Game Update: November 30, 2009
Date updated:	November 30, 2009
Time updated:	5:20pm
ALL GAMES ARE TO BE PLAYED AS SCHEDULED Notes: We recognize that road conditions are not ideal, however we are not cancelling any games this evening. Please ensure that you give yourself lots of time to get to the gym: All games will have a 20 minute grace period. Thanks, The CSSC Team

SSC Weather & Cancellations/Rescheduling Policy
Last revised: June 30^th, 2008

Table of Contents

1.	Overview
2.	Rain or Shine Policy
3.	Cancellations and Rescheduling
4.	Sharing Team Captains’ Information
5.	Sport By Sport Criteria For Deciding Game Outcomes
6.	Fitness Class and Tournament Policy
7.	Calgary Flames Playoffs & Stampede

1. OVERVIEW:

Living in Alberta means that we will have some unpleasant weather and there will be some days when we have to play sports even though we might prefer not to. When this happens the only solution is to dress warmly and get out there and have some fun!
The SSC hosts hundreds of teams each season and this requires a lot of playing fields. Rescheduling games is extremely difficult (we can’t always book enough fields to replay all the games), so we strongly prefer to see the games get played whenever possible.
The weather conditions can vary significantly from one field to another or from one area of the city to another. This often contributes to our reluctance to do a city-wide cancellation – if we know that some areas of the city are playable, we will not cancel games and require ALL teams to report to their fields to decide for themselves.
Indoor leagues are never cancelled due to weather, unless the schools are closed. If this happens, all players will be notified with as much notice as possible.

In very extreme circumstances the SSC will cancel (and reschedule) all games. Please see below for the SSC policy for rescheduling games.

The cancellation notice will be posted on the SSC website by 5:00pm on game day and if possible, the SSC will e-mail all players that are affected. If we have not cancelled the games, that means we have received no indication from the City, the facility, or our field staff that our fields are unplayable. If the SSC has not cancelled the games then the Rain or Shine Policy is in effect.

*Note: the SSC office is not open on weekends so all Saturday, Sunday and long weekend Monday games are subject to the Rain or Shine Policy.

WHY DON'T WE POST WEATHER UPDATES UNTIL 5:00pm?

We are often asked why we wait until 5:00pm to post our weather update on the website. We wanted to inform our players of the reasoning behind this. Please see below for details

We live in Alberta, as much as it is cliché to say, the weather can literally change in five minutes. We delay making cancellation decisions as late as possible while still giving players time to get to their games.
We watch the weather forecasts very closely during the day to monitor any changes that they predict. The forecast might say one thing at noon and have drastically changed by 5:00pm.
Waiting until 5:00pm allows our field coordinator ample time to analyze different fields throughout the city on questionable days, before we make a final decision on whether games will be played or not.

While we realize that waiting this long is not entirely ideal, we feel as though it is the best way to provide our players with the best possible experience.

2. RAIN or SHINE POLICY

If the SSC daily game update indicates that games are being played despite the weather being questionable, teams must report to their field regardless of weather conditions, or be subject to default rules. Daily game updates can be found on the SSC website.
If it is raining, snowing, very cold or overly wet at game time, the SSC requires teams to wait it out for at least 20 minutes before deciding to call the game. If poor weather or slippery field conditions are still a factor after 20 minutes, you must discuss rescheduling options with your opponent prior to leaving the field. The SSC will help with rescheduling but you must provide 2 potential dates that both teams can play on. Any rescheduled game must occur one week prior to the start of playoffs.

* Note: We may not always be able to reschedule the games (due to field availability and amount of notice time) – so you are canceling at your own risk.

PLAYER DISCRETION:

Each player has sole discretion to choose whether to play. If a player arrives at their field and believes that the conditions present a safety hazard to them personally, they should choose not to play.

