Coaches and managers are responsible for the information and procedures detailed within this document.

Teams (coaches and managers) should already have access to the MYSA Affinity Sports platform which incudes your 2017 Summer season schedule. Contact your club directly if you need to verify your access.

Additional content and resources in this document should be helpful during your season.

Teams are encouraged to print or download this document and keep with the teams game day folder.

Content

Important Season Dates and Deadlines

Questions

Competitive Representative Directory

Required Prior To Kickoff

New Referee Procedures

After the Game

Player and Coach Suspensions

Avoid Fines

Post Season Playoffs

Weather Policy

Limited In-Season Rescheduling

Additional Resources

Important Season Dates and Deadlines2017 Summer Competitive League Schedule

• May 1 Summer Competitive League begins

• May 1 Intraclub Player Transfer Deadline (team to team)

• May 29 Memorial Day Observance - No Games

• June 5 Playoff Registration deadline (Qualifiers through State Championships)

• June 16 New Player Deadline - Last day to add new players to any team due by 5:00 p.m.

• June 17 Summer Jamboree Registration deadline (Under 9 and Under 10)

• July 3 & 4 Independence Day Observance – No Games

• July 8 2017 MYSA Summer Jamboree (Under 9 and Under 10)

• July 11 League Play Ends – All Bracket Standings Finalized

• July 13-19 Qualifiers in Home Districts (single elimination for State Championships)

• July 21-23 C3 State Championships Pool Play and Finals at Mankato and Rochester

• July 26-29 C1 and C2 State Championships Pool Play and Finals at various metro sites

Questions?

• Questions and communication related to your team, player and coach, or club should be addressed with your club.

• Roster, Game Day Roster, digital player passes, scheduling and game fields are accessed through a team’s Affinity Sports online access. Affinity has online help tickets and a customer service hotline:

(855) 703-2578

• Questions about MYSA Competitive Leagues, Rules and Playoffs (Qualifiers) are heard by your District Competitive Representative. See directory on next page.

Competitive Representative DirectoryEach MYSA club (and team) is assigned to a geographic “District.” Questions, concerns or issues regarding participation in the MYSA Competitive Leagues should be directed to your Competitive Representative. This contact will also oversee your team’s entry and schedule in playoff “Qualifiers.”

West Boys Nantha Viswanathan mysawb@mnyouthsoccer.org

West Girls Julie Magnuson mysawg@mnyouthsoccer.org

South Boys Jim Barker mysasb@mnyouthsoccer.org

South Girls Jim Barker mysasg@mnyouthsoccer.org

East Boys Marty McDermott mysaeb@mnyouthsoccer.org

East Girls Jesse Compos mysaeg@mnyouthsoccer.org

North Girls Diana O'Connor mysang@mnyouthsoccer.org

North Boys John Kinsey mysanm@mnyouthsoccer.org

Southwest Boys Matt Nielsen mysasw@mnyouthsoccer.org

Southwest Girls Matt Nielsen mysasw@mnyouthsoccer.org

Northwest Boys TBD mysacomp@mnyouthsoccer.org

Northwest Girls TBD mysacomp@mnyouthsoccer.org

Committee Director Ira Gurewitz mysacomp@mnyouthsoccer.org

New Check-In and Referee Procedures• Our referees have been asked to help MYSA go electronic (paperless). Center referees have been asked to

use their mobile device to check-in your team and report scores.

• To comply, your team must have an Official Game Roster prepared prior to arriving at the field - failure to meet this requirement can result in forfeited games and fines. The Official Game Roster comes in a printable form and is also automatically available in the Digital Player Card and Scoring App.

• Please be prepared to use coach/manager/parent’s mobile device in the event of technology issues.

• Please have a printed photo roster available at the field for every game – this can serve as an absolute backup and allow games to go forward in the event of a technology issue. You can print one at the beginning of the season and keep it with you for all games. You should be prepared to give it to the referee to keep if the electronic check-in process is not used. You will be responsible for preventing ineligible players from playing!

• Referees have been given the direction to go forward with games in the event of a technology issue; however, all games where the electronic check-in process is not used will be audited by MYSA. This audit could consist of the referee reports, review of the Official Game Roster, and other considerations.

• Please feel free to review the following referee resources to better understand pregame and post game procedures:

MYSA Team Check-In and Game Reporting Presentation

https://www.minnesotasrc.com/assets/courses/MYSAAffinity/launcher.html

MYSA Referees Page

http://www.mnyouthsoccer.org/referees

Required Prior To Kickoff

• Required prior to arriving at field:• Login to your Affinity Account and set your Official Game Roster: Check off the active players,

add/remove play-ups, and save by clicking “Set Active Players.” This can be done anytime during the season and can be customized for each game. If no changes are made between games, the roster will remain the same as the previous game.

• Games are subject to forfeit when a team fails to properly prepare the Official Game Day Roster prior to check-in.

• Confirm game date, location and time.

• Referees will check teams in electronically using the digital player passes from a mobile device. Please assist referees in the event of a coverage, battery or data issue.• Paper Passes will not be used in MYSA games (League, Qualifiers and State).• Have a printed photo roster to use as a backup at the field for every game.• These procedures do not govern sanctioned tournaments that may require paper passes.

