Policies

Please click on a link below to view FCSSC Policies:

FCSSC League Policy

THE RULE THAT SUPERSEDES ALL OTHERS - NO COMPETITIVE OR PHYSICALLY AGGRESSIVE PLAY!
Play that is compettive, overly aggressive, rough and/or unsportsmanlike such as pushing, shoving, elbowing, shouldering, kicking, punching, tripping, hacking, slashing, sliding, tackling, ball blasting, chirping, name calling, threats and intimidation, is prohibited and will not be tolerated by FCSSC. FCSSC IS FIRST-AND-FOREMOST-FOR-FUN. ANY ROUGH OR PHYSICAL PLAY WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE EXPULSION FROM THE GAME, THE LEAGUE, THE CLUB AND/OR ALL OF THE ABOVE. All players should go out of their way to avoid contact with other players and/or eliminate actions or behaviours that could jeopardize player safety. If accidental contact occurs it is expected that players will apologize for that contact, ensure everyone is alright and stop the game to seek appropriate help as required. This rule supersedes all others.

If reports of this kind of behavior are received, whether instigating or retaliating, team captains as well as the players involved in the incident must report to the Director, FCSSC. At the Event Coordinator and Director's discretion one or more of following may result:

Player or team receives a verbal and/or written warning
Player is expelled from the game by the Event Coordinator on-site
Player is expelled for the season
Player and Team are expelled from the season
Player is expelled from FCSSC for life

Under no circumstances will players or teams be granted a refund as a result of expulsion.

Teams can and will be held responsible for their players' conduct. If someone on your squad is behaving inappropriately, it is YOUR responsibility to keep him or her from doing so.

Red Card Rule** Should a player be ejected from a game by FCSSC staff for physically aggressive or overtly competitive play, or other unsportsmanlike conduct, including fighting/punching/kicking the team on which the ejected player is a member must play the rest of the game less one player. For example, if the normal number of players on the field is 6 and one is ejected the team must play the rest of the game with just 5 players.

At any time, should you feel that a player on an opposing team is playing in an unsportsmanlike manner and is not complying with your requests to stop or change their behaviour you may choose to end the game and leave the field. FCSSC prioritizes fun and player safety -- if the game is not fun and players feel unsafe the game should end and the team captain should notify FCSSC staff immediately. FCSSC will pursue the appropriate disciplinary process for all players involved.

1) Team Captains: Captains are responsible for knowing the policies of the FCSSC outlined here as well as the rules of their specific sport. They are also responsible for making sure that their teammates are aware of these policies and rules.

Captains must ensure that all of the team's equipment is present at every game, whether they take it themselves or arrange for another team member to take it.
Captains are required to keep a complete and accurate record in FCSSC's system of all players on their team's roster (first name, last name and email address). Teams found to have incomplete rosters in FCSSC's system after the end of the second week of the season will be unable to play until the roster information is complete. Captains can contact the FCSSC office at 519.439.4263 or info@fcssc.ca for assistance if required.

Players: All participants must be 19 years of age or older. This is a requirement of FCSSC's insurance and the legal responsibility of all players to comply. FCSSC reserves the right to check ID to confirm your age. If you cannot produce ID, you cannot play. If members are found to be less than 19 years of age they will be prohibited from further league play, without a refund.

2) Incidents Which Result in Loss of Permits: Any team involved with any incident that results in the loss of a permit, facility, location or field will be expelled from the league without refund.

3) Emergency Contact List: All team captains are advised to carry a list of emergency contact numbers for players on their team. In the event of an injury/emergency, these numbers can be utilized to notify the player's family in cases where medical treatment/attention is required. Captains are also advised to include a list of hospitals with emergency room service on this page. It will take the guesswork out of situations that are stressful and time sensitive.

4) First aid: First aid is the responsibility of the team captain. Ice packs, band aids, tensors and athletic tape are all things which can be used in the event of minor scrapes and bruises. If a FCSSC representative is on hand when there is an injury, we will be happy to assist in any way we can. We are not, however, responsible for providing tape for bad ankles, fingers etc. There may be a first-aid kit on-site at some venues, but please be prepared for all situations.

5) Scores: It is the team captain's responsibility to report the scores of each game (won, lost or tied) by 5pm the next day. Captains or co-captains must report the scores through our online report scores function found at www.fcssc.ca Scores not reported will be recorded as a loss. Spirit points account for 25% of the overall standings and the game results will account for 75%. To make this calculation, the raw number for spirit points must first be divided by 2.5 so that it is the same base number as your game points.

