2023 Conditions of Play Changes Summary

2023 Changes	Reason for change
Updated “Active Player” definition	Incorporated the National Committee statement for inquiries about recruitment/lack of local league participation.
Updated “Coach Conduct” verbiage	Updated the code of conduct at registration and in COP to include the commitment to the spirit of PGA Jr. League, including addressing recruitment concerns.
Updated All-Star Eligibility requirement	To avoid players participating in All-Stars without being active recreational season participants.
New All-Star Team roster flexibility and updated Permanent Roster Replacement requirements	More flexibility allows for more participation in the All-Star Play Days and Championship Season.
New and updated Course Set-Up information including a shorter maximum yardage for circle tees and a commitment to specific percentage differences between tees.	We revisited yardage research and through our continued commitment to ADM are making adjustments to ensure equity between all 3 tee assignments.

Further Clarification Around Each Change

Updated Active Player Definition

Active Player

All-Star players must be active PGA Jr. League participants, which is defined as being a registered #GameChanger Club member and participating on a team in the league. The National Committee has the right to request proof of participation for any player that comes into question. Proof of participating may include scorecard requests, photos, etc.

Updated All-Star Eligibility Requirement

All-Star players must be registered #GameChanger Club members by July 31, 2023.

Updated Conduct Information

In addition to complying with any federal or state laws that may be applicable to hosting a team in the PGA Jr. League program, PGA Coaches and Assistant Coaches agree to comply with the waivers and Code of Conduct communicated at registration and within the Conditions of Play. Any breach will be handled at the National Committee’s discretion and may be communicated to the respective PGA Section office or may include a PGA Code of Ethics violation to be reviewed by the PGA Board of Control.

The PGA Jr. League National Committee trusts that all Coaches respect the principle of

adhering to the rules, proper conduct and fair play in the spirit of the game and of PGA Jr. League. The Committee has the right to remove a Coach from a competition for blatant and/or extreme breaches of etiquette. The Committee also has the right to suspend or remove a Coach from the program if it is believed that he/she is not acting within the appropriate guidelines. An example of this includes recruiting or accepting players outside a reasonable geographic distance that does not align with the American Development Model for Golf.

New All-Star Team roster flexibility and updated Permanent Roster Replacement requirements

As previously mentioned, if any team arrives at any competition with fewer than the eight rostered 13u players or the six rostered 17u players, the team will not be penalized if they choose to compete without that player(s). If a team has fewer than the appropriate number of active players in attendance for a game, they must fill as many two-player matches as possible.

Roster Changes

Roster changes may be made throughout All-Star Play Days and Sectionals, however they must be requested in a timely manner by the All-Star PGA Coach through the Coach Dashboard on PGAJrLeague.com. Players who have been removed from the roster during this time will be eligible to return to the roster, if applicable. Note: Roster changes may not be made during play of a competition, unless approved by the on-site Committee.

Permanent Roster Replacements

Beginning with Regional Championships, If an All-Star player is no longer able to participate in the Championship Season, they may be permanently replaced by a new, eligible player. The All-Star PGA Coach must submit a request via the Coach Dashboard as well as the permanent roster replacement form where they will sign off on the new player’s participation and eligibility. Upon receipt of this form, the replacement player is considered a part of the team’s All-Star roster. Permanent roster replacements must be completed prior to the first starting time of the Regional or National Championship, unless noted differently in a specific addendum for the competition. Once a player has been permanently replaced, he/she is not eligible to return to the team. Additionally, permanently replaced players are not eligible to join another All-Star team that he/she may be associated with. In each case, All-Star team composition and eligibility requirements still apply.

New and updated Course Set-Up Information

It is recommended that at every level of play, tees and yardages are configured based on players’ ages and abilities.
Boys 11-under and Girls 13-under will play from the FORWARD (CIRCLE) tees. Boys 12-14 and Girls 14-over will play from the MIDDLE (SQUARE) tees and Boys 15-over will play from the BACK (TRIANGLE) tees.
As a general rule, the total yardage difference between the circle and square tees should be no greater than 85%. The total yardage difference between square and triangle tees should be no greater than 90%. These differentials will be upheld at all Championship Season events operated by the PGA of America.
Click here to view detailed recommendations for course set-up at the local level, as well as requirements for specific Championship Season competitions.
All yardages are recommended in order to accommodate athletes of all skill levels and promote birdies, while creating exceptional player experiences.
All-Star Play Days must meet specific yardage requirements in order to be considered official.