GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS The following regulations will apply to ALL qualification and provincial tournaments under the jurisdiction of School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador (SSNL). Please consult the technical standards which follow for specific sport rules. 1. All sports will follow the provincial sport organization playing rules unless otherwise noted in the SSNL Technical Standards. 2. No player will be permitted to play wearing a cast made of plaster, fibreglass or any other material considered dangerous by the referee. 3. SSNL has instituted a maximum point spread to be used in tie breaking situations and to promote SSNL ideals of sportsmanship. All games should be recorded and reported using only the maximum point spread as set out in the technical standards. In the tie-breaking procedure, the goal/point spread must credit all the points for the losing team (eg 9-2, not 7-0) 4. There is a no fighting policy in all SSNL events. Any reported violation may result in an automatic and immediate 1 year suspension form all SSNL activities. 5. Teacher-sponsors must be on the bench at all times. Games do not start without the teacher-sponsor. If the teacher-sponsor is not on the bench 10 minutes after the scheduled start time, the team without the essential personnel will lose the game by default. 6. SSNL game referees are to be instructed to remain on the floor after the game to sign the score sheet and participate in a show of sportsmanship. 7. PROTESTS: In all SSNL tournament, the convenor must have a protest committee in place. This committee should consist of: a. Convenor, if not coaching b. SSNL representative c. Official Assigner/Head Official If the convenor is coaching, he/she should appoint an independent person to sit as the host committee representative. All protests MUST be presented in writing within 20 minute after the game in question has ended. A ruling will be made by the committee prior to the next scheduled game being started. Any protest submitted must be accompanied by a $50 protest fee. The fee is refundable if the protest is upheld. If the protest is denied, the protest fee goes to the host committee.
8. Coaches are not permitted to change rules at the coaches meeting or at any other time by consensus vote. If it happens, they will be informed by the SSNL representative that the tournament is void. 9. The use of unauthorized video replays is banned from SSNL events as a measure of officiating. 10. Game officials MUST provide written reports to the convenor for all major rule infractions. 11. At least one member of the coaching staff for each team MUST complete the free schoolcoach.ca concussion course in order to be eligible for SSNL competitions. 12. Each sport has scheduling guidelines. The maximum number of games scheduled refers to games where a particular team is scheduled and does not include non-scheduled games such as semi-final or championship games. 13. SSNL philosophy values team accomplishments and sportsmanship. Aside from competitions with an individual component, the Sportsmanship medal will be the only individual award presented at SSNL competitions. Player of the Game awards will not be awarded at any SSNL tournaments 14. Teams eligible to attend a provincial tournament who choose not to without a valid rationale as determined by the Varsity Council will be prohibited from hosting a provincial tournament in that sport for a period of two years.
EVENTS Provincial Champions will be declared in: 1) Girls 3A 2) Girls 4A 3) Boys 3A 4) Boys 4A 5) Open Co-ed TOUCH FOOTBALL Demonstration Sport TEAM COMPOSITION A maximum of 14 players can be registered for regular SSNL touch football tournaments. FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT 1. The host school must provide a suitable playing field and equipment, which shall meet National Football Federation standards of acceptable size, markings, etc. 2. Change rooms and showers in the area of the playing facilities must be provided. 3. It shall be the responsibility of the host school to provide match balls, which must be leather or composite leather, senior size for male and junior size for females. There should be one for each playing field. 4. Cleated shoes are permitted. Cleats must be molded rubber (ex. soccer cleats) or rounded metal studs (ex. rugby cleats). Metal baseball, golf, or track and filed spikes are prohibited. 5. Receiver gloves are permitted and must meet NFHS & NCAA standards. SAFETY STANDARDS 1. The playing surface must be free of glass, large stones, protrusions, holes, and other hazards that may be deemed dangerous to players and officials (any and all goals or goal posts must be padded). 2. The referee, assisted by his/her linesmen, will inspect players studs prior to each game. 3. The host school is responsible for providing emergency medical services at each facility. 4. Teams should not play more than 3 games in one day. FIELD LIST 1. Dimensions of field: minimum - 80 yards (73 meters) x 30 yards (27 meters) maximum -150 yards (137 meters) x 65 yards (59 meters). 2. Unobstructed area of at least 2 meters beyond all sidelines and goal lines around the full perimeter of the field. This area should be free of railings, fencing obstructions, and other obstacles.
TOURNAMENT PROCEDURES 1. All games shall consist of 4 periods of 15 minutes, running time. No overtime will be played in regular robin play. If overtime is necessary, in the playoffs, it will consist of 2 periods, 10 minutes each of sudden death. If the game has not been decided after 2 periods of overtime, it shall be decided by positions from the 20 yard line in a shootout style. The first team to score and prevent the other from scoring shall be declared the winner. 2. If 2 or more team are tied in the standings after the round robin, the following, in the order provided, will be used to determine the final standings. i) previous match results - the winner of each match between the teams concerned will be used to determine the final standings. ii) points for minus points against among the tied teams. iii) iv) points for minus points against among all teams in that division. fewest pointss against - if i), ii) or iii) do not break the tie, the team having fewest points scored against between the teams will be awarded the higher standing. v) most points scored - if the procedures above do not break the tie, the team scoring the most points in all their tournaments matches will be awarded the higher standing. vi) coin toss conducted by the head referee. 3. A maximum of 14 players may participate in the tournament and be dressed for any game. All 14 players must be listed on the game sheet. 4. Substitutions are unlimited and are permitted between plays at the discretion of the referee. 5. A player ejected from the game will be suspended for a minimum of his/her team s next game. The Disciplinary Committee must meet and rule if an additional suspension is necessary. The referee who issued the ejection must submit a written report to this committee. Any additional suspension must carry into subsequent tournaments. 7. Officials must provide written reports to the convenor(s) for all ejections. OFFICIALS The convenor is responsible for obtaining referees and linesmen for the tournament. It is recommended that officials from the St. John s and Corner Brook touch football leagues be obtained where available. Otherwise the convenor should obtain the best possible non-rated officials available.
TEAM COLORS 1. Where the home team s colours are similiar to the colours of the visiting team, the home team MUST change into colors that are distinct from those of the visiting team. The team whose name appears second on the tournament schedule shall be the home team, except that the host team shall always be the home team. 2. In determining whether or not a team needs to change its colors, the referee s decision is final. PROTEST For infractions of the rules for which player/coach has been ejected, the committee will meet after receiving the report of the referee, and will make ruling on same before that team s next match. AWARDS For each division, the following awards are provided: 1) Gold and Silver team Medals 2) Individual Sportsmanship Medals 3) Provincial Championship Banner 4) Team Sportsmanship Banner REGISTRATION FEES A maximum of $100 per team Participation fee of $3 for provincial and $2 per athlete for qualification tournament. SCHEDULING GUIDELINES Number of games per day 2 Back to back games No Time allotted between end of one game 10 minutes and start of next Games scheduled every 90 minutes Type of tournament allowed Round Robin, 2 Divisions Maximum # of teams in round robin 4 Maximum # of teams in one venue 4 * If 2 fields are used, semi-finals must be played at the same time. Rules 1) All playing rules will follow the Football Canada Canadian Rule Book for Touch Football: http://www.footballcanada.com/resources/rulebook/tabid/135/language/en- CA/Default.aspx 2) Coaching from the sidelines in permitted. 3) Teams may register 14 players, 1 head coach, 1 assistant coach, and 1 manager/teacher sponsor. 4) Co-ed teams must have a minimum of 3 female players on the field at all times. 5) Shirts/Jerseys are to be tucked into pants/shorts.