can someone explain biobanding like I am a third grader?

[Anonymous]

Tried to read through the threads but it's really confusing. Is it for small kids (statutre/size) with potential to play down? if so why are there kids who aren't smaller in stature/size playing down as biobanded kids? Legit confused about the purpose of it if there are average or taller sized kids playing down. And is it just MLSN does it or also ECNL?

[Anonymous]

Club thinks player will get bigger when they hit puberty. Currently they're a decent player and have the potential to be much more after puberty. So you play this kid against younger players until they hit puberty. At that time they go back to playing against players their age.

Unfortunately many clubs play ringers down against younger teams for wins. Which defeats the purpose of biobanding.

Its the difference between short term and long term thinking.

[Anonymous]

A lot of biobanded kids grow up (duh). So while they made the cut initially (ie, approved by MSLNext) before the start of the season, by end of the season, you’ll hear parents complaining about the ringers. Which kind of supports the concept of biobanding. A biobanded kid that has finally grown should be as good as their on age teammates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Club thinks player will get bigger when they hit puberty. Currently they're a decent player and have the potential to be much more after puberty. So you play this kid against younger players until they hit puberty. At that time they go back to playing against players their age.

Unfortunately many clubs play ringers down against younger teams for wins. Which defeats the purpose of biobanding.

Its the difference between short term and long term thinking.

i've seen teams play a clearly not undersized older kid down in their games mid-season. surely this isn't what biobanding is intended to be? totally get kids who are small at beginning of season playing down who grow during season. don't get large kids just playing down just to win. seems a bit like cheating and how does this help the kid who isn't small, playing with and against younger competition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of biobanded kids grow up (duh). So while they made the cut initially (ie, approved by MSLNext) before the start of the season, by end of the season, you’ll hear parents complaining about the ringers. Which kind of supports the concept of biobanding. A biobanded kid that has finally grown should be as good as their on age teammates.

but what about the ones who clearly didn't grow mid season (i.e. they are at least average size for their actual age) and are still playing down?

[Anonymous]

One word: cheating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Club thinks player will get bigger when they hit puberty. Currently they're a decent player and have the potential to be much more after puberty. So you play this kid against younger players until they hit puberty. At that time they go back to playing against players their age.

Unfortunately many clubs play ringers down against younger teams for wins. Which defeats the purpose of biobanding.

Its the difference between short term and long term thinking.

i've seen teams play a clearly not undersized older kid down in their games mid-season. surely this isn't what biobanding is intended to be? totally get kids who are small at beginning of season playing down who grow during season. don't get large kids just playing down just to win. seems a bit like cheating and how does this help the kid who isn't small, playing with and against younger competition.

Any time my kid has played against bigger players, I see it as great practice for my kid to rely on technique and to play under pressure. I think those parents and players who make a fuss about bio banded players care way too much about winning which is all you need to know about the level of player they have. Pretend concern for the biobanded kid is just pretext.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of biobanded kids grow up (duh). So while they made the cut initially (ie, approved by MSLNext) before the start of the season, by end of the season, you’ll hear parents complaining about the ringers. Which kind of supports the concept of biobanding. A biobanded kid that has finally grown should be as good as their on age teammates.

but what about the ones who clearly didn't grow mid season (i.e. they are at least average size for their actual age) and are still playing down?

How can you tell that though? They continue bio banding until presumably they’ve past puberty and are maxed out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Club thinks player will get bigger when they hit puberty. Currently they're a decent player and have the potential to be much more after puberty. So you play this kid against younger players until they hit puberty. At that time they go back to playing against players their age.

Unfortunately many clubs play ringers down against younger teams for wins. Which defeats the purpose of biobanding.

Its the difference between short term and long term thinking.

i've seen teams play a clearly not undersized older kid down in their games mid-season. surely this isn't what biobanding is intended to be? totally get kids who are small at beginning of season playing down who grow during season. don't get large kids just playing down just to win. seems a bit like cheating and how does this help the kid who isn't small, playing with and against younger competition.

Any time my kid has played against bigger players, I see it as great practice for my kid to rely on technique and to play under pressure. I think those parents and players who make a fuss about bio banded players care way too much about winning which is all you need to know about the level of player they have. Pretend concern for the biobanded kid is just pretext.

True

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One word: cheating.

If a player at 14 or 15 is not a physical late developer but is playing down against younger kids for an advantage, only the biobanded player is getting cheated

[Anonymous]

Biobanding is a concept, employed primarily in Europe, (but now also here in the US) to allow physically smaller sized players compete a year down with other players of similar physical size in order to help their development during the puberty years when not all players grow at he same rate. It was initially targeted only towards players, who were small and also had great technical abilities who were expected to grow bigger in the their later puberty years.

However, the concepts has been broadened to allow club s in US leagues to also play down kids who are of average size, but also require more development of confidence by allowing them to develop by playing a year down.

I think a problem of defining what players should actually qualify for biobanding is a real issue. Clubs are not given a concise definition and therefore it appears it may be abused and or it may especially appear to be abused.

Parents gossip and speculation is also to blame. Even for U12 girls, parents are quick to conclude the other club is cheating whenever a much larger girl is on the field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Biobanding is a concept, employed primarily in Europe, (but now also here in the US) to allow physically smaller sized players compete a year down with other players of similar physical size in order to help their development during the puberty years when not all players grow at he same rate. It was initially targeted only towards players, who were small and also had great technical abilities who were expected to grow bigger in the their later puberty years.

However, the concepts has been broadened to allow club s in US leagues to also play down kids who are of average size, but also require more development of confidence by allowing them to develop by playing a year down.

I think a problem of defining what players should actually qualify for biobanding is a real issue. Clubs are not given a concise definition and therefore it appears it may be abused and or it may especially appear to be abused.

Parents gossip and speculation is also to blame. Even for U12 girls, parents are quick to conclude the other club is cheating whenever a much larger girl is on the field.

The only allowed use for bio banding that I’m aware of is in MLSNext.

Any other use would probably be violating those leagues rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One word: cheating.

100% on this. If you cannot play in your own age group in a P2P club, you are just a mediocre player with no hope and have to rely on playing in the younger group to stay in the top team. IMHO, it is not worth the shame with you after soccer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One word: cheating.

100% on this. If you cannot play in your own age group in a P2P club, you are just a mediocre player with no hope and have to rely on playing in the younger group to stay in the top team. IMHO, it is not worth the shame with you after soccer.

The mediocre player is also the player that complains about playing against larger and faster players because they don’t have the skill set to be more than just a mediocre player. And also cares so much about winning because they need to ride the coattails of a winning team to compensate for their mediocrity.

No top player on an MLSNext team gives a crap about whether a player is biobanded or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One word: cheating.

If a player at 14 or 15 is not a physical late developer but is playing down against younger kids for an advantage, only the biobanded player is getting cheated

We have 17/18 years old players bioband to play in the younger group, since if they play in their own age group, it looks like we are down by half player due to their speed and strength. I do not know what kind of growth is expected, as they are already near the end of their youth soccer.