ECYFL Policies

ESSEX COUNTY YOUTH FUTSAL LEAGUE POLICIES

ECYFL has adopted and adheres to all policies and protocols of the

Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association MA Safe Soccer Program.

Registration/Affiliation

1. Players and coaches must be affiliated with Mass Youth Soccer, and adults must complete the Mass Youth Adult Registration and have cleared background checks, Safesport and Concussion Awareness Training.
2. Teams will not be considered as registered and scheduled until paid in full.
3. Players and coaches who are not currently Mass Youth affiliated may affiliate with Mass Youth as individuals. The individual is responsible for any affiliation fee as required by Mass Youth.
4. Age groups shall be 2-year brackets (G4/10U, G6/12U, etc.) with eligibility defined by current Mass Youth and USYS directive.
5. Co-ed teams will be accepted as boys teams.
6. ECYFL reserves the right to adjust or combine age and skill groups based on the number of teams participating in the session.
7. Players may be rostered on only one team per age group/division but may be rostered on multiple teams across divisions.
8. Individual player registrations will be accepted for match play. ECYFL will form “house teams” where sufficient player numbers and openings in the appropriate age group/division exist. If there are not enough players to form a team, ECYFL will assist in placing players on existing registered teams.
9. Coaches are responsible for printing a certified ECYFL roster from the website and presenting to the referees prior to the match for check-in. All players must have a number assigned on the roster. No alterations to the roster are permitted except for adding player numbers. Players not appearing on the ECFYL roster may not participate in the match and will be directed to the spectator area.
10. All players and coaches must be registered individually on the ECYFL registration system and appear on the team roster in order to participate.
11. Checks returned for insufficient funds will incur a handling fee per the ECYFL Fee Schedule in addition to any and all bank fees ECYFL incurs as a result of the returned check.

Scheduling

1. Match schedules will be published on the ECYFL website as soon as practically possible. No other notification will be given other than a notification email when complete.
2. Intro Futsal session will consist of 5 weeks of matches. The Regular Season session wll consist of 8 weeks of matches, with the 9th week reserved for weather reschedules. If the weather date is not needed, ECYFL may schedule additional matches, jamborees or tournaments on the 9th week.
3. Weather or other facility closures will be posted on the ECYFL website as early as practical on the day of the match. Those participants who opt in for email and text messages when registering will be notified individually via those means.
4. Matches postponed due to weather or facility issues outside the control of ECYFL will be rescheduled. If we are unable to reschedule the portion of the team fee representing referee fees will be refunded. No other refund will be made.
5. Teams not appearing for scheduled matches will not be allowed to make-up the match. The match will be recorded as a forfeit against the non-appearing team. A second “no-show” will result in removal from the League for that session with no refund, and participation in future sessions will require approval of the ECYFL staff or BOD.
6. Teams must be ready to play at the scheduled kick-off time due to scheduling constraints. The referee will start time at the scheduled time, and the game will end accordingly. If a team is not ready to play within 5 minutes of the scheduled kick-off, it will be considered a failure to appear.
7. If a team fails to appear per the above, the team present will have use of the court for the remainder of the scheduled game time, and may upon request, conduct a scrimmage using ECYFL officials. In all cases, match officials present and available to officiate per the schedule shall be paid for said matches.

Zero Tolerance/Ejections/Suspensions

1. Teams using ineligible players in ECYFL matches will have the match result forfeited and the coach suspended from all ECYFL activities for one week per instance. Multiple instances involving the same player/coach/tea/organization will be subject to additional penalties, including potential removal from the League.
2. The Zero Tolerance Policy will apply to all coaches, players and spectators. Failure to respect match officials, opponents including spectators and/or ECYFL staff via word or action will result in ejection from the facility and suspension participating in future matches for one or more weeks or sessions.
3. Player ejections will be reviewed by ECYFL based the reports of the match officials and may be subject to additional suspension or sanction. Ejected players are not permitted to remain in the team sideline area and must retreat to the spectator area.
4. Coach dismissals will carry an automatic one week suspension from ECYFL activities, and upon review of reports from match officials and/or ECYFL staff will be reviewed and may be subject to additional suspension or sanction. Dismissed coaches must leave the facility unless they are the only adult responsible for a player in the match. In this case, they may retreat to the spectator area but any further issue will result in their removal from the facility.
5. Suspensions in excess of one week for a) ZTP violations b) player ejections c) coach dismissals are subject to appeal by notifying ECYFL in writing (email accepted) within 48 hours of the initial suspension notification. Appeals presented to ECYFL may result in the upholding of the suspension, reduction or elimination of the suspension, or increased sanctions. Appeals will be heard by a committee of not less than 3 nor more than 5 ECYFL Board members. ECYFL BOD/Staff members involved in the original incident or subsequent decision to suspend are ineligible to render an appeal decision.
6. Suspensions of one week for use of an ineligible player(s), Zero Tolerance Policy violations, or coach dismissals are not appealable.

Match Officials

1. Match officials (referees) are independent contractors and are not employees of ECYFL.
2. When performing duties as match officials, individuals who also hold positions as ECYFL BOD members or staff shall not exert any additional or different authority than any other match official.
3. To the degree possible, match officials assigned ECYFL matches shall be USSF Futsal certified, and there shall be 2 officials per match.
4. In the event 2 Futsal certified officials are not available for a match, ECYFL may assign a non-futsal certified USSF Referee as the 2nd Referee.
5. Futsal certified referees shall be compensated at a higher rate, and shall receive additional compensation when assigned with a non-futsal certified 2nd referee, or when assigned a match alone.
6. Match officials determined to be consistently or repeatedly late, no-shows, deficient in the application of the Laws of the Game, or fail to respect teams or staff may be sanctioned by and at the discretion of the ECYFL Referee Assignor, or by the Assignor at the direction of the ECYFL BOD.

Other

1. Any issue with match officials should be reported to ECYFL staff or via email report after the match. In no instance shall an official be challenged or confronted before, during or after a match.
2. It is the coach’s responsibility to understand the rules of competition per the FIFA Futsal Laws of The Game incorporating permitted and published modifications as applied to ECYFL matches and to communicate the rules to his/her players, spectators and all other team members.
3. Protests of match results will not be entertained. However, reports of ineligible players, if upheld, will result in awarding a forfeit win; reports of misapplication of the Laws of the Game by match official(s) if confirmed will result in sanction to said officials. Such potential sanctions may include undergoing additional training, loss of compensation, or adjustment of/loss of future assignments.
4. In accordance with Mass Youth policy, standings will not be posted for G4/10U and younger age groups, and any session ending event (Tournament, Jamboree) shall be non-results oriented for these age groups.

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