COMPETITION REGULATIONS

Transcription

1 COMPETITION REGULATIONS TABLE OF CONTENTS COMPETITION REGULATIONS COMPETITION CLAUSES RULES OF THE GAME ORGANIZATION FORMAT COMPETITION PHASES PROCEDURE FOR ATTRIBUTING A FINAL FOUR COMPETITION METHOD IN THE DIFFERENT PHASES ALTERNATIVE COMPETITION METHOD IN CASE OF NEUTRAL FINAL FOUR ORGANIZER OFFICIAL RATIFICATION OF MATCHES REGISTRATION GENERAL PROCEDURE RIGHT OF QUALIFICATION OF TEAMS TEAM DENOMINATION ORGANIZATIONAL CHART ORGANIZATIONAL AREAS CONFIRMATION OF THE RIGHT OF PARTICIPATION RESPONSIBLE ORGANS EUROPEAN CUPS COMMISSION CEV SUPERVISORS REFEREES REFEREE DELEGATE OFFICIAL PRESENTATION & SEMINARS OFFICIAL PRESENTATION SEMINARS DRAWING OF LOTS PRINCIPLE MODE RULING THE DRAWING OF LOTS COMPETITION CALENDAR MAIN PHASE FINAL FOUR STARTING TIMES OF THE MATCHES FINAL COMPETITION DATES & STARTING TIMES DEROGATION FROM THE INITIAL COMPETITION CALENDAR TEAM COMPOSITION & PLAYERS RULES ELIGIBILITY OF PLAYERS LICENSES COMPOSITION OF A TEAM DELEGATION DUTIES OF PARTICIPATING TEAMS DUTIES OF THE ORGANIZER DUTIES OF THE VISITING TEAM SPECIFIC DUTIES RELATED TO THE ORGANIZATION OF A FINAL FOUR COURT PERSONNEL... 32

2 10. BALLS REFEREEING MATTERS REFEREES DUTIES PLAYERS BENCHES OFFICIAL PLAYING PROTOCOL PROTESTS DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS WITHDRAWAL / FORFEIT OF A TEAM ANTISPORTING BEHAVIOUR ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONS VALIDITY OF THE CL OFFICIAL REGULATIONS CASES NOT FORESEEN ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS ATTRIBUTION OF THE FINAL FOUR ANNEX I. COMPETITION METHOD IN THE DIFFERENT PHASES ANNEX II. REGULATIONS FOR THE RANKING LIST FOR EUROPEAN CUP COMPETITIONS MEN & WOMEN ANNEX III. PRINCIPLES FOR NATIONAL QUALIFICATION FOR EUROPEAN CUPS MEN & WOMEN ANNEX IV. EUROPEAN CUPS COMPETITION CALENDAR ANNEX V. EUROPEAN CUPS COMPETITION METHOD... 49

3 COMPETITION REGULATIONS The CEV online database is being steadily developed in order to fix bugs and extend its functionalities for a smooth run of all preparations and operations related to the European Cups. Through specific interfaces, headed by a clever user account system, the clubs in close cooperation with their National Federation will be able to: create and keep up to date their respective contact lists; upload the association logo respectively the season s team logo which will be used throughout the respective season (could differ from the association logo); manage their organizational chart; duly complete the forms and strictly abide by the deadlines in terms of: o player s license applications; o request for the homologation of their competition hall(s); o o communicate exact dates and starting times of their home matches; communicate all kind of information related to a specific match as hosting or visiting team (flight schedule, hotel reservation, training sessions, composition of the delegation ); o aso. deliver live scoring (using e-scoresheet); get the latest communications from CEV in a download area; electronically provide the e-scoresheet after each match; deliver set and match statistics; upload match previews and reports; upload match pictures. A similar tool is used by the appointed CEV Supervisors and the Referees before, during and after the match in order to keep them up to date about the preparations of the game. The tool leads and guides all involved through their respective tasks in terms of form management, communication of club details, functions, aso. The instructions about the procedures linked to the respective tasks and responsibilities of all involved will be dispatched through the download area included in the CEV online database. This way of working will permit to reduce respectively completely avoid the printing of any kind of document and forms. 1. Competition Clauses 1.1 RULES OF THE GAME The matches in the CEV Volleyball Champions League are played according to the Rules of the game laid down by the FIVB. The matches shall only take place in competition halls approved by CEV (see Chapter 2 - Technical Organization and Logistics). The matches shall be played with a ball homologated by FIVB and prescribed by the CEV Board of Administration (see Article 10 of this chapter). Before each match the official Match Protocol without National Anthems must be applied. This match protocol is available in the download area of the CEV Database. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 1

