Fair Play

Fair Play Guidelines Cape Breton Victoria Regional Center for Education (CBVRCE)

Appendix for Sport and Recreation Programs

Structure for Game Protocol and Practices

General Structure Guidelines

1. Minimum Team Roster Numbers
2. Minimum Game Roster Numbers
3. Game Time Length and Period / Halves Breakdown
4. Shift / Line Time Durations and Rotations (“Rotation Grid Box”)
5. Alternate Shift / Line Rotations Due to Player Shortage
6. Control of Runaway Game Scores (Game Officials, Players, Coaches)
7. Large Registration Participant Numbers Alternatives
8. Communicating fair Play Procedures to Players and Parent / Guardians
9. Regular Season, Playoffs, Tournament (Home or Away) Participant Protocol
10. Backup Player Pool for Shortages
11. Creative “Community of Schools” Rostering

Sport Particular:

Basketball

1. Teams are required to team roster a minimum of fifteen (15) players.

2. Teams are required to game roster a minimum of fifteen players each game.

3. Game time length will be thirty-six (36) minutes, comprised of two eighteen (18) minute halves.

4. Shift rotation: three lines rotating six three minute stop clock shifts per half.

5. See “Rotation Grid Box” format below for line shortage rotations.

6. Game scores reaching a twenty point spread after the nine minute mark of the second half, would have game officially awarded with the remaining time left scrimmaged, with stats and fouls recorded, but no additional points would be recorded on the scoreboard. Game officials would control this direction. Coaches and players are encouraged to avoid running up scores against weaker opponents.

7. Schools with large registration interest are encouraged to look to forming additional teams. Support from the CB-VRCE “Physical Activity Resource Committee” can be requested.

8. All players will receive a Parent / Guardian Information Fair Play Policy Memo at the beginning of the program season.

9. Rules format are to be followed for regular season play, playoffs and home and away tournaments.

10. Schools are encouraged to have a backup pool of potential fill in support (players) in the event that a team finds it has a shortage of players. Teams may draw up players from a lower division for fill in support.

11. Small schools unable to form teams due to small numbers may seek support from neighboring elementary schools to fill their compliments. Elementary schools may create a community of school teams for sports that have minimal registration at any one particular school.

Hockey

1. Teams are required to team roster a minimum of sixteen (16) players.

2. Teams are required to game roster a minimum of sixteen (16) players for each game. (Three five player lines plus a goalkeeper).

3. Game time length will be forty-eight minutes, comprised of two twenty-four minute periods straight clock time.

4. Shift rotation: six four minute lines (straight clock) per period.

5. See “Rotation Grid Box” format below for line shortage rotations.

6. Game scores reaching a seven goal spread after the eight minute mark of the second period, would have the game officially awarded with the remaining time left scrimmaged, with stats and penalties recorded, but no additional goals recorded on the scoreboard. Game officials would control this direction. Coaches and players are encouraged to avoid running up scores against weaker opponents.

7. Schools with large registration interest are encouraged to look to forming additional teams. Support from the CB-VRCE “Physical Activity Resource Committee” can be requested.

8. All players will receive a Parent / Guardian Information Fair Play Policy Memo at the beginning of the program season.

9. Rules format are to be followed for regular season play, playoffs and home and away tournaments.

12. Penalties will be served by the penalized player(s). Subsequent shifts after a penalty, with time remaining in the penalty, would have the non penalized team add an extra player(s) to the shift, with the penalized team, playing its full shift of players. The maximum of extra players on a shift would be two for Elementary grades. Junior Highs would follow the regular rules of hockey for the second penalty putting two players off. Penalized teams are asked to split the shift of the second penalty so as no one player loses a full shift. Purpose of rule is to ensure non penalized players lose as little shift time as possible, serving a team mates penalty.

Rotation Grid(Assuming Two Players Short for Three Lines)

Basketball / Hockey Sports

All players are allocated a number for rotation of lines.

