Newmarket Soccer Club Competitive Policies Document Version v1.1 September 25, 2015
Revision History Date Version Description Author September 15, 2015 1.0 Initial draft re-vamp B.Robinson/V.Lowe September 25, 2015 1.1 After board review V. Lowe Version 1.0 of the Competitive Policies was made effective as of September 24, 2015 (the Effective Date ) by the Board of Directors of the Newmarket Soccer Club. It supersedes and replaces any previous version of the Policy Manual if effect prior to the Effective Date.
Contents Introduction... 4 Tryouts... 5 Teams... 5 Leagues... 6 Uniforms... 6 Technical Development... 6 Penalties and Fines... 6 Exhibition Games/Tournaments/Cups... 7 Field Access... 7 Heart of York Tournament/Festival... 7 Team Officials... 8 Refunds... 8 Team Accounts... 8 Fundraising... 9 Sponsorship... 9 Club Fundraiser... 9 Codes of Conduct... 10 Parent Code of Conduct... 10 Discipline... 11 Consequences... 11 Coach Code of Conduct... 11 Discipline... 12 Consequences... 12 PLAYERS CODE OF CONDUCT... 12 Games and Practices... 13 Uniform... 13 Discipline... 14 Consequences... 14
Introduction This purpose of this document is to outline the Newmarket Soccer Club (NSC) policies that pertain specifically to the competitive division. Members can refer to the following additional documents for further information on club operations: NSC Constitution NSC Policy Manual NSC House League Policies NSC Discipline Manual
Tryouts Coaches for each age group, along with club technical staff, will supervise the tryouts and participate in the selection of players. The Technical Staff will have final approval of all player selections. All players wishing to play for a competitive club team must attend tryouts. Tryouts are run in the fall. If a player misses the entire tryout season, they may be given a chance to try out for a team. In this case, players must be offered at least three tryouts to demonstrate their skills and be considered for a team. Players are trying out for a team, not a league. While the Club will attempt to register the team in a suitable league (level of play and location) there are no guarantees that a team will be successfully registered in a league or At the beginning of the tryout process, the club will provide the following information to players and parents: Cost of the program Payment due dates What s included in the program Other items included in the registration cost Details of mandatory parent meeting Every player (or through their parent) who unsuccessfully tries out for a position on a club competitive team must be given an explanation at the time he/she is released as to why he/she was unsuccessful. Coaches are reminded that there is a lot of stress and emotion involved in the releasing of players. The process by which players are released should be organized in a way that reduces the amount of stress and emotion. Players must be notified of release individually and privately, in person or by telephone, and away from the tryout location. Teams All competitive teams will be named Newmarket United. In the U8 to U12 age groups, there will be a squad approach to training, meaning an entire age group will train together rather than the traditional team focus. For the purpose of league games, players will be assigned to team rosters on a weekly basis. (The intent of this is to allow player movement between teams based on the individual s level of play at any given time). In the U13 and older age groups, where there is more than one team playing in the same age group, the teams will be tiered with the strongest team being called the first team. If two or more teams are playing at the same level, the most senior team will be considered the first team. The senior team will be the team that played at the higher level the previous season or finished higher in the standings.