4 1.2 ORGANIZATION FORMAT The competition shall consist of the: CEV Volleyball Champions League Men CEV Volleyball Champions League Women The seasons of both competitions are starting on the 1st June and ending on 31st May of the next year. Each match of the CEV Volleyball Champions League is organized by the home team under the supervision and guarantee of the respective National Federation except if the organizer of the Final Four has no team involved in the competition. 1.3 COMPETITION PHASES The competition is divided up into 3 [THREE] different phases: - the MAIN PHASE, consisting of the League Round matches, - the PLAYOFFS PHASE, consisting of the Playoffs 12 and Playoffs 6 matches, - the FINAL PHASE, comprising the 1/2 Finals and Final/Classification matches. 1.4 PROCEDURE FOR ATTRIBUTING A FINAL FOUR Any National Federation (with or without team(s) participating) interested in organizing a: - MEN s Final Four, - WOMEN s Final Four, shall apply in written to CEV. The duly completed ad hoc form and pre-signed contract shall be returned before the deadline set out in the application conditions. The organization of a FINAL FOUR shall be settled in a written agreement between the CEV and the organizing National Federation. 1.5 COMPETITION METHOD IN THE DIFFERENT PHASES The CEV Volleyball Champions League can be played with a number of teams varying from 16 to 32. See Annex I. 1.6 ALTERNATIVE COMPETITION METHOD IN CASE OF NEUTRAL FINAL FOUR ORGANIZER The organizer is a National Federation without any team participating in the competition. The organizer is a National Federation with at least one participating team. This National Federation accepts that independently from the results of its team(s), they will organize the Final Four tournament. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 2

5 In these cases the competition format must be modified as follows: The organizer is determined at the latest before the Drawing of Lots for the League Round (June / July); The Playoffs 12 and 6 will be replaced by the 1/8 and 1/4 Finals respectively. Teams qualified to the 1/8 Finals are determined as follows, depending on the number of registered teams: A) Competition with 32 teams: After the League Round, the 1 st 2 nd ranked ranked teams with the best score qualify to the Eight-Final; The four next 3 rd ranked teams with the best score from the League Round move to CEV Volleyball Cup Challenge Round and the remaining teams are eliminated. B) Competition with 28 teams: After the League Round, the 1 st 2 nd ranked as well as the two 3 rd ranked teams with the best score qualify to the Eight-Final; The four next 3 rd ranked teams with the best score from the League Round move to CEV Volleyball Cup Challenge Round and the remaining teams are eliminated. C) Competition with 24 teams: After the League Round, the 1 st 2 nd ranked as well as the four 3 rd ranked teams with the best score qualify to the Eight-Final; The remaining 3 rd ranked teams and the two 4 th ranked teams with the best score from the League Round move to CEV Volleyball Cup Challenge Round and the remaining 4 th ranked teams are eliminated. D) Competition of 20, resp. 16 teams: If 20 teams have registered for the League Round: After the League Round, the 1 st 3 rd ranked of the Pools as well as the 4 th ranked with the best score qualify to the Eight-Final. The remaining 4 th ranked teams from the League Round move to the CEV Volleyball Cup Challenge Round; If 16 teams have registered for the League Round: The 1/8 Finals are skipped, the 1 st - 2 nd ranked teams of the Pools qualify to the Quarter-Finals (8 teams). The 3 rd ranked teams will move to the CEV Volleyball Cup Challenge Round and the 4 th ranked teams are eliminated. A Drawing of Lots is performed for the Eight-Finals respectively Quarter Finals; The winners of the Eight-Finals (Home & Away Matches) qualify to the Quarter-Finals; The winners of the Quarter-Final Matches qualify to the Semi-Final Matches; In case that 2 [TWO] teams from the same country qualify to the semi-final matches, they will have to play each other. A Drawing of Lots will then be performed to fix the Home and Away status of the teams. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 3

6 1.7 OFFICIAL RATIFICATION OF MATCHES In all CEV Volleyball Champions League Matches, except the Final Four, the ranking of teams is determined by the points awarded for matches won and lost as follows:. Points awarded per match to each team: Winner 3:0 or 3:1 3 points Winner 3:2 2 points Loser 2:3 1 point Loser 1:3 or 0:3 0 point In the League Round, in case of a tie in the number of points gained by two or more teams, the latter will be classified in descending order by the number of matches won. If the tie persists, as per number of matches won the teams will be classified in descending order by the set quotient resulting from the division of the number of all sets won by the number of all sets lost. If the tie persists, as per the set quotient, they will be classified in descending order by the set points quotient resulting from the division of all set points scored by the total of set points lost during all sets. If the tie continues, as per the sets points quotient, the teams are ranked according to the result(s) of the match(es) they have been disputing between them During the Playoffs Round, in case of a tie in the number of points gained by the two teams, they have to play one decisive match reduced to one set, called GOLDEN SET. Home match A vs B Away Match A vs B 3:0 0:3 3:0 1:3 3:0 2:3 3:1 0:3 3:1 1:3 3:1 2:3 3:2 0:3 3:2 1:3 Number of Points 3pts for A 3pts for B 3pts for A 3pts for B 4pts for A 2pts for B 3pts for A 3pts for B 3pts for A 3pts for B 4pts for A 2pts for B 2pts for A 4pts for B 2pts for A 4pts for B Consequence Golden Set Golden Set A qualifies Golden Set Golden Set A qualifies B qualifies B qualifies 3:2 2:3 3pts for A 3pts for B The GOLDEN SET is to be considered as a new match. The GOLDEN SET is to be played as a tie break set until 15 points. Golden Set Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 4

