All participants in the British Columbia Masters Soccer League (BCMSL) agree to exhibit fair play and honesty while respecting the Rules and Policies. Once the registration has been reviewed and accepted, all participants of the (BCMSL) are expected to behave in a respectful and appropriate manner while engaged in BCMSL activities. All participants agree to abide by all BCMSL Rules and Policies. All participants are encouraged to exercise respectful judgment regarding the safety of all members as well as others.

As a member of BCMSL you are expected to:

a) Have read the policies and rules and agree to compete/participate within the rules and policies

b) Play within the spirit of the league which is to have fun and be social in a sport setting

c) To participate for your own enjoyment and benefit

d) Treat all participants respectfully without discrimination

e) compete / participate in the spirit of fair play and honesty

f) Refrain from verbal and or physical abuse of game officials and other players

g) Refrain from deliberately distracting or provoking an opponent

h) Refrain from using profane, insulting, harassing or otherwise offensive language in the context of BCMSL activities

i)  Put the good of the game and your fellow participants safety and enjoyment above the desire to win at all cost

j)  Accolade with the opposing team members at the end of the game (Optional)

k) Act in a manner that will bring credit to yourself and to the league within and outside the competition area

BCMSL Standard of Conduct include but not limited to:

1. Aggressive Behavior:

a) No participants may promote or engage in physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion and or other negative conduct, which threatens or endanger the health and safety of any person

b) No participants may use aggressive words to harass the referees in or outside the field of play

c) Any participants disregarding the “NON-CONTACT” rule is considered to be behaving aggressively

2. Disorderly Conduct:

a) No participants may engage in disorderly conduct associated with the consumption of alcohol and or illegal substances while engaged in BCMSL activities

Any violation of the Standard of Conduct may result in penalties, suspension or loss of the league membership

No refund will be provided for loss of membership privileges due to the breach of the Code of Conduct

BCMSL ADMINISTRATION

BCMSL for fairness, shall be administered through a steering committee consisting of the President, the League Coordinator, the Scheduler, the Game Supervisor and 3 appointed members from the league registered teams.

The President / Owner of the league (K. Rahmati)

A.  Has the right to nominate/appoint/remove any member or members to the steering committee as needed

B.  Shall preside over all BCMSL meetings unless otherwise delegated

C.  Has the right to approve or veto any recommendation made by the steering committee

D.  Is solely responsible for all financial matters of BCMSL.

E.  Is the sole signing authority for BCMSL

F.  Is the representative of BCMSL, unless otherwise delegated

G. Is solely responsible for all external correspondence unless otherwise delegated

THE STEERING COMMITTEE

The steering committee’s role is to promote, expand and manage the BCMSL Vision, Code of Conduct and Rules & Policies

The Steering Committee shall:

a)   Consist of 7 members, the President, the League Coordinator, the League Scheduler, the League Game Supervisor (League Management) and 3 appointed volunteer Members from the league.

b)   Achieve consensus through a majority vote

c)   Alternate members of the steering committee shall be appointed by the President / Owner for the purpose of a quorum

The Disciplinary Committee

1. The Disciplinary Committee shall consist of three (3) members

2. The members shall be from the Registered Teams membership

3. The Disciplinary Committee shall review all Red Card Disciplines and the        referees' reports

4. The Disciplinary Committee shall apply (But Not Limited to) the Rules &          Policies of BCMSL

5. All Disciplinary Committee's recommendations are appealable provided            that the discipline is above the BCMSL minimum recommendation. 

