Julianne Hall is just like any other New Jersey teenager.
Hall, a New York City native, likes hanging out with friends and playing video games. His favorite is “Call of Duty.” Even now, at age 16, he remains under the protection of the state’s child labor laws. This season has created a unique football situation for the Red Bulls’ young forward.
Before she turned 16 on March 24, Hall was subject to New Jersey’s child labor laws, which prohibit 14- and 15-year-olds from working before 7 a.m. and after 7:30 p.m. Ta.
This means the New Jersey-based Red Bulls’ raw forward was unable to make his season debut until recently, as most of the club’s games started after 7:30pm.
“It wasn’t an ideal situation, but we got there in the end,” Hall told the Post ahead of Saturday’s Red Bulls game against LAFC.
Hall was finally able to make his season debut on March 23, when the Red Bulls defeated an Inter Miami team without Lionel Messi in an afternoon game at Red Bull Arena.
He came on as a substitute for the final 11 minutes of the match, helping the Red Bulls win for the third time in the young MLS season.
Hall was allowed to sit on the bench against Nashville in February, but Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwartz is happy to have him on the bench more consistently.
“It’s good to know he can play every week. I don’t have to watch and maybe he can play in an away game,” Schwartz explained. “It’s good that he joins our rhythm, our training rhythm and sometimes gets the chance to play in the second team. This is necessary for young players.”
Hall signed with the Red Bulls last season at the age of 15 years, 167 days, becoming the second-youngest raw player in franchise history.
There are a lot of expectations placed on him.
The teenager has been part of the Red Bulls Academy since 2020 and made 10 appearances for the Red Bulls’ reserve team in the MLS Next Pro League in 2023 before signing an MLS contract.
He made his MLS debut in September, becoming the second youngest player in MLS since Freddie Adu played in his first game in the league at the age of 14 years and 306 days.
Earlier this year, Hall was reported to have interest from top European clubs including Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
“I wasn’t blind to all of this,” Hall said of the expectations and interest from abroad. “I’ve tried to distance myself from social media, even though I clearly see what’s going on and what’s going on on social media. Like I said, I’m honest with myself. I know what I’m doing.”
It’s not often that a player of Hall’s age becomes a professional player in the United States.
The NBA, NFL and MLB have established age limits for players in their respective leagues to prevent similar situations.
Although the practice is more common in domestic leagues overseas, it occasionally occurs in U.S. soccer, where 13-year-old Davian Kimbrough signed a professional contract last year with Sacramento Republic FC of the United Soccer League.
Hall said the experience of turning professional at such a young age was life-changing, admitting he wished he had experienced more of “teenage life” but added that he doesn’t take anything for granted.
“I try to take advantage of every opportunity outside of practice and games to live a normal life,” Hall said. “Even after turning professional, I don’t think I’ve changed as a person. I’ve always been the same person since I was young.”
Hall is scheduled to be on the bench for the Red Bulls this weekend in Los Angeles, and hopes to have more opportunities to speak out without labor law issues getting in the way.
“I think it’s important to have faith in the coach and the coaches.” [their] Trust me, whenever they feel it’s the right time to give me that opportunity,” Hall said.
The New Jersey Legislature requires that 14- and 15-year-old minors who are employed as “professional athletes” be allowed to play after 11 p.m. Efforts are being made to allow special working hours. It’s a continuation of a working day that started just before 11 p.m. ”
The bill was introduced in the state Senate last month and referred to the Senate Labor Committee.