Coaches who are calling up players, either from a lower level competitive team, select team, or house league team, must first contact that team s coach advising them of their intentions, before contacting the player. All call-ups must first be approved by Club technical staff. Coaches must be sure they are adhering to their league s rules around call-up players. Called up players must have the same proof of identification as the other players on the competitive team (player card or player book). Leagues Teams playing in competitive leagues are bound by the constitution, rules and regulations of that league. The Newmarket Soccer Club (club) will apply for a spot in the league most suitable for each team based on level of play and location. In the case where a team is not accepted into a league, the club will attempt to find another suitable league. All Players and Team Officials must be registered with the Newmarket Soccer Club (NSC) on the Ontario Soccer Association s (OSA) computerized system. Players will be assigned to their respective teams in the League database by Club officials. Uniforms All competitive team players will be required to wear club issued uniforms. No other uniforms, track suits or equipment may be worn except with the express written permission of the Club. A team may purchase certain other team wear however this cannot bear the Club logo or Newmarket United/Newmarket Soccer Club name without prior approval from the club. Club colours are Red/Navy stripe as primary and white as alternate and these colours must be the predominant colours for any team wear. Technical Development Coaches who wish to bring in other development agencies or technical advisors in order to further their team personnel or player development, must first submit in writing their request, including reasons for the request, to the Technical Director. External development must not be confirmed without written consent from the Technical Director. Penalties and Fines Teams that are issued disciplinary fines by external leagues are responsible to pay said fines through their team accounts. The Club is not responsible to pay for player, coach parent or team disciplinary fines. In the event that the Club is fined for the actions of a team, player or parent, the fine will be paid through the team account. In the event that fines exceed team account balances, player parents will be
responsible to pay the balance to the Club upon receipt of a Club invoice. A player will not be registered to any team if outstanding fines or fees are not paid. If a team, player or parent is issued a fine from an external league, the Club may impose further disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by the Discipline committee. Exhibition Games/Tournaments/Cups All requests for participation is exhibition games and tournaments beyond the league schedule must be approved by the Technical Staff before making further arrangements. Requests must be made well in advance (two weeks minimum) in order to give enough time for logistics (ie facility bookings, district approval). Competitive/Development teams will be allowed to enter a maximum of three tournaments/festivals. One of these tournaments will be the Club s Heart of York tournament. Competitive teams are automatically entered to play in their league Cup competition. Participation in the league Cup does not count towards a team s three tournament maximum. Competitive teams wanting to participate in the Ontario Cup must receive approval from the Technical Staff before applying. Participation in the Ontario Cup does not count towards a team s three tournament maximum. Field Access Teams will be assigned game and practice fields from the Club office. Teams are not permitted to use any fields whether for a practice or game without permission of the Club. Heart of York Tournament/Festival All competitive teams must participate in the Club s Heart of York Summer Classic. Exemptions to entry must be approved by the Technical Director. In addition to participating, every competitive team is required to supply volunteers to assist during the tournament weekend by: 1. Working 3 hours between 1pm and 9pm Friday of the tournament, for tournament registration 2. Acting as Field Marshalls on Saturday and/or Sunday of the tournament. The Field Marshall role may be (and is strongly advised to be) rotated amongst the team s parent group in shifts. All volunteers must be 18 or over. Teams that do not supply volunteers, or have volunteers that do now show, will be charged the tournament entry fee.
Team Officials All team head coaches must be approved by the Coach Selection Committee. The Coach Selection Committee shall be comprised of the Technical Staff, or designate, the Director of Competitive and one additional member of the Board of Directors. Team head coaches are responsible for the behaviour of the players, parents and spectators associated with the team, at all team events and functions. Team officials are not permitted to transport players to or from practices, games or team events, except for their own children. Team officials are not permitted to leave any youth player unattended at a field or gymnasium following a practice or game. A team official and at least one other adult from the team must stay with the player until his/her parents pick up. Teams are not permitted to have their Manager be a spouse of that team s head coach. Teams are not permitted to have a club staff or board member act as their team manager. Team head coaches must have a signed player and parent code of conduct form from each family associated with the team, within two weeks of team formation. These must be kept on file until the end of the season. Any competitive team head coach or assistant will not hold an official position in any other soccer club s competitive program or on any other club s board of directors at the same time. Head coaches and managers are expected to regularly attend meetings, training and information sessions as scheduled by the club. Refunds No fees will be refunded should the player voluntarily withdraw from the competitive program. Exceptions may be made for injuries and/or medical reasons, only when accompanied by a signed medical certificate. This will be subject to a $60.00 administration fee and a $50.00 OSA de-registration fee. No fees will be refunded without the approval of the Club General Manager. Team Accounts All teams must maintain an account with the Club. No other accounts pertaining to any Club teams can be set up at any other establishment. Any coach or team officials found holding an account or monies pertaining to their team outside of the club account, will be removed immediately from their positions and disciplined accordingly. Teams must retain a balance of $600.00 in their team account at all times.
