Rules of Junior National League & Junior Super Cup competitions Date Published: June 2013 Page 1
1. Title and Management 1.1 The Scottish Volleyball Association ( the SVA ) organises each season a Junior National League (JNL) competition for boys and girls teams. The Junior National League Competition Rules are ratified by the Board of the SVA under the Articles of Association of the SVA. They are the Rules, unless otherwise stated, governing all matters arising from the organisation and running of the Junior National League Competitions 1.2 The Junior National League (JNL) is organised by the SVA s Club and Participation Officer ( C&P Officer ) assisted by the Youth and Schools Commission. The remit of the C&P Officer shall be to apply and uphold these rules, including the sanction of any member, team or club, with the assistance from the SVA Youth & Schools Commission. The C&P Officer is responsible to the Chief Executive Officer of the SVA & the Youth & Schools Commission is responsible to the SVA Board. For the purposes of these rules, contact with the organiser shall be made in the first instance by e- mailing info@scottishvolleyball.org or otherwise through the SVA Office. 1.3 Any uncertainty arising from the following Competition Rules shall be exclusively open for interpretation by the Youth & Schools Commission. The Youth & Schools Commission may receive an opinion from the Competitions Advisory Group to assist with such interpretation, or may assign to the Competitions Advisory Group their exclusive right to interpret these Rules. 1.4 Clubs have the right to appeal against decisions taken by the organiser. The full schedule of the appeals process and procedure is contained in Byelaw 11 of the SVA Byelaws. 1.5 All previous editions of the Rules shall be replaced by the current edition. 2. Entry to the Leagues 2.1 Clubs and schools (considered to be a club for the purposes of these rules) entitled to enter a team in one of the Junior National Leagues must signify their wish to do so by returning their league entry form, together with the relevant fees as identified on the league entry documentation or available on request from the SVA office. Fees and team details must be returned by the date specified on the registration form. Late entries will only be accepted at the discretion of the organiser 2.2 Each club must include the name, address, e-mail address and contactable telephone number of a relevant contact and the club s Child Protection officer with its entry form. Any changes made to the contact details must be notified to the organiser immediately. Entry to the JNL gives automatic qualification to the Junior Super Cup. If a team chooses not to take up their place in the Junior Super Cup they must inform the organiser by 31 st January 2014 at the latest. 2.3 All teams entering the Junior National Leagues must submit the name of two suitably qualified referees (of appropriate qualification according to Rule 6.3) who are willing to be associated with that team. Entry to the Junior National League gives discounted entry to the regional league structure. Full details are available through competitions@scottishvolleyball.org 2.4 By entering a team in the Junior National League, a club undertakes to abide by these Rules of Competition and to abide by the decisions taken by the organiser. Date Published: June 2013 Page 2
2.5 Teams entered into the JNL northern division may still enter the JNL, provided they fulfil the criteria set out within these rules. 3. League Format and Rules 3.1 There shall be one U18 and one U15 boys competition and one U18 and one U15 girls competition. The U18 age group shall run from September to December. The U15 age group shall run from December to March 3.2 The number of times each team shall play the others in its Division will be dependant upon the amount of team entries that are received.. This information will be communicatedto participants, by the organiser prior to the start of the season. On each fixture date, teams will play no less than two and no more than three matches, and each match shall consist of three sets. All matches shall be played to FIVB Rules, unless otherwise provided in Rule 12 of these Rules. 3.3 League tables shall be compiled as follows: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a loss, 0 points for a forfeit match. When a match is declared null and void, the organiser may award 1 point or 0 points to both sides; both sides will be awarded 3 sets against them. Where league points for two teams are equal, their positions in the table shall be decided according to FIVB rules, namely that the team which has won the higher percentage of the total number of sets it has played in the competition shall be placed higher. Where these percentages are equal, the same calculation is applied to match points. 3.4 A playoff system shall operate in all divisions according to the following format: (i) Qualification The top four teams, based on league placing at the conclusion of the regular season shall contest the championship. These matches will be played on dates displayed in the National Calendar series and shall be played to the best of three sets. (ii) The Semi-Final Stage The team finishing first in the regular season programme shall compete against the team placing fourth, and the team placing second shall compete against the team placing third. The order of play shall be determined by the organiser and communicated to the teams prior to the playoffs. Teams defeated at the playoff semi-final stage shall compete for third place in one match to the best of three sets. This match shall take place on the same day as the semi-final stage. (iii) Finals Teams successful at the semi-final stage in the U18 and U15 competition shall then contest the Junior National League final on a date set by the organiser. This date will be on the same date as the semi-final stage unless otherwise communicated. 4 Player Registrations 4.1 Players and coaches participating in the JNL must be registered with the SVA before the first fixture date. Exceptionally a maximum of two players may register on the day of the match. To register on the day, a passport photograph and a cheque for the relevant fees must be sent to the SVA with the scoresheet. The relevant fees can be found on the league entry documentation, the SVA website or Date Published: June 2013 Page 3
