colonial coast rugby conference handbook

7/28/2019 Colonial Coast Rugby Conference Handbook

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Colonial Coast Rugby Conference

CCRC Handbook

Last Edited: 3/10/13

Section 1 INTRODUCTIONSection 2 CODE OF CONDUCTSection 3 THE BENEFITS OF CCRC MEMBERSHIPSection 4 MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTSSection 5 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION PROCESSSection 6 PLAYER'S DRESS GUIDELINESSection 7 MEDICAL GUIDELINESSection 8 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE & REGULATED SUBSTANCE POLICIESSection 9 MATCH PLAY GUIDELINESSection 10 REFEREE NOTIFICATION AND COVERAGE PROCEDURESSection 11 LEAGUE PLAY REQUIREMENTSSection 12 TOURNAMENT RULES, REGULATIONS & REQUIREMENTSSection 13 DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE GUIDELINES


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Section 1 INTRODUCTIONThe purpose of this handbook is to provide the most up to date information on how the Conference

operates and provide the rules, regulations and performance standards required of all member clubs and players.All members of CCRC agree to abide by the regulations and rules set forth in this handbook.

Section 2 CODE OF CONDUCTThe CCRC expects all of its teams and their members to abide by the following code of conduct:

Rugby players and team officials are representatives of not only themselves, but also their Club, The

Colonial Coast Rugby Conference, and USA Rugby. Each Rugby Player, Coach, Referee, and Team Official is

expected to conduct themselves, both on and off the pitch in a dignified and respectful manner. Rugby players and

team officials shall not exhibit, nor tolerate actions or behavior that would adversely affect the image of

themselves, their Club, the CCRC, or the game of rugby. Such offenses shall be met with swift discipline by the

CCRC Disciplinary Committee.

Section 3 THE BENEFITS OF CCRC MEMBERSHIPSome of the benefits of membership in the CCRC include:

Access to and participation in coaching, playing, and refereeing clinics

A vote in the CCRC Annual General Meeting

Eventual access to the CCRC pool of referees

Participation in NSCRO or USA Rugby Championship and League play

Ability to have Club representation on the Board of Directors as delegates or officers

Disciplinary support from the CCRC Disciplinary Committee and USAR

Access to incoming touring teams

Eligibility to host tournaments, as approved by the CCRC

Eligibility to bid on and host CCRC, NSCRO or USA Rugby events


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Eligibility to tour outside of the CCRC area

Section 4 MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTSThe membership of The Conference shall be limited to rugby teams in good standing with their respective

college or university.

To be a member in good standing with CCRC, every club must be compliant with the following items.

Union Dues: All member clubs must pay all CCRC dues as billed by the CCRC Treasurer. Clubs that havenot paid their dues will not be afforded CCRC membership rights until all dues are current, as certified bythe CCRC Treasurer. The financial year will run from July 1st to June 30th. The penalty for failing to makepayment on time or an arrangement satisfying the CCRC Treasurer will result in an additional fee of noless than $100

CIPP Registration: All member clubs, players, and coaches must be USA RugbyCIPP registered prior toparticipating in any rugby match or competition. Clubs, players and coaches not CIPP compliant will bepenalized per a decision made by the Disciplinary Committee.

Contact Information: Clubs are solely responsible for actively maintaining the contact information of theirclub and officers via their clubs page on ColonialCoastRugby.com. The Conference will consider the

information in hand to be current at all times and cannot be responsible for any issues resulting fromincorrect or outdated contact information.

Resignation of Membership: A team may resign from The Conference with or without cause by submittinga written or electronic notice to the Conference Commissioner at least 1 year prior to the resignation takingaffect. Midseason resignations will not be accepted. The resigning team shall remain liable for anypending financial obligations to The Conference and its members.

Section 5 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION PROCESSAny team seeking to join The Conference shall submit a request to The Board. Members shall be admitted basedon a twothirds vote from The Board.


