BTH GRADING POLICY 2026
All team allocation from U10 upwards is based upon grading and is handled by the Club.
Where there are multiple teams and numbers allow it, there are two ways in which our grading process is
used to allocate a junior player to a team.
Any players wishing to make a Division 1 team must make this clear when they register for grading.
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Method One: Full Grading
For full grading, a junior player is graded across a range of skills and given an overall score. Players are
then grouped according to their ability. Players with similar scores are then grouped into teams. When
players are allocated to teams using full grading, no social considerations about friendships are used —
only the players’ ability as determined by the grading process. Previous years coaches' reports may also
be used to help the grading committee.

Method Two: Social Grading
For social grading, players are still graded across a range of skills and given an overall grade. However,
in social grading players can nominate other players they wish to be in a team with. Importantly though,
these “friends” groups are placed in teams according to the ability of the lowest graded player.
What this requires of players is that preferably they inform the Junior Coordinator prior to grading their
intentions or arrive for the Club’s grading days prepared, and with a clear idea about whether they want
Full or Social Grading. We ask that parents bring their children on time, and commit to the club’s grading
process
in good faith and without trying to impose any external constraints or influences on the grading
committee.

Opting Out of Grading
Finally, although BTH is committed to grading its players, it is always open to players and parents to opt
out of grading entirely. In such circumstances, the ungraded player will still be welcome to play at the club
should teams and numbers permit, but ungraded players will be placed in the lowest available grade.

How Does Grading Work?
It may not always be clear to parents what we are looking for when we grade. At grading we use small
sided games and full games to examine a range of core soccer skills as defined by the FFA’s National
Football Curriculum. These core skills differ depending on whether players are in the U10-U12 age range
or the U13-U18 age bracket.

 

What Are We Looking For?
U10-U12 - Skills Acquisition Phase
From U10 to U12 the FFA’s National Football Curriculum expects to see players develop abilities in the
following four areas:
• First Touch
• Running with ball
• Striking the ball
• 1 v 1
During grading, we use small, sided games and full sided games to assess each player’s ability in these
four core skills. Players are given a grade for each skill, and an overall grade as determined by the
grading committee as a whole.

 

U13-U18 Game Training Phase
From U13 to U17 the FFA’s National Football Curriculum expects to see players further develop the four
core abilities mentioned above, but also to attain a set of tactical and match-based skills related to:
• Ball possession
• Ball recovery
• Play Transition
We still use small, sided games to assess core skill development, but we make greater use of large sided
games to assess the three match-based skills. Players are given a grade for each skill, and an overall
grade as determined by the grading committee as a whole.
 

Who Does the Grading?
A grading committee of experienced coaches and players with a head of grading is appointed by the Club
Committee to oversee grading from U10-U18. No grader will assess players in age groups where there
are possible conflicts of interest.

 

How Are Results Communicated?
Once the results of grading are determined and teams allocated, all players and parents will be informed
by email from the Junior Coordinator’s. Notification will involve a group email to all the players in each
team.

 

What About Coaches and Managers?
Only when teams have been graded and determined will calls for coaches and managers be made for
each team. Frequently coaches and managers are parents of players who have volunteered to take on
the role so it is expected that coaches and managers will volunteer once the results of grading have been
communicated. Where there are multiple volunteers to coach a single team, volunteers will be invited to
either (a) agree to coach jointly, or failing such agreement to (b) submit an email to the head of grading
explaining why they are the most suitable coach for the team this year.
In some instances, especially for Division 1 teams in older age groups (U13-U18), the Club will already
have secured the involvement of well qualified coaches and managers. In such cases, the club will make
it well known in advance that suitable coaches are already in place for certain teams.

 

Can my child play-up an age group?

As a general rule, the Club discourages players playing up an age group unless it is to play with their
school cohort. Any players wishing to play more than one age group up will require Club approval, and
may also require MWFA approval.
For any child wishing to play up an age group for reasons other than playing with their school cohort will
normally need to be assessed at both their own age and the higher age, and the following considerations
(amongst others) made:
1. Would a player be moving from an A grade team at their own age group to play in a B or lower
grade team at the higher age group? If the answer is “yes" then playing up would generally be
ruled out.
2. Would moving a player up an age group disrupt the team numbers at their own age- group, thus
leaving other teams short of players? Or would it displace players inappropriately at the older age
group? If the answer to either question is “yes" then playing up would generally be ruled out.
3. Aside from grading, does the player have the physical, emotional and social maturity to fit into an
older team? If the answer is “no" then playing up would generally be ruled out. The Club may
also wish to consider these issues longer-term if they may be relevant in making a decision.
Playing-up can be a great opportunity to challenge capable players, however, the club believes
that moving players into older age groups must be handled with care.

 

Can my daughter play in the Mixed Competition?
If your daughter ONLY wishes to play in the mixed competition, she can register as such. However, in
the event of team allocation issues, priority will be given to existing players or to a male as they can
ONLY register to play in the mixed competition.
Should your daughter wish to play in BOTH the mixed competition and Women's competition, please see
the “dual registered players” section below.

 

What if we can’t attend the grading days?
We understand that sometimes players cannot attend grading, but full assessment requires attendance.
Where players have played before and their abilities are well known we can offer well informed but
cautious assessments. Where a player is new to the club, or whose abilities are not well known, we are
more likely to grade the player “unknown” and allocate to them in a lower graded team in the first
instance.

 

How flexible are team numbers?
Parents sometimes wonder why we can’t simply add one or two more players to a team. However, we
tend to be limit the number of players as follows:
• U10-U12: Acceptable = 10 or 13; Ideal = 12 (weekend games are 9v9)
• U13-U18: Acceptable = 12 or 16; Ideal = 15 (weekend games are 11v11)
The reason we suggest these limits that larger team numbers tend to have a few detrimental effects. It
reduces game time for each player, it means coaches spend less time coaching and more time managing
subs, and allowing large teams can leave other teams short of the minimum required number of players.

 

Dual Registered Players
Girls wishing to play both in the Mixed and Women's competitions will be considered on an as needed
basis. If numbers of registrations of males, or girls ONLY wishing to play in the mixed competition,
enables team formation, then the Club will not consider dual registration.

Girls wishing to register for both competitions need to make a written request to the Club, and will be
invited to register twice (once each for the applicable Registration Products) if approved.
Girls wishing to play in both the Mixed and Women's competitions will only be required to attend grading
for the relevant Women's team. Only if numbers allow will she be allocated a position in a mixed team.
Her ability is not considered in her taking any priority. She will be placed into the lowest team in her
relevant age group unless the Club considers there to be an extraordinary reason not to.

Extraordinary reasons may include:
   * Compliance with MWFA Rules generally
  * Compliance with MWFA Rules player movement rules
  * Safety concerns
Football NSW requires all associations to provide consent for all female players playing in a mixed
competition if they are 12 or over. This requires a coach’s consent that the player has been assessed to
play in mixed games and has the size, statue and emotional intelligence to play. Parental consent will
also be required for all female players to play in mixed competitions from U12 up.