on request to the SVA and include a 10 administration fee. The player or coach must present valid ID and this must be noted in the remarks box of the scoresheet. NOTE The photo can be e-mailed to info@scottishvolleyball.org as long as it is sent before FBS and the team can show the scorer the same picture at the scorers table. 4.2 A team playing a player who is not registered shall forfeit all points of the match in question. 4.3 It is the responsibility of the team captain and coach to ensure that the team registration is correctly recorded on the scoresheet, prior to signing it. A team or individual failing to provide a valid collective licence with which they have been issued prior to a match will be fined 10. Teams with outstanding fines will not be allowed to enter the competition if fines from the previous season remain outstanding. 4.4 Players who are eligible for under 15 age group may also play at the under 18 level, under one junior registration. These players must still be shown on the team license. Players myst re-register, however, if they play for different clubs in the different age group categories. 4.5 No JNL player may play for two JNL clubs in one age group during the course of a season. Full details of the transfer procedure are detailed in the SVA byelaws. 4.6 Players registered with a school club must be a current pupil at that school. Schools who wish to utilise players from other schools or those who have left school must affiliate with the SVA as a regular club for the purpose of the JNL. 4.7 It is possible for a club to have more than one team in the Junior National Leagues but the following conditions shall apply in respect of it: i. Where a club has two teams in the same division of the Junior National League, no movement of players between these teams will be allowed during the course of a single season. ii. Where there are two or more teams from one club in different divisions of the Junior National Leagues, players may move between the teams, including for playoff matches, subject to the following conditions: (a) No player may be recorded on the scoresheet for two teams on the same date. For the purposes of this article, matches which are scheduled for the same day, as published in the SVA Fixture List are regarded as being on the same fixture date, regardless of when the match is actually played. (b) A player may participate in any league division for which they are eligible by age and by gender. 4.8 Coach registration. All teams must have at least one registered coach. All coaching personnel involved in the JNL must be registered by returning a coach registration form, along with the relevant fees as specified on the registration form s accompanying notes, to the SVA before the first fixture of the season. 5. Fixture Procedures 5.1 The organiser in liaison with the Competitions and Performance Administrator will decide the dates and host teams of all matches in the Junior National Leagues. Date Published: June 2013 Page 4
5.2 A fixture list shall be forwarded to all team secretaries where possible four weeks prior to the first match of the season. In all divisions the team listed first shall be the home team. 5.3 All match venues must previously have been approved as suitable by the organiser. A list of approved venues is available upon request from the SVA Office. Should a club wish to play at a venue which has not previously been approved, they must be prepared to meet the cost of an inspection visit by a member of the organiser, or satisfy themselves that the equipment, etc. at the facility is suitable for Junior National League play. Suitable match venues will require the following equipment; I. Adjustable net and suitable posts II. Referee s stand III. Antennae IV. Official current match ball and 12 balls to warm up with of which 6 must be made available to the opposing teams V. Scoresheet and score table VI. Whistle x2 For all fixture rounds the home team should supply a referee/official mentor for the officials, scorers and line judges, if possible. 5.4 It is the responsibility of the home team secretary to inform the away teams of the time and venue of the match and to provide them with a map and clear instructions of how to reach the venue. This must reach the away team secretary at least fourteen days prior to the fixture date and the away team secretary must acknowledge the email and confirm their attendance within 48 hours of receipt. A copy of these arrangements should be sent by e-mail at the same time to the organiser Once submitted, this information may not be altered without the prior consent of the organising committee and any opponents affected by the alteration. If such arrangements have not been communicated to the away team secretaries fourteen days before the fixture date, attempt must be made in the first instance to contact the home team. If such contact is unsuccessful, the organiser must be informed. 