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FAQ for Turlock Youth Football
How long has Turlock Youth Football been around?
* Established in the community in 1984. We are the original youth football program in Turlock. Year after year we maintain a strong following and have a long history of success serving the Turlock Community. In 2015 we change our name from the 49er and Vikings to Pride and Bulldogs.
* Financially Secure – We have a process in place to which we remain financially stable and secure to provide your child with the best possible experience. We remain secure with our agreements with vendors, practice facilities, and game facilities. Our continued working relationship with Turlock School District provides TYF with a long-term, secure location to play on Saturdays and enjoy an atmosphere of youth football and cheer at a first class facility.
* We are pure non-profit. We are registered with the state of California as a Non-Profit. All board and coaching positions are strictly volunteers. Board members or coaches are not compensated in any way. The registration fee that you pay goes towards the children.
What league are you in?
Turlock Youth Football (TYF) is part of the Cen-Cal Junior Football League. We have teams in Oakdale, Turlock (2), Merced (2), Livingston, Atwater (2), Los Banos, and Modesto. We are a smaller league but extremely competitive. In 2021 North Valley Empire ranked Cen-Cal a top League in the 209 area, with 4 teams in the top 15.
How much does it cost to signup?
* Cost – If you register by the May sign-up date you receive an “early bird” special, only $150. The fee will be $175 after May.
* Varsity players – only $125 for the early bird special and $150 after.
* Deposit – you can make a deposit of $75 and pay the rest by Camp/Draft Week.
* Discounts are given to multiple child families with the first child costing $175 and $150 for any additional children.
* Refunds – There are no refunds. There are no exceptions.
Where and when can we sign-up?
* We have our sign-ups at Ten Pin Fun Center located @ 3700 Countryside Drive. Ten Pin is a sponsor of TYF and offers every player a $5 arcade card that signs up there.
* The dates – For 2022 February 1st – March 1st – April 5th – May 3rd – June 7th – July 12th
* You can also sign-up or turn in other items during the Camp/Draft Week.
What do we need for sign-ups?
* A COPY of their birth certificate
* Fill out a registration card, the player must sign their card.
* Report Card – Current COPY of your child’s report card. This ONLY applies to JV and Varsity players. Cen Cal requires this to verify the player’s grade.
* Sports Physical, TYF does not have a form. Have the doctor write on their Script or Office Letter “Cleared to play sports” dated with the current year on it.
* Pay at least a $75 deposit of the registration fee. You will be required to pay off the remaining balance by Camp/Draft week
What does TYF Provide and what do we need for practice and games?
*Equipment provided by TYF*
*Helmet, Shoulder Pads, Game Pants, Practice Pants, Belt, Knee Pads, (Equipment listed must be turned in at end of the season)
*Game Jersey – Theirs to keep, Mouthpiece – TYF provides one, you may need to get more, if your player losses it or chews it up
*Equipment that each player needs*
*Practice Jersey – It is helpful to have their last name on it.
*Compression Girdle – Built-in pads, make sure you get the “football” one they must have Hip, Thigh, and Tailbone Pads… (We recommend getting the ones with knee pads as well, this is known as a 7 Pad Integrated Football Girdle)
*Cleats – It is recommended to get high tops to protect their ankles (no metal cleats)
*Game Socks – The head coach will let you know what color will be used for the season
*Water Bottle – For practice (recommended 1/2 gallon or 64 ounces)
What are the Age Limits?
Ages are determined by the age of the player ON August 1st.
* Rookies – 6-7 years old
* Peewee – 8-9 years old
* JV – 10-11 years old
* Varsity – 12-14 years old
* 8th graders must play Varsity regardless of age and weight.
* NO repeat 8th graders or high school players are allowed.
What are the Weight Limits?
* Rookies – Must not weigh more than 100.9 pounds playing weight.
* There are no X-Man for rookies.
* Peewee – Must not weigh more than 140.9 pounds playing weight.
* Peewee players weighing 121-140.9 will be designated X-Man.
* JV – Must not weigh more than 160.9 pounds playing weight.
* JV players weighing 141-160.9 will be designated X-Man.
* Varsity – Must not weigh more than 240.9 pounds playing weight.
* Varsity players weighing 201-240.9 will be designated X-Man.
* X-Man – * Once designated an X-Man player, the player will remain an X-Man until the completion of the entire season.
* X-Men can ONLY play from Tackle to Tackle on offense and must be in a 3 point stance on the defensive line.
* X-Men may not be a running back, or Tight End, or receive a pass on the “Tackle Eligible” play.
* On defense, X-Men cannot play a standing position such as linebacker or corner or safety. They too may not drop back from their 3 point stance into a linebacker position.
Is there Fundraising?
