General

GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

 

PURPOSE

The athletic programs of the North County Parochial League exist to promote the spiritual, moral, social, and physical development of students guided by the teachings of the Catholic Church.

SPORTS OFFERED 

Fall

Winter

Spring

FORFEITS

A game will be considered forfeited if a team does not have the minimum number of eligible players within 15 minutes of scheduled game time or uses an ineligible player during the game. 

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to compete in the after-school interscholastic sports program, a player must meet the following criteria:

1)   All players must be enrolled in the parochial school they represent and be in the 8th grade or under.

2)   All Varsity players must be 14 years old or younger as of September 1st.

3)   All players wishing to play J.V. must be in the 6th grade or under and be 12 years old or younger on September 1st.

4)   It is recommended that all players maintain at least a 2.0 GPA with no "F" grades. Final eligibility decisions based on grades will be left to the individual school principal.

5) A student who has not attended school on a game day will not be allowed to participate in the game. Abuse of this rule will result in a forfeit.

6) Players may play for one team per sport only. The only exception is if, and only if, a varsity team is forced to forfeit or play without any substitutes, they may have a JV player fill in.

LEAGUE AND TOURNAMENT RULES

Teams will play approximately one game per week, and regular season play will consist of a single round robin schedule within the division plus a few interdivisional games when warranted. 

Final league standings will be based on the following:

1)   Overall win/loss record (assuming each team plays the same number of games)

2)  Head to head competition

3)  Win/loss record against common opponents

A single elimination playoff will be held after the regular season ends to determine the league champion. The 4th place team will play at the 1st place team; the 3rd place team will play at the 2nd place team. The winners will advance to the championship game, to be played at the highest seed when possible.

PROTESTS

Protests concerning an officials' judgment call will not be considered. Only protests concerning rule interpretation or player eligibility will be accepted. A $25.00 fee will be charged for all protests.

In case of rule interpretation, the coach must inform the official at the time of the incident that the game is being played under protest. A written protest must then be delivered to the league director within 48 hours. Protests will be upheld only if the official's interpretation was incorrect and the mistake was deemed to have affected the outcome of the game. In this case, the game will be replayed from the time of the protested incident.

In the case of player eligibility, a written protest must be delivered to the league director within 48 hours of the contest in question. If the protest is upheld, the offending team will be forced to forfeit the game, and all others in which the illegal player participated. The league maintains the right to check on player eligibility even in the absence of a formal protest.

SPORTSMANSHIP 

Before playing, it is expected that both teams come together to pray this pre-game opening prayer. 

Coaches, along with parents and other adults in attendance at games, are reminded that they serve as role models for their players and as such should be teaching the values of sportsmanship, teamwork, and cooperation. Their job is to ensure that the after‑school interscholastic sports program is a positive experience for all involved. Therefore, poor sportsmanship will not be tolerated. Any player or coach who is ejected from a game will be forced to sit out of the team's next game as well. In addition, the school's athletic director will investigate any reports of repeated poor sportsmanship, and with permission from the school principal, will retain the right to suspend players and/or coaches if necessary.

The after school sports program is not "win at all costs." It is expected that every player on a team will play in each contest. Final responsibility for enforcing this policy will be left with the individual schools. 

HEAD INJURY PROTOCOL 

An athlete suspected of having suffered a possible concussion will be kept out of play on the same day of the injury and until cleared by a healthcare provider. Please refer to this fact sheet for youth sports coaches from the CDC.

SCOREKEEPERS 

Providing scorekeepers is the responsibility of the schools involved in the contest. Each school will be responsible for having a scorekeeper at each of their games.

POSTPONEMENTS

Assume games are going to be played.

Postponements are strongly discouraged. However, it is possible that it may be necessary for a team to reschedule a game. In order to cancel referees you must give 24 hour notice to the league director.

In cases of inclement weather (see below), coaches will be notified if games have been postponed. If contests must be postponed, they will be rescheduled at the end of the season and the remainder of the schedule will be unaffected. 


WINNING TEAM AT HALFTIME

If a team is winning at halftime and the game is stopped or canceled, the score at the time becomes the final result. A postseason game tied at halftime will be rescheduled; a tie at halftime during the regular season remains a tie.


INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY

In the event of inclement weather, safety is our top priority. Inclement weather may include lightning, excessive heat, and poor air quality due to wildfires. Here is a link to the NCPL Inclement Weather Policy.