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2025

Youth School-Based Guidelines

Table of Contents

Updates for 2025 Jan-Aug

2025 Jan-Aug USA Ultimate High School Guidelines

A USAU High School State Championship is the pinnacle event of school-based play. Organizations are chosen to host a USAU HS State Championship at the discretion of the State Youth Coordinator (SYC), Regional Youth Director (RYD), and Manager of Youth Competition and National Team Programs, with hosting priority offered to Affiliate organizations A State Championship is a specific state tournament for each gender division, owned by USA Ultimate and operated at the direction of the USA Ultimate Competition State Youth Coordinator (SYC). Reliable organizers to host the events and train future organizers are critical to sustain these highly successful events.

In 2024, the states hosting USA Ultimate High School State Championships were: California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, hio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Requirements for USAU High School State Championships

A bid document must be submitted to the State Youth Coordinator (SYC), who will submit it to the Regional Youth Director (RYD) and Youth Competition Manager. If your state does not have an SYC, it should be submitted to the RYD. Contact information for SYCs and RYDs can be found here.

  1. The state championship must be publicly announced to local organizers and via USA Ultimate web properties at least six weeks prior to the event. Announcement must include:
    1. Date(s) of event
    2. Location of event
    3. Contact information for event
    4. Registration requirements
  2. The state championship must include every HS team in the state that meets the State Youth Coordinator’s deadlines.
    1. In the event that there are too many in-state teams to accommodate all at a single state championship event (for a given age/gender division), then there must be a USAU qualifying event(s)* for the state championship (to provide an open, fair method of including all interested teams).
    2. If there is a qualification process or qualifying event for one team within the state, then all teams must participate in a qualification process or appropriate qualifying events. Example: If North Carolina were running Qualifying Events for teams in Raleigh and Wilmington, then Charlotte teams must also compete in a Qualifying Event in order to be eligible for the state championship tournament.
    3. The State Championship can include teams from outside of the state as long as it does not prohibit in-state teams that have met the registration requirements from participating. Additionally, both the SYC and the RYD should be made aware of this arrangement.
    4. Teams cannot be directed to participate in a secondary event or lower level of competition (such as a Division II or a developmental division) without a Qualifying Event, unless the team chooses to do so (opts into the lower level of competition).

    *Qualifying Events: To be considered a qualifying event, the qualifying USAU-sanctioned structure for states must be accessible for everyone to participate in it. Any questions around what is considered a qualifying event, please contact your RYD.

Team Info

All teams must submit an official State Championship roster by the deadlines outlined below. All participants must be full USAU members in good standing with USAU membership dues and individual waivers submitted prior to participation at the State Championships. Players may NOT pay one-time event fees or use Affiliate-level Membership (but these can be upgraded to a higher level from the player’s online account) for State Championship events.

Player uniform requirements for USAU State HS Championships are to be determined by the State Youth Coordinator.

Membership options for players participating in a HS State Championship event include:

  • Youth or higher level membership (e.g., Lifetime).
    • Affiliate-level memberships must be upgraded to at least Youth level, by just paying the cost difference (available in each player’s online account at play.usaultimate.org/members).
  • Players who have never had a USA Ultimate membership at any level are eligible for a discounted Youth Intro membership. Team managers with new players should contact the Youth Competition Manager about these players prior to having new players purchase their memberships.
  • Middle School only: if the event is run by an Affiliate local disc organization (LDO), then they can play with Affiliate-level membership. They can also participate with a one-time event fee if the event is run by a non-Affiliate LDO.

On-Field Personnel Ratio for Mixed Divisions

  1. At USAU MS/HS State Championships that include a mixed gender division, the on-field player personnelratio for that division will be determined by the USAU State Youth Coordinator after consulting with the affected teams’ captains and coaches.
  2. Please note that only a mixed division of a State Championship that has an on-field personnel ratio of 4/3 (4 man-matching players and 3 woman-matching players, or 4 woman-matching players and 3 man-matching players) will count towards teams’ bid priority when applying for YCC (or YCR) in the youth club division.

Event/Team Registration Deadline

  1. All teams competing in a State Championship or Qualifying Event must be registered in the USAU online system (EMS) for the appropriate event two weeks prior to the event to facilitate team seeding and scheduling by the tournament planning staff.
    • Teams who are not registered in the online system by this deadline may be ineligible to compete at the discretion of tournament planning staff.
    • Teams that miss the deadline may contact the State Youth Competition Coordinator (SYC) to request late acceptance and are subject to a $75 late fee. Late admittance may be granted pending completion of registration steps (USAU qualified chaperone and Foundational Coach rostering), but the SYC is not obligated to allow late teams to participate.
    • Registering your team in EMS requires having a chaperone and eligible coach on the roster. Players can be rostered until one week before the event.
  2. Each team must have a registered chaperone who has:
    • met the age requirement (21 years or older)
    • created a USAU account with current active membership
    • passed a USAU background check
    • completed SafeSport training
    • signed all waivers

    Each team must have a chaperone listed on the event roster (please see the Team Organizers page for details on team creation and event registration) by the team registration deadline. In order to meet the event deadlines, teams must have chaperones begin the background check process no later than four weeks before the event.

