League Point Scoring System
The point scoring system to determine the league champion is:
- Win 3 points
- Tie 2 points
- Loss 1 point
- Forfeit and the game is played 0 points
- Forfeit and the game is not played -1 points
- Game day no-show -3 points
Twenty-four hour notice prior to kick-off is required in the case of a game not being played, otherwise the game is considered as a no-show on game day.
Additional penalties are:
- CIPP Violations -3 points
- No second game when required -2 points
- Paperwork Violations -1 point
USARS 2008
Collegiate Men’s and Women’s Matrix Championship Procedures and
Guidelines
1. CIPP
Registration
USA Rugby
requires every participating club to have every player, coach
and their club registered in the CIPP program before
the start of the matrix. A eligible player who is also the club
coach need only register once as “coach”. Every club coach must
be approved by USA Rugby. Additional players can be added if
required after the start of the competition provided their
registration is completed before playing in any matrix game.
Additionally, the player must participate in at least two
competitive games as either a starter or replacement, before the
USARS play-offs. The CIPP enrollment regulations have been
changed from 2007 onwards. Clubs commenced registering players
from September 1, 2007 without waiting until January 1 as
previous. Registration is valid for 12 months and undertaken on
line at the USA Rugby web site www.usarugby.org. The
membership menu is located on the left hand home page panel.
Most clubs have already used this procedure; if you have any
questions contact your Conference Commissioner. Clubs must print
out and have available a copy of their most current
registration. Clubs must also print out a copy of the
registration of each of their opponents prior to their game. The
USA Rugby web site allows for CIPP interrogation, so check well
in advance.
A club must
report any opponent CIPP discrepancies immediately to their
Conference Commissioner and make a note of the discrepancy on
the match Day Roster Form (make sure you have the correct
commissioner contact information). Any club in breach of the
CIPP requirements will:
1.
Forfeit any game in which un-CIPP’d players participate.
2.
Receive a possible suspension from the 2009 competition.
3.
Receive additional sanctions from their LAU.
4.
Be reported to the Director of USARS Collegiate Rugby who
may invoke separate/other sanctions over and above the LAU.
The game
check-in procedure should prevent non CIPP’d players from taking
part, However, in the past offending players have slipped
through the net.
2. Club
Eligibility
Every
participating collegiate team must satisfy the following
requirements:
1.
The club is in good standing with their respective LAU,
and that all dues, including referee society dues have been paid
to include the period of the matrix and any subsequent National
Championships.
2.
The club must be recognized by their college/university
and be in good standing.
3.
There must be no sanctions in place, imposed either by
their college/university and/or by their LAU that will prevent
them from meeting their matrix game obligations.
4.
The club must be CIPP registered with its own CIPP number
(separate from the players).
5.
The club must have a CIPP’d coach, registered and
approved by USA Rugby. The coach can be a student-player.
3. Player Eligibility
Every club is
responsible for completing the
Collegiate
Player Eligibility Form and familiarizing themselves with
the eligibility requirements. This is a summary to assist in the
completion of the form.
1.
The eligibility form is made up of 5 pages. The first 2
pages clearly state the responsibility of the club and of the
university’s registrar in completing the documentation. Pages 3
-5 are used to list the roster.
2.
The club is responsible for listing alphabetically every
eligible full-time undergraduate student on their playing
roster, together with the player’s signature, date of birth,
student ID number and current CIPP number (now you see why
registration comes first).
3.
The university/college is responsible for completing the
columns “Date of First Enrollment”, “Transfer Date”
(if applicable), “Full Time Status” (MUST be yes) and “Undergraduate
Status” (MUST be yes).
4.
The registrar must complete the form only AFTER the club
has provided its own information.
5.
Once completed, each page is stamped with the university
seal and endorsed by the University Registrar and Club
Sports/Athletic Director.
6.
Every line not used for a player’s name and details MUST
be crossed out with a permanent line.
7.
Clubs must insure they present the documentation to the
registrar’s office for completion well in advance of their first
game.
8.
After completion each club will submit by fax or pdf a
copy of the Eligibility Form to their respective Conference
Commissioners BEFORE the first match.
9.
Every club will keep the original form, or a legible
copy, in their match day binder
10.
Clubs can add eligible new players at any time during the
matrix as long as the requirements are fully observed and the
Commissioners receive copies of the additional form before the
new player participates in matches.
11.
Clubs cannot attempt to use a player who has been CIPP’d
but not certified on the Player Eligibility Form.