Team managers are responsible for ensuring that all transactions regarding the team account are recorded, and should keep complete records of all transactions. These include all deposits to the team account, and cheques written by the club on behalf of the team account. Team head coaches must present a budget to their team parents within one month of team formation. The budget must first be approved by the General Manager. That budget must be presented again compared to actuals mid-season, and again at the end of the season. The Club can provide assistance in budget formation and calculation. Funds in team accounts remain with the team, regardless of changes in coaching staff or players. In the event that a team folds and there is a balance in the team account after the team expenses are paid, the balance shall be paid to the Club and held for the development of a new team in that age group. All team assets remain with the team (equipment, tents etc). Each team should keep an inventory of team assets. In the event that a team folds those assets must be returned to the Club to be used for a new team in the age group or for use within the competitive program. Fundraising All fundraising activities undertaken by a competitive team must receive prior permission from the General Manager. The GM may reject any proposal that is not in accordance with the aims and objectives of the club as specified in its values statement, or that is deemed to be unsound or likely to bring the club into disrepute. All monies collected through team fundraising are to be used for team activities and are not to be distributed to players or parents for their personal use. Sponsorship Teams may use sponsorship funds as part of the income for their season. Sponsors generally sponsor an entire team. If a sponsor wishes to have their funds directed to only one player, then the player may use the funds towards their registration fee, or their portion of team funds. If that is the case, then the sponsor is not permitted to have their name or logo on any portion of the team wear, including the sponsored child. Sponsor logos may be placed on player clothing. Only one colour may be used for lettering (red, white or navy). Sponsor logos may be placed on the back and arms of the jerseys and track suit tops. They may be placed on the player bags. Club Fundraiser All competitive teams must plan to provide a minimum contribution to any major club fundraiser. This will be defined by the Club when the opportunity is made known to the Club. The total team contribution required will not exceed $200.00 of sales (be it raffle or event ticket).
Codes of Conduct Parent Code of Conduct Through submitting the membership application for my child, I have accepted the Terms and Conditions of membership whether I have actually read them or not, and am therefore subject to the Club's rules, and to the rules and regulations of the organizations to which the Club belongs. I will be responsible for my child at every practice and game. The NSC is not responsible for unsupervised players. My child plays soccer for his or her benefit, not mine. I will not give instructions to players -- that is the coach's role. I will never question the referee's judgment, integrity or honesty. I will support all efforts to eliminate verbal and physical abuse from the game of soccer. If I am upset by something I will wait 24hrs before discussing the issue with the team coach and will do so in a private and constructive manner. I will not approach the team Coach prior to or during a session I will show respect for all players, all coaches, all officials and all spectators at all times I will teach my child that doing one's best is as important as winning, so that my child will never feel defeated by the outcome of a game. I will never take part in a practice, game or team event while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. I will make my child feel like a winner by offering praise for competing fairly and doing their best. I will encourage my child to play by the rules and to resolve conflicts without resorting to hostility or violence. Children learn by example. I will applaud good plays by both my child's team and their opponents. I will make sure that my child arrives for practices and games at the time designated by the coach, ready to begin. I will not take part in any form of bullying, whether that be to a parent, player, team coach, referee or club representative. Bullying in any form, whether in person, electronically (any form of social media) will not be tolerated.
I realize that the team can be penalized for my behaviour. I will obey a request by a referee or from the team's Coach to leave the vicinity of the field. I will contribute my child's share of the summer team fees to the team fund Discipline I realize that failure to abide by the Code of Conduct may result in my removal of myself, and potentially my child, from the vicinity of the playing field and potentially further sanctions by the club. Infractions that occur during the game are governed by the Laws of the Game and will be decided by the referee. There may also be further action by the league discipline committee. Certain serious infractions may result in a discipline hearing convened by the Ontario Soccer Association or their delegate, and could lead to a worldwide suspension from soccer, and/or a fine being levied by the OSA. Payment of the fine is my responsibility. I am responsible for reimbursing the Club for any fines payable by the Club due to my actions or inactions. Player, parent and member misconduct, including breaches of the Parent Code of Conduct, during a game, practice or other team event are subject to discipline by the NSC, including, without limitation, the removal of a player from a team, the suspension of a parent attending games, practices and other team events. Consequences If for any reason the Code of Conduct is not followed by the parent(s), any [one or more] of the following steps may be taken by the Club: Request the parent not attend team events Remove the player from the team Coach Code of Conduct I will show respect for all players, all teams staff, all officials, and all spectators at all times. I will work in cooperation with referees for the benefit of the game. I will remember that players play to have fun and must be encouraged to have confidence in themselves. I will ensure any questions I direct at officials will be constructive in nature. I will ensure that all players receive equal instruction and support. I will provide each player with playing time subject to factors such as attitude, attendance, the weather, fitness levels, positions played, and the needs of the game. In particular, players on recreational teams should receive equal playing time. I will arrive early and be prepared for games and practices. I will teach my players to play fairly and to respect the rules, themselves, referees, opponents, and spectators. I will be selective in the amount of instruction I give players during the game.