    *If your team is competing in the State Championships for the first time, or if you need assistance with coach certification requirements, feel free to contact the Youth Competition Manager with your specific questions.

  3. Every coach attending the event must be on the event roster and be either a Foundational Trained Coach or a Youth certified coach who has:
    • met the age requirement (18 years or older)
    • signed all waivers
    • maintained an active USAU membership
    • passed a USAU background check and has not yet expired
    • completed SafeSport training and has not yet expired
    • completed CDC Concussion training
    • completed either USAU Youth Coach Certification or the USAU Foundational Coach test

    Each team must have at least one USAU Youth certified coach at all games during the event and listed on the event roster* (please see the Team Organizers page for details on team creation and event registration) by the team registration deadline. Information on where to obtain certification can be found here. In order to meet the event deadlines, teams must have any coaches begin the background check process no later than four weeks before the event.

    *If this is the first year that a team is playing in a High School State Championship, they are exempt from this Youth coach certification requirement (instead only Foundational Coach Training required). However, it is strongly encouraged that they have a coach get the Youth Coach certification, as they will need to meet this requirement in subsequent years or events.

    • No player, coach, or chaperone may be listed on two or more rosters at the same event (including across multiple gender or age divisions).
    • A coach who meets chaperone requirements (over 21 years of age) can fulfill both roles on one team roster, but this is not recommended.
    • It is strongly recommended that all player membership dues and waivers be submitted online prior to the team registration deadline (ideally at the beginning of the team’s season upon commitment and acceptance to join the team).

    Note: If a chaperone’s or coach’s background check expires prior to the end date of a State Championship, they must renew their background check. It is recommended that they begin this process at least 30 days before expiration.

    There may be additional registration information required by your State Youth Coordinator. Contact your State Youth Coordinator in advance of the registration deadline for more details.

Rostering Deadline: One week before the State Championships

  1. Online rostering must be completed one week prior to a team’s State Championship (For example, if a team’s state championship is May 11-12, rostering must be completed by May 4).
  2. State Youth Competition Coordinators may set an earlier deadline for rostering in coordination with their Regional Youth Director.

On-site Player Additions

  1. Without previous notice or conversation, State Youth Competition Coordinators will not accept on-site rosters or player additions. If you expect to need an exception for any reason, please discuss this with your SYC prior to the player registration deadline.

Player Eligibility

  1. USA Ultimate High School Championship events are competitions for school-based teams. All players on teams participating in the event must meet the following guidelines for “High School Players.”
  2. To be considered a High School Player, students must meet the following requirements:
    • Students at public and private schools must be regular members of the school they represent, during the entire term during which the event is held, in order to participate in an interscholastic athletic activity.
      1. Students are a “regular member” of a school if they are enrolled half time or more, exclusive of interscholastic athletic activities.
      2. If a student is enrolled in multiple schools such that no single school represents greater than 50% of their schooling, then that student’s playing options will be guided by the homeschool player eligibility framework below.
      3. In cases where schools can provide supporting documentation, USA Ultimate allows two or more schools meeting certain requirements to compete as a consortium (single-team from multiple schools) in the USA Ultimate High School division. More details can be found here.
    • Students must be enrolled in 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade.
    • Students in 7th or 8th grade in states where there is no middle school playing opportunity available for their division may play with their associated high school based on approval from the high school coach, the player’s parents/guardians, and the high school administration.
    • Middle School State Championship only: Students must be enrolled in middle or junior high school. Students in fourth or fifth grade in states where there is no elementary school playing opportunity available for their division may play with their associated middle school based on approval from the middle school coach, the player’s parents/guardians, and the middle school administration.
  3. Students ineligible under the above requirements and any of their state’s eligibility exceptions may apply for an eligibility exception. Please contact your State Youth Competition Coordinator for an application.
  4. Students must not turn 20 years old prior to June 1 of the current school year.
  5. Students who are homeschooled will be considered eligible to participate on a team at a USA Ultimate Championship event as follows:
    • If the student is part of a USAU-recognized homeschool cooperative, they may participate as part of that cooperative’s ultimate team, provided that team meets the state tournament participation requirements. This homeschool cooperative must be renewed every two years and may be reviewed by USA Ultimate at earlier intervals if needed.
    • If the student is not part of a USAU-recognized homeschool cooperative, they may participate as part of the ultimate team at the public high school that they would normally attend, provided that team meets the state tournament participation requirements.
    • If a student is a regular member of a school they may not play with any other school, regardless of any homeschool designation.
  6. Players under the age of 18 must have a completed Medical Authorization Form onsite at the event with their coach or chaperone.