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Section 6 PLAYER'S DRESS GUIDELINESUniforms that do not meet the minimum standards outlined here are a potential safety issue for players and

portray a less than favorable image of the Game. CCRC abides by the standards set by the International RugbyBoard for padding and other equipment. If any equipment or padding does not include an IRB Approval tag, theReferee will mandate its removal. For a complete outline of the International Rugby Board (IRB) Guidelines andfor regulations regarding equipment and padding visit their website: www.IRB.com

Kits must match and be clean with no tears in shirts, shorts, and socks. Short or cut sleeves must be

hemmed and must at least cover the players biceps. No clothing may show below Rugby shorts (no boxershorts); except for spandex shorts. If worn, the color of the spandex shorts must completely match the Rugbyshorts. Numbers on jerseys (for the correct positions) are mandatory.

In the event of a lack of contrast of color jerseys, the home team is responsible for providing alternatewear to the satisfaction of the referee. The match is liable to cancellation, at the referees discretion, if contrastof jerseys is unacceptable to the referee.

Clubs cannot have any reference to alcohol or tobacco related products or companies displayed on any partof their kit.

Section 7 MEDICAL GUIDELINESTeams hosting games (1st Team, JV, etc), scrimmages, tournaments, or any rugby activity involving contact

and players from another team are required to provide the following;

On-site Medical Coverage Teams must have at least one of the following for each field in use;

A. Medical Doctor (MD)

B. Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC)

C. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

The person(s) designated in this role should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time ofthe event, and should introduce themselves to the visiting team and referee upon arrival. Medical staff must have amed kit or medical equipment necessary to treat injured players, and must serve exclusively in this role for theduration of the event. Medical staff cannot be involved in the game in any other role, such as a coach, assistantcoach, or player.


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Section 7 MEDICAL GUIDELINES (Continued)Designated Emergency Services Contact Person: The designated person will be responsible for contacting911, as well as campus safety. In most cases the medical staff will serve in this role.

Printed Hospital Directions & Phone Number :Multiple copies should be available for any hospital that aplayer may be transported to in the event the visiting team or a players family member requests them.

Communication: The above information must be part of the advanced pre-game communication, and shouldalso be posted on the team website.

Contingency: If, to no fault of the home team, the scheduled medical staff arrives late or not at all, thegame may be played with a Campus Safety Officer present at the field.

Visiting Team Medical Staff: Visiting teams are permitted to bring their own medical staff to away games.If this occurs, it should be part of the advanced pre-game communication. In this case, the visiting teammedical staff has authority over their players in terms of treatment and whether a player must come out ofthe game. Regardless of which team is responsible for providing medical care for their players, the Refereestill maintains authority under IRB Law 3.9.

Section 8 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE & REGULATED SUBSTANCE POLICIESCCRC WILL RECOGNIZE AND ADHERE TO USA RUGBY GUIDELINES AND ANY AND ALL

APPLICABLE LOCAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS.

The serving, selling or consumption of alcoholic beverages is forbidden at or during any rugby match orconference event. Campus policy on alcoholic beverages must be adhered to strictly.

It is the ultimate responsibility of colleges and local officials to ensure that their own regulations and lawsare enforced.

Disciplinary action will be utilized to censure clubs, event hosts, and others who fail to take the necessaryaction to enforce these regulations.

Web site policy: All CCRC member sites come under the Code of Conduct and Alcohol & Tobacco policyClubs cannot have any reference in either words or pictures to alcohol or tobacco on their web site or other webpresence which could be construed as an official team representation (this includes team blogs, facebook pages, ortwitter accounts).


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Section 9 MATCH PLAY GUIDELINESMatches must be played on adequately sized and properly lined fields (See IRB field specs in the

reference section on the USA Rugby field specification located on their website). While not recommended,matches are permitted to be played on a field no smaller than a High School football field (120 x 53.3 yards) anduse football goal posts or posts attached to a soccer goal if no other options are available.

CCRC teams may not play any team not recognized by USA Rugby, or IRB.