If a team defaults their game, they automatically lose their right to award spirit points to the team that they defaulted against - and the team that was defaulted upon automatically receives a "5" for their spirit score. Teams that are defaulted against can award the defaulting team any value that they want.

Teams that play by the rules, get to games on time and play with good sportsmanship will flourish!

6) Discrepancies: Discrepancies or arguments regarding scores, complaints or any other ambiguous item must be dealt with within 3 business days after the latest posting of the scores on our website for the week in question. During the final week of the regular season, any and all discrepancies must be resolved by 5pm the following day. Captains should ensure that the score of their game has been recorded correctly by checking the FC

FCSSC website. PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE OFFICE LOOKING FOR SCORES – sometimes scores are delayed in being reported, but they will always be posted as soon as they become available.

7) Standings: Wins are worth 2 points, ties are worth 1 and losses are worth 0. If a team defaults, they will lose one point. Ties in the standings will be broken first on head-to-head play. If there are more then 2 teams that are tied, all the teams must have played each other in order for the results to go to head-to-head. Otherwise, least points against, then +/-, then most points for will determine the placement in that order. Standings will be posted here at the web site.

8) Defaulting: Teams that default more than 2 games may be asked to leave the league without refund. If you know you may not be able to field a full team, please call the other captain in advance; you should attend with as many people as you can and play pick up...it is the fun and polite thing to do. Captains may agree to waive the rules regarding the minimum people but this should be decided before the game starts. The captain from the team that is short players should ask the other captain to see if the games can count (otherwise a default is assumed). IF IT IS AGREED THAT THE GAME COUNTS, IT COUNTS!

9) Dress: All players should bring both a dark & light coloured shirt to all games, and captains should decide who wears which colour. If teams have uniforms, this may not be necessary. Also, players should remove all watches, bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, etc, prior to play.

10) Alcohol: DRINKING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WHILE PLAYING IS FORBIDDEN! OFFENDERS WILL BE EJECTED FROM THE LEAGUE WITHOUT REFUND. No Exceptions.

11) Playoffs: FCSSC does our best to get as many teams playing in the playoffs as possible, however it is possible that NOT ALL teams will have a game during the final week of play. Players must check the schedule.

The following rules must be followed during playoffs:

FCSSC is first-and-foremost-for-fun. FCSSC reserves the right to remove from play-off action (and/or deny the title and trophy to) any team that scores less than 4 spirit points during a play-off game. FCSSC will not tolerate a win-at-all-costs approach to play-offs and will not reward with a league championship a team or players who do not respect the rules and spirit of FCSSC.
No Ringers! To play on playoff nights players must have played a min. of 2 regular season games (6-8 week season) or 3 games (9-16 week season) for that team. For volleyball and dodgeball, games = nights.
A player is only allowed to play for one team in each playoff round. Players cannot sub in for another team during the same round, most particularly in a championship game. Exception: a player may sub for another team in the same league during the same play-off round IF the game is not a championship game (ie, title on the line) and the team needing a sub will default the game without the substitute player (resulting in both teams been unable to play).

In the event that a play-off game cannot be played as scheduled due to inclement weather, facility closure or other reason beyond FCSSC's control the following course of action will be taken:

FCSSC will attempt to reschedule only the top 2 games (1vs4 and 2vs3). Other games will be played if facilities are available however the top 2 games will take priority if facility availability is limited.
If rescheduling is not possible because of lack of facility availability before the season end date the following will happen:
- If the missed game is a first-round (of play-offs) match-up the first round games will be cancelled and teams ranked 1 & 2 in the league standings will meet in the final round, championship game. Teams ranked 3 & 4 will play each other in the final round. All other match-ups will be played per FCSSC's usual play-off format.
- If the missed game is a final-round both teams that were playing in the championship game (vying for the league title) will be named co-champions. Both teams will receive a trophy and t-shirts.

12) Indoor Sports: Respect the facilities: put things back where you found them, take all of your items with you and put trash in provided receptacles.
Remember: you are in someone's work and/or learning environment. Please be out by the hour specified on your schedule. If you abuse this, game times will be made earlier and the league could lose its permits leaving you with NO REFUND and NO GAMES. This is in your hands. Enter and exit ONLY by the specified areas. Do not wander the facilities in areas other than the gyms. Showers are not provided.