BCMSL PLAYING SEASONS

BCMSL LEAGUE SEASONS

BCMSL will have two (2) Seasons’ Participation Yearly

A.     Winter Season League

B.     Summer Season League

BCMSL PARTICIPATION/REGISTRATION FEE

There is no Team Registration Fee Required for Team Registration 

BOND: Each Team is required to have a Bond deposit of $200 

A.    Team Bond Deposit Fee and outstanding balance must               be paid at time of Registration

B.  Team Bond Deposit Fee will be refunded (Minus any                  outstanding balance) if a team leaves the league prior to the      start of the season  

C.   Any Team Registration payment made after the deadline will   be assessed an additional fee of $50 for administrative           purposes

D.  If the team payment and outstanding balance (If any) as per   section A above has not been made before the registration deadline, the team registration will be cancelled

E. Any team leaving the league once the season is in progress    will not be refunded the league fee (If any)

F.  Any team leaving the league once the season is in progress     will not be refunded the assigned field rental fee unless a       replacement team is found or the league assuming the field     rental cost

TEAM COACH’S & MANAGER’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Coach / Manager shall:

A.     Be responsible of their team

B.     Make team members aware of the BCMSL Rules & Policies

C.    Prior to register a player ensure that the player is not   registered with another Team (Double Registered) 

D.  Exercise control of their players during a game in and outside the field of play

E.    Be the team representative when dealing with BCMSL representative on all matters

G.     Be responsible to enforce disciplinary action such as player’s suspension taken by BCMSL

H.     Be responsible for the team to have a set of COORDINATED UNIFORM (Minimum a set of Jersey, Shorts & Socks) with numbers

I.    Be responsible in ensuring that there are no uniform numbers duplication

J.    Ensure that the HOME team has a change of jerseys in case of colour clash with the away Team

K.     Ensure that the field of play is properly marked prior to a game (If a game is cancelled due to failure of having the field properly marked is considered as a Forfeited Game by the home Team) 

L.      Ensure that a linesperson is available at all time during the game and that the linesperson exchange side at halftime

M.     Be responsible for ensuring that all players are registered (may do so themselves)

N.     Be responsible for producing acceptable ID for their players upon request by the referee or the opposing team

O.   Be responsible to provide 2 copies of the BCMSL Official Printed Roster to the referee

P.    Be responsible to ensure that player’s whose name is not on the Team Roster is not available to play

Q.    Be responsible for providing the name of a player upon request by the referee

R.     Instruct their team players to complete the registration without misleading information 

Team Manager’s Complaint about a game officiating will only be considered in writing

NOTE: Any team found providing player’s misleading information during registration will automatically be fined a minimum of $100 per player, and BCMSL may consider further action

HEAD REFEREE’S & REFEREE’S POLICIES

The Head Referee:

a)   Shall be responsible for providing game officials with all               scheduled games

b)   Shall ensure that all referees are qualified to the satisfaction of the league

c)    Shall be responsible for ensuring that all referees abide by the BCMSL Referees’ Rules & Policies

 The Referee:

(The Referee’s Registration Fee (Not Applicable)

(The Referee’s Game Fee is set at $80 per game)

a)    Is individually responsible for their application and                     registration with BCMSL         

b)     Is solely responsible for the Registration Fee as above     (Not Applicable)

c)     Must ensure that the field is properly marked to his/her       satisfaction prior to the start of a game

d)    Is the sole controller of the game in the absence of       linespersons

e)   Must obtained a copy of the teams’ rosters prior to the game and have all attending players checked on the roster.

f)    Shall not proceed with a game when the Official BCMSL Team Roster is not available from any one team (Referee will be fully compensated)

g)   Shall not proceed with a game if any of the Team Roster as   been tampered with (Handwritten Name/s) except for the   uniform numbers (Referee will be fully Compensated)

h)  If a Game Official decide to proceed with a game not sanctioned by BCMSL in violation of Section  e), f) and g) above, the Game Official and the Teams will assume full responsibilities and liabilities of the field and any incident that may occur during the game. 