• EVERY game played without an electronic check-in will be audited by the MYSA.• Failure to have prepared a Game Day Roster prior to check-in could result in a forfeit and fine.• Regardless of electronic check-in abnormalities, the use of any suspended players or coaches will result

sanctions against the offending team.

After The Game

Take note of the final score and any issues with your team (such as suspensions).

Referees are responsible for reporting scores and disciplinary issues.

Check that your score was reported through the “Schedules/Game Scoring” link.

If no score is reported, teams may enter the score; however, the referee will still have the ability enter the score. Once the referee enters the score, it final and locked from further changes by either team.

Any issues with scores or games should be addressed to your District’s Competitive Committee Representative (Page 5).

Player and Coach Suspensions

• Players or Adults (Coaches) who are sent off must leave the field.

• Referees will report ejections with their game reporting. Do not attempt to play a suspended player or adult coach until you can verify a suspension is served.

• Player and coach passes for MYSA games (League, Qualifier or State Championship) are digital.

• Paper passes cannot be used in MYSA games (League, Qualifier or State Championship).

• Sanctioned tournaments may use paper passes which are printed and available from your club registrar.

• New this year: All suspensions from MYSA games (League, Qualifier or State Championship) shall be served in MYSA games. Suspensions earned in MYSA sanctioned tournaments (with paper or digital passes) shall be served in the tournament with any balance of the suspension served in the next MYSA games (League, Qualifier or State Championship).

• For more information, see MYSA Rule 7.12 LAW 12 – Fouls and Misconduct

Avoid Fines

Fines are assessed by Competitive Representatives and payable by team for:

1. Simple Forfeit for games not played - $100 = Attempt to play was made.

2. Willful Forfeit - $200 = No attempt to play is made. Failure to prepare and save an Official Game Roster (prior to arriving on the field) is considered a Willful Forfeit.

3. Playoff Qualifier: dropping out after signing up = $200.00 plus the loss of entry fee.

4. State Championships: dropping out after qualifying = $400.00 plus the loss of entry fee.

Post-Season PlayoffsQualifiers and State Championships

• Teams may choose to participate in playoffs in July. Playoffs start with single-elimination Qualifiers and conclude with the Summer State Championships.

• Teams who choose to participate MUST register for the through their Affinity access during the open registration period between May 1st and June 5th – there will be no exceptions to the deadline. The deadline to register for post-season play is June 5th.

• To be properly registered for the post-season, teams must register for the “2017 MYSA Summer Post-Season Registration” tournament in Affinity between May 1st and June 5th

• Teams can register for this tournament in Affinity by clicking the “Apply to Tournament” link from the Teams tab, or by navigating to the “Tournament” tab of the team’s information page, and then choosing “2017 MYSA Summer Post-Season Registration” from the drop down menu.

• Teams will play Qualifiers in their home District (by club membership), regardless of League Bracket members (some League Brackets include teams from more than one district).

• 2017 Playoff Dates (Subject to change)• Qualifiers (July 13 - July 19) – single elimination games hosted by District Representatives• C3 State Championships (July 21-23) – pool play and finals hosted by Mankato and Rochester.• C1 and C2 State Championships (July 26-29) – pool play and finals hosted by Shakopee, Coon Rapids and the

National Sports Center.

Weather Policy

• Cold, hot or severe weather can change a game, shorten halves, adjust uniform rules or create the need to reschedule.

• At a game site, referees have final decision making authority to implement weather policy rules. Referees can also call league games before or during the game.

• Facility managers or facility policy can also overrule MYSA rules and referees including the possibility to require a game to be cancelled or rescheduled (such as flooding or dangerous conditions) as allowed.

• Plan to arrive at scheduled field –weather is different in different areas.

Limited In-Season Rescheduling• Schedules are locked after the team to team rescheduling period in early April.

MYSA rule 4.1.6.1. - Anticipated Reschedules: No games shall be rescheduled after the two-week grace period except in the case of adverse weather, referee availability or “Acts of God” as determined by the Competitive Representative or a decision by the owner to close the scheduled field.

• Rule 4.1.6.3.- Procedure to Reschedule Games: Addresses how games can be rescheduled only for limited reasons.

• All in-season requests for rescheduling are initiated through the home team’s Affinity access and will be directed to a Competitive Committee Representative for approval (step-by-step instructions are on the MYSA Team Manager Page). In such cases the teams should identify a date to play the game within 48 hours of the cancellation, and the game must be played before the end of league play. Games that are not played will be assessed as forfeits. The burden is on the home team to ensure that a game is rescheduled.

Additional Resources

• MYSA Rules and Policies:http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0111/6087/rules_manual.pdf

• Team Managers Page at MYSA Websitehttp://www.mnyouthsoccer.org/team-managers

• Leagues Page at MYSA Website http://www.mnyouthsoccer.org/mysa-leagues

• Affinity login Pagehttp://mnyouthsoccer.sportsaffinity.com

• Digital Player Card and Game Reporting Mobile Apphttp://minnesotayouthsoccer.sportsaffinity.com/m/pass/index.aspx

• Questions regarding your team access, general issues, and/or Official Game Roster preparation? Please call Affinity Sports at (855) 703-2578