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MTFL By-Laws

Roster Policy |
Forfeit Policy |
League Disicipline |
Game Equipment |
Weather Policy |
Tie-Breaker Policy
The primary goal of the MTFL 'Roster Policy', is to:
- Assist in verifying the status of any registered player such as; age, eligibility, game attendance, active/inactive, probation or suspension, etc…
- Assist the Executive Committee in maintaining and growing the MTFL by providing insights on player availabilities and divisional (skill) level assignments.
Within the details below, the term 'Executive Committee' may imply the full complement of the Executive Committee and/or a portion of it designated to monitor, coordinate and discipline Team Roster issues.
TEAMS
The 'Roster Policy' will be used by the Executive Committee and supported by all Team Captains (and players) within the League. The policy will be enforced through the material defined, collected and maintained herein. Day-to-day execution of this policy will involve the Executive Committee as well as every Team Captain. Only players registered with the MTFL are insured under the League’s insurance policy provided for by League fees. Teams cannot exceed the maximum of 21 active registered players at any given time.
Team Captains are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of their team's roster as no player is permitted to play or be an active member for more than one MTFL team in any given season.
PLAYERS
To be officially registered, a player must be on the Team Roster's Game Sheet before the game in which he intends to play and must have completed and submitted a 'Player Registration & Waiver Form' that provides the League with each individual player's information such as address (city of residence), date of birth (proof of eligible age) and a signature (acceptance of release and waiver) to appear on the team's official roster (in full compliance with the League's 24-hr advance notice requirement for roster modifications). Players must be 18 years of age or older to register.
PRE-SEASON
Prior to the start of the first scheduled regular season game, the Team Captain is required to collect from each team member, a 'Player Registration & Waiver Form’. This form is distributed at the Annual General Meeting or it can be downloaded from the League web site. The Team Captain must forward a list of the names of the players on the Team Roster to the League via email or hard copy. This list at minimum must contain the name of each player appearing on the Team Roster, each player with complete game sheets that are in the Team Captain's possession. The Executive Committee generates a team list database and makes this information accessible to all Team Captains no later than the third week of the regular season.
REGULAR SEASON
At each game, the Team Captain will complete an ‘Official Game Sheet’ for record of participation and attendance. Entries on this sheet must be consistent with the list of players on the Team Roster. Team captains are permitted to make modifications to the Team Roster by adding or deleting players as needed throughout the regular season. The Team Captain will e-mail the League Registrar with his modifications and ensure that the new player(s) have been deemed eligible to participate in games. The Executive Committee may at any time review the Team Roster and Game Sheet data supplied by Team Captains for consistency and accuracy, as they see fit. This accuracy check will be limited to each player's name and eligibility status for playoff games.
PLAYOFFS
The Executive Committee will review the Team Rosters and Game Sheets for accuracy and consistency. The Executive Committee will support inquiries made towards a player's playoff eligibility, such as investigating all such inquiries against the records of all data submitted (to date/time of the request). The League may identify a player as ineligible for playoff activity and/or dismiss a player and a team from playoff action (that season). Such discipline measures will also address which teams are allowed to advance in or be declared the winner of any playoff game. Such discipline actions may also extend towards future seasons of play for the player(s) and/or team(s) implicated. The Executive Committee may publish player eligibility and/or ineligibility lists as it sees fit for the current season. Only players that have played (credited with game participation/attendance) in a minimum of three (3) regular season games of that same season are eligible to participate in playoff games.
Matters in which a game is prevented from starting or continuing due to actions or in-actions of one team and results in a ‘forfeit’, is cover in this section, the League's 'Forfeit Policy'.
INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
It is League policy that a minimum of 5 players be present at the scheduled game time for the game to commence. If at the scheduled start time, one team is unable to comply then that team is given a grace period of 18 minutes (equivalent of 1 quarter of play) to comply or the game will be considered to be a forfeit, which will result in a fine from the League (see fines). If the minimum of 5 players arrives within the defined grace period, then an abbreviated game (full game, less grace period expired) will be played and a delay of game penalty will be applied to the offending team.
GOAL POST PADS
It is League policy is that a game cannot start until acceptable goal post padding is properly affixed to the goal posts. If at the scheduled start time, one team is unable to comply, then that team is given a grace period of 18 minutes (equivalent of 1 quarter of play) to comply or the game will be considered to be a forfeit, which will result in a fine from the League (see fines). If the goal post pads arrive within the defined grace period, then an abbreviated game (full game, less grace period expired) will be played and a delay of game penalty will be applied to the offending team.