In the event of severe weather (electrical storms, excessively slippery fields), games should be immediately stopped and all players should take cover. Wait up to 20 minutes and if the severe weather passes, continue play and shorten the game time if required. If conditions do not improve, the game ends and the score is reported as is.
The exception to this is Slo-Pitch, where the final score reported will be taken from the last full inning.

3. CANCELLATIONS AND RESCHEDULING:

A. PLAYERS RESCHEDULING AT THE FIELD:

Occasionally on days with bad weather, some of the teams may not show up with the minimum required amount of players and a decision needs to be made on playing the game. The following is a list of possible circumstances and procedures to follow:

Scenario 1: Team A arrives with the minimum requirement of players, and no one on Team B is at the field.
SSC Procedure: Team B is charged with a default and the game is NOT rescheduled. Team B was not there to confirm the field conditions, therefore it is still a default even if Team A indicates the field was unplayable.
Scenario 2: Team A arrives with enough players to play, but Team B does not have the minimum requirement of players. Each team agrees that the field is unplayable and would like to reschedule.
SSC Procedure: Team B is charged with a default, but if possible the SSC WILL reschedule the game if Team A would like to do so. This can be hard to do in sports that require an EC. The score from the make-up game will count in the standings, not the default score.
Scenario 3: Both Team A and Team B arrive at the field, but neither team has enough players to avoid a default, even after 20 minutes beyond the scheduled game time. Each team agrees that the field is unplayable and would like to reschedule.
SSC Procedure: Team A and Team B are charged with a default, but the SSC WILL reschedule the game if possible. This can be hard to do in sports that require an EC. The score from the make-up game will count in the standings, not the default score.
Scenario 4: Neither Team A nor Team B show up for the scheduled game at the field.
SSC Procedure: Both teams will be charged with a default and the game will NOT be rescheduled.
Scenario 5: All teams arrive at the field with the correct amount of players, but some teams decide that the field is unplayable.
SSC Procedure: The team(s) that deem the field unplayable will be charged with a default loss, but will not have to pay the default fee.
Scenario 6: All teams arrive at the field with the correct amount of players, but decide that the field is unplayable, and more than half of the other games on this night come to the same decision.
SSC Procedure: Though teams will have picked dates to do the make-up game, the SSC will choose the date. The SSC will reschedule these games on your regular league night at a later date as per the policy below. Games that do get played on this night will count in the standings and will not be rescheduled.
Please note that if a team does not show up to their rescheduled/make-up game, they will be charged with a default and the game will not be rescheduled.

Criteria for teams rescheduling games:

In all of the scenarios above, it is the responsibility of the defaulting team to be flexible on the rescheduling date, otherwise the game may not be played.
While they are at the field, teams must choose at least two dates to ensure that the SSC can book fields on one of the chosen dates.
Dates must be on a day other than your regular league night. If you choose to replay games on your regular league night, these may be played via a double header (i.e. a late game after the regular league games).
Dates must be 1 week prior to the start of playoffs.
Ultimate and Flag Football require an EC with equipment to be at the field. This logistic must be considered when deciding whether to play through the bad weather or to reschedule the games. Team captains should discuss the decision together; it is not up to the EC to cancel games.
If rescheduled games are not played at least one week prior to playoffs, the SSC reserves the right to record the score as a loss for both teams, or as a tie depending on the situation.

B. SSC CANCELLATIONS AND RESCHEDULING:

The SSC will rarely cancel games, but may do so due to extreme weather conditions. It is possible on any given night for some sports to be cancelled and others to be “on” based on the playing conditions of the applicable fields. If the SSC decides to cancel all games in one sport, the following will apply:

First Cancellation:

Slo pitch, Soccer, Grass Volleyball and Flag Football - The cancelled games will be rescheduled on a future date as a double header on the night that the division normally plays.
Ultimate and Beach Volleyball - BEFORE seeding is completed, the cancelled games will be played the following week.
Ultimate and Beach Volleyball - AFTER seeding is completed, the cancelled games will be made up by having teams play 3 matches per night for two weeks.