13) Blood: Any player who begins to bleed during a game must leave the playing area immediately. This player cannot return to the game until the bleeding has stopped and the wound has been sufficiently covered.

14) Foul Weather Policy:
All FCSSC games go ahead rain or shine or snow, except in cases of severe weather. Decisions about game stoppage or cancellation are made AT THE GAME LOCATION, AT GAME TIME so always show up for your game as scheduled.
In the event of severe weather (thunderstorms, lightning, snowstorms, etc.) outdoor games should immediately be stopped and players should take cover away from open spaces. Wait 15 minutes; if the severe weather passes, continue play. If it does not and the game was in the first half, the game must be re-played. If it was in the 2nd half, then the score at that time of when the game is stopped will count as the final score. *If a game is re-played, the game will start with the score that was totaled at the time when the game was called. As well, the game length will be the amount of time that was remaining in the original game*.
In the rare instance that games must be cancelled because of facility closures that are caused by severe weather, FCSSC will do everything possible to reschedule the affected games within the season. If rescheduling is not possible because of lack of facility availability before the season end then the affected games will simply be removed from the schedule/standings.
See Play-offs (#15, above) for an explanation of how facility closures caused by weather will affect the Play-offs.

15) Metal Cleats: Metal cleats are not permitted in any FCSSC leagues.

16) Rescheduling: Cancellations/Change of Venues and/or Change of Time/Days may occur on Short Notice. Players are strongly encouraged to check the FCSSC website immediately before heading out to a game to be sure they have the most up-to-date game location/schedule information.
Every reasonable effort will be made to reschedule games that are missed during the regular season for reasons including but not limited to facility closure and game stoppage due to inclement weather. Rescheduled games are not guaranteed. See the Refund Policy (22) below for more information.

17) Contact Information: FCSSC members' contact information is provided to other team captains and individual registrants in their sport, in the event that players need to communicate regarding league issues. If players wish to have their contact information omitted from team listings, then FCSSC cannot be held responsible for lapsed information or missed games. Contact information may also be posted by FCSSC members themselves at the Player Forum. Groups or individuals who take or use this information for any other purpose than communicating about FCSSC league activity will be ejected without appeal or refund and prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law. FCSSC will not sell or distribute contact information to third parties.

Waivers

All players, new, returning or substitute, MUST sign the waiver before taking the field/court. Waivers must be signed each season. Waivers signed in previous season are null and do not apply to current season play.

Waivers are to be filled out online as part of the registration process, or printed and returned to FCSSC before players begin to play. Teams with players who have not signed the waivers will not be allowed to play until all players on the roster have signed the waiver.

Players who are found to be playing without having signed the waiver will be ejected from the game and/or the league, without refund.

Click here for a copy of the waiver that you can print, sign and deliver to an FCSSC Staff member at your game.

Spirit Points

Spirit Points are awarded on a scale from 0-5. When reporting scores, the captain must indicate the number of spirit points they would like to award to the other team. If a captain fails to call in the score, the other team will automatically receive a rating of 5. Spirit points account for 25% of the overall standings and the game results will account for 75%. (Please note that if you are trying to calculate your overall score, you cannot simply take 25% of your raw spirit point score - you must first divide your total spirit point score by 2.5 in order to be dealing with the same base number as your game points). Teams that play by the rules, get to games on time and play with good sportsmanship will flourish!

The Spirit Point decision is one that should be made amongst your teammates. As a team, you have the right to award any number of points from 0-5 for any reason. The guidelines set out below are meant to help you with this decision. If you decide to award a spirit score lower than 3.0, your spirit score must be accompanied with a valid reason.

If a team defaults their game, they automatically lose their right to award spirit points to the team that they defaulted against. The team that was defaulted upon automatically receives a "5" for their spirit score. Teams that are defaulted against can award the defaulting team any value that they want.

*Remember: teams should automatically be giving other teams a 5 for spirit points and then deducting marks for anything negative that occurred in the game*

Spirit Rating = 5

Our opponents were ready to start the game on time
All of our players really enjoyed playing against all of the opposing team's players because they made the game fun, cheered our team on as much as theirs and seemed to care as much about our team having fun as their own team having fun
Our opponents exhibited a great deal of sportsmanship and respect for player safety throughout the game
Our opponents knew the rules (or were totally open to learning them) and played by them, called their own fouls and were respectful in calling ours too
Overall, our game was extremely fun -- we wish all of our opponents were like this