First Half: Second Half:

Line # 1: (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5) Line # 7: (5 – 6 – 7 – 8 - 9)

Line # 2: (6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10) Line # 8: (10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 1)

Line # 3: (11 - 12 - 13 - 1 – 2) Line # 9: (2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6)

Line # 4: (3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7) Line # 10: (7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11)

Line # 5: (8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12) Line # 11: (12 – 13 – 1 – 2 – 3)

Line # 6: (13 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4) Line # 12: (4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8)

Players # 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 will have one less line playing time, but this format minimizes the discrepancies of playing time. Coaches could look to rotating those players positions each game so as the same players are not losing the extra line each game. For the hockey sport, goaltenders would each play a full period.

Baseball / Softball

1. Teams are required to team roster a minimum of fourteen (14) players.

2. Teams are required to game roster a minimum of ten (10) players each game.

3. Game length will be six (6) innings (Elementary); seven innings (7) (Junior High)

4. Each player must play a minimum of three innings and have at least one at bat appearance.

5. Game scores reaching a ten run spread after four innings, would have the game officially called. Game officials would control this direction. Coaches and players are encouraged to avoid running up scores against weaker opponents. Coaches should be aware when there is the possibility of a ten run rule game being called, and insure changes are made early enough to give subbing players as best a chance to get playing time as possible.

6. Teams will be limited to a maximum of scoring six runs in any given inning.

7. Schools with large registration interest are encouraged to look to forming additional teams. Support from the CB-VRCE “Physical Activity Resource Committee” can be requested.

8. All players will receive a Parent / Guardian Information Fair Play Policy Memo at the beginning of the program season.

9. Rules format are to be followed for regular season play, playoffs and home and away tournaments.

Soccer

1. Teams are required to team roster a minimum of sixteen (16) players.

2. Teams are required to game roster a minimum of eleven (11) players each game.

3. Game time length will be straight time, sixty (60) minutes for Elementary, and seventy (70) minutes for Junior High, comprised of two equal halves.

4. Shift rotation: all players guaranteed minimum of fifteen minutes per half.

5. Game scores reaching a six (6) goal spread, after the half way point of the second half, would have the game officially awarded, with the remaining time left scrimmaged, with stats and penalties recorded, but no additional goals would be recorded on the scoreboard. Game officials would control this direction. Coaches and players are encouraged to avoid running up scores against weaker opponents.

6. Schools with large registration interest are encouraged to look to forming additional teams. Support from the CB-VRCE “Physical Activity Resource Committee” can be requested.

7. All players will receive a Parent / Guardian Information Fair Play Policy Memo at the beginning of the program season.

8. Rules format are to be followed for regular season play, playoffs and home and away tournaments.

9. Schools are encouraged to have a backup pool of potential fill in support (players) in the event that a team finds it has a shortage of players. Teams may draw up players from a lower division for fill in support.

10. Small Junior High Schools unable to form teams due to small numbers, or short players with no backup reserves available, may seek support from neighboring elementary schools to fill their compliments. Elementary schools may create a community of school teams for sports that have minimal registration at any one particular school. Schools must exhaust in house support before referencing to the support from other elementary schools.

Volleyball

1. Teams Rosters are required to be a minimum of fifteen (15) players.

2. Team Game Rosters are required to be a minimum of twelve (12) players.

3. Game Matches will be comprised of a best two out of three series sets.

4. Line Rotation: See breakdown below.

5. See “Rotation Grid Box” format below, for line shortage rotations (if applicable).

6. Any given player will serve a maximum of four serves, before turning service over to the opposing team. (For Elementary Division).

7. Schools with large registration interest are encouraged to look to forming additional teams. Elementary Schools are encouraged to use the “Mini Volleyball System” as a feeder program to their school volleyball club. Support from the CB-VRCE “Physical Activity Resource Committee” can be requested.

8. All players will receive a Parent / Guardian Information Fair Play Policy Memo at the beginning of the program season.

9. Rules format are to be followed for regular season play, playoffs and home and away tournaments.

Appendix: Rotation Grid for Volleyball Sport:

· Match comprised of two out of three sets.

· Set 1: Players # 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6

· Set 2: Players # 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 -12

· Set 3 (If Applicable): Two lines of six (Coach’s choice), splitting the set at the half way scoring point. Games of twenty-five (25) would change when the first team reaches the score of thirteen (13). Games of fifteen (15) would change when the first team reaches eight (8).