Second Cancellation:

All Sports - The games will be made up by extending the season by one week, or by playing extra games/matches in one day.

Third or More Cancellation:

All Sports – The SSC reserves the right to NOT reschedule these games. In this case, these games will be deleted from the schedule and teams will end up playing one less game than planned. Partial refunds will not be issued in this scenario.

Playoff Game Cancellation:

All Sports – The SSC will ensure that any playoff games that are cancelled will be rescheduled. Scenarios could include a double header, a season extension on your league day or playing on a day other than your regular league day.

C. RESCHEDULING GAMES WHEN TEAMS CANNOT PLAY:

If your team cannot make it to a game, out of respect to your opponent, please contact the SSC and we will let them know that you will not make the game. Any team that does not attend a scheduled game will be charged the $50 default fee and will receive a default loss in the standings.

4. SHARING TEAM CAPTAINS’ INFORMATION:

To adhere to the SSC privacy policy, we are unable to give out player information without permission. If a team contacts our office wanting to get in touch with their opponent about a game cancellation, we can give the opponent your message and/or your contact information at your request. The SSC will make every effort to find subs for a team short of players so that games can be played as scheduled; the more notice you provide, the better chance that the SSC can find subs. If your team does not meet the minimum required amount of players, you will be charged the default fee.

If the purpose of your message is to ask the other team if they are attending a game or trying to reschedule in advance, the SSC will not pass along the message. All teams are required to show up at the field as per the Rain or Shine Policy.

5. SPORT BY SPORT CRITERIA FOR DECIDING GAME OUTCOMES:

The SSC rulebooks on a sport by sport basis outline how to manage the game once it has started and bad weather hits. Please bring a copy of the complete rulebook to every game. See below for links to the rulebooks.

Grass Volleyball: http://www.calgarysportsclub.com/grass_volley/rules.shtml
Beach Volleyball: http://www.calgarysportsclub.com/beach_volley/rules.shtml
Soccer: http://www.calgarysportsclub.com/outdoor_soccer/rules.shtml
Ultimate Frisbee: http://www.calgarysportsclub.com/ultimate_frisbee/rules.shtml
Flag Football: http://www.calgarysportsclub.com/flag_football/rules.shtml
Slo-Pitch: http://www.calgarysportsclub.com/slo-pitch/rules.shtml

6. FITNESS CLASS AND TOURNAMENT POLICY:

Fitness Classes will take place rain, shine or snow. As a result, unless the weather poses a danger to the participants, fintess classes will never be canceled by the SSC. However, in poor weather it is up to the discretion of the trainers and the participants to determine whether or not it is safe to conduct a session. If the session is cancelled by a trainer due to dangerous conditions, the SSC will atetmpt to reschedule it.

SSC outdoor tournaments run as per the Rain or Shine Policy. All players are expected to arrive at the facility as scheduled unless notified by the SSC that the event has been postponed due to severe weather.

7. CALGARY FLAMES PLAYOFFS & STAMPEDE:

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPORTS

The SSC will not cancel the games on a Flames playoff night unless they are in the last game of the Stanley Cup final.

It has always been our policy to NOT reschedule games due to players’ Stampede commitments. If the Stampede will conflict with your end-of-season Spring games or your start-of-season Summer games, you should have plenty of advance warning to find subs and play the games as scheduled. If you do not have enough players to avoid a default, your team will still be charged with a default.

If you know in advance that your team will not be attending a game due to Flames Playoff or Stampede commitments, please contact the SSC office with as much notice as possible and we will notify your opponent.

OUTDOOR SPORTS ONLY

Some SSC teams are company based and during the Calgary Stampede have corporate obligations that prevent them from fielding a full team. Only during Stampede will the SSC help to reschedule a missed game if your opponents are available to do so. The default fee will still be charged and awarded to your opponent regardless of whether the game is rescheduled. If the game is rescheduled, the score of that game will count in the standings and not the original default score.