James Vail Cleveland, Ohio ArenÆt Olympic teams permitted to have three overage players this year? Mike Woitalla — Indeed, James, the Olympic soccer tournament is an under-23 tournament with each team permitted to field three overages players — the so-called wild cards. However, the U.S. roster that Clive Charles announced does not include any overage players because the wild-card rule does not apply to qualifying play. Qualifying is U-23s only. Yes, thatÆs odd. But so is the history of Olympic soccer. In 1992, the soccer tournament became an under-23 tournament, much to the chagrin of the International Olympic Committee. FIFA (soccerÆs international governing body) did not want the Olympics to compete with the World Cup, so it did not want it to be a genuine world championship, which is what the IOC believes the Olympics should be. But FIFA got its way, because the Olympics need soccer (controlled by FIFA) more than FIFA needs the Olympics. Soccer is the GamesÆ biggest spectator draw, i.e. biggest money-maker. Before the 1996 Games, the IOC again demanded that FIFA make the Olympic soccer tournament an adult tournament. FIFA, of course, declined, but made the compromise of allowing three overage players. ThatÆs what is on slate for Sydney 2000 — as of now. (At one point there had been talk of five overage players.) While the current rules are odd, the previous ones were just as curious. In 1984, the Olympic soccer tournament was opened to professionals — except players from Europe or South America who had played in the World Cup or World Cup qualifying. That rule was in place through 1988. Before 1984, Olympic soccer was amateur. Or, more accurately, ôshamateur.ö Eastern European countries considered all their athletes amateur, claiming that professional sports did not exist in their Communist societies. In fact, the soccer players were full-time athletes who usually held sinecures in state industry or the military. No coincidence thus that Eastern Bloc nations won every gold medal from 1952 to 1980. I must say that, judging by the 1996 Olympic tournament, the current format, as odd as it is, produces some remarkably entertaining soccer. (If you have a question for a Soccer America Magazine editor, click “Q&A with SA Editors” in the left column of the home page under “Interactive.”)