| COMPETITION REGULATIONS
These Regulations form part of Southpine Touch Terms and Conditions: Edition 2, 30 Janauary 2006. INTRODUCTION The aim of the Southpine Touch competition is to provide touch players and families with an opportunity to participate in an enjoyable, low cost, team sport at a local suburban sports facility. The benefits of such a competition include a social participation whiles gaining a level of fitness and family fun for all levels. 1. PURPOSE 1.1. These regulations govern the management of Southpine Touch competitions and tournaments and should be read and applied in conjunction with the Touch Football – Laws of the Game and Codes of Conduct. Teams nominating and participating in a competition are deemed to agree to abide by the competition regulations and laws of the game and codes of conduct. 2. NOTICES 2.1.Southpine Touch Committee will issue notices by email, telephone, postal mail or facsimile. Email will be the primary method and team managers are required to provide an email address and at least one telephone number for this purpose. Notices issued by the Committee will be deemed to be received by team managers and Southpine Touch Committee will not accept responsibility for teams not being advised of information in those notices. 3. LAWS OF THE GAME 3.1. All comptetion games will be played, administered and governed by Touch Football – Laws of the Game TFA Edition 7 Playing Rules & Referees Signals. Team managers and players should read and understand these laws. 4. COMPETITON NOMINATIONS 4.1.Southpine Touch will accept nominations from teams, groups and individuals. Nominations are to be on the prescribed player registration form, signed and submitted prior to the nominated close-off times and with the required payments/deposits. Acceptance of nominations is at the discretion of Southpine Touch Committee and conditional on applicants agreeing to pay the prescribed deposits and fees. 4.2.Due to current insurance policy nominated players must be 13 years of age or older to play in the Southpine Touch competitions. 4.3. Late nominations may be accepted at the discretion of the committee. A late fee may apply. 4.4. A player can only nominate and play in one grade, as appropriate, in the same competition on the same night/day. A player may play up in a higher grade to fill in for a team short on the night, however if this player plays a minimum of five (5) games in the higher grade he/she must remain in the higher grade for the remainder of the season. A higher grade player may not play down in a lower grade team. 4.5. A team or individual can have their nomination withdrawn and be ejected from a competition on disciplinary grounds or failing to follow competition management directions. 5. TEAM NAMES 5.1. Proposed team names must be included on the nomination forms. Names deemed to be offensive or in poor taste will be rejected by the committee. If duplications occur priority will be given to the team which previously used that name. If this situation does not apply priority will be given to the nomination received first. 6. TEAM MANAGER/CAPTAINS 6.1. Teams are to have a designated team manager and or captain whose responsibilities include:- a. Checking for and receiving notices and advising team members of relevant information in those notices. b. Checking wet weather notices. c. Ensuring team fees are paid by the due dates. d. All team members sign the team registration/insurance sheet before playing their first game. e. All team members enter the required details and sign the game registration sheet before taking the field. f. Ensuring all team members abide by laws of the game, regulations and codes of conduct. g. Checking the draw on game day for changes. h. Represent players, supporters and officials in communications with Southpine Touch Committee. 7. TEAM FEES 7.1. Deposits and payments are to be made to the Southpine Touch Treasurer. Committee members are not normally able to accept payments unless special arrangements have been made by the competition President. 7.2. Team managers and individuals are to ensure that deposits and payments are made by the due dates specified by competition committee. If payments are not made by the due dates those teams will be prevented from participating any further in the competition until such payments are made. Deposits are required before taking the field in round 1 and full balances are required by round 4, or as stipulated by competition committee at the pre-competition meeting. 7.3. If a team withdraws prior to the commencement of a competition a full refund of payments received will be made. If a team withdraws after the commencement of a competition but before round 4 is played it will be entitled to a proportionate refund less the competition deposit. Withdrawals after round 4 in a competition may attract a refund at the discretion of competition management. 7.4. If a team is ejected after the commencement of a competition a proportion of paid fees less the competition deposit may be refunded at the discretion of competition management. 7.5. Southpine Touch Committee may offer discounts to loyal teams in accordance with policies in position at that time. 7.6. If prescribed fees have not been paid on time, Southpine Touch Committee may apply an additional late fee. 8. TEAM REGISTRATION 8.1. Each team member is to enter the required details on the team registration/insurance sheet before playing in the competition. Teams playing unregistered or non-financial players will lose points gained as a result of that game. 9. GAME REGISTRATION 9.1. Each player is required to register for each game in which that player wishes to participate by signing the game registration sheet next to the relevant name prior to the commencement of the second half. The game registration sheets will be removed at half time and the sheets for the next games will be made available for signing. Teams playing unregistered, incorrectly registered or non-financial players will lose points gained as a result of that game. 9.2. Southpine Touch Committee members or, referees may request photo identification for any player wishing to participate in finals games. 