All players, coaches, and referees who participate in any match must be CIPP registered with USA Rugby.

CCRC enforces all the laws and rules of the game as stipulated by the IRB and by USA Rugby unlessotherwise stipulated in this handbook.

Section 10 REFEREE NOTIFICATION AND COVERAGE PROCEDURESAll home Clubs are required to confirm their respective home schedule no later than March 1 for the

spring, and July 31 for the fall. Games in March and August should be submitted at least two weeks in advance.

It is the home clubs responsibility to secure a referee. If the home club is unable to secure a refereethrough NERRS or the CCRC, then the following process should be followed to identify a referee to cover thematch no later than the 72 hours prior to the match:

The home team shall look for an individual, not from their own club, in their area that can act as a refereeand notify the visiting team.

If the home team cannot locate a person, then the visiting team shall be provided the opportunity toprovide a referee.

If the visiting team cannot, or does not provide a referee, then the home team shall have the option ofhaving their coach or another club person referee the match


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Section 10 REFEREE NOTIFICATION AND COVERAGE PROCEDURES (Continued)Once an assignment is received, these instructions must be followed:

It is your responsibility to contact the referee at least four days prior to the match to confirm match details.Please provide the following information to the referee:

Confirm home and visiting team;

Colors for each team;

Start time;

Directions to venue;

Location of referee changing room, if available; and

Emergency contact information cell phone.

Please be sure the pitch is properly prepared:

Correctly lined;

Goalposts padded; and

Sideline ropes in place on both sides, from goal-line to goal-line.

If the match is cancelled it is your responsibility to contact the referee and the referee assigner immediatelyDo not simply send an e-mail or leave a voice mail, please confirm that the cancellation message has beenreceived.

Assume the referee is assigned to do one match only. If you would like to ask the referee to do a secondmatch, please do so in advance. If the referee agrees, please notify the assigner so it can be made an officialassignment.


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Section 11 LEAGUE PLAY REQUIREMENTSMATCH SCHEDULES AND PROCESS

CCRC's competitive league season runs from September through November.

Conference schedules are developed and maintained by the Competition Director.

Specific schedule requests by Conference members are must be submitted to the Competition Director byMarch 1st.

Competitive league schedules are provided to the Board of Directors for comment and revision suggestionsby April 1st

Competitive league schedules are finalized and distributed by April 15th.

All games will start at their scheduled day and time unless both teams and the Competition Director agreeon a change.

Home teams have the option to change a scheduled league match to a different location subject toCompetition Director approval and notification to the visiting team and match official.

MATCH PROTEST PROCEDUREThe Team Captain must advise the Referee BEFORE KICKOFF that their team wishes to register a protestand give the reason. The Team Captain must also notify the opposing Team Captain that the game is goingto be played "under protest" and for what reason.

The Referee should give the offending team a reasonable amount of time to correct the circumstances ofthe protest. If the circumstances are not corrected, the protesting team MUST notify the CompetitionDirector via email within 72 hours with the circumstances of the protest. The Competition Director willreview the protest and the teams involved will be notified of the decision.

CANCELLATIONSTeams may cancel or postpone league fixtures, subject to Competition Director review. If a league fixtureis cancelled, it must be re-scheduled and played in that league season in order to count for leaguecompetition.

Should a team cancel or postpone a league fixture and the match cannot be made up, the CompetitionDirector shall be responsible for reviewing the reasons for cancellation and determining the outcome, whichmay result in one team forfeiting the match.


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Section 11 LEAGUE PLAY REQUIREMENTS (Continued)STANDINGS

Based on Win-Loss-Tie Record

TIE-BREAKERS2-Way

Wins

Head-to-Head

Net Points vs. highest ranked common opponent

Net Points vs. next highest ranked common opponent and so on

3-Way or More

If a team is eliminated when applying these tie-breaker rules, start back at the beginning using the

appropriate tie-breaker rule for the remaining tied teams (2-way or 3-way or more).

