PURPOSE
To facilitate and explain the process and policy of canceling and rescheduling games at both the Community and Travel Levels.
COMMUNITY
Cancelation of Games
1. Home games cannot be canceled without the approval of the appropriate Age Group Commissioner or President of the Club.
a. Sometimes the visiting club requests a cancelation and those are to always be agreed upon by the NH Coach.
i. If a cancelation occurs due to the request of the opposing team, the NH Coach must immediately notify the parties as set forth in Section I.B.
2. Games canceled due to field conditions and weather will be made by the Club and all games should be assumed to go forward regardless of weather conditions unless the Club cancels the game/closes the fields.
a. Coaches may never unilaterally cancel or postpone a game due to weather or field conditions.
b. If a game becomes unplayable or unsafe to play due to changing weather conditions or field conditions after kick-off, then any postponement or canceling of the game will be governed by the Pa West Rules and subject to the referee’s discretion.
c. If, prior to kick-off, a NH coach feels that it is unsafe to play the game, the NH Coach should confer with the referees and visiting coach, and if all agree the conditions are unsafe, the game may be canceled by the referee and the NH Coach must immediately notify the parties as set forth in Section I.B.
d. Under no circumstances should a game be canceled by a coach due to poor field conditions (this included long grass, issue with the painting of the lines, etc.), and may only cancel if the conditions make it unsafe for the children.
e. Any decisions on playing the game based solely upon field conditions will be made by the Club.
3. Inability to get players is not a reason to cancel a game unless all other Community NH teams have been contacted and cannot loan players.
a. As long as a team has 6 players the game must be played. If a NH Coach cannot get 6 then the NH Coach must contact the respective Age Group Commissioner and a decision can be made as to playing the game.
Rescheduling of Games
1. Once a home game is canceled, the NH Coach must contact the Age Group Commissioner of the cancelation.
2. Within one week of a home game being canceled, the NH Coach must contact the visiting coach to schedule a make-up date.
a. Any make-up date is tentative until approved and this should be conveyed to the visiting coach.
3. After agreeing to a tentative make-up date with the visiting coach, the NH Coach will contact the Age Group Commissioner with the proposed new date.
4. The Age Group Commissioner will then contact the Field Scheduler (if no Field Scheduler then the President) and Referee Coordinator and inform of the proposed make-up date.
5. The Field Scheduler will confirm Field availability and the Referee Coordinator will confirm Referee availability.
6. Once the Field and Referees are confirmed, the Age Group Commissioner will notify the NH Coach and the NH Coach can then confirm the game with the visiting coach.
7. The Age Group Commissioner will send an e-mail to all Age Group Commissioners (Pre-Academy, Academy, Community and Travel) and advise them of the date and time of the make-up game. The Age Group Commissioners will notify any coaches in their respective group that are training on that day and advise of the make-up game and ensure that a field is available for the make-up game.
8. Three to five days before the scheduled make-up game, the NH Coach will notify the Age Group Commissioner and Field Scheduler confirming the game is still on, at which time the Age Group Commissioner will send an e-mail out to the Referee Coordinator confirming the game and to the other Age Group Commissioners to remind them of the make-up game and the need for a field.
TRAVEL
Cancelation of Games
1. Home games cannot be canceled without the approval of the President of the Club.
2. Once a cancelation occurs, subject to Presidential approval as set forth in Section II.A.1., the NH Coach must immediately notify the parties as set forth in Section II.B.
3. Games canceled due to field conditions and weather will be made by the Club and all games should be assumed to go forward regardless of weather conditions unless the Club cancels the game/closes the fields.
a. Coaches may never unilaterally cancel or postpone a game due to weather or field conditions.
b. If a game becomes unplayable or unsafe to play due to changing weather conditions or field conditions after kick-off, then any postponement or canceling of the game will be governed by the Pa West Rules and subject to the referee’s discretion.
c. If, prior to kick-off, a NH coach feels that it is unsafe to play the game, the NH Coach should confer with the referee(s) and visiting coach, and if all agree the conditions are unsafe, the game may be canceled by the referee.
i. Once this occurs, the NH Coach must immediately notify the parties as set forth in Section II.B.
d. Under no circumstances should a game be canceled by a coach due to poor field conditions (this included long grass, issue with the painting of the lines, etc.), and a coach may only cancel a game if the conditions make it unsafe for the children.
e. Any decisions on playing the game based solely upon field conditions will be made by the Club.
4. Inability to get players is not a reason to cancel a game unless the minimum number of players required to play cannot be reached.
a. The NH Coach should reach out to other Travel Teams in the appropriate Divisions and Age Groups to find players (and add them as Club Pass Players) before canceling due to a shortage of players.
Rescheduling of Games
1. Pursuant to the Pa West Rules, before a home game is canceled by a coach(es) for any reason, the NH Coach must contact the President and obtain approval for the cancelation.
a. Pursuant to the Pa West Rules, the visiting coach is to obtain permission from the President of the visiting team’s club before a game is canceled.
2. Within one week of a home game being canceled, the NH Coach must contact the visiting coach to schedule a make-up date.
a. Any make-up date is tentative until approved and this should be conveyed to the visiting coach.
3. After agreeing to a tentative make-up date with the visiting coach, the NH Coach will contact the Age Group Commissioner with the proposed new date.
4. The Age Group Commissioner will then contact the Travel Field Scheduler and Referee Coordinator (the President of the Club should also be notified if the President has not already given approval for the cancelation pursuant to Section II.A.1.) and inform them of the proposed make-up date.
5. The Travel Field Scheduler will confirm Field availability and the Referee Coordinator will confirm Referee availability.
6. Once the Field and Referees are confirmed, the Age Group Commissioner will notify the NH Coach and the NH Coach can then confirm the game with the visiting coach.
7. The Age Group Commissioner will send an e-mail to all Age Group Commissioners (Pre-Academy, Academy, Community and Travel) and advise them of the date and time of the make-up game. The Age Group Commissioners will notify any coaches in their respective group that are training on that day and advise of the make-up game and ensure that a field is available for the make-up game.
8. Three to Five days before the scheduled make-up game, the NH Coach will notify the Age Group Commissioner confirming the game is still on, at which time the Age Group Commissioner will send an e-mail out to the Referee Coordinator confirming the game and to the other Age Group Commissioners to remind them of the make-up game and the need for a field.
DRAFTED: 5/2/2017
APPROVED: 6/25/2017