Both the Sting (Open age) and the Rowdies (over 30) are using the evite system to confirm attendance for games. If you wish to join one of the teams, contact Doug Kister.
NOVA Coaches League rules and recommendations
Email from Steve Jarriel to all Coaches League managers. Please read, and be prepared to follow.
Managers: With the commencement of league-wide play on March 29, I'm writing to inform everyone on the rules and recommendations agreed upon by the team managers during the 2008 NOVA-CL Sportsmanship Summit.
As you'll see, we have some rules that will immediately go into effect; the others are recommendations that participants at the Summit believe will improve the sportsmanship in the league and overall enjoyment of the game experience at our matches.
Our referee assignors will be notified of the adoption of the following rules for all NOVA-CL games.
1. Any player receiving a yellow card for any reason shall be required to immediately leave the match and serve a 5-minute penalty on the sideline. The player is eligible to return to play after the penalty is served. Referees will notify the team captain and the player involved of the game time when the player can return. While the penalty is being served, teams with more than 11-players attending the match may substitute for the offending player and will not have to play a man-down. In cases when a team has only 11-players attending a match, the player must still serve the 5-minute penalty even though it may result in playing a man-down.
2. Any player receiving a red card for any reason shall serve a minimum of a one game suspension. The suspension will be served during the next match in which his team plays, not in the next scheduled match (which may be canceled due to rain or other conditions). The manager of the team involved shall provide the referee with the player's name for inclusion in any referee report that may be submitted to the league.
3. Managers are required to notify the league director of any red cards for player assault. Depending upon the circumstances and severity of the incident, the player involved will serve a minimum of a 3-game suspension with longer suspensions a possibility. The player involved must meet in-person with the league director prior to returning to NOVA-CL. If the player is involved in any other player assault at any time in the future, he will be permanently banned from NOVA-CL.
4. Managers are required to notify the league director of any red cards for referee assault. The league director will investigate all allegations of referee assault by reviewing referee reports, statements from managers of the teams involved and discussions with the player involved. If the allegation is proven true, the player involved shall serve a minimum suspension of 5-games and must meet with the league director prior to returning to NOVA-CL. Depending upon the severity of the assault, the league director shall have the discretion to ban the player involved from all NOVA-CL games. If the player is involved in any other assault at any time in the future, he will be permanently banned from NOVA-CL.
4. To avoid the appearance of bias, all teams in NOVA-CL shall be required to use independently assigned referees.
At the Sportsmanship Summit, the managers also agreed that teams themselves--and the managers who run them--must take a more active role in maintaining control over players and games, rather than relying solely on the referee. Toward that end, the following recommendations were agreed upon:
1. Each team will name one or two on-field captain(s) who will be the primary point of communication between the referee and players during the match. The captains will also assume a leadership role in maintaining his own team's composure and that of individual players. As permitted by the game situation and flow of play, the captain(s) will obtain referee's perspective on calls/decisions, and then convey them to his team. Conversely, if players have concerns about reckless play, or other questions about the match, the captain will convey them to the referee.
2. In addition to the coin toss by the referee, the captains will review common friction areas such as: 1) single-man referee limitations related to offside and how the referee will address them; 2) how the referee will interpret hand ball infractions; 3) the referee's expectations for calling out-of-bounds balls; 4) usage of underage players (Grey division only); and 5) the referee's tolerance for dissent. Captains will then convey this info to their players prior to the start of the match.
As you all know, by our own desire and decision, NOVA-CL functions with limited rules, oversight and management power to enforce them. These new rules and recommendations will only be effective if you sustain them in the months ahead. If you have inputs, comments, and/or criticisms, please reply to me and I'll assimilate and forward to the league managers. The eventual goal is to publish these rules and recommendations on the league website so managers, players and game officials have a uniform, clear understanding of NOVA-CL.
Toward that end, I thank you for your involvement!
Steve Jarriel
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Director, NOVA-CL Soccer
e: novachacoaches@yahoo.com
c: 703/244-0046