Wins

W-L-T record vs. other tied teams

Total Net Points in games involving only the tied teams

Net Points vs. highest ranked common opponent

Net Points vs. next highest ranked common opponent and so on

There is no overtime in league play. Ties are entered into the standings and each team is awardedappropriate points. Overtime during playoff matches is played with two 10-minute periods (not sudden death),switching ends in between each period. If still tied after the conclusion of overtime, one 5-minute sudden deathperiod will be played. If still tied after the 5-minute sudden death, then one kicker is nominated from each teamand they alternate kicks at goal until someone prevails. Best of three starting at center location (22m) (if still tied,move to left 15m hatch for three, then to right 15m mark for three). If still tied, repeat from center at a 10mgreater distance, etc. If no kicks are scored from a position, then the best of three is repeated from the sameposition. A coin toss is conducted prior to the first overtime period and the first sudden death period.


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Forfeits will be recorded as a 7-0 score unless the match was played and a more beneficial outcomeoccurred for the team awarded the win by forfeit.

Section 11 LEAGUE PLAY REQUIREMENTS (Continued)MATCH LENGTH

All league matches must play forty-minute halves. Teams are not permitted to play more than one leaguematch in a day or more than two games in a weekend.

REPORTINGGame Scores must be entered by the Home team, no later than 30 hours after the start of the game

e.g. for a 1:00pm kick-off, scores must be reported no later than 7:00pm the next day.

CONTINGENCIESThe CCRC Board of Directors reserve the right to add new teams and to adjust these regulations, as it maybecome necessary.

ROSTERS

Members from the Board may request team rosters at any time.

All players must have a photo ID.

Players must provide a valid school ID

Any club which fields players that are not CIPP registered (at any time during the season) will be renderedineligible for playoff competition.

ELIGIBILITYCCRC adheres to all USA Rugby eligibility rules for matches and competitions that lead to a USARugbyChampionship.

CCRC adheres to all NSCRO eligibility rules for matches and competitions that lead to a NSCROChampionship.


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Section 12 TOURNAMENT RULES, REGULATIONS & REQUIREMENTSTOURNAMENT GUIDELINES

The Tournament Committee of the Colonial Coast Rugby shall have the responsibility for sanctioning alltournaments held within the jurisdiction of the Conference. A "tournament" shall include all festivals, invitationalsand competitions where four (4) or more teams participate.Colleges desiring to host a tournament must file a Tournament Approval Form Colonial Coast Rugby CompetitionsDirector must be submitted 60 days prior to the tournament . Any application submitted within 2 weeks of atournament will not be accepted. All financial obligations to the Colonial Coast Rugby must be current and hosts

MUST be fully enrolled in the current USA Rugby CIPP Program.

All tournaments must carry liability insurance coverage. ALL players and reserves must carry at least $100,000medical coverage and clubs must have liability coverage for a minimum of$1,000,000. A healthcare professional,approved by the Colonial Coast Rugby Medical Chair, must be present for the duration of the tournament. Allplayers must be enrolled in CIPP prior to the start of the tournament. Tournament host is responsible for checkingthe USA Rugby CIPP database and not allowing anyone to play who is not CIPP enrolled.

The Colonial Coast Rugby Tournament Chairman, after sanctioning a tournament, will contact the Referees Societyregarding the number of referees requested. The Referees Society will appoint a Head Referee for the tournament.The Head Referee and the Collegiate Tournament Coordinator will decide on which option to choose for schedulingreferees (see Tournament Responsibilities for those options). Clubs cannot invite outside referees without contactingthe Colonial Coast Rugby Conference first.

Host clubs must arrange (at least 3 weeks prior to the tournament) for a representative of the Colonial CoastRugby/local referee society to tour the facility. As a result of the inspection, the Colonial Coast Rugby willdetermine if the tournament will be sanctioned. Sanctions given ahead of time will be "conditional" and depend uponapproval of the field. The Colonial Coast Rugby Tournament Chairman will notify the host team, in writing, as tothe acceptance or denial of sanctioning for the tournament.