INCONCEIVABLE EVENTS
Unforeseen Circumstances and Acts of God - If a field becomes unavailable due to circumstances beyond our control such as a power outage and/or the situation in which it would be reasonable to expect the majority of players to not be in attendance, such as a natural disaster, city wide transit shutdown or any other major catastrophe, then in this instance both teams would be excused from a forfeit and the game will be rescheduled. (also see related, ‘weather policy’)
Team Related Circumstances - It is League policy that should one team cause a game to be sufficiently delayed or eventually cancelled due solely to its own actions the League may choose to declare the game a forfeit and the offending team will be fined. (see fines)
FINES
It is League policy that a team causing a forfeit is subject to a fine. The fine for a game forfeit is $200 and is deducted from performance bond submitted prior to the start of the season. This performance bond must be replaced, prior to playing in the next scheduled game for the offending team. The non-offending team involved in the game forfeit, will receive $100 as compensation. The League reserves the right to make adjustments in the fine amount should exceptional circumstances exist.
Players ejected from a game must clear the field of play immediately and not associate or interfere in any way with the players, referees or spectators for the remainder of the time allocated to that game. Failure to comply, that player and/or the team he plays for will be subject to even further discipline than that which is to be assigned for the ejection itself. Furthermore, an ejected player is placed on immediate suspension and is not permitted to play in any future MTFL games until notified by the league that they may do so.
GOAL POST PADS
All teams are required to supply goal post pads for each of their scheduled games. Failure to do so will result in a game forfeit. (also see related, ‘forfeit policy: goal post pads')
JEWELLERY
Players are not permitted to participate in games wearing any sort of jewellery. This includes, but is not limited to; bracelets, earrings, watches and necklaces. Game officials will assess teams a penalty where a player in violation of this until the jewellery has been removed. Earrings may be worn providing they are covered up with tape.
ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT
All athletic braces of a hard substance (example; knee or elbow braces) are required to be fully covered. Game officials will not allow players to participate in a game who are wearing an exposed (hard substance) brace. For example, neoprene sleeves, long sleeved sweaters and/or jogging pants should be used to resolve this issue.
The League's 'Weather Policy' relates to the playing the game where threats of severe weather surround the immediate playing area. The Executive Committee has designated the Head Official to be the final judge and gives him/her the authority to ensure that the following takes place:
- The field of play and the surrounding environment is to be considered safe with which to start and/or to continue the game.
- In the case where it is considered not safe to start the game at the scheduled time the Head Official will wait for a maximum of 18 minutes (equivalent of 1 quarter of play) from the scheduled start time before declaring the game cancelled due to weather. If within that wait period the weather clears to the extent that the game can begin, the game does so. A shortened game will after the delay is necessary to meet the scheduled completion time.
- In the case of a double header, if the first game is cancelled or delayed, the Head Official will still attempt to start the second game at the scheduled time. The Head Official will wait for a maximum of 18 minutes from the scheduled start of the second game before cancelling this game.
- In the case where weather causes the Head Official to suspend play, it is at the Head Officials sole discretion as to whether the game continues.
For a game to be considered official, the 3rd quarter must have started. A game that is suspended prior to the start of the 3rd quarter will not be considered official and will be replayed from the beginning on a make-up date to be re-scheduled by the League. A game, in which the 3rd quarter has begun, will be considered official and the score at that point will stand as the final score.
Note: an abbreiviated game is always preferable to a cancelled game.
The 'Tie-Breaker Policy' explains the steps taken for breaking ties in the regular season standings.
Two Teams
At the end of the regular season, if a tie exists between two teams in the division standings, the following steps will be used to break the tie:
- Winning Percentage - The team with the higher winning percentage, will be ranked higher.
- Wins - The team with the higher total number of wins, will be ranked higher.
- Wins, Head-to-Head - The team with the greater number of wins in head-to-head games, will be ranked higher.
- Points, Head-to-Head - The team with the greater point differential (points for, less points against) in games played head-to-head, will be ranked higher.
- Points, Division - The team with the greater point differential (points for, less points against) in games vs. all division opponents, will be ranked higher
- Coin-Toss - a coin toss will be use to decide who will be ranked higher
Three or More Teams
At the end of the regular season, if a tie exists between three or more teams in the division standings, the following steps will be used to break the tie (if two teams remain tied after the third or other teams have been eliminated during any step, revert back to step 1 of the two team format):
- Winning Percentage - The team with the higher winning percentage, will be ranked higher.
- Wins - The team with the higher total number of wins, will be ranked higher.
- Wins, Head-to-Head* - The team with the greater number of wins in head-to-head games, will be ranked higher.
- Points, Head-to-Head* - The team with the greater point differential (points for, less points against) in games played head-to-head, will be ranked higher.
- Points, Division - The team with the greater point differential (points for, less points against) in games vs. all division opponents, will be ranked higher
- Coin-Toss - a coin toss will be use to decide who will be ranked higher
* all tied teams must have played an equal number of games amongst all other tied teams for head-to-head steps to be used
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