5.5 While the home team may dictate the time of the match, they should take into account (i) the transport available to the visiting team, (ii) that, unless previously agreed, the visiting team should not be required to leave their home town before 8.00am and, (iii) unless previously agreed, that the visiting team should be able to arrive back at their home town by 8.00pm. Wherever possible matches should be played between the hours of 10.00am and 6.00pm. For the purposes of this Rule, the home town of a team shall be the one in which the venue at which they play their home matches is situated. 5.6 All Junior National League matches will be played on the dates scheduled in the fixture list except as specified in this Rule. To amend a fixture, the team should submit a written request to the organiser at least fourteen days prior to the fixture date, enclosing the written agreement of the opposing teams to such a change. The organiser shall respond to the request within 3 working days of the request being made. When a request is granted, normal fixture procedures. 5.7 Where a team withdraws from a fixture, the match may be declared forfeit against them. A full statement of the reasons for cancelling the fixture must be submitted to the organiser by first class post or by e-mail on the day of the match the decision as to whether the match is forfeited is at the absolute discretion of the organiser. Date Published: June 2013 Page 5
5.8 In the event of a team withdrawing from a fixture, they must inform their opponents of this immediately. 5.9 Where a team cancels less than 48 hours in advance or fails to appear this may result in a fine of up to 50. This fine will be paid to the opposing team for any unavoidable cost they have incurred. Teams who have outstanding fines with the SVA may not be allowed to participate in playoffs. The decision as to whether the fine is levied and to whether a team with outstanding debt shall be permitted to compete at playoffs is at the absolute discretion of the organiser. 5.10 A team withdrawing without good reason from three fixture rounds in the same season may be eliminated from the Junior National League competition under the discretion of the organiser. 5.11 All matches involving a team eliminated or withdrawing from the Junior National Leagues shall be null and void. In the event of a team withdrawing from the play-off round of the competition, the 5 th placed team shall be awarded their spot. 6. Eligibility of Personnel 6.1 Players should conform to the following criteria; (i) For Under 18 competition, all players must have been born in 1996 or later to be eligible in this season of competition. (ii) Special dispensation may given to allow a player to register for the JNL who despite still being at school, is not eligible for the JNL under the age restriction. For such dispensation, application should be made to the organiser. Dispensation shall not be given to a player if they have already been registered to compete at National League level. (iii) For Under 15 competition, all players must have been born in 1999 or later to be eligible in this season of competition. 6.2 Team coaches should possess as a minimum UKCC level 1 or equivalent.. Persons wishing to coach in the Junior National League who do not hold such qualification should contact the SVA Coaches Commission (through the SVA Office) to ascertain their eligibility to coach in the competitions. 6.3 Officials should possess as a minimum the JNL Referee qualification and be registered with the SVA for the current season. A licence card shall be issued to confirm the official s qualification. This should be presented at each match and the licence number noted on the scoresheet. Failure to do so shall result in a 10 administration fine. Match day registration is not available for officials so all registrations must reach the SVA office at least 48 hours in advance of the fixture. 6.4 All Junior National League Teams must provide 2 qualified officials for every match. Failure to provide a suitably qualified referee shall result in a 10 administration fine. 6.5 Match officials will be appointed by the SVA Referees Commission as first and second referees for all division playoffs however teams shall be required to provide scorers and line judges. Teams may be required to provide 2 nd referees for matches, in this scenario, a referee mentor shall be present. 7. Match Procedures 7.1 All matches must be played with a Mikasa MVA match ball of correct inflation, type, colour and texture according to FIVB rules. Antennae must be used for all matches. In cases of doubt the referee s decision as to whether the equipment and venue is suitable for play shall be final. If Date Published: June 2013 Page 6
equipment and venue are not suitable then the home team s organiser must record in the remarks box on the score sheet the reasons why the above were not suitable. 7.2 All players in a team must wear jerseys and shorts of the same colour. All jerseys must be correctly numbered on chest and back. If a team uses a Libero player the libero strip too must conform to FIVB rules. Match officials, must required to record the details of any discrepancies in the remarks box on the scoresheet. 7.3 Teams hosting JNL fixtures Must conform with the order of play provided by the organiser. Any change to the schedule must have the agreement of all three teams, this must then be communicated to the organiser. 7.4 For the benefit of Articles 7.5 to 7.12 the game shall be deemed to commence at the start of the warm up over which the referee has control. 