9.3. Players must have played a minimum of five (5) competition games and be registered to play in finals. 10. PLAYER TRANSFERS 10.1. A player may transfer to another team in a higher grade during the season by submitting a written request to competition committee together with the approval of both team managers/captains concerned. Such transfers will be approved only if they are to take place before the fourth last game prior to finals for that competition. 10.2. A player from a higer grade may not transfer to a lower grade team during the season. 11. TEAM CAPTAINS 11.1. Team captains are the only players who can communicate with referees during the course of a game. The course of a game includes a period of time before commencement of play when players are gathering in preparation and a period of time after the conclusion of play when players are dispersing. Team captains are responsible for:- a. Participating in the coin toss prior to commencement of play. b. The conduct of all team members during the course of the game. c. Signing the score card at the completion of play. d. Giving the identity of players when requested by the game referee. 12. PRE-COMPETITION MEETING 12.1. A pre-competition meeting will be convened by competition committee to provide to team managers such information as:- a. Season structure. b. Draws for competition games. c. Gradings for divisions. d. Points allocation to determine finals teams. e. Format for finals games. f. System to be applied to resolve drawn games g. Player eligibility for finals h. Any variations to these regulations or the laws of the game to be applied. 12.2. Each team at the start of the year will be provided with a competition touch ball to be used for both the Summer and Winter competitions. 13. ELIGIBILITY 13.1. Teams and individuals will not be eligible to compete unless their nominations have been accepted and approved by competition committee and deposits/fees have been paid by stipulated dates. 13.2. A player must have signed the game registration sheet and played at least five (5) rounds in the competition to be eligible to play with that team in finals games. Variations to this regulation will be advised at pre-competition meetings. 13.3. A registered player who has not played enough games to qualify for finals games may be given an exemption on medical or employment transfer grounds if a relevant certificate is supplied to competition committee. A player seeking such an exemption must have played at least four rounds in that competition for that team. 13.4. If a team is unable to compete in finals games because of insufficient player numbers as required by the Laws of the Game that team may be permitted to use replacement players from the player pool nominated by the committee to make up the minimum number of players required to take the field. If the opposing team manager agrees the number of players may be made up to a full complement without reserves. Any reserve player must not play in a higher grade in the same division on the same night/day in that competition. 13.5. Managers/captains seeking permission to use additional players from the player pool must make a written submission to the competition committee at least five days before competition game and are to includes details of why replacement players are required. 14. DRAW and CHANGES 14.1. Southpine Committee will check for special requests for time slots, etc. and comply where possible. 14.2. Southpine Touch may need to make changes to the draw and such notices will be sent to team managers in accordance with these regulations. Details will be published on the website and team managers will be advised by email and telephone. 14.3. Requests by team managers for changes to the draw should be submitted to competition committee seven days prior to the relevant competition game. 14.4. Competition draws for each grade will be published on the web site in full. The draw for the next round will also be published for ease to all players/referees. 15. FORFEITS 15.1. If a team cannot take the field with the minimum required number of players within five minutes of the game starting time that team will lose that game by forfeit. If neither team is eligible to commence the game the result will be entered as a draw. 15.2. If a team notifies competition committee by 1pm on the day of the scheduled game that it will forfeit that game it will be awarded points as advised in the pre-competition meeting. If a team does not advise the forfeit accordingly it will be debited competition points from the table. 15.3. If a team forfeits three or more games in a competition it may be ejected from that competition by the Southpine Touch Committee. 16. DISCIPLINE 16.1. A player may be disciplined by a game referee for an infringement or attempted infringement of the Laws of the Game. A game referee has control over players and team officials on or off the field during and after the course of a game in accordance with the Laws of the Game. 16.2. A player sent from the field of play can take no further part in that game, cannot be substituted and will receive an automatic two week suspension from all games in that competition and any affiliated competitions. A suspended player may submit a written request to competition committee to review the application of such two week suspensions. Competition committee may vary the suspension on grounds such as an erroneous application of the Laws of the Game or the player is involved in multiple divisions, nights and/or competitions. 16.3. The game referee is to complete an incident report for any player sent from the field of play. 16.4. An incident report is to be completed by a game referee, committee member or Southpine Sports official for serious breaches of discipline, including players sent from the field whose infringement could attract more than a two week suspension by the Disciplinary Panel. 