i)   Must ensure that all players in the field of play are wearing   protective game equipment

j)    Must ensure that all players in the field of play are free of jewelry (Exception Wedding Band)

k)   Must submit a Game Report via the website, copies of the teams rosters including the match result (Team Score/s & Scorer/s) including disciplinary cards within 24 hours

l)   Must complete an Incident Report via website in case of a red card arising from other than a professional foul such as inside or outside the field of play

m)    (At the referee’s discretion) will immediately stop a game in case of a player appears to be injured

n)   If a game become uncontrollable, at he discretion of the     referee, the game can be stopped at anytime

o)     Must be paid the full game fee if a game is started later than   15 minutes past the scheduled time, the referee is not   obligated to play the full 90 minutes (Referee’s Discretion)

p)     Will be paid half the game fee when attending a game where   both teams and the referee agree that the field is not   playable

q)    Will allow the maximum time of 15 minutes past the     scheduled time if either team is waiting for the minimum   number of players

Game Report Infractions:

First Infraction:

A referee’s failure to submit a game report as per Section (j) above will result in a warning

Second Infraction:

A referee’s repeated failure to submit a game report as per Section (j) above will result in the referee’s future game scheduling be reviewed by the league 

Game Cancellation Policy:

Any game that is cancelled within 48hrs of the kick off time the Scheduled Referee will be compensated by half the cost of a full game officiating.  

AGE PARTICIPATION & UNDERAGE PLAYER

All players must be in the age group of their Division. (Except for promoting team/s to a higher Division/s where the League will exercise their discretion). There are to be no exceptions to this rule except for the underage player prevision. 

UNDERAGE PLAYER

A.     All teams in all divisions are allowed to register a maximum of three (3) underage players per Team and all three (3) can be in the field of play simultaneously.

B.     The underage players must be born in the following year with no exception

1.      Over 40 the player must be 38 years of age or older 

2.      Over 50 the player must be 48 years of age or older 

3.      Over 55 the player must be 53 years of age or older 

4.      **Over 60 the player must be 58 years of age or older

5.      **Over 65 the player must be 63 years of age or older

**(The League will exercise their discretion for any Team moving up the age division when applying the underage policies. This practice will allow members of the Team to stay together. The number of players must have at least 50% of their underage players be of age in the next 12 months.

Underage Player Violation

Any team found playing an underage player will be assessed the following penalties:

A.      First Violation: The Team will be assessed a fine of $100 and a one (1) game suspension  

B.     Second Violation: The Team will be assessed a fine of        $200 and 2 games suspension  

C.     Third Violation: The Team will be assessed a fine of $300  and three (3) games suspension

D.     Any further violation of the above Rules & Policies will result in the indefinite suspension of the team from the league

The Team will also be assessed the following:

1.   The Team will be assessed a lost and three (3) goals against      

The opponent will be awarded the following:

A.      A win with Three (3) Points

B.      Three (3) Goals for

All Players must be registered to participate in the BCMSL League

Players must:

1.      Register before being able to play

2.      Register on one (1) team only

3.      Complete fully and accurately the registration form

4.      Upload a recent picture (passport style)

Registration Violations

First Infraction

Any Player not complying with the Registration Rules & Policies  will be suspended for a minimum of one (1) game and fined $50. Fine must be paid before the player is re-instated.

Second Infraction

Any Player repeated non-compliance with the with the Registration Rules & Policies Policies will be banned from the league. 

The following will be assessed to the team:

First Infraction:

The Team will be assessed a fine of $100 and a one (1) game suspension

Second Infraction: 

The Team will be assessed a fine of $200 and two (2) games suspension

Third Infraction:

The Team will be assessed a fine of $300 and three (3) games suspension

Any further infraction of the above Rules & Policies will result in the Team disqualification from the League

The opponent will be awarded the following:

A.   The opponent will be declared the winner regardless of the result

B. The team will be assessed three (3) goals against (The opponent will receive three (3) goals for the win)

TEAM ROSTER, SUBSTITUTION & CALL UP POLICIES 

The following Rules & Policies will apply:

1. The Team Official Game Roster from both teams must be presented to the game Official prior to the start of the game

2. Any Team who provides a Non-Official Team Game Roster will be assessed a game suspension

3. Any Team who provides a Non-Official Team Game Roster will be assessed a lost in case of a win and the opponent will be awarded a one (1) goal win for the game 
4. The Official Team Game  Roster is valid only if it is printed from the BCMSL website (2 copies)
5. The Official Team Game Roster must be signed by the team official

