Western Region

Rules and Regulations Governing Play

2008-2009 Winter Season

Table of Contents

Men's and Women's Softball

Determination of Standing Within a League

Determination of Home Court for the Playoffs

Playoffs

Guidelines for Player Classification in the Western Region

Men's and Women's Softball

1. Teams consist of 5 players in Divisions B, C, D and Novice for Men and Divisions B/C and Novice for Women. Team captains exchange lists of players ranked in ability from No. 1 to No. 5 and matches are between players of equal rank. If a team must play with less than 5 players, the lowest positions must be defaulted. All matches are best of five games. All evenings are best of five matches.

2. MATCHES ARE TO START AT 7:00 p.m. unless the home team captain notifies the visiting team captain of a different time at least one week in advance. The nights of play are not changeable and are as follows:
   
   Men's:          Monday          D League
                         Tuesday          C League
                         Wednesday    Novice League
                         Thursday        B League

          Women's:        Monday          Novice League
                                    Wednesday   C League

3. The 20 minute default rule shall be strictly enforced. Play commences with the lowest ranking players i.e. No. 5 first and proceeds numerically in order to No. 1.

4. International scoring rules apply.

5. The official ball for W.R.S.R.A. is the Dunlop Double Yellow Dot Ball. The home club must supply the ball.

6. All matches in all divisions are required to be refereed and marked, preferably by two officials, one from each team, both playing the same position.

7. Both team captains are responsible for entering match results at http://www.wrsl.ca within 7 days of the match being played.

8. Winning teams receive a bonus of 2 points in addition to the one point received for each winning match.

9. Any player who holds a Provincial or Regional Classification may not play league at a level below his classification subject to written appeal by the player to the Regional Executive.

10. Women may play concurrently in both the Men's and Women's leagues at the appropriate levels with movement between levels being dictated by rules 11, 12 and 13 below.

11. a) Any player who plays 3 times on a B League team may not play on a C, D or Novice League team.

b) Any player who plays 3 times on a C League team may not play on a D or Novice League team.

 

c) Any player who plays 3 times on a D League team may not play on a Novice League team.

d) Any player who plays 3 or more times at a higher team level will be ineligible to continue to play for their original team team. e.g. A player who plays on a  D League team will be ineligible to continue to play for that team if they: i) play 3 times on a B or C League team or ii) play 2 times on a C League team and once on a B League team.

12. a) Any player who plays once on a B League team may not play on a second B League team at the same club.

b) Any player who plays once on a C League team may not play on a second C League team at the same club. 

c) Any player who plays once on a D League team may not play on a second D League team at the same club.

d) Any player who plays once on a Novice League team may not play on a second Novice League team at the same club.

13. A player who changes clubs during the season may play league at a second club subject to the following conditions: 

a) If they played in the Novice League at the original club, they must play in D League or higher at the new club. 

b) If they played in D League at the original club, they must play in C League or higher at the new club. 

c) If he played in the Men's C League at the original club, he must play in the Men's B League at the new club. 

d) If he played in the Men's B League at the original club, he may not play league at the second club in that season.

e) If she played in the Women's C League at the original club, she may not play in the Women's League at the second club in that season.

14. Basic standards for play in league include:

a) Properly maintained, clean squash courts and changing facilities. 

b) An adequate meal supplied by the home team.

c) Home team must supply towels for the visiting team.

d) No sleeveless tops or large decals.

15. To represent his/her team in the playoffs, a team member must have played at least .3 x the number of matches the team has played with the result truncated to produce the nearest lower integer.  This number will be posted at the time of publication of the league schedule.  NOTE: The required number of matches must actually be completed i.e. a team line-up for a defaulted match does not constitute a game played for any member of either team.

16. Any ineligible players will cause a loss of points to the team. If the ineligible player is at the number 5 position, the offending team will default at number five. If the illegal player is at any other number, all matches below that position will be defaulted including that position. The definition of "ineligible player" includes a defaulted match.

17. No match may be deferred without the permission of the softball convener.

18. Where a club has international courts, their use for league play is mandatory.

19. Any club entering a team in the league must be a member of the Squash Ontario and all players on the team must be members of the club. In the case of universities, a "member of the club" is defined as a person with a valid athletic card or an alumnus.

20. If there are fewer than 3 players in attendance a match should be considered a default. A visiting team defaulting and not informing a host team more than 24 hours in advance of the match shall be assessed a fine of $50 payable to the host team and collectable by the league convener.

21. If a team defaults 3 matches during the regular season they will be considered to have withdrawn from the league.

22. If a team withdraws from the league part way through the season, all points scored in competition with that team will be expunged.

23. If a team withdraws from the league, any entry from that club may not be accepted at that level for the following season.

24. For a player to be eligible for the 2008/2009 winter playoffs, he/she must have attended a Western Region Rules Updating Clinic or a Squash Ontario Rules Clinic since and including the 2007/2008 winter season. No bonus points shall be awarded. A player who is a certified official need not attend a one of these clinics to be eligible for the playoffs.

25. All postponed matches will be played within 20 days of the original match.

26. For matches defaulted within the last 3 weeks of the season, points will be awarded at the discretion of the executive.

27. A postponed match not played within 20 days is a default.

28. In regards to any disciplinary actions brought before the Western Region Executive, the Squash Ontario Code of Conduct will be followed.

Determination of Standing Within a League

Standings will be determined as follows:

1. Points total. 

2. Number of evenings won.

3. Record of evenings between tied teams.

4. Number of matches won at opponent's venue.

5. A playoff between tied teams. 

            See rule #1 for definitions.

Determination of Home Court for the Playoffs

1. Highest team standing in respective league.

2. Points total.

3. Highest number of evenings won.

4. Highest number of matches won at opponent's venue.

5. A coin toss.

Playoffs

For leagues with 10 or fewer teams, the top 4 teams will qualify.  The semi-finals will be:

        1 vs. 4

        2 vs. 3

For leagues with 11 or more teams, the top 6 teams will qualify.  The top two teams will receive a bye in the quarter-finals with the quarter-final order being:

        3 vs. 6

        4 vs. 5

        In the semi-finals the order will be:

        1 vs. the quarter-final winner who was lower in the regular season standings.

        2 vs. the quarter-final winner who was higher in the regular season standings.

To establish the playing order for playoff matches:

• the numerical value of the position played each week will be added together and divided by the number of matches he/she played to give an average.

• team line-up will be in order from lowest average to highest average.  Averages will be determined from information on the result cards received by the statistician.

• during the semi-finals, both the home and visiting teams will equally share the cost of the meal and refreshments

Guidelines for Player Classification in the Western Region

1. To Achieve C Classification: a) Semi-finalist in any D Tournament. b) Semi-finalist in any C Tournament. c) Quarter-finalist in any B Tournament. 

2. To Achieve B Classification: a) Finalist in any C Tournament. b) Semi-finalist in any C Tournament on two occasions. c) Semi-finalist in any B Tournament. 

3. To Achieve A Classification: a) Winner of any B Tournament. b) Two-time finalist in any B Tournament. c) Semi-finalist in any A Tournament. d) Quarter-finalist in Canadian Amateur or Ontario Amateur.
   

Additional Notes:

1. Any player who plays in higher classified tournaments and, on two occasions beats any player classified above him, will be promoted to the higher classification. 

2. The above are based on a minimum draw of 32; for draws less than 32, the classification committee will determine which of the above guidelines will apply. 

3. Players can also be classified based on interclub league play, or any other information or performance which justifies it.

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This Page last Updated: March 01, 2009