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Registration FAQ'S

REGISTRATION

What ages are eligible to play?
MSA welcomes players three to eighteen years of age. Players must be three years old by by December 31st of the seasonal year. Please view the age matrix chart to see the age division for your child.

Do you need my child's birth certificate?
MSA is required by North Texas State Soccer Association to verify each player's birth date. You can email, upload, or bring to the office your child's birth certificate or passport in person. This is required by the last day of registration. Players will not be assigned to teams unless their birth date has been verified and no refunds will be issued. Returning players do not need to verify their birth dates again unless requested.

What is my username and/or password?
If your child has played for any Member Association of North Texas Soccer, please use their existing GotSport account. Do not create a new account. 

I am having trouble registering and I don't know if my registration was accepted?
In order to eliminate problems with registering, use a computer in place of a phone or tablet. You will receive an email within fifteen minutes of your registration being accepted. If you did not receive an email or you are having problems, please email your Vice Commissioner or info@midlandsoccer.org. Please do not wait until the last day of registration to troubleshoot; MSA receives a high load of calls during this time and may be unable to assist you.

How do I pay and do you offer a discount?
Payment is only accepted online within the registration program, GotSport. During early registration, MSA offers a $10 discount for each player. Financial Aid is available to qualified applicants.

I want my child to play up.
MSA allows players to request to play up one age division. Forms are due on the last day of registration. All true aged players will be assigned to teams first. The play up requests will be accepted as space allows. This is only a request and is not a guarantee.

I have siblings that would like to play together.
MSA allows siblings that are within one birth year of each other to play on the same team. Please use the buddy request on the registration and note that it is a sibling. The younger sibling will play up with the older sibling.

My child wants to be on their friend's team.
Only new players or players who have not registered with any Member Association for the previous two seasons are eligible to request a buddy. Players are assigned to teams according to their birth years. Please ensure the buddy has the same birth year. A play up request will be required if the buddy is older. This is only a request and is not a guarantee. 

My child wants to change teams.
Players are assigned to teams for a seasonal year (fall through spring). During Fall registration, players may change teams by noting this on their registration. During Spring registration, players may request a player transfer, which requires a form and a transfer fee due by the last day of registration. All players requesting to change teams will be placed in the player pool for reassignment and are not eligible to request a team.

Does MSA have enough coaches?
MSA depends entirely on parent volunteers to serve as coaches. Coaches have the privilege of scheduling their own practice locations and times. MSA is always in need of more volunteers to coach! In the event you child is placed on a team without a coach, a parent will be needed to volunteer. Refunds will not be issued if a parent does not volunteer.

Each season, over 2,000 recreational players register with MSA, which is the equivalent of approximately 300 teams. Please be patient with the office staff as they receive a high load of phone calls during registration.
Contact the appropriate Vice Commissioner to help answer any of your questions.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What exactly does my registration fee cover?
North Texas State Soccer Association (“NTSSA”), of which Midland is a part, receives a portion of each players’ registration fee which provides insurance coverage and operation expenses incurred for the development of soccer programs. The remainder is used locally to cover administration expenses, field maintenance, pay for office staff/police officers/referees, trophies, and more.

What additional costs can I expect to pay?
The only mandatory equipment required by our rules are shin guards. Each team is responsible for its own uniforms. Sponsorship of uniforms and/or equipment is permitted, subject to MSA & NTSSA rules. Soccer cleats are not mandatory equipment. Each player will want to have a soccer ball. There are other optional costs that vary from team to team, such as photos, tournament fees, party expenses, snacks, etc.

What size ball do I need? 
4U-8U size 3
9U-12U size 4
13U+ size 5

How are teams formed? 
Teams are formed according to the players' neighborhood public elementary school (NES). New players may request to buddy with a friend on an existing team.

Where and when do we practice?
The location, day and time of your team’s practice is at the discretion of the coach. With the exception of Saturday and Sunday practices, all weekday practices must be held after 5:30.  Practices held prior to this time must follow MSA rule 4.0.6.

Where are the games played? 
MSA is provided five soccer complexes by the City of Midland. U4 through U8 play at J.P. Butler Sports Complex. U9 and older play at Windlands Sports Complex. U11 and older may have games scheduled at the UTPB soccer fields in Odessa and possibly in Lubbock, San Angelo, and/or Abilene. Beal, Hogan, and Reyes-Mashburn parks are provided for the use of tournaments and club soccer programs.

When are the games played?
Games are typically scheduled on Saturdays starting at 9:00 a.m. with the last games scheduled for 3:00 p.m. On occasion, games may be scheduled on a weeknight. 

We played games without a referee last season?
MSA strives to provide referees for every game, however, there are factors that we cannot control. Referees become ill, injured, or school and family conflicts come up at the last minute. The rules of MSA and NTSSA allow for a parent to referee a game when a sanctioned referee is not available. We always are looking for referees!

How many games will we play?
The spring and fall seasons are eight-week seasons. In the event of rain, canceled games are not usually rescheduled unless they are games that affect season standings in the older age groups.

Do we play in the rain?
Rain does not automatically cancel a soccer game. We only cancel games in the event of lightning or when continued play will cause damage to the fields. Sometimes morning games are canceled, but not afternoon games. Best practice – show up for your games. All delays or cancellations will be posted.

Do we have to play in a tournament?
No, participation in a tournament is strictly optional and is up to each individual team. Just about every recreational tournament allows for guest players to cover these situations. However, you MUST invite each existing team member to attend the tournament. If a player chooses not to attend a particular tournament, you may then pick up guest players. At no time may a team go above their maximum allowable roster size. To determine the maximum roster size, multiply the number of players on the field during a game times two.

What is the Turkey Shootout?
The Turkey Shootout is an annual soccer tournament run by Midland Soccer Association and sanctioned by North Texas State Soccer Association. Participation by each team is optional and an additional entry fee applies.  This is the 40th year for this tournament which is held on the 1st and 2nd weekends of November 2023 and routinely attracts over a 120 teams throughout West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. 

Can I be a coach?
We are always in need of coaches. Even if you have never played soccer before, coaching soccer is easy. All that is required is a willingness to be involved with children. Please click here for more coaching information!

How about being a referee?
We are also always in need of referees. This is perfect way to earn extra money. You must be 13 years of age to be certified as a Grade 8 referee. Depending on the age group of the game, our referees make a minimum of $20 per game. Click here for more information.

Why can’t we practice at the soccer complexes?
Living in West Texas does have its challenges! Keeping soccer fields green and in playable condition is a struggle, even with all the hard work of the City of Midland Parks and Recreation Department. By not practicing on game fields, we hope to allow the fields an opportunity to rebound and achieve the best possible results from this huge investment. 

Why does Midland have to be a part of NTSSA?
All soccer in the world is controlled by FIFA, which stand for the Federation Internationale de Football Association.  A portion of your registration fee finds its way to FIFA.  FIFA rules are used to play the soccer game.   Midland is a part of North Texas State Soccer Association (“NTSSA”), which is a member of United States Youth Soccer Organization (“USYSO”), which is a member of United Stated Soccer Federation (“USSF”), which is a member of Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) which is a member of FIFA. Whew! 

The information above does not replace any rule contained in the Rule and Regulations of Midland Soccer Association.  To review the actual rule, please consult the Rules and Regulations and Bylaws of Midland Soccer Association.