6. No handwritten name of player/s can be added on any Official Team Game Roster

7. Handwritten of Players Uniform Numbers are permitted

Team Roster Violations

A.   The Team Official Game Roster from both teams must be presented to the game official prior to the start of the game

B.   No Official Team Game Roster from any team, the game is automatically cancelled

C.  Any Team who failed to abide by Section A and B, resulting in the cancellation of the game will be assessed the Referee’s fee and the Field rental fee (If Applicable)

D.  No cancelled game will be re-scheduled

E.   Any Team offense resulting in the cancellation of a game will be assessed a loss and the opponent will be awarded a 1-0 win

F. If the Teams and the game official decide to proceed with the game not sanctioned by BCMSL in violation of sections 1., 2., 3., and 4. above, the Home Team and the Game Official will assume full responsibilities and liabilities of the field and any incident that may occur during the game.

 If the violation of the above Section is repeated the team will be assessed a one (1) game suspension and be fined $50

Player Substitution 

A.   Substitutions are allowed at anytime on a dead ball situation as per FIFA rules

B.    Over 40’s, 50’s, and 55’s substitution is not allowed when a player is ejected for a Red Card

C.    Over 60’s and 65’s Substitution is allowed when a player is ejected from the game for a justified foul or misconduct

D.   Fair Play - 60’s and 65’s when players from both teams are ejected from a game for a Red Card infraction and one of the teams does not have a substitute for the team complement, the game must carry on with an equal number of players from both teams. 

Team Complement (Guest Player/s Call Up), and Club  Rules & Policies 

Club Concept Definition:

All Teams belonging to an organization or association in multiple divisions

Call UP

1. (Not Applicable this Summer) There is a transfer fee for all inter Clubs/Teams Call Ups

2. There is no transfer fee within a club organization 

3. There is a maximum of 3 players per team Call Up

BCMSL CALL UP System is designed to assist Team who does not have a complement of players, not to strengthen the competitiveness  

Team without a full complement of players (11 plus a sub (12)) may CALL UP player/s from other teams as per the following conditions: 

a)   A Team can only CALL UP player/s from the same division or higher or if the player/s are of the division age. 

b)   A Team can not CALL UP any underage player/s from the same division

c)   A Team with only 9 players can CALL UP a maximum of three (3) players for a total of 12 players

d)   A Team with only 10 players can CALL UP a maximum of two (2) players for a total of 12 players

e)   A Team with only 11 players can CALL UP a maximum of one (1) player for a total of 12 players

f)  In the name of Health & Fitness, if player/s CALL UP was not implemented and the teams agreed to exchange players in the field of play for team complement as long as the player'/s name appear on any of the roster. (The game result is void) 

Section c, d, & e above are not applicable for the Teams within the "Club" designation.

GAME RULES

BCMSL endorse the F.I.F.A. rules except for the following amendments:

Player’s Registration

A Player can only be registered for one (1) Team during one Season 

Player’s Personal Attire 

A.      All players in the field of play must wear game safety gears

B.      All players in the field of play must remove all jewellery 

Sliding and Tackling

A.      No Slide Tackling is permitted

B.      Sliding is permitted by a Goalkeeper for a save

C.      Sliding is permitted by a player to save a ball without an opponent contest

Injury

A.      (At the referee’s discretion), the referee will immediately stop a game if a player appears to be injured

B.      The referee will immediately stop a game if a player appears to be critically injured and outside assistance is required

GAME CANCELLATION POLICIES

There will be no game cancellation except for the following:

A.     Field closure as per the Parks & Recreations and School   Boards

B.    Field is not playable as per both teams’ and the referee’s assessments

C.   Field is not properly marked to the satisfaction of the official and the away team (Game Forfeit)

D.   If any cancellation is required by a team due to Special Circumstances, the Cancel Game Form must be completed  48hrs prior to the game. All other cancellations, except as in A, B, or C, must be completed 48hrs prior to the game using the Cancel Game Form

 E. In case of a field inspection is required before a game, the inspection must be carried out 24hrs prior to the game unless both parties agreed to have the inspection the day of the game. 