Spirit Rating = 4

Our opponents were ready to start the game on time (or close to it!)
Most of our players enjoyed playing against all of the opposing team's players because they made the game fun, cheered our team on as much as theirs and seemed to care as much about our team having fun as their own team having fun
Our opponents exhibited good sportsmanship and respect for player safety throughout the game
Our opponents were fairly knowledgeable about the rules (or were fairly receptive to learning them) and played by them for the most part
Overall, our game was fun with only 1 or 2 minor incidents taking place

Spirit Rating = 3

Most of our opponents were ready to start the game on time
Some of our players enjoyed playing against some of the opposing team's players but thought a few players on their team did more to detract from the fun for all than to contribute to it
Our opponents could have been more sportsmanlike during the game (i.e. 1-2 players negatively affected our enjoyment of the game by running up the scoreboard, trash-talking, failing to call their own fouls, etc.)
Our opponents did not seem to know the rules but, were open to learning and sometimes made questionable calls
Overall, the game was okay, but there were a few things that made this team less fun to play against than other teams

Spirit Rating = 2

Some of our opponents were late for the game, so our game didn't start on time
Most of our players did not enjoy playing against most of the opposing team's players because they were unsportsmanlike, demonstrated a lack of regard for player safety and/or were too competitive (more interested in winning than having fun)
Our opponents exhibited a lack of sportsmanship throughout the game (i.e. 3 or more of their players negatively affected our enjoyment of the game by trash-talking, violating the rules and regularly making plays that could or did result in injury to players, and their teammates did nothing to try to stop it)
Our opponents did not seem to know the rules, were not receptive to learning them and/or criticized our team for calling legitimate rule violations
Overall, several discrepancies or opposing players made the game not much fun to play

Spirit Rating = 1

Most of our opponents were late for the game, so our game didn't start on time
None of our players enjoyed playing against the opposing team because they were unsportsmanlike, demonstrated a lack of regard for player safety and/or were way too competitive (more interested in winning than having fun)
Our opponents exhibited poor sportsmanship throughout the game (i.e. the majority of their players negatively affected our enjoyment of the game by trash-talking, violating the rules and regularly making plays that could or did result in injury to players, and their teammates promoted it or did nothing to try to stop it)
Our opponents showed little respect for the FCSSC staff member on-site
Our opponents did not know the rules, were not receptive to learning them and/or criticized our team for calling legitimate rule violations
Overall, this team was not fun at all to play against

Spirit Rating = 0

Our opponents were late, or did not have enough people to field a team and did not contact us before the game to let us know that they would default
None of our players enjoyed playing against the opposing team because they were unsportsmanlike, demonstrated a lack of regard for player safety, were way too competitive) and/or clearly did not care if our team was having fun as long as they were (win-at-all-costs-attitude and style of play)
Our opponents exhibited poor sportsmanship throughout the game (the whole team killed the fun factor for our team by making physical contact during the game, threatening, insulting or name calling our players, etc.)
We felt intimidated/scared for our players’ safety while on the court/field
Our opponents completely disrespected the FCSSC staff member on-site
Our opponents did not know and/or showed a complete disregard for FCSSC’s rules
Overall, this is one of the most unsportsmanlike teams that we have ever played against and would suggest that FCSSC consider removing them from the league

Refund/Registration Policy

All team & individual spots will only be held once FULL payment has been received.

Individual Registration: Full payment and complete information is required to be considered ‘registered’. If FCSSC is unable to place you on a team, you will receive a full refund. Every attempt will be made to place you on a team, however some conditions could result in a displacement of an individual registration (i.e. league policy for the appropriate female/male ratio).

Leagues/Weekly Activities/Tournaments/Social Events: Any team/individual requesting a refund up to, and including, the registration deadline will receive a full refund, with one exception. When SOLD OUT no refund will be issued to any team/individual, unless team/individual finds a replacement for themselves. Before the refund is granted the replacement team/individual must call the FCSSC office to provide payment.

Administrative fee of $35.00 + HST will be charged for NSF cheques.

All refund requests must be submitted by email (no phone calls please).

NO REFUNDS will be granted in the following situations:

Once a sport, tournament or social event has been sold out.
After the registration deadline date.
Player injuries, change in physical condition or changes in personal circumstance.
Teams or individuals suspended or ejected from FCSSC leagues due to any breach of FCSSC Policy.
Game cancellation due to facility closure.
For games that were defaulted, cancelled or rescheduled or any reason, including inclement weather.

*This refund policy is subject to change at any time.