16.5. Serious breaches of discipline may be referred to the Disciplinary Panel who will deal with them following the Report, Disciplinary Panel and Appeals Procedure. The panel may offer a reported player a penalty for receipt of a guilty plea. If a guilty plea is not offered or accepted a hearing will be convened in accordance with the Report, Disciplinary Panel and Appeals Procedure. Penalties awarded under this procedure may be disclosed to other touch organisations. 16.6. A player who has been sent off by game referees on more than two occasions may be ejected from the competition. Competition committee may eject a team from a competition for unacceptable breaches of discipline or misconduct. 16.7. Any suspension means a player is suspended from all sanctioned and affiliated games and competitions for the duration of the suspension. 16.8. Southpine Touch Committee will process complaints, give warnings and take action on any matter involving deemed unsportsman-like behaviour or any matter that denigrates the reputation of the sport, competition or management. 16.9. A player who has been forced sub by a game referee may take no further part in that game for the night. 17. REFEREES 17.1. The Southpine Referee Co-ordinator will appoint game referees. Team managers or captains will have no input to the allocation of referees. During a competition game the game referee is the sole judge of interpretation and application of the Laws of the Game. 17.2. If a team manager wishes to lodge a complaint about refereeing an Incident Report form is to be obtained from the Southpine Touch Secretary the same night and submitted to competition management as soon as practicable. 18. SCORE CARD 18.1. The game referee will enter results on a game score card. Both team captains are to sign the score card at the completion of the game as an indication that the scores are correct. A team manager may enter a protest about the recorded scores to competition committee only if the captain has not signed the score card. 18.2. Managers are to check the results on the website to ensure the scores have been entered correctly. 19. ABANDONED GAMES 19.1. After the start of play a game may be abandoned by competition committee or game referee in consultation with the President. A decision to abandon a game will be made considering the safety of players and officials or serious misconduct on the part of teams or team officials. 19.2. A game abandoned in the first half of play may be re-scheduled by competition committee or declared a draw. A game abandoned after the completion of the first half will be declared with the scores as at that time. 20. POSTPONED GAMES 20.1. Games may be postponed prior to the scheduled start time because of weather conditions, unavailability of grounds or any reason deemed appropriate by competition committee or by the sports council. If a postponed game cannot be reasonably re-scheduled it will be cancelled. Team managers will be advised in accordance with the notification process contained in these regulations. 21. RE-SCHEDULED GAMES 21.1. In addition to abandoned and postponed games a game may be re-scheduled if both team managers agree and competition management can reasonably make other arrangements. If a game cannot be re-scheduled it will be cancelled. 22. CANCELLED GAMES 22.1. Games which have not been commenced and subsequently cancelled will be either re-scheduled where possible. If not, they will be recorded as a draw with a scoreline as advised by competition committee at the pre-competition meeting. 23. DISPUTES 23.1. A team captain can lodge a dispute during a game with the game referee about a refereeing decision or opposing team player attire. The team captain must lodge the dispute as soon as practicable during the game. The game referee must determine the dispute immediately. A dispute about the attire of a player who has been on the field with that attire during the first half of the game will not be accepted after the half time break. 24. PROTESTS 24.1. A team manager can lodge a protest after the completion of the game in relation to the score, player eligibility or any incident deemed to have affected the outcome of the game. Protests must be submitted in writing on an Incident Report form obtained from the committee the same night/day. The report should be lodged within twenty four hours and will be determined by competition committee before the next round of games. 24.2. Games which are the subject of protests may be declared by competition committee as a forfeit, drawn game or be re-played. 25. INSURANCE 25.1. Touch is a fast-moving and energetic sport. Players participate at their own risk and competition committee accepts no responsibility for injuries sustained. Claims on insurance will be accepted only if the following requirements have been fulfilled:- a. The injured player has entered the correct details and signed the team registration/insurance sheet. b. The game referee has been advised of the injury and noted details on the score card. c. A claim form has been requested from the Committee the next day and has been submitted without unnecessary delay. 26. APPLICATION OF REGULATIONS 26.1. These regulations may be varied for any particular competition by the Southpine Touch Committee or Southpine Sports Council and such variations are to be advised to team managers at pre-competition meetings. 26.2. These regulations may also from time to time incorprate local playing rules as determinded by the Southpine Touch Committee. 27. FORCE MAJEURE 27.1. Competition committee will be relieved of its obligations under these regulations if it cannot operate by reason of a Force Majeure event. Such events include but are not limited to the following:- a. Act of God; b. War or terrorism; c. Riot or civil disturbance; d. Any other event beyond the reasonable control of competition management. |
| SOUTHPINE TOUCH REGULATIONS |