  (Not having a team complement is not considered a Special Circumstance) 

Game Cancellation Team Discipline: 

The Cancel Game Form must be completed

In case of a field inspection is required before a game Section E above is applicable

First Infraction:

A.   The Home Team cancelling the game without proper time notice of a minimum of  48 hours in advance will be assessed  half of the referee's fee 

Second Infraction:

B.  Section A and the following will apply: The team cancelling the game will be assessed a lost. The opponent will be declared the winner. The team cancelling the game will be assessed three (3) goals against and the opponent will receive three (3) goals for the win)

Third Infraction:

C. The team will be suspended from the league

Forfeited / Cancelled Game: (The 48 hours minimum notice is applicable)

***Referee's compensation

1. Should a game be cancelled prior to the 48hrs notice there will not be any        Referee's Compensation

2. Should a game be cancelled within the 48hrs notice, the Scheduled Referee  will be Compensated by half the cost of the game

3. Should a game be cancelled and no notification forwarded and the referee attended the game, the Scheduled Referee will be Compensated by the full cost of the game  

The Cancellation Form must be completed

First Infraction:

A.   The AWAY team forfeited the game will be assessed the field and half the  referee’s fee (should the Game Official attend the game) and the following: The opponent will be declared the winner by a three (3) goals margin.   

B.   The HOME team forfeited the game will be assessed the full referee’s fee and the following (should the Game Official attend the game) and the following: The opponent will be declared the winner by a three (3) goals margin.

Second Infraction:

A.   The AWAY team forfeited the game will be assessed the field and full referee’s fee (should the Game Official attend the game) and the following: The opponent will be declared the winner by a three (3) goals margin and the team will be assessed a $100 Penalty. The Penalty Payment must be completed within 24hrs of receiving the notice of penalty. 

B.  The HOME team forfeited the game will be assessed the full referee’s fee (should the Game Official attend the game) and the following: The opponent will be declared the winner by a three (3) goals margin and the team will be assessed a $100 Penalty. The Penalty Payment must be completed within 24hrs of receiving the notice of penalty. 

Third Infraction:      

A. The AWAY team forfeited the game will be suspended from the league

B. The HOME team forfeited the game will be suspended from the league

     FOR A TEAM TO BE RE-INSTATED ALL OUTSTANDING PENALTIES (If Any) MUST BE SETTLED (Certain Conditions May Apply)

DISCIPLINARY RULES, POLICIES & PROCEDURES

The President / Owner shall appoint / volunteer, three (3) or more members from the league to the disciplinary committee. 

All disciplinary actions shall be reviewed by the Disciplinary Committee 

Disciplinary Committee Duties 

1.     The disciplinary committee shall:

a)     Consist of no less than 3 members

b)      appoint one of their members as a secretary for the purpose of correspondence 

c)      review all disciplinary reports within 7 days of reception of all documents submitted

d)      review all disciplinary appeals within 7 days of reception of all documents submitted

e)      apply any sanction or dismissal once the review has been completed

f)        after review, shall forward their final assessment to the individual or parties involved in writing within the time limit

2.      Each disciplinary matter will be reviewed by the disciplinary committee in conjunction with the Head Referee

(The Head Referees  is included to advise the committee but does not have a vote in the adjudication)

3.      A disciplinary committee member must recluse himself/herself from any disciplinary review if the player in question is a member on the committee member’s team or club and/or if the incident occurred in a game including the committee member’s team

4.      Final assessments of the Disciplinary Committee are not appealable

DISCIPLINARY CARD ISSUANCE 

Yellow Cards 

A.     All yellow cards are recorded

B.     Accumulation of three (3) yellow cards in a season will command a minimum of one (1) game suspension (The Next Game), after the third (3) yellow card is issued

