Play Up Policy

Allston Brighton Youth Hockey Play-Up Policy

Allston Brighton Youth Hockey’s policy on permanently placing players on a roster above their age level when there is an age-appropriate team available to them:

ABYH strongly recommends players play at their appropriate age level. Exceptions may be made when the Board of Directors determines it is in the best interest of the program and player. In making its decision, the Board will consider the following:

• The player’s ability alone is not enough to move a player up a level. It must be determined by the Board to be in the best interest of the entire program, not just the individual in question.
• A player will not be allowed to play up if it means displacing an age-appropriate player.
• A player will not be permitted to play up by more than one birth year in age. For example, a first year Squirt or U10 may not be permitted to move up to the Peewee or U12 level.
• A player requesting to play up must be selected to play for the highest tier/division older level team only. Players requesting to play up are not eligible to be selected for a lower tier/division team at the older level. The only exception to this is if the program requests a player play up in order to complete a roster for a team.
• Players seeking to try out for an older team must seek Board or designee’s approval prior to registering. It is at the Board’s sole discretion to allow a player to try out for a higher level.
• If the tryout request is approved, the player must register and pay registration fees for BOTH their age-appropriate tryout and the older age tryout. The player must also attend the tryouts for both age levels. 
• The player must be projected to be ‘very competitive’ on the older team. If the player is not projected to be ‘very competitive’ at that level, or will likely be towards the bottom players of that team, it is highly questionable whether playing up is truly in the best interest of that player or the team.
• Approval to play up is for the current season only and has no bearing on future play-up requests.
• Approval to play up is at the sole discretion of the Allston Brighton Youth Hockey Board of Directors and the decision is final. There is no appeal process.

All ‘play up’ requests must comply with Mass Hockey rules and are subject to their approval.

This policy does not apply to players playing above their age group as alternates within the rules of the league(s) in which the team participates.