4. Match
Day Roster Forms and Procedures
This form
Match
Day Roster Forms and Procedures
is completed by every club for every Matrix match. From 2008
USARS is adopting the procedure used by USA Rugby for the 2007
National Collegiate D1 and D2 Championships, where participating
clubs are permitted to complete their match day roster as the
game progresses. This allows team’s greater flexibility with
their replacements. Previously, the entire selected roster had
to be presented prior to the kick-off, preventing the use of a
replacement in the case of an unforeseen injury, a tactical
change precipitated by the events of the game etc.
Every team
will still be responsible for checking the Player Eligibility
Forms of their opponents before the kick-off. The procedure is:
1.
All players (starting 15 and all potential replacements)
from both sides line up with their student ID in the same
sequence as their names appear on the Collegiate Player
Eligibility Form.
2.
A representative from both teams (captain, coach, club
manager) will then check the student ID (MUST have a picture, or
supplemented with a drivers license/passport etc.) against the
name on the eligibility form and CIPP registration print out,
satisfying themselves the paperwork is correct.
3.
Any discrepancy must be noted as a protest on the Match
Day Roster Form and the referee notified before the
kick-off. An ineligible player cannot be permitted to play and
must be reported for attempting to do so.
4.
The Match Day Roster Form is completed by the coach or
team manager as replacements are made.
5.
The referee is responsible for recording the score on
each Match Day Roster Form, which must be signed by both
captains. The referee must confirm that the match field was in
order and that crowd barriers, post pads and flags had all be
provided and that the playing uniforms of both teams was
acceptable. He/she will sign the form accordingly.
6.
The captain/representative of the winning side is
responsible for faxing both teams’ rosters to the Conference
Commissioner. This should be done Monday morning after the game
(assuming it was played on Saturday). The Commissioner will
check each roster to make sure there are no protests or adverse
referee comments. If there are, these will be reported to the
Conference Chair who will investigate the protests and consider
the appropriate action/sanctions.
7.
The referee will also report any yellow or red carding to
the USARS Disciplinary Chair.
8.
Every club will make a folder to keep the rosters and
Eligibility forms together.
9.
The documentation of all clubs proceeding to the South
Play Offs will be forwarded by the Conference Commissioners to
the USARS Director of Collegiate Rugby for final verification.
10.
D1 and D2 men and women’s clubs advancing to the National
Championships are required to repeat the process of Player
Eligibility. The document must also be verified by their LAU
collegiate representative and the USARS Collegiate Director.
11.
Successful D1 and D2 clubs, moving onto the USAR National
Championships are subject to a random documentation inspection.
Clubs are selected by USA Rugby, and it is imperative that their
documentation has been correctly processed at the matrix
competition level.
12.
The USARS men’s D3 Champion will move onto the National
Small College Rugby Championship and will be subject to
documentation inspection by USARS.
13.
Every club should make a game-day folder so all relevant
information can be kept safe and available for inspection. The
folder should contain:
·
A copy
of the Eligibility Form
·
The
Match Day Roster Form
·
The
most current CIPP registration print out from USA Rugby
·
Their
opponent’s most current CIPP print out
·
The
USA Rugby waiver forms (see below) signed by every player on the
roster.
·
The
2008 Collegiate Championship Participation Agreement (see
below).
·
Copies
of every player’s medical insurance certificate (in case of an
emergency).
Maintaining
the folder from the beginning of the matrix will simplify
preparations for the play-offs for the successful clubs.
5. USA Rugby Waiver Release
Form
Every player
on every participating team must provide their name, signature
and date on an individual waver release form
Waiver Release Form.
The forms must be completed before any player participates in a
matrix game. These forms must be kept in the Match Day Binder.
Legally it is imperative the waiver release is completed as
required BEFORE any player takes to the field.
6. USA Rugby Championship
Participation Agreement
This is a
two-page document every participating club must sign before the
start of the competition
USA Rugby
Championship Participation Agreement.
The section
provided for signing by the LAU representative can be left
unsigned during the conference stages of the matrix and until
the club proceeds to the South Championships when the signature
must be added. This process can be completed by fax; there is no
requirement to have original signatures unless specifically
asked for by USA Rugby.
7. Protests,
Disputes and Resolution
Protests and
Disputes are rare but do happen and must be recorded on the
Match Day Roster Form. A club who lodges a protest must
immediately follow up with a detailed e-mail from their coach or
captain to the Conference Commissioner outlining all the
pertinent facts. The Commissioner will investigate the protest,
soliciting a response from the opposing club and referee.