The Disciplinary Committee shall have the additional responsibility for taking appropriate action against individualsand/or teams that:Do not honor tournament commitmentsAct in any manner which is detrimental to the tournament or the spirit of rugbyAttempt to play any ineligible players

Note:Any player sent off the field during a tournament is ineligible to play for the rest of the tournament.

On receiving acceptance from a team outside the Colonial Coast Rugby jurisdiction, the Collegiate TournamentDirector/Committee MUST notify the Colonial Coast Rugby Tournament Chairman promptly. The Colonial CoastRugby Tournament Chairman will then contact the conference of the outside team to determine if any disciplinereports have been filed against the team or any of its members. He will also determine if the team is "in goodstanding" within that Conference. If discipline reports have been filed or the team is not in good standing, theColonial Coast Rugby Disciplinary Committee will make an appropriate recommendation to the CollegiateTournament Director or Committee.

The Colonial Coast Rugby Tournament Director may refuse to sanction a tournament for failure to follow theDisciplinary Committee's recommendation. It is the responsibility of the Collegiate Tournament Director orCommittee to invite only members in good standing from any Conference. There will be NO recourse through theConference should a team allow non-members to participate in their tournament and an incident, or incidents, occurthat would normally warrant disciplinary action.


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Section 12 TOURNAMENT RULES, REGULATIONS & REQUIREMENTS (Continued)The list of participating teams in the tournament MUST be sent to the Colonial Coast Rugby Tournament Chairmanand the local referee's society Match Secretary NO LATER THANTWO WEEKS BEFORE THE TOURNAMENT.It is recommended that teams try to schedule tournaments early in the playing season, or out of season, in order tosecure referees.Any scheduling conflicts will be decided by the Colonial Coast Rugby Tournament Commissioner.Teams holding and/or attending any unsanctioned tournaments will be subject to disciplinary action and fines.

TOURNAMENT RESPONSIBILITYThe New England Rugby Referees Society will coordinate the supply and arrangements for referees for all ColonialCoast Rugby-sanctioned tournaments provided that the following policies are adhered to by the host Colonial CoastRugby Conference:

1.The local society referee Match Secretary will provide your Referee Coordinator (please appoint one) aTournament Appointment List assigning a Head Referee along with other referees as availability allows. Closecontact with the Head Referee shall be maintained regarding all referee business during the final weeks ofpreparation.

2.The final format including tournament rules, pairings (brackets) showing teams, kick-off times and assigned fieldnumber, along with a clear map/directions to the tournament site must be received by the Head Referee no later than2 weeks before the tournament or as soon as a Head Referee has been designated. All teams planning to competeshould have registered by now (with payment of the tournament fee) or else should be dropped. Again, close contact,

preferably by phone, is urged to avoid any unforeseen complications or miscommunications.3.The host team must inquire as to costs for referees when planning a tournament.

4.The host team is responsible for providing each referee with comfortable accommodations (preferably amotel/hotel) for an overnight stay during a two-day tournament (this may include Friday and Saturday).

5.The host team is to provide each referee, by email, with all information regarding directions to the tournament siteand housing along with a set of the tournament rules.

6.All scheduling of referees for the tournament games and official local society referee liaison with the host teamduring the tournament (for expenses, rulings, etc.) will be the responsibility of the Head Referee.7. A meeting of tournament officials, referees and team captains should be held prior to the start of the tournament

(usually about an hour before first game kick-off). All questions about rules, pairings, or any other concerns shouldbe answered at that time. Proof of insurance and CIPP can also be verified at this meeting.

8.All participating teams should be asked (in your communications with them) as to the availability of any of theirplayers or associates as referees during the tournament. The Head Referee should be kept informed as theinformation is known.

9.All participating teams should be advised that they must be prepared to provide a competent touch judge for eachgame they play (with the exception of the championship game, when referees will be utilized).