7 In case of a tie in the golden set, play is continued until a two point lead is achieved (16:14; 18:16, etc.). The procedure for such a GOLDEN SET is as follows: Before the start of the AWAY Match with the same opponents, the CEV Supervisor has to check the number of points allocated to each opponent during the first match. After the end of the AWAY match, the CEV Supervisor has to calculate the number of points gained by each opponent and add them to the one from the first match. The team with the highest number of points qualifies for the next round. In case of a tie, a golden set has to be played. On the scoresheet of the GOLDEN SET all players, coaches etc. which have been sanctioned by disqualification in the match which just ended, must be removed respectively stroke through. These persons are not available and cannot be replaced by anybody else in the decisive GOLDEN SET. Between the end of the AWAY Match and the start of the GOLDEN SET a break of 3 minutes will be observed. The finalizing of the e-scoresheet of the AWAY match must be done after the teams have played the GOLDEN SET. The e-scorer has to upload the files of the AWAY match and of the GOLDEN SET after the end of the GOLDEN SET Forfeit is imposed as foreseen in the Official Volleyball Rules, the FIVB Sports Regulations or article 13.1 of this chapter Any team refusing to play a match shall be sanctioned according to article 15.5 of the Code of Discipline A match will be considered as lost by 0:3 (0:25; 0:25; 0:25) by the team concerned: If a doping rule violation occurs; If one or more players are not eligible following the provisions of article 7 and/or without valid license. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 5

8 2. Registration 2.1 GENERAL PROCEDURE Any National Federation wishing to register one or more teams for the European Cups shall refer to the instructions of the Official Communications n 1. Registrations deadline: May 16, After this deadline, the CEV Office will countercheck whether all invoices related to the respective club s participation in the previous season are paid (by the club or related NF). If not, the National Federations concerned will be given a last deadline in order to settle their debts to participate in the next edition of the European Cups. If invoices remain unpaid at this last payment deadline, the club will not be allowed to take part in the starting European Cups season. The sanction will only be lifted as soon as the amount due is paid, but the team can only enter the next edition of the European Cups. Each National Federation shall investigate the clubs financial stability. In case they discover any issues, they should report their findings without delay to CEV that will decide to impose additional conditions on these clubs deemed unstable. For example requesting a bank guarantee. 2.2 RIGHT OF QUALIFICATION OF TEAMS The right of qualification of teams is ruled by the PRINCIPLES FOR NATIONAL QUALIFICATION FOR THE EUROPEAN CUPS - MEN AND WOMEN (see Annex III). All places granted are not reserved for the teams themselves but for the National Federations clubs are affiliated to. If one (or several) Federation(s) with granted places does (do) not register a team for the new season in the CEV Volleyball Champions League, because the latter team cannot fulfil the Terms & Conditions laid down by CEV, is not willing to participate or is refused by CEV on basis of their registration files, the team might receive a place in the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup. The final classification of National Championships and National Cup competitions preceding the start of the concerned European Cups season, form the basis to the right of qualification Any National Federation wishing to enter one or more teams is bound to provide CEV with the final classification of its official competitions (Championships/Cups) in which this/these team(s) has (have) qualified for participation in the EUROPEAN CUPS by the deadline set in Article 2.1. The registration of teams is subject to the punctual receipt, by the CEV, of this final classification Any National Federation registering (a) team(s) guarantees that these teams fulfill all conditions outlined in these Regulations and in the Official Communications. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 6

9 A National Federation willing to participate is allowed to register up to 3 [THREE] teams in the competition depending on its place in the Ranking List for the European Cups. The ranking list is calculated following the principles outlined under Annex II of the present regulations. The number of admissible teams per National Federation in the various European Cup competitions is outlined in the Ranking List. The season s Ranking List is worked out taking into account the results of the three seasons preceding the very last one completed. This means the countries will be ranked season by season according to the following table: For the Season Ranking out of the years etc. etc. etc. etc. The Ranking Lists for the 2014 European Cups season look as follows: Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 7

10 Ranking List MEN with the Number of Admissible Teams per Country & Competition Valid for the 2013/2014 season Bonus Points + Competition related Points Participation right of teams per country Rank Country 2009/10, 2011 & 2012 CL CEV Cup Challenge Cup Total 1 ITA 470, POL 399,34 6/6 3 2/2 1 2/2 1 10/ RUS 383, BEL 343, TUR 315, FRA 301, GER 282, GRE 265,66 12/ /14 2 6/8 1 30/ SLO 243, AUT 239,67 2/20 1 4/18 2 4/ / ESP 216, ROU 203, SRB 197, MNE 149, BUL 145, CZE 130,33 6/26 1 6/ / / WILD CARDS reserved for CEV 2/ SUI 118, NED 107, CRO 104, UKR 101,00 8/32 2 8/ / CYP 95, FIN 82, EST 81, BIH 76,00 12/ / ISR 71, BLR 58, HUN 49, SVK 44, ALB 22, AZE 22, LUX 17, NOR 16, POR 14,00 18/ /120 2 Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 8

11 34 AND 0,00 (1) (1) 34 ARM 0,00 2/64 (1) 2/122 +2wc (1) 34 DEN 0,00 (1) (1) 34 ENG 0,00 (1) (1) 34 FER 0,00 (1) (1) 34 GEO 0,00 (1) (1) 34 GIB 0,00 (1) (1) 34 GRL 0,00 (1) (1) 34 ISL 0,00 (1) (1) 34 IRL 0,00 (1) (1) 34 LAT 0,00 (1) (1) 34 LIE 0,00 (1) (1) 34 LTU 0,00 (1) (1) 34 MKD 0,00 (1) (1) 34 MLD 0,00 (1) (1) 34 MLT 0,00 (1) (1) 34 NIR 0,00 (1) (1) 34 MON 0,00 (1) (1) 34 SMR 0,00 (1) (1) 34 SCO 0,00 (1) (1) 34 SWE 0,00 (1) (1) 34 WAL 0,00 (1) (1) (1) = only if vacancies Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 9

