Club Hurling League Rules

HURLING LEAGUE RULES

Hurling Club of Madison

Adopted Spring 2009 with Latest Amendments Thursday, November 4, 2010

Official Rosters for League Play 
Each team participating in league play will have an official roster. The official team rosters will be kept by the club’s general manager during that season. The official roster is created through a draft among the team coaches. The official rosters may be changed at any time with approval by the club’s general manager.

League Game Rules 
Unless otherwise modified and formally entered into the Official Club Rules, all league games will be played according to the most current GAA Official Guide for Hurling.

Game Playing Conditions (effective 11/4/10) 
In the event of rain, unseasonably cold temps, high winds, poor field conditions or other adverse playing conditions it will be up to the GM to decide whether or not to hold a scheduled league match. The GM will base his decision on the following criteria (1) will playing under the conditions put any player at an unreasonably high risk of injury, (2) will playing under the conditions put the field at risk of being damaged to the point that it would not naturally return to the same or similar pre-game condition within a week’s time, (3) will playing under the conditions so adversely affect the play of the game that a true test of traditionally recognized hurling skill cannot be attained. If the answer to any of these three criteria cannot realistically be answered in the affirmative, the game must be rescheduled.

Choosing a Ref (effective 11/4/10)
Prior to the draft, the GM will identify all players who, in his sound judgment, have demonstrated an acceptable knowledge of the rules of hurling and an acceptable level of maturity to referee during the league season.  The coaches who draft players are to be given the list of those individuals who may be used as referees and should keep this in mind when drafting players in order to have a sufficient amount of potential referees to meet the team’s refereeing obligations. Unless consented to by the opposing coach, a team may not choose as its referee anyone who was not designated as a referee prior to the draft and may not designate as a referee anyone who is not capable of exerting the necessary physical effort to properly officiate the game.

Game Setup (effective 11/4/10)
Each week of league play, the team that is not designated as supplying the referee is responsible for setting up the team tents, scoreboard, goals, uprights, and lining the field with cones. If the team required to set up for the match fails to have all of these tasks substantially completed (according to the GM’s opinion) 30 minutes prior to the start of the game, then the team that failed to set up for the match in a timely fashion will be required to supply the referee for that game in addition to the games that that team is otherwise required to supply the referee. The team that is not scheduled to supply the referee for the next match is required to (1) tear down the tents, scoreboard, goals and uprights, and pick up all cones and equipment, (2) take possession of them for the time period before the next match, and (3) bring them to the next match to be set up by the team within the time limit described above. Failure of the team that is required to take down and take possession of the tents, scoreboard, goals, uprights, cones and other equipment to do so will result in that team being required to supply the ref for the next game in addition to the games that that team is otherwise required to supply the referee.

Ejection from Game 

First Ejection 
If a player is ejected from the game in the last 5 minutes of play he must sit out the first half of the next game that he attends, otherwise there is no further penalty.

Second Ejection
If a player is ejected a second time from a league game within the season or the season’s playoffs, he must sit out the next game that he attends during that season’s league games or