7.5 A home team must ensure that matches start as close to the scheduled start time as possible. If, however, the start of the match is delayed due to a prior game, the away team should wait until the previous game has been completed (or terminated at the discretion of the home team). Where possible, every effort must be made by both teams to play the following match in the remaining hall booking for that game. In the event that the hall booking expires without the game being completed the home team must contact the organiser detailing the reasons for the delay. The organiser will then make a ruling on the result of the match. 7.6 Where a hall let is reduced due to circumstances out with the control of the home team and the matches are not completed as a result, the matches will be replayed in accordance with article 7.8. 7.7 Clubs should allow for a minimum of one and a half hours in which to play a single match. Where both teams are ready to start play at the scheduled starting time, 1.5 hours have elapsed since the start of play and the hall booking for that game has expired without the game being completed, then the game shall be completely replayed at the same venue with all costs of the replayed match being equally divided between the two teams. If it is not possible to replay the match then the teams shall each be awarded 1 point each. 7.8 Where a team without good reason fails to appear on court ready to play within 15 minutes of the agreed start of play, the match may be forfeit. The team who are not ready to play must inform the organiser of the reasons by first class post or by email on the day of the match. However, where possible every effort should be made by both teams to play the match in the remaining hall booking for that game. In the event that a team is delayed enroute to a fixture, they should endeavour to contact the home team, who make all reasonable endeavours to rearrange the match schedule. 7.9 Where a team without good reason is not ready to start play at the scheduled start time but is ready less than 15 minutes after the agreed start of play, the match shall be played, but, in the event of the hall booking expiring without the match being completed, the match shall be awarded to the team which was ready to start play at the agreed time. Article 7.8 applies as regards the awarding of game and league points to the losing team. 7.10 In all matches the referee shall ensure that, while normal warm-up times and breaks are allowed to both sides, there is no deliberate time-wasting by either team. All reasonable attempts should be made by a home side to extend a hall booking if this is necessary to complete a game. Any extra expenditure incurred by a team due to the late arrival of their opponents shall be paid by these opponents. Date Published: June 2013 Page 7
7.11 A team reduced to less than six players during the game, due to injury or to a player or players being sent off the court, shall lose the match but shall retain any points and sets already won. A team losing a match in this way shall be awarded one league point. 7.12 The scoresheet must be correctly headed and completed in ink. The scoresheet must be an SVA scoresheet and no other, however similar. 7.13 At the end of the match the secretary of the home team must send the top (white) copy and bottom (red) sheet of the scoresheet to Club and Participation Development Officer, Scottish Volleyball Association, Level 2, 48 The Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ. This must be posted first class on the day of the match. Failure to do this will result in a 10 administration fine. The second and third copies should be given to the competing teams. 7.14 After every Junior National League fixture day, the home team secretary must communicate all the results from their venue to the Club and Participation Officer (tel. 07825882701, e-mail graeme@scottishvolleyball.org) by 7pm on the day of the matches. The home team secretary or team contact must also telephone or email if any match has not been played for any reason regardless of whether this has been previously communicated to the organiser. Failure to do this will result in a 10fine. 7.15 All JNL matches shall be open to the general public, media personnel, photographers and any person using a video recorder, subject to the following: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Any person not directly involved with the match shall at no time be on the court area. No person should be behind the service zone. No person or equipment should be positioned and/or used in such a way that they present risk of injury or obstruction to players or officials. Cameras should be manned at all times so they can be moved quickly. The use of photography or video should be in line with a club s or sports centre s child protection policy. Many sports centres operate a no photography ruling and this should be considered by the teams concerned. If there are any queries regarding this please contact the SVA for further information or refer to the SVA s child protection policy. 8. League Trophies 8.1 Trophies and medals shall be presented to the winners and runners up of each league. 8.2 The trophies must be engraved at the winners expense and returned to the SVA office by November 30th of the following season. Teams who fail to return or engrave the trophy by this date shall be fined 10 to cover the costs. 8.3 Should a trophy be damaged or lost whilst under the care of a club, the club will be required to meet the cost of repair or replacement 9. Fines 9.1 The organiser is empowered to impose the penalties and fines set out in the preceding and following articles. All fines will be increased on failure to pay 28 days from date of notice. 9.2 The organiser will exclude from the following season s Junior National Leagues any club failing to pay outstanding fines from the previous season. Date Published: June 2013 Page 8
