger)
•    (Revised 5/18/2020) First tryout may be held the  last Sunday of October if not in conflict with the junior player’s respective State High School Sport’s Governing Body policies.

Junior Girls Players who were  born July 2007 - June 2011 OR players who were born on or before July 1, 2007 and a high school student in the twelfth (12th) grade or below during some part of the current academic year. (15 and Above/generally 9th grade and older)
•    First tryout may be held the day after a State’s High School Tournament is complete (in the state in which the club is located) or until the date permitted by a particular State’s High School Association’s, rules, whichever is later.

Junior Boys     
•    (added 5/17/2018) All age divisions: The first tryout for forming of teams may be held the first Sunday after Labor Day or after.