The coaches and team parents do this for their teams, this is not done by TYF. TYF has limited the fundraising to a maximum of $100 per player. The monies collected will be used for a team sweatshirt and the end of the year banquet. Your head coach and team parent can answer any questions and give you more information.
What about Volunteers?
TYF keeps its registration costs down because of volunteers at our home games. We ask that you volunteer in the snack bar, gate, apparel, or the Chain Gang during each home game. Your team parents will have the sign-up sheet for each home game. It takes all of us doing our part to continue making the system work as well as it has been and to keep the cost low.
What can we expect the typical season to look like?
Camp/Draft week – Starts July 25
Where – Turlock High School, on N. Berkeley Ave, on the practice field behind Joe Debly Stadium, 5:30 – 7:30 for all players during camp/draft week.
* Practices – Monday – Friday for 2 hours each day, until after the first game, then it will go to three days a week.
* Bulldogs practice at Turlock high school
* Pride practice at Pitman high school
* Round Robin – Saturday, Aug 20th.
* First Game – Saturday, Aug 27th.
* We have ten game scheduled. Our home games will be played at Joe Debly Stadium, on the corner of Colorado Ave, and E. Marshal St. We play teams from Los Banos, Merced, Atwater, Oakdale, and Modesto.
* Super Bowl – Nov 19th.
* You will get a complete game schedule once the season starts
* Please note that this schedule could change. Your head coach will keep you informed.
Where are games played and when?
* Games are on Saturdays. Home games are at Joe Debly Stadium at Turlock high school
* Typically it has been Rookies at 1:00, Pee-Wee at 3, JV at 5, and Varsity at 7
* Away game times will be determined by the hosting team. If the field at the away game does not have lights, then a day game will be scheduled, if there are lights then afternoon games are scheduled.
What rule book and size of football are used?
* We use the JV high school rule book for all levels.
* Game balls used must-read; * Rookies – “Junior” or “Peewee” * Peewee “Junior” * JV and Varsity – “Youth” or
“Intermediate”.
Do we travel a lot?
No, half the games are home games in Turlock, away games can be in Los Banos, Atwater, Merced, or Modesto.
Do you have mandatory playing rules?
There is no mandatory playing rule in the Cen Cal Youth Football League. However, all coaches make their best effort to play all the kids, but it’s based upon ability, effort, attendance, and skill. It’s important to remember that practice is the opportunity to show the coaches you can perform in a game time situation.
Do Rookies keep score?
We believe that the Rookie level is an introductory level and only keeps score for the first half of the game. This gives coaches and players the opportunity to focus on instructing and teaching the fundamentals of football. The scoring is only for the playoff seeding.
* Game score will be kept, and PAT (Run & Pass only) attempts will be allowed during the first half ONLY of all Rookie league games.
* Scores are frozen at halftime.
* The second half of all Rookie games is to be used for instruction and getting all players on the field. There will be NO score kept and NO PAT attempts are allowed in the second half of Rookie games until the Rivalry week game and Post Season Playoffs.
* For those PAT attempts, a pass is two (2) points, and a run is one (1) point.
Are there any boundaries to play for TYF?
No Boundaries– Unlike other leagues, the TYF and Cen-Cal football do not have boundaries. We feel that parents should have a choice of where they want their children to participate regardless of where they live. We have had kids from all around who come to play for us.
How does the draft work for TYF?
TYF is unique, as we are the only team in Cen Cal that has a draft. All new players go into the draft. We do have guidelines that are used to keep a family together, and other circumstances, for those, talk to the head coaches at the beginning of the Camp/Draft Week.
What is the experience of the coaching staff?
Turlock Youth Football has some of the best quality youth coaches around, between the head coaches and coaching staff at all levels, there are over 100 years of combined youth experience. Over our rich history, TYF has won many of the NFC and AFC Championship and Super Bowl games, at all levels of play, many times with undefeated seasons. The program’s alumni have moved on to achieve success in high school, college, and professional programs across the nation. ALL board members and coaching staff are Live Scanned by the Dept. of Justice, and all have a certificate with the NFHS in concussion management. Many coaches also attend continued education classes to improve their coaching skills on a regular basis.
We are committed as the TYF Board and our coaching staff to focusing on teaching the proper fundamentals of football, teamwork, good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage, unity, integrity, pride, and respect in our community. We believe if the game is taught well, and players adhere to the core values of effort, teamwork, and continuous improvement that winning takes care of itself. We take pride in our organization, our teammates, and our community and strive to represent them all with class and dignity.
For the official bylaws of Cen Cal and TYF you can find them here Cen Cal and TYF bylaws
*** Please keep in mind that the information on this page may change from time to time, we will do our best to keep it up to date…
*** I hope this helps answer your questions you may have. We look forward to the opportunity to work with your children in 2022. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