9.3 A team withdrawing from the Junior National League after the season s fixtures have been drawn up shall be liable to a fine of up to 20. 10. Disciplinary Action A player who both plays and coaches, shall be regarded as a player for the purposes of the following rules. 10.1 A player or coach being i disqualified for the remainder of a Junior National League match shall be suspended in for the two matches. ii Expelled during a Junior National League match shall be suspended in the following match The match referee shall submit to the organiser via the SVA Office a signed statement giving details of the sending-off, either along with the scoresheet or separately by first class post, or by e-mail, on the day of the match at the latest. 10.2 A player or coach receiving his third or subsequent yellow card in any one season shall be suspended for the team s next match after each yellow card. A yellow card received by a player who is subsequently sent off in the same match shall be disregarded for the purposes of this Article. 10.3 In all cases suspensions shall apply immediately to the next JNL round of fixture dates as scheduled in the calendar. Warning letters and letters confirming suspensions shall be sent out by the Organising Committee, but it is the duty of all teams to ensure that a player or coach does not violate their suspension. A team playing a suspended player or being coached by a suspended coach shall forfeit the match in question. 10.4 A player or coach disqualified or expelled more than once or receiving more than 4 yellow cards in one season shall automatically be referred to the SVA Disciplinary Committee. The powers of the Disciplinary Committee can be found in the SVA Byelaws. 10.5 The home team/organisers are responsible for spectator control. Any spectator whose behaviour is, in the referee s opinion, interfering with their control of the match may be asked to leave the hall by the home team/organisers. The referee has the power to suspend the match until the home team/organisers have restored order. The referee shall be required to submit a report on the incident to the organiser by first class post on the day of the match. 11. Complaints Procedures 11.1 The following section concerns complaints made about matters falling within the scope of these rules. 11.2 Complaints may be made by any member of the SVA. 11.3 All complaints must be sent using the Complaints Form available from the SVA Office to the Chair of the Youth & Schools Commission. 11.4 Whenever possible Complaint Forms about a particular match should accompany the scoresheet. Where a complaint relates to a match already played then no complaints received more than seven days after the match will be considered. Where a complaint does not relate to a match already played then Rule 11A must be followed. 11.5 Within 7 days of the complaint being received the Commission shall acknowledge receipt of the complaint and advise all other interested parties. The Commission may request relevant information and responses from anyone they deem appropriate. Date Published: June 2013 Page 9
11.6 The Commission will report back to the interested parties within 14 days from the date of acknowledging receipt of the complaint. The decision will be issued using the Commission Decision Form available from the SVA Office. 11.7 The Commission, when considering a complaint, shall attempt to provide a solution where possible within the terms of these rules. If the Commission deem a matter out with the scope of these rules and the Commissions remit then the matter may be referred to the SVA Board as a disciplinary matter under Rule 10 of the SVA Byelaws. 12. Junior Super Cup 12.1 There will be a competition for girls and boys and consist of the following (i) (ii) A group stage tournament where the top two teams will qualify for the Junior Super Cup final The two teams who qualify for the final will contest this tie at the SVA Cup finals weekend 12.2 All the rules of the JNL are applicable to the Junior Super Cup with the following amendments; (i) Players may transfer teams within a junior club for the purposes of the junior Super Cup competition. Players registered on the scoresheet of the group stage shall be then tied to that team for the final round (ii) All teams which have not taken part in the JNL season but wish to enter the Junior Super Cup must conform to all registration procedures and pay an entry cost of 20. (iii) All players that compete in the Junior Cup Final must have been registered with their respective club before or on the date of the Junior Super Cup group stage. 13 Variance from FIVB Rules of the Game All Junior National League matches are played according to the Rules of the Game, as determined by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), except as follows: (i) Match Duration All JNL regular season matches are played over three sets, with all Three sets counting towards the match result. All matches in the JNL Playoffs are played to the best of three sets (ii) Net Height Net height will be as follows U18 Boys 2.35m U18 Girls 2.24m U15 Boys - 2.24m U15 Girls 2.18m 1. Contact Points The ball may be played using any part of the body above and including the waist. No kicking of the ball will be permitted. 2. Libero One Libero player may be utilised in JNL competition Date Published: June 2013 Page 10