Football
Highlander Youth Tackle Football remains a member of the New Jersey Suburban Youth Football League (NJSYFL), a now 27-town league made up of two divisions organized by towns of similar populations to ensure competitive play. Visit the league website at www.njsyfl.com for more information.
Ages
Open to Berkeley Heights and Mountainside residents entering Grades 3-8.
When
The season begins with summer practices in mid-August and ends with playoffs, for qualifying teams, in mid-November.
Where
Practices are held at Snyder Turf. Home games are played at Governor Livingston High School.
Practices
Summer practices start mid-August and run Monday through Thursday evenings until Labor Day weekend. Once school begins, practices are generally Tuesdays and Thursday evenings, and Saturday mornings.
Games
Each team will play 8 regular season games and may play as many as 2 playoff games. Games are typically played on Sundays, but away games could occasionally be played on Saturdays based on the hosting team’s preferences.
Sunday games are usually played according to the following schedule:
- D Level (Grade 5) - 9:00 AM
- C Level (Grade 6) - 10:30 AM
- B Level (Grade 7) - 12:00 PM
- A Level (Grade 8) - 1:30 PM
- E Level (Grades 3/4) - 3:15 PM
Equipment and Uniforms
Helmets, shoulder pads, practice uniforms, and game pants are provided by BHPAL. Personalized game jerseys are ordered separately by the league commissioner at an additional cost of $60 per player.
Extra Costs
$60 per player for a personalized game jersey.
Follow BH PAL Football
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the NJSYFL different from other football leagues?
The NJSYFL has long followed their own ERB (Eligible Running Back) rule, which restricts athletes from running or handling the ball, on offense, based on their weight. This rule is intended to minimize the number of times a lighter defender must tackle a heavier player. This applies only to the offensive positions of QB, RB, WR, and TE. The maximum weight to be eligible is
- A Team (Grade 8) – 160.9 lbs
- B Team (Grade 7) – 135.9 lbs
- C Team (Grade 6) – 120.9 lbs
- D Team (Grade 5) – 105.9 lbs
- E Team (Grades 3 & 4) – 90.9 lbs
ERB’s must meet the above weight limit at the start of the season to be eligible for the season. They must then make that weight on game day every week to be eligible for that week’s game.
Any player not meeting ERB eligibility requirements, either for the season or for a given week, are only able to play offensive line positions, or any position on defense.
Fall 2024
Highlander Youth Tackle Football - Fall 2024 Season