Hockey Newcastle NMHA Senior Men s Winter competition- Grading Guidelines Section 1 Purpose Hockey Newcastle, through the NMHA, runs various graded hockey competitions. One of the features of a graded competition is the division of players into appropriate teams to ensure, as far as practicable, that players are able to compete against others of a similar standard, and therefore, to maximize the enjoyment for all players. To help the association achieve this goal, clubs are required to give careful consideration to the abilities of the players in their teams and ensure that players are nominated into appropriate levels. This document sets out the principles, and practices to be employed by clubs, and various Hockey Newcastle officials to ensure the efficient and equitable running of the graded competition. (A) Contents of Grading Lists Section 2 Grading Lists A grading list is a list of all the registered players of a club which has been divided into team/grade groups. In each case this division should be based on the ability of the players concerned and every effort should be made to ensure that players remain appropriately graded throughout the season. The grading list submitted by a club may only contain registered players and should have: A minimum of 9 players listed in their highest graded team A minimum of 11 players listed in each other team entered in the competition The only exceptions to these minimum numbers are: (i) The gap rule: This applies when a club has no team in the grade both above and below a grade (or grades) and thus a gap is left between teams. In this case the team immediately above the gap should have 2 more players (either 11 or 13) graded than it would normally be required to have graded in that team group, (eg a club has 3 teams, a team in 1 st Grade, a team in 2nd Grade and a team in 4 th grade, the club should have minimum numbers graded of 9,13 and 11 respectively), or (ii) If all players are already listed on the grading list for the club the lowest graded team may have fewer than 11 players listed. A grading list may also contain players listed as supplementary players. These are players who are retained on the Grading List, while injured, absent or who for other reasons are not expected to play each week. The supplementary players do not count towards the minimum set above, however all other aspects of the grading guidelines apply to players listed as supplementary players. There will be a goalkeeper graded in each team/grade list on a submitted Grading List. The grading committee may allow an exemption from the rule under special circumstances. Only one Goalkeeper can count towards the minimum numbers of players required in each team/grade list in a submitted Grading List. Additional Goalkeepers may be entered as supplementary players. If a club chooses to grade two Goalkeepers then the club must still have the required number of Field Players Page 1 of 6
A player s name may not appear more than once on a Grading List unless the second occurrence is as a Goalkeeper (see grading of goalkeepers below). No player s name may be listed 3 times or more on a club s Grading List. (B) Submitting Grading Lists Prior to the commencement of the first round of each season, all Clubs are required to submit to the Grading Committee a Grading List that contains the full names of all players, both Senior & Junior, who will participate in the NMHA Senior Winter Season Competition. If a Grading List is not submitted, the most recent Grading List for that Club from the previous season shall apply until a revised list is received by the Grading Committee. Clubs are able to submit a revised Grading List to the Grading Committee at anytime during the season, as required for their list to remain in accordance with these guidelines. Lists must be submitted prior to 4pm on Friday immediately before a normal weekend round for that list to be applicable to that round. Lists that are not submitted by 4pm on the Friday before the round of fixtures will not be in force until AFTER that weekends fixtures, unless otherwise advised by the Grading committee. (C) Regrading Players (i) Regrading by Clubs Clubs are able to regrade players through the submission of a new Grading List. This List should be submitted to the Grading committee as detailed in the Submitting Grading Lists section (above). Where a player has been regraded by the Grading committee, that player will not be regraded again by the club without consultation with the Chairman of the Grading Committee. (ii) Regrading by the Grading Committee The Grading Committee shall have the power to grade or regrade players at any time. The Executive Committee may act temporarily for the Grading Committee if necessary. The Grading Committee may regrade a player if: a) A player plays in a higher grade in more than three consecutive games, or b) A player plays in in a higher grade on two consecutive occasions more than twice, or c) A player plays in two grades on numerous occasions, or d) In the opinion of the grading committee the player is incorrectly graded. (iii) Automatic regrading following absences Players who do NOT play for three (3) consecutive rounds are automatically moved to the supplementary list for the grade in which they were last graded. All players, except goal keepers, progress up the list (if required) to maintain the minimum numbers detailed in Section 2 above. The Grading committee may direct the club to modify their list to ensure that it takes these automatic regradings into account. (A) Participation of Players Section 3 Player Eligibility Players who are not registered AND listed on their clubs current Grading List are not permitted to take part in any match. Page 2 of 6
Players are NOT permitted to play in a Grade lower than that in which they are graded. Players ARE permitted to play in a grade higher than that in which they are graded. In the event a club has two (2) teams in the same grade, players are NOT permitted to play in both of the teams in the same grade (the across the grade rule ), with the exception being that a goal keeper from one team is able to play as a field player in the other team. The executive may suspend the across the grade rule for any given grade for a specific season. This would usually only apply to the lowest grade in the competition. For a player to take part in a match, the player should be present at the ground and ready to play. The player s name SHOULD be be written on the playing card prior to a player taking part in a match, and MUST be written on the card prior to the commencement of the second half. (B) Goal keepers A player graded as a goalkeeper shall have the designation (GK) after their name on the grading list. (i) Players (Field Players) NOT graded as Goalkeepers (a) Field Players are NOT permitted to play Goal Keeper in a Grade lower than the grade in which they are graded as a field player. (b) All players are permitted to play Goal Keeper in the same (or higher) grade they are graded in as a Field Player (without being listed as a Goal Keeper) EXCEPT if that player is graded in a higher grade as a Goal Keeper. For example; if you are graded as a field player in 3rd Grade AND as Goal Keeper in 2 nd Grade you cannot play Goal Keeper in 3 rd Grade. (ii) Players graded as Goalkeepers (a) Players graded as a Goal