10.All participating teams are to be reminded that their team must carry liability insurance and all players/reservesmust have adequate medical/health insurance per USARFU requirements.


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11.The host team must have made arrangements for a grounds inspection by the Colonial Coast Rugby/local societyreferee (see Tournament Guidelines).

Section 12 TOURNAMENT RULES, REGULATIONS & REQUIREMENTS (Continued)12.Once approved all fields must be lined/marked in accordance with Law #1 "The Ground."

13. The host team should provide high quality game balls for use at each field.

14.The host team should know, in advance, the jersey colors of all participating clubs. This will avoid conflicts insimilarity.

15.All participating teams should be advised, in advance, of how many games (win or lose) they are expected toplay. They should also be advised that failure to play in any of these games (especially in the consolation bracket)will subject them to Colonial Coast Rugby disciplinary action. The host team should obtain Match Contracts from allparticipating teams in their tournament. Any player ordered off may not play in any remaining tournament games andis subject to disciplinary action.

16.The host team must provide a 5 meter spectator rope (on both sides of the field) during the Championship match.This will allow free movement for the touch judges, avoid spectator interference and reduce the chances of injury toplayers and spectators.

17.The host team must provide proper medical services; a medical kit and healthcare professional, approved by theColonial Coast Rugby Tournament Director, must be available on-site.

18.The host team should check the USA Rugby CIPP Database as teams register to insure the team and its players

are fully CIPP enrolled. It is incumbent upon the Tournament Director (or other host team official) to promptlynotify any teams who are not fully CIPP registered or do not meet minimum requirements. Enrollment can be doneon-site, BUT must be through the online registration process with a credit card. The host team will need to makearrangements to have computer and internet access at the site. If this is not feasible, all teams and players must beenrolled and appear in the USA Rugby CIPP database prior to the start of the tournament. Players and or Teams notfully CIPP enrolled are not eligible to play.


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Section 13 DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE GUIDELINESCOLONIAL COAST DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURESDISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE (DC)

The DC will be comprised of 3 members; a mens team rep, a womens team rep, and a school official such as aclub sports admin or advisor. A consensus by the DC will be used to determine the result of the review process.Teams are responsible for all members of who participate in a match, not excluding coaches, sideline players,trainers, and any other members on the sideline. All members of the team are subject to disciplinary action if any

incident is reported.

YELLOW CARDSThe Incident Report must be filed with the conference Discipline Director by the match official within 48hours ofcompletion of the match. Yellow cards are not reviewed unless a review is requested of the conference by one of thecompeting teams. This request must come within 48 hours of completion of the match. If a review is requested everyeffort should be made to hold the review within 48 hours of receiving the request.

RED CARDSThe Incident Report must be filed with the conference Discipline Director by the match official within 48hours ofcompletion of the match. A Red card offense carries a mandatory 1 game suspension. All Red Cards are reviewedfor potential additional punishment. This review should be conducted within 48 hours of receiving the report. The

carded player can request a review to have the card rescinded and the opposing team can also request a review foradditional punishment. These requests must come within 48hours of completion of the match. If a review isrequested every effort should be made to hold the review with 48 hours of receiving the request.

REGULAR SEASON NON-CONFERENCE MATCH PROCEDUREFor incidents that occur in regular season matches involving teams from different conferences, the conference of theparticipating team will be responsible for reviewing the conduct of the players from their conference using theprocedure outlined above. If a team requests additional punishment for a carded player in a non-conference gamethat review would be conducted by the home conference of the carded player. In this situation the team should makethe request to its conferences Discipline Director who will carry it to the Discipline Director of the homeconference of the carded player.

APPEAL PROCESSOnce a ruling has been handed down at the conference level, if a team or player chooses to appeal the decision thatappeal will be heard by the USA Rugby Discipline Committee, which will issue a final ruling on the case. USARdiscipline procedures will follow standing USAR procedures.

POSTSEASON DISCIPLINEAll USA Playoff discipline issues will be handled by USA Rugby per standing procedures.

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