Discipline Consequences I will make sure that equipment and facilities are safe and match the players' ages and abilities. I will be reasonable when re-scheduling games and practices, remembering that the players and their families have other obligations. I will never take part in a practice, game or team event while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. I will obtain proper training and upgrade my coaching skills and knowledge of the game, according to the standards of the OSA and/or the Club. I will inform parents/guardians of any injuries their son/daughter may have suffered. I will dress appropriately at all games and practices, so that I present a professional image and can be easily identified. If I am coaching a team of ages U4 to U10, I will do so following a philosophy of development as determined by the club. For older competitive age groups I agree to creatively blend winning with player development. For U4 to U10, I will not put aside the development of a player for the benefit of the club, team, any other player or myself. Infractions that occur during the game are governed by the Laws of the Game and will be decided by the referee. There may also be further action by the league discipline committee. Certain serious infractions may result in a discipline hearing convened by the Ontario Soccer Association or their delegate, and could lead to a worldwide suspension from soccer, and/or a fine being levied by the OSA. Payment of the fine is my responsibility. The Coach is responsible for reimbursing the Club for any fines payable by the Club due to my actions or inactions. Failure to pay any fines will result in my suspension from the club for an indefinite period of time If for any reason the Code of Conduct is not followed by the coach, any [one or more] of the following steps may be taken by the Club: Suspend the coach for some time period Remove the coach from the team. PLAYERS CODE OF CONDUCT I will play soccer because I want to, not because others want me to. I will play by the rules of soccer, and in the spirit of the game. I will show respect at all times for all coaches, all referees, all players, all spectators, and all club officials. I will control my temper. I will not fight or use foul or abusive language or inappropriate gestures.
I will be a team player. I know that winning isn't everything - having fun, playing fair, improving my skills, making friends and doing my best are all important. I will acknowledge all good play - that of my team-mates and of my opponents. I understand that coaches are there to coach and not to improve my behaviour. If I am found to be behaving badly, my coach is permitted to remove me from the event. Furthermore, the responsibility of my behaviour outside of team-sanctioned events is not that of team staff but is the responsibility myself, and of my family or guardian. I will never take part in a practice, game or team event while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. I will not take part in any form of bullying, either to an opposing player or to a player on my team. Bullying in any form, whether in person, electronically (any form of social media) will not be tolerated. Games and Practices I recognize that practices are more important than games and games are equally important. Uniform I will arrive at the field before practices and games according to the standards set by my team Coach. If I cannot make a game or practice, I will notify the team Coach at least 48 hours in advance so that arrangements for substitutes can be made. I realize that players who attend practices may get priority in the game starting line-up. Starting line-ups are based on several factors including attendance at practices, player's position, effort, attitude, etc. I will turn off all electronic devices (cell phones, video games, etc.) before arrival at my practice, game or team event and leave them off until I am finished. I realize that playing time is not always going to be equal despite my coaches attempt to equalize. In fact some teams (higher level Competitive teams) are permitted to use an earned playing time system. At the development and recreation levels, playing time shall be equitable. I realize playing time is not always going to be equal. Higher level Competitive teams will use an earned playing time system. House League and Development ages will be closer to equal but not exactly equal. I will leave all venues as neat and tidy as I found them and will remove all refuse from my area. I will take good care of my uniform and wear it only on game days. I will ensure my jersey is tucked in at all times as required by the laws of the game. I will wear shin guards, socks, appropriate footwear, and bring my own water bottle to all games and practices.
Discipline At practices I will wear approved attire, such as athletic shirt and shorts; as determined by my coach. I understand that; rolling up my shorts to reduce their size, wearing short tops to expose my midriff, or exposing my bare shoulders is inappropriate soccer attire. I will abide by the EODSA rules and remove all jewellery for practices and games (except for medically approved bracelets and eye wear). I recognize that the team coach will handle infractions that occur at times other than during a game. I recognize that infractions that occur during the game are governed by the Laws of the Game and will be decided by the Referee. The result may be a Caution (yellow card) or Dismissal (red card), in which case there may also be further action, including suspensions or fines, by the league discipline committee. I recognize that certain serious infractions will result in a discipline hearing convened by the Ontario Soccer Association or their delegate, and could lead to a worldwide suspension from soccer, and a fine being levied by the OSA. Payment of the fine is my responsibility. I am responsible for reimbursing the Club for any and all fines payable by the Club due to my actions or inactions. Failure to pay any fines will result in my suspension from the Club for an indefinite period of time. Consequences If for any reason the Code of Conduct is not followed by the player, any [one or more] of the following steps may be taken by the coach or the Club: Reduce the playing time of the player; and/or Suspend the player for some time period Remove the child from the team.