C.    Two (2) yellow cards in a game command a red card and a minimum of a one game suspension. 

D.    Slide Tackling (At the referee’s discretion) will command at a minimum a Yellow Card 

E.   A minimum of a Yellow Card (At the referee’s discretion) will be issued for  the following infractions

a)   Tendency to rough play

b)   Persistent verbal, harassment of opponents or fellow team member

c)   Verbal abuse or indecent gesture towards the referee will command at a minimum a Yellow Card

d)  Charging of the Goalkeeper

e)   Managers / Assistant Managers / players using persistent verbal abuse and or indecent gesture towards the referee will command at a minimum a Yellow Card

f)       Over 60’s & 65’s: A Yellow Card (At the referee’s discretion) will be issued for a cooling off period of 10 minutes for any offence of Section E above

Red Card

A.       All Red Cards are recorded

B.       A player receiving a red card is automatically suspended for the next game unless cleared by the disciplinary Committee

C.      A player receiving two (2) Red Cards in a season will automatically be suspended for 2 games after the second red card is issued unless cleared by the Disciplinary Committee

D.      A player who has been ejected from the game with a Red Card for receiving 2 yellow cards and outside the field of play proceed to harass and insult the referee will be assessed an additional  two (2) games suspension. (Three (3) games Suspension) 

E.       A second (2) red card will be issued to a player who has been ejected from the game with repeated persistent criticism and disputing of referee’s calls in a season will be assessed a four (4) games suspension

F.       A third (3) red card will be issued to a player who has been ejected from the game with repeated persistent criticism and disputing of referee’s calls in a season will be assessed an indefinite suspension

G.      A player receiving three (3) Red Cards in a season will automatically be suspended indefinitely after the third red card is issued unless cleared by the Disciplinary Committee

H.      A red card is issued for any physical altercation including but not limited to kicking, punching, fighting, elbowing, head-butting, grappling, persistent infringement, abusive and discriminatory  language toward a game official or inciting fighting with a Minimum of three (3) games suspension

I.  A red card is issued for any Professional Foul such as preventing a scoring opportunity with a Minimum of One (1) game suspension

A Red Card is issued for but not limited to:

a)  Intentional tripping of an opponent with a Minimum of one (1) game suspension 

b) Persistent harassments, abusive language, improper gestures and treats towards game or BCMSL officials with a Minimum of three (3) games suspension

c)   Kicking an opponent or teammate with intent to injure with a Minimum of five (5) games suspension

d)   Punching an opponent or teammate with intent to injure with a Minimum of five (5) games suspension

e)  Headbutting an opponent or teammate with intent to injure with a Minimum of five (5) games suspension

f)   Elbowing an opponent or teammate with intent to injure with a Minimum of five (5) games suspension

g)   Tackling (foul play) an opponent with intent to injure with a Minimum of three (3) games suspension

h)   Spitting on an opponent or teammate with a Minimum of five (5) games suspension

i)  Fighting or participating in a fight with an opponent or teammate with a Minimum of five (5) games suspension 

PARKS & RECREATIONS and SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES

BCMSL endorses the Parks & School Boards policies such as:

A.     Field Closure (No Game or Practice)

B.     “Zero Alcohol Tolerance”

C.    Use of foul Language

D.    Indiscrete Urinating

E.    Neighbourhood Littering

F.     Use of illegal Substances

If the use of a Parks / School Boards field is withdrawn due to the violation of the Parks / School Boards Policies, the team/s responsible for the violation will be suspended. 

All Incident Reports: (Beside Professional Foul in the filed of play)

a)     must be completed individually by the referee / both teams

b)     must be completed and submitted to the Disciplinary Committee within 48 hours after the game.

In the event you witness or experience threatening or inappropriate behavior by any individual, please

report the incident immediately to the team manager or the league so that appropriate action can be taken.