State Eligibility Exceptions

The USAU Youth Guidelines provide a framework for school-based play across the country. However, State Youth Coordinators can create modifications to eligibility rules for their entire state up to one month before the event date with Regional Youth Director and USA Ultimate approval.

  1. If approved, these modifications will supersede the USAU eligibility guidelines for that state and must be applied consistently and to all teams within that state. These exceptions can be found here and will be updated at least 30 days before each State Championship event. Please contact your SYC if you are applying for an exception.

Coach Requirements

All teams are required to have a minimum of ONE USAU Youth certified coach present and listed on the official event roster for all State Championships and Qualifying Events, unless it is a team’s first year competing at their state championship event. Then they are granted an exception to this certification requirement and must have at least one rostered coach with at least completed Foundational Coach Training. Coaches for High School State Championships must be at least age 18, and they cannot be a student at the school for which they coach.

Middle School only: must have Foundational coach, no Youth Certification required. Information on where to obtain coach certification can be found here.

  1. All coaches beyond the required minimum who are attending the event must be rostered for the event and have completed at least the Foundational Coach Training requirements or the Youth coach certification.

Violations

Violations of these rules will result in disqualification of a team or individual from the State Championships and/or Qualifying Event and possible repercussions through the USAU Code of Conduct Policy.

Clarifications and Exceptions

These rules are designed to be as fair as possible for the wide range of players participating in the State Championships. Experience has shown that there can be cases where these rules do not absolutely determine the eligibility of a particular player. The following procedure is available for players/teams for whom the rules are not clear:

  1. The coach, team representative, or the player in question should consult with the State Youth Coordinator and the State Eligibility Exceptions, which are linked here and will be updated after April 1.
  2. If the case is not clarified by the State Exceptions, the player can submit an exception request to the State Youth Coordinator, who will consult the Regional Youth Director and USAU Manager of Competition National Team Programs – Youth for how to proceed.
  3. In the event that the coach, team representative, or the player feels that the decision is biased, or all aspects have not been considered, they may submit an appeal to the Youth Eligibility Committee via email at youth_elig_chair@usaultimate.org.
  4. An email to appeal must be sent to the Youth Eligibility Committee at least two weeks before the rostering deadline for the event. Late requests will be considered at the discretion of the Committee.
  5. The inquiry will be reviewed by the Committee and responses sent by email.
  6. Email youth_elig_chair@usaultimate.org for any other questions.

The Eligibility Committee will rule on a player’s case based on the published Youth Competition Guidelines; this is not the mechanism for requesting changes to the guidelines. Please contact the Manager of Youth Competition and National Team Programs on the process for proposing changes.

Click here for State Youth Coordinator contact info.

Click here for detailed instructions on how to complete your roster and for links to the needed forms.

Click for the Medical Authorization Form (required for minors and maintained by team chaperones to authorize their medical assistance when needed). This is NOT the same as the annual USAU liability waiver.

2025 Jan-Aug USA Ultimate Middle School Guidelines

Middle School State Championships maintain the same requirements and guidelines as High School State Championships with the following exceptions:

Additional membership options for players participating in a MS State Championship event include:

  • Players that are members of a USAU Affiliate organization may participate in the MS State Championships with their Affiliate-level membership, rather than a full Youth membership.
  • Players can also participate with a one-time event fee if the event is not being run by a USAU Affiliate organization.

For the Middle School State Championships, team rosters will require one rostered coach with either the Foundational Coach Training or the Youth Coach Certification (described above) by the team registration deadline; they are not required to roster a Youth certified coach.

However, teams are highly encouraged to have a Youth certified coach on their roster.

  1. Player Eligibility:
    1. To be considered a Middle School Player, students must meet the following requirements:
      • Students must be enrolled in middle or junior high school.
      • Students in fourth or fifth grade in states where there is no elementary school playing opportunity available for their division may play with their associated middle school based on approval from the middle school coach, the player’s parents/guardians, and the middle school administration.
  2. Coach Requirements
    All teams are required to have a minimum of ONE coach present and listed on the official event roster for all State Championships and Qualifying Events, who has completed either the Foundational Coach Training or the Youth Coach Certification. Coaches must be at least age 18, and they cannot be a student at the school for which they coach. Information on where to obtain certification can be found here.
    1. All coaches who are attending the event must be rostered for the event and have completed at least the Foundational Coach Training requirements or the Youth coach certification.
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