Depending on
the nature of the protest, the Commissioner will consult with
the Conference Chair and the USARS Collegiate Director who will
uphold, modify or dismiss the protest. Additionally, they will
consider appropriate sanctions against the offending club when a
protest is upheld. Remember, USARS is going to be tough on any
club who forfeits or fails to show for a scheduled game.
8. Bad Weather Procedures
Clubs are
responsible for insuring they will not face travel and playing
issues because of bad weather. Should it become apparent the
weather is likely to create an unnecessary travel risk, or that
the home rugby field will be unplayable, both teams must consult
and agree well in advance of their match. Do not leave
decision-making to the last minute. It’s better to postpone and
reschedule rather than risk traveling/playing. Every club has
access to short-term three-day weather forecasts, so there is no
excuse for last minute screw-ups. Some clubs will face long
journeys, and just because it’s sunny in Alabama or Florida,
that doesn’t mean it’s paradise in Kentucky or Arkansas.
USARS is very
concerned about the safety of its entire LAU member clubs, both
traveling and playing, and it is unacceptable for traveling
clubs to take unnecessary risks, or for host clubs to consider
playing on water-logged or frozen pitches.
In the event
of a postponement, clubs are expected to make every effort to
re-schedule their game in a fair and reasonable manner and
without having to involve the Conference Commissioner.
9. Playing
Requirements and Expectations
Every
participating club is required to play rugby in strict
accordance with the Laws, with discipline, control and mutual
respect. Rugby is unique in its embodiment of fair play and
sportsmanship of the highest level. No club will be allowed to
jeopardize this tradition. Offending clubs will be dealt with
harshly.
Major strides
have been made in the USA recently in improving the image this
wonderful game, and distancing it from its former, less
desirable image as a “violent” game played by “hooligans”. With
the continuing major expansion of rugby into high schools
nationwide we all have the additionally responsibility of
demonstrating how well the game is now being played at the
collegiate level. The expectations of USARS for the 2008
Championships are:
·
Every
player and coach will meet their over-riding obligation to
observe the Laws and respect the principals of fair play and
sportsmanship which are unique to rugby football.
·
Every
player and coach will respect the authority of match officials.
·
There
will be no ungentlemanly conduct, dangerous play or offensive
language.
·
Every
player, coach and club representative will insure they do
nothing to damage the improving image of rugby football.
·
The name of
any player sin-binned (yellow card) or dismissed (red card) will
be forwarded to the USARS Disciplinary Chair and also entered
into the USA Rugby Offending Player data base. Players
red-carded will be suspended from all team participation for a
period to be determined by the USARS Disciplinary Chair.
·
Players who
receive more than two yellow cards in conference matches will
also be the subject of disciplinary action.
·
Any club who
has a player/s red-carded or player/s with more than two yellow
cards will be the subject of possible sanctions by their LAU
and/or USARS.
·
Clubs will be
also responsible for the behavior of their spectators. USARS
will not tolerate any un-sportsman like or abusive behavior from
the side-lines. Offending clubs will be reported to USARS and
sanctioned.
·
Every club
will download from the International Rugby Board web site
(irb.com/laws) and print a copy of the 2007 Laws including the
Playing Charter. (The 2008 Laws will not be available until
later this year.) Every player is expected to read and be
familiar with the Charter and Laws and their requirements.
·
Every club
will insure their rugby pitch meets the requirements of the
Laws; correctly and clearly marked, with suitable and correctly
sized goal-posts (not 2” x 4”’s nailed together), the posts will
be padded, flags (not cones) will be provided, a crowd barrier
will be erected and a suitable changing and viewing zone will be
provided for both the hosts AND visitors AND match official/s.
·
Coaches are
NOT permitted to enter the field of play during the game.
·
Clubs will
liaise with each other well in advance to confirm their match,
travel directions and uniform colors.
·
The host club
will be responsible for arranging and paying match officials.
·
Post-match
functions will be conducted in a dignified and inoffensive
manner. Campus requirements will be honored. No club, hosts or
visitors, will engage in offensive behavior, on or off campus,
likely to result in university/college sanctions. Any club
falling into disgrace with their university will be instantly
banned from the competition.
·
No club will
post abusive or self incriminating pictures on any social
utility web site (Face Book, My Space etc).
·
Finally,
USARS is totally committed to a constant improvement in our
collegiate game and we will work with all our LAU’s to weed-out
all clubs and players who, through bad behavior and attitude,
damage the progress of the game we are all working so hard to
improve.
9. USA Rugby Guidelines and
Collegiate Eligibility Requirements