Keeper are NOT permitted to play in a lower grade then that in which they are graded as a Goal Keeper. For example; if you are graded 3rd Grade Goal Keeper you cannot play 4th Grade Goal Keeper. (b) Players graded as a Goal Keeper are permitted to play in a higher grade than the grade in which they are graded as a goalkeeper For example; if you are graded 2nd Grade Goal Keeper you CAN play 1st Grade Goal Keeper. (c) Players graded as a Goal Keeper are permitted to play on the Field in the same grade they are graded as a Goal Keeper (without being listed as a Field Player) EXCEPT if that player is graded in a higher grade as a Field Player. (iii) Players graded as both Field Players and Goalkeepers (a) In General if a player is graded as field player and a Goalkeeper the player designated as GK is treated by these rules as being a separate player to the field player. They would also appear as two (2) separate listings on the Grading List (b) Players graded as Goal Keepers who elect to play on the field in a lower grade to what they are graded as a Goal Keeper MUST also be graded accordingly as a Field Player. For example; if you are graded as a Goal Keeper in 3rd Grade and you want to play on the Field in 4th Grade you MUST be listed as a Field Player in 4 th Grade (or lower). Page 3 of 6
Section 4 Grading Penalties (A) Contraventions of player eligibility or Grading List rules (i) Penalties Where clubs are detected breaching the guidelines relating to grading lists or player eligibility, regardless of whether they win or lose the game(s), the following penalties shall apply: (a) for the match in which an initial breach occurred, the team will be penalized three (3) competition points, and/or (b) For any subsequent breaches by that or any other team in the same club, the team that commits the subsequent breach will be penalised four (4) competition points. In any case the result of the match, prior to the penalty(s) being awarded, shall stand and all goals shall be credited to the team and players as per normal practice. (ii) Process. The Grading Committee will give written notice to the secretary and/or any listed delegates of any Clubs who have breached these guidelines no later than 21 days after an individual breach occurs. Clubs shall not be additionally penalized for any repetition of identical breaches that occur after the 21 day notification period, if the club has not been notified of the original breach. (iii) Appeals Clubs are permitted to make an appeal, to the NMHA Appeals Committee, against a decision made by the Grading Committee regarding any penalty points. Notification, and a $100.00 non-refundable deposit, must be forwarded to the NMHA Secretary within 24 hours of having received notification of the decision made by the Grading Committee. (B) Contraventions of card completion rules Where clubs are detected breaching the rules relating to completion of cards specified in this Guideline, the following Penalties shall apply: (i) If a goal is scored in the first half of a match by a player whose name is not on the match card, the goal shall be disallowed and the game restarted with a 16 yard hit. (ii) If a goal is scored in the second half of a match by a player whose name is not on the match card, the team is then in breach of the rules and shall be deemed to have forfeited the game. Section 5 Grading for Final Series (A) General Information The Guidelines relating to Grading and Grading Lists also apply during the finals series. Clubs are expected to submit Grading Lists for teams taking part in each round of the final series for approval by the Grading Committee. The decision of the Grading Committee regarding qualifications for the finals series is final and is NOT subject to an appeal. Penalties for grading breaches in Final series will be determined by the Association Executive in consultation with the Grading committee. Page 4 of 6
(B) Required matches for qualification To qualify to play in the final series the player must have played the required number of games within the grade for which they are attempting to qualify. For a match to be counted towards qualifying, the player must have his name on the match card, be present in playing uniform, and be ready to play. (i) To qualify for the finals series a player must either; a) Play in MORE than 50% of round matches, excluding byes, in the team and grade that he is seeking to qualify in. OR b) Play in seven (7) out of the last ten (10) round matches, excluding byes, in the team and grade that he is seeking to qualify in. This provision may be varied by the Executive if the number of rounds is significantly reduced for any reason. (ii) Exemptions Players may be granted exemptions for games missed due to: a) Representative commitments as a player, umpire, administrator or official at State (NSW), National or International Level, or b) An injury(s) sustained when training or playing in or for the NMHA, the NMVHA, the State of NSW or at National or International Level including indoor events. Such injury must be notified, in writing, to the Grading Committee and be accompanied by a signed & dated doctors and/or physio certificate within fourteen (14) days of such injury occurring for it to be accepted. The Grading Committee is to acknowledge the receipt of any such certificate, in writing, within seven (7) days of having received it, or c) Where a team (Team A) receives advanced notice that another team (Team B) is going to forfeit, there is no requirement for the players of Team A to be present and ready to play for that match to count towards player qualification for finals. The club should complete the card with the names of the players who would have played had the game not been forfeited. Subject to approval by the Grading Committee, those players would count that game towards their eligibility to qualify for the final series. (iii) Minimum game requirement. Whilst players may be granted these exemptions (point (ii) (a) above), as a minimum, players must play seven (7) matches in the NMHA Winter Competition to qualify for the finals series. The minimum game requirement does NOT apply where the exemption is based on an injury (point (ii)(b)). (C) Juniors in Final series Junior Players who have been included on a club s Senior Grading List at any time during the year can only qualify for the finals in the same way as Senior players (detailed above) Junior players who do not qualify as a Senior Player may only be approved to play in the Senior Finals Series in the event a qualified Senior Player is injured and the club have Page 5 of 6
insufficient qualified senior numbers to fill that team(s). The approved junior player/s are to be selected in the most appropriate grade by their clubs, and approved by the Junior Grading Committee. The player must have qualified for the Junior Finals series (D) Substitution in Finals games (i) A player who replaces a proven injured player in a higher grade during the Finals Series does not prejudice his qualification in the lower grade. (ii) A player who has qualified in a lower grade may play as a substitute in a higher grade without prejudice to his lower grade qualifications, provided that he does not take the field in the first fifteen (15) minutes of the game except to replace an injured player (the 15 minute Rule ). Page 6 of 6