12 Ranking List WOMEN with the Number of Admissible Teams per Country & Competition Valid for the 2013/2014 season Bonus Points + Competition related Points Participation right of teams per country Challenge Rank Country 2009/10, 2011 & 2012 CL CEV Cup Total Cup 1 TUR 404, RUS 379,67 6/6 3 2/2 1 2/2 1 10/ ITA 359, FRA 332, POL AZE 297, ROU 251,00 10/ /12 2 5/7 1 25/ SRB 242, GER 232, SUI 228, CZE 209, BEL 161, CRO 152,00 6/ / / / WILD CARDS reserved for CEV 2/ AUT 139, ESP 134, GRE 123,00 6/30 2 6/ / SLO 117, CYP 94,00 2/32 1 4/29 2 6/ NED 87, FIN 84, UKR 84, BIH 65,00 12/ / BLR 62, POR 60, SVK 51, ISR 34, BUL 30, SWE 29,00 12/ / ALB 22, MNE 8, HUN 7, MLT 4, NOR 4, AND 0,00 (1) (1) 34 ARM 0,00 (1) (1) 34 DEN 0,00 (1) (1) 34 ENG 0,00 (1) (1) 34 EST 0,00 (1) (1) 34 FER 0,00 11/64 (1) 11/ wc(1) Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 10

13 34 GEO 0,00 (1) (1) 34 GIB 0,00 (1) (1) 34 GRL 0,00 (1) (1) 34 IRL 0,00 (1) (1) 34 ISL 0,00 (1) (1) 34 LAT 0,00 (1) (1) 34 LIE 0,00 (1) (1) 34 LTU 0,00 (1) (1) 34 LUX 0,00 (1) (1) 34 MKD 0,00 (1) (1) 34 MLD 0,00 (1) (1) 34 MON 0,00 (1) (1) 34 NIR 0,00 (1) (1) 34 SCO 0,00 (1) (1) 34 SMR 0,00 (1) (1) 34 WAL 0,00 (1) (1) The competition is in principle open as follows: max. 32 teams (1) = only if vacancies 30, 26, 22, 18 resp. 14 teams are attributed places through the Ranking List; 2 places will be granted as Wild Cards. The CEV Executive Committee holds the right to decide as a last instance how many teams will participate in each gender of the competition. The number of teams could therefore be increased or decreased compared to the above principles. The competition format will be adapted accordingly. Each National Federation has the opportunity to fix - following some restrictions - which option it applies for qualifying teams to the European Cups. (see Annex III) The option chosen by the respective National Federation is available in the download area of the CEV online database and can only be altered for cogent reasons and within the set deadline. The teams allowed to represent their National Federation are: if the National Federation has only 1 [ONE] place, the National Champion; if the National Federation has 2 [TWO] places, the National Champion and Vice-National Champion; if the National Federation has 3 [THREE] places, the National Champion and the 2 next best ranked teams in the National Championship. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 11

14 2.3 TEAM DENOMINATION The team denomination is ruled as follows: The city or region name must be included. The city name must be displayed completely, no deviations from the official city name will be accepted. This name must be written in CAPITAL letters; Any other names preceding or following the city name will be written in small letters except for abbreviations; The complete name, i.e. city or region name plus club name and/or sponsor name cannot exceed 27 characters including spaces. CEV will assign a code composed of 3 letters to each participating team, thereby considering the fact that some clubs from the same cities are participating in the competition. This code, which will be used during TV broadcastings, will only be composed using abbreviations issued from the city and/or the club name. No abbreviations issued from sponsor brands will be used. The final club name and the code of the team will be displayed on the CEV agreement and returned to the club after the registration. 2.4 ORGANIZATIONAL CHART General Principles The following organizational chart must be respected: NATIONAL FEDERATION S CUPS RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZING DIRECTOR TECH. & LOGISTICS RESPONSIBLE PRESS OFFICER MARKETING RESPONSIBLE TELEVISION RESPONSIBLE PHOTOGRAPHER E-SCORESHEET MANAGER DATAVOLLEY MANAGER 8 [EIGHT] persons/responsibles must be nominated by the participating club that will be supported by the National Federation s European Cups Responsible. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 12