Appendix: Rotation Grid for Volleyball Sport With Player Shortages:(Assuming two players short of full compliment of twelve (12)

· Match comprised of two out of three sets

· Set 1: Players # 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 –

· Set 2: Players # 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 1 - 2

· Set 3 (If Applicable): Two lines of six (Coach’s choice), splitting the set at the half way scoring point. Coach would insure that the two filling players would be different than the two players used to fill in for Set # 2. Games of twenty-five (25) would change when the first team reaches the score of thirteen (13). Games of fifteen (15) would change when the first team reaches eight (8)

Cheerleading

1. Schools with large registration interest are encouraged to look to forming additional teams. Support from the CB-VRCE “Physical Activity Resource Committee” can be requested.

2. All players will receive a Parent / Guardian Information Fair Play Policy Memo at the beginning of the program season.

3. Rules format are to be followed for home and away tournaments.

4. Schools are encouraged to have a backup pool of potential fill in support (spares) in the event that a team finds it has a shortage of players.

5. Small schools unable to form teams due to small numbers may seek support from neighboring elementary schools to fill their compliments. Elementary schools may create a community of school teams for sports that have minimal registration at any one particular school.

Addendums

· Pilot Policy shall be in place for the 2009 – 2010 School Year.

· Formal review of the policy will take place in April of 2010, to allow the opportunity to amend and change any required practices and protocols of the Pilot Policy, after the practical experience of one year in operation.

· A final draft of the Fair Play Policy will be documented as the “official policy” in June of 2010, to be ready for use in the fall of the 2010 school year.

· Further additions and amendments can be entertained each year, as new sports and activities are created. Additional Clarification: May 2012

The following comments are offered constructively to assist in clarifying any questions on the interpreted intent of the various clauses of the game play policy document.

Number of players rostered for the team compliment:

For each sport there is a recommended number of players identified as the optimum compliment to maximize participation. It is appreciated that, in certain unique situations, it may be difficult to achieve that maximum total. Schools are requested to make every effort to achieve their roster maximums.

Number of players appearing at actual games is less than the requested maximum:

It is appreciated that at times, even with the maximum number being achieved for team roster numbers, there will be games when circumstances create a game day playing roster of less than the recommended maximum. Coaches and Management are requested to insure that, at those times, the rotation of players participating in the game is offered with the intent to give all game players as equal amount of playing time as possible.

Monitoring of actual play time during a game:

There is no intention from Board Officials to micro-manage to the minute, the actual play - time of each individual child playing sport in the school. Rather the intent would be to insure all players and their parents and guardians are fully aware of the policy rules with reference to play time participation; which in itself, should assist the team coaches and management to receive cooperation from all player participants and their supporters, as they rotate their player compliment in to the game.

With reference to the use of the Fair Play Rules when competing outside the Center’s school base:

It is the intent of the Fair Play Policy that the procedures and protocols encouraged in our Center for Education’s game schedules would be followed as outlined for any play outside the School Board jurisdiction. The intent and reasoning behind the Fair Play Rules remains the same for the same reasons, regardless of where or when (regular season, playoffs or tournaments) games are played.

Opportunity to discipline through diminished playing time:

A suggestion that with the equating of playing time, there leaves less disciplining by Coaches for players who find little time to attend team practices on a regular bases. It would be suggested that there is nothing in the Fair Play Policy that eliminates a Coach’s opportunity to address lack of practice time attendance by any of their players. Coaches still have the opportunity to sit players out for legitimate discipline reasons, but at the same time are encouraged to try to fill their game day rosters with substitute fill ins, where feasible.

Review of Fair Play Policy:

It would be the intent of the School Board to review, in a timely fashion, the successes and challenges presented during the implementation of the early years of the new policy, moving always to an environment in school sports that offers all participants a healthy participation and experience. The intent of the Fair Play Policy is to encourage more students to become involved in joining school sport and recreation programs, while at the same time giving every participant an experience of equated playing time.

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