15 Their respective name and contacts must be communicated to the CEV Office no later than by May 22, 2013 via the CEV database. National Federation s European Cups Responsible: (NF European Cups Responsible) The National Federation supports, supervises and guarantees the entire preparation and organization of single matches by its club team(s) as well as their participation in the entire competition. For this reason each National Federation with teams participating in the European Cups must nominate a European Cups Responsible. The NF European Cups Responsible shall be the official person of contact between the participating clubs of his/her Federation and the CEV; be an expert in all regulations of the competition and all other European Cups; permanently help his/her team(s) to co-ordinate its (their) actions with strict respect to the CEV regulations; be permanently available during the CEV Volleyball Champions League season; speak fluent English; have a permanently used address; coordinate the inscription of the teams; be in contact with the CEV Office for any items to be clarified; be the main responsible of the National Federation for the participating team(s) and guarantee a smooth running of the events in his/her country; be the main contact towards CEV for solving problems which may occur in the organization of matches; guarantee that its club(s) will respect the CEV Official Regulations; be appointed for the complete season (in case of any substitution for cogent reasons, the CEV Office should be informed immediately); start his/her activities in due time before the Official Registration of the team(s); be present during the seminar organized by CEV (obligation); take part in any inspection visit of the competition venue(s) possibly being requested by CEV; give assistance towards the participating club(s) for all organizational, technical, marketing, press & TV related items; Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 13

16 be the main responsible for informing CEV in case that (a) player(s) listed on the CEV collective license left the registered team. The Organizing Director: The ORGANIZING DIRECTOR shall be the main responsible towards the National Federation, the CEV Supervisor and CEV for the entire organization of matches of his/her team; have successfully completed the e-learning program provided by the CEV to get properly acquainted with the contents of the CL Official Regulations; give operational orders to the persons responsible for the different sectors of the organization; be in contact with all CEV Supervisors as from their nomination until the end of the respective matches where they have been appointed; be in permanent contact with the NF European Cups Responsible; be appointed for the complete season (in case of any substitution for cogent reasons, the CEV Office should be informed immediately); start his/her activities in due time before the Official Registration of the team(s); attend the seminar organized by CEV (obligation); speak fluent English; have a permanently used address; ensure that all provisions laid down in the CL Official Regulations are duly fulfilled; work under the control of the CEV Supervisor; be sure that each instruction given by the CEV Supervisor during the event will be strictly followed; follow up all preparation tasks for the participation and check that all deadlines are respected; select and appoint the court personnel and the persons responsible for the various tasks; not officiate as Team Manager or any other function in the team delegation during the home matches; transmit to the CEV Supervisor all written exceptional approvals delivered by CEV; attend the Press Conferences organized before, during and after the event; attend the Preliminary Inquiries and Technical Meetings. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 14

17 2.4.2 CL Organizing Authority The Organizing Authority for each match is composed of the CEV Supervisor and the Organizing Director. The CEV Supervisor nevertheless remains the highest authority and decides about any kind of conflict as well as any kind of changes to be undertaken by the organizer in order to follow the CEV regulations. The Organizing Director must respect the decisions of the CEV Supervisor and strictly follow his/her instructions. The Organizing Authority analyses any critical situation and reports on any problem which may arise during the event. The CEV Supervisor takes all final decisions according to the Official Regulations respectively according to the demands of CEV The CEV SUPERVISOR All single matches/final four and their organization, shall be monitored by a neutral CEV Supervisor. For the Final Four the appointed CEV Supervisor must be a member of the European Cups Commission The CEV Supervisor shall not be a member of one of the registered clubs nor shall he/she be an active International Referee/Candidate International Referee. He/she must be an experienced NF Supervisor appearing on the list of NF Supervisors of his/her national federation and speak fluent English The CEV Supervisor: Profile: is appointed by the CEV upon proposal of the ECC, and is the highest authority during the matches he/she officiates; has successfully completed the e-learning program provided by the CEV to get properly acquainted with the contents of the CL Official Regulations; must be present (when invited) during a seminar specifically organized in combination with the Drawing of Lots; must have a private address permanently used (obligation); must have good IT skills. Preparations at home : follows-up the rules established in the CL Official Regulations as well as all relevant CEV information/instructions (i.e. the Official Communications) or correspondence between CEV and the organizer(s); must collect from the previous CEV Supervisor all relevant information, like his/her special remarks, etc; checks the ongoing preparations of the match inside his/her own dedicated user interface of the CEV database; communicates with the organizer as from his nomination to the match. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 15

18 Preparations on stage : joins forces with the Organizing Director to coordinate all activities in order to ensure: o o a smooth running of the event in accordance with the CEV / FIVB regulations; that the personnel involved in the event fulfills its duties thoroughly and efficiently; organizes a meeting (except in the Final Four) with all officials (referees, scorers, line-judges, ) and court personnel in order to coordinate their uniform application and interpretation of the rules and current regulations; inspects the competition hall, training hall (in case of use) and the playing area; o o o inspects the court one day before the competition and reports any discrepancies to be addressed to the Organizing Director; inspects the sports infrastructure and material (court measures, flooring, net, balls, measuring rod, etc.) in the competition hall (except for the Final Four); inspects the training facilities and analyses the schedules made available to each team, thereby guaranteeing that all teams are practicing under the same conditions (same hall) and for the Final Four that the training schedules are in accordance with the arrival times respectively following the match calendar; asks for all written exceptional approvals delivered by CEV; checks if the organizer complies with the financial obligations, per diem, reimbursements, etc; conducts the Preliminary Inquiry and Technical Meeting thereby strictly abiding by the respective instructions; represents CEV at Press Conferences, meetings, interviews during his/her stay at the competition site, whenever possible; decides when a referee needs to undergo a medical examination which might consequently lead to the release from his/her duty; takes the final decision in case of complaints regarding the organization; co-ordinates the use of E-scoresheet and DataVolley by: o o checking, one day before the match, the material used for the statistics and for the electronic scoresheet specially the hardware functionality, the latest software release, the latest competition download and especially the internet connections inside the competition hall (mandatorily wired); briefing the e-scorer and statistician about their duties and thereby controlling their respective experience with the softwares; tests and guarantees a smooth running of the match protocol in accordance with the CEV regulations (except for the Final Four). Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 16

19 During the match: ensures that the matches are played in accordance with the FIVB and CEV rules and regulations; ensures the smooth running of the competition on the field of play with referees (neutrality) and court personnel (speaker, scorers, scoreboard keepers, line-judges, ball retrievers, floor moppers, etc.); observes & supervises the performance of the referees and addresses a succinct report, if necessary, on the conduct of the match(es) to the ERC via the CEV (except for the Final Four); checks that the statistics are updated after each set as well as Livescoring on the CEV website is processed according to the CEV requirements; vouch for the regular process of the match(es) by entering his/her password in the e-scoresheet. After the match: reports any complaints, incidents, injuries or other information about the match; co-operates with the CEV Medical Delegate resp. WADA for Doping Controls whenever controls are carried out respectively requested by the CEV Medical Commission or any other competent body, to draw the players bound to undergo the doping test, in accordance with the FIVB rules; handles all disciplinary matters or protests as laid down in Chapter 8: FINES, SANCTIONS & PROTESTS of the present regulations as well as in the CODE OF DISCIPLINE; checks that the match reports and pictures are delivered in due time to the CEV Communication Department (as per the obligations listed in the Media Regulations); ensures that the DVDs of the match(es) are forwarded to Sportsystem as outlined in the Marketing Regulations; reminds the organizer to upload the video of the match and checks whether the file was delivered through the videosharing service; forwards all relevant information to the CEV Supervisor appointed for the next match of the same organizer (with copy to the CEV) Should the CEV Supervisor withdraw at the last minute or not show up at the competition site of a single match, his/her duties will be fulfilled by the first referee of the match and in case of Final Four by the CEV Referee Delegate. 2.5 ORGANIZATIONAL AREAS Additional persons included in the organizational chart are: The Technical Responsible: is subordinated to the Organizing Director; accomplishes his/her tasks according to the Technical Organization & Logistics; liaises with all other responsible persons for the smooth running of the competition. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 17

20 The Marketing Responsible: is subordinated to the Organizing Director; works according to the tasks outlined in the Marketing Regulations; liaises with all other responsible persons for the smooth running of the competition. The Press Officer: is subordinated to the Organizing Director; works according to the tasks outlined in the Media Regulations; uploads all press releases on the CEV News Management tool thereby strictly abiding by the minimum requirements outlined in the respective instructions; liaises with all other responsible persons for the smooth running of the competition. The Press Officer is not necessarily a member of the club but shall be an expert in press matters. The Photographer: is subordinated to the Press Officer; works according to the tasks outlined in the Media Regulations; uploads all pictures on the CEV Photo Management System thereby strictly abiding by the minimum requirements outlined in the respective instructions; liaises with all other responsible persons for the smooth running of the competition. The TV Responsible is subordinated to the Organizing Director; works according to the tasks outlined in the TV Regulations; liaises with all other responsible persons for the smooth running of the competition. The TV Responsible is not necessarily a member of the club but shall be an expert in TV matters, instead. The E-scoresheet Manager is subordinated to the Organizing Director; takes care of all preparations and material for the e-scoresheet and the live scoring before, during and after each game; ensures that an e-scorer is nominated for each game; liaises with all other responsible persons for the smooth running of the competition. The E-scoresheet Manager is not necessarily e-scorer at the same time but shall be an expert in IT matters, instead. The DATAVOLLEY Manager is subordinated to the Organizing Director; takes care of all preparations and material for the DataVolley statistics before, during and after each game; ensures that a statistician is nominated for each game; Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 18

21 liaises with all other responsible persons for the smooth running of the competition. The DataVolley Manager is not necessarily a statistician but shall be an expert in IT matters, instead. 2.6 CONFIRMATION OF THE RIGHT OF PARTICIPATION After complying with all these duties, the right of participation may become effective and CEV will return the duly signed CEV agreement to the National Federations clubs are affiliated to. 3. Responsible Organs 3.1 EUROPEAN CUPS COMMISSION The organization of all European Cups Competitions is entrusted to the European Cups Commission (ECC) which: proposes guidelines and instructions governing the running of the competition in accordance with the regulations; directs and supervises the technical groundwork; prepares and coordinates the timetable of the matches; submits the regulations and possible modifications or amendments to the Board of Administration for approval; carries out the Drawing of Lots and the seminars; proposes the allocation of the final four to the CEV Executive Committee; supervises the running of the competition; decides whether inspection visits must be undertaken for the matches to be played; proposes the list of CEV Supervisors to the CEV Executive Committee and appoints the CEV Supervisors for the matches; monitors the work of the CEV Supervisors during the competition; takes the final decision on all appeals and protests; decides and applies administrative sanctions against teams or National Federations who have violated the regulations as per the table of Financial Sanctions (see Chapter 8). 3.2 CEV SUPERVISORS All matches shall only be officiated by neutral CEV Supervisors. The CEV Supervisor must attend (if requested by separate letter) a special seminar at the occasion of the Drawing of Lots. The duties of the CEV Supervisor are outlined in Article of these Regulations. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 19

22 3.3 REFEREES All matches shall only be conducted by international referees, appearing on the annual list submitted to the European Refereeing Commission by the 55 National Federations affiliated to the CEV. The European Refereeing Commission shall appoint both the first referee and the second referee from a neutral country. For each match, the National Volleyball Federation of the organizing club will appoint one local reserve referee. The status of this reserve referee must be International Referee. In case of LATE unavailability, non-arrival of an international referee initially appointed for the match by the European Refereeing Commission or for medical reasons, the reserve referee will act as second referee in the match. A financial sanction will be inflicted on the National Federation in case that no reserve referee is present or if the referee has not the International Status. If one of the designated referees does not reach the hosting country, the CEV Supervisor has to call the CEV Office, in order to get information about the possible substitution of this referee. For the Final Four tournament, 4 neutral referees and 1 reserve referee from the hosting country will be appointed by the ERC. The reserve referee will also act as intermediate between the CEV Referee Delegate and the organizer. 3.4 REFEREE DELEGATE For each Final Four tournament, a CEV Referee Delegate is nominated by the European Refereeing Commission. He/she should not come from the organizing country nor from a country participating in the Final Four tournament, nor from the same country as any of the nominated referees. He/she must be a member of the European Refereeing Commission. He/she is responsible for: - designation and supervision of the referees for the matches; - control / evaluation of the referees performances; - deciding in the first instance on claims and protests regarding the referees' performances; - inspecting the sports infrastructure and material (court measures, flooring, net, balls, measuring rod, etc.) in the competition hall or training hall(s); - controlling the last team composition and officials sitting on the bench together with the referees; - organizing a meeting with all officials (referees, scorers, line-judges, ) and court personnel in order to coordinate their uniform application and interpretation of the rules and current regulations; - organizing a refereeing meeting before and after the end of the 1 st competition day; - testing and guaranteeing a smooth running of the match protocol in accordance with the CEV regulations; - briefing the scorers and line-judges about their duties; - controlling the experience of the e-scorer; Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 20

23 - coordinating the use of the e-scoresheet; - returning advice to any question asked by the CEV Supervisor; - accompanying the referees to the medical check. If a CEV Referee Delegate fails to appear on the competition site or withdraws at the last moment, the CEV Supervisor takes over his/her functions. 4. Official Presentation & Seminars 4.1 OFFICIAL PRESENTATION An official presentation of the competition is organized by the CEV at the occasion of the Drawing of Lots. Date and venue are communicated in due time. 4.2 SEMINARS The following seminars are organized: [ONE] seminar for all organizers/participants (at the occasion of the Official Presentation). The Organizing Director of each participating team and the NF European Cups Responsible must take part in this seminar, thereby always keeping in mind that the National Federation remains the ultimate responsible and main contact towards CEV for a perfect organization of the matches in the CEV Volleyball Champions League. The presence of the Organizing Director and the NF European Cups Responsible is mandatory. In case of replacement or non-attendance during the seminar, the club will be inflicted a financial sanction [ONE] seminar for the CEV Supervisors (at the occasion of the Official Presentation) to explain the system of organization but also to help them deliver a good job during each match where they are appointed. After being invited, the CEV Supervisors presency is mandatory. In case the CEV Supervisor does not attend the seminar, when being invited, he/she will not be eligible as CEV Supervisor for the whole season. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 21

24 5. Drawing of Lots 5.1 PRINCIPLE All teams participating in the CEV Volleyball Champions League enter the competition in the League Round. The Drawing of Lots for the League Round is performed during a plenary and public session. The teams are allocated to the pools by a combination of seeding and drawing. The Drawing of Lots for the Playoff Rounds and the semi-final matches is performed during a public session organized at the end of the League Round. 5.2 MODE RULING THE DRAWING OF LOTS The FIRST DRAWING OF LOTS is performed using the following principles: The ranking list will be taken into consideration. Teams from the same National Federation won t be assigned to the same Preliminary Pool with the exception of those having received a wild card or taking over a vacancy left by other National Federations. THE SECOND DRAWING OF LOTS is performed during a public session of the European Cups Commission. The principles of the Drawing of Lots for the Playoffs 12 are: to avoid that teams stemming from the same League Round Pool will meet each other again; to avoid that 3 teams from the same country will enter the Final Four tournament; as far as possible to grant advantage to the better ranked teams of the various League Round pools. The principles of the Drawing of Lots for the Semi-Final Matches are: To avoid that 2 teams stemming from the same country will proceed to the Final Match. The CEV Office is responsible for coordinating the preparations for all Drawing of Lots. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 22

25 6. Competition Calendar 6.1 MAIN PHASE The competition calendar for the current edition can be found under Annex IV. The competition calendar for each season is determined by the European Cups Commission and updates will be published in due time. 6.2 FINAL FOUR The Final Four is played during the month of March/April. The exact dates for each season are determined by the European Cups Commission and published in due time. 6.3 STARTING TIMES OF THE MATCHES In the main phase all matches shall start between 12:00h and 20:30h. In the Final Four all matches shall start between 12:00h and 19:30h. The organizing National Federation must communicate the definite match schedule and starting times within the set deadline to the CEV Head Office. The time span between the semi-final matches respectively between the Classification Match and the Final Match must be of at least 3 hours. 6.4 FINAL COMPETITION DATES & STARTING TIMES The National Federation in close collaboration with its hosting team shall propose to CEV and its Partner Sportsman, a minimum of 2 different dates and starting times for each match of the League Round and Playoffs. However, on the last leg of the League Round the competition day is already fixed in the competition calendar. The CEV will check together with its partner Sportsman which competition day and starting time will be retained, thereby taking into account the other teams using the same broadcaster respectively the reciprocity possibilities in case a team is playing abroad. Such checking will enable to have as much as possible live or delayed TV transmissions. 6.5 DEROGATION FROM THE INITIAL COMPETITION CALENDAR All matches must be played as initially determined during the Drawing of Lots, no derogation from the initial match program and no agreement between two opponents to play in the same country will be allowed. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 23

26 7. Team Composition & Players Rules 7.1 ELIGIBILITY OF PLAYERS Only players nominally registered on the online collective European Cup license, validated by the CEV, can take part in the European Cups. Each of these players must fulfill the following conditions: He/she must possess only one national license issued and validated exclusively and uninterruptedly for one and the same season and only for the club which applies for the European Cup license. If he/she is a foreign player, he/she must fulfill all conditions regarding the right to play in a club of another country according to all provisions of the FIVB and CEV Regulations, dealing with international transfers and determining the player s Federation of Origin. If the National Federation of the club where the player is registered is not the Federation of Origin of the player, the latter shall previously obtain an FIVB International Transfer Certificate (ITC). Regardless whether National Federations are under the jurisdiction of an EU/EAA Member State or not, the FIVB ITC shall be issued by following the procedure defined in the FIVB Sports Regulations and through the FIVB Volleyball Information System (VIS). National Federations are required to immediately inform the CEV Office in writing about any national or international transfer of a player already provided with a European Cup license for the current season. In order to avoid any situation deplorable for all parties, the CEV insists on the fact that PRIOR to any domestic or international transfer negotiation(s) or agreement(s) with the partner club/federation, the receiving club/federation should ascertain beyond any doubt that no previous license for the European Cups has been issued or requested for the player in question for his/her original club. For this reason, and in the case of players likely to be subject to transfer negotiations, no license should be applied for unless their status has been definitely and fully clarified. The number of foreign players per team who, according to FIVB and CEV Regulations, are bound to possess a valid International Transfer Certificate when applying for a European Cup license, is UNLIMITED. Only players not suspended by CEV and/or FIVB for the competition concerned are allowed to participate. 7.2 LICENSES Any club participating in the CEV Volleyball Champions League shall fill in the CEV form 04 (Application for player license) through the CEV database before the set deadlines. The National Federation shall check and confirm this document. After approval from the CEV, the collective team license will automatically be published on the CEV website and the roster of the team will appear on the club user interface. No printed document will be issued and dispatched to the National Federations and clubs. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 24

27 Each team is allowed during the season to subsequently register additional nontransferred, transferred players within the set deadline. The date for applying for such a license will determine the price of the license as each team may receive four supplementary licenses for either (a) transferred player(s) or (an) additional player(s). The fee for receiving such a license will be considerably increased in comparison with the fee to be paid at the beginning of the season. Any application for a license reaching the CEV Office after Monday before the respective competition Wednesday shall only be processed AFTER this competition day. To be considered as valid, the collective team license must include a minimum of 12 players. The CEV strongly recommends having more than 12 names on the license in case of injury of a player. Any team not having been granted or not having applied for any or not enough CEV licenses will automatically be disqualified from participation in the European Cups. This disqualification will entail the same financial and sports sanctions than those applicable in case of a withdrawal. The number of licenses for the CEV Volleyball Champions League is limited to a maximum of 18 players per club. A club could exchange licenses in case the maximum number of 18 players was reached i.e. in case that a team wants to have another license but having reached the maximum number of 18 players, the team must irrevocably remove a player for the remainder of the European Cups season. This license can never be reactivated nor can this player receive a European Cup license for another team participating in the European Cups. Each player can only be granted one European Cup license for the concerned season. The validity of a player s license definitively and irrevocably lapses from the very moment on which the player - even if only temporarily - moves to another club, either within the jurisdiction of his/her own National Federation or under the provisions of an International Transfer to any other National Federation. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES it will be possible to obtain another, second license for the new team or to reactivate the license initially granted for the player s team, regardless of whether the player has or has not effectively taken part in any European Cup match during the season in question. In case of violation of the fair-play or any ethic rules, using players of a second team and thereby deliberately influencing the ranking in the various pools, the CEV Executive Committee can inflict financial sanction(s) to the culpable club(s), or disciplinary sanctions, even up to canceling points awarded for matches won or lost or the exclusion of the team for one or more years from the European Cups. The data registered and confirmed by the National Federation must be absolutely correct. The CEV will release severe sports and financial sanctions in case of: Any wrong or spurious information about players when applying for a European Cup license; Applications of players not belonging to the respective club, i.e. not actively playing for the club in the current running season. It remains the sole responsibility of both, the club and the national federation, to deliver proper information about the players they apply for. By confirming the player s license, the club and its National Federation recognize that the information registered is true, complete and accurate. Released on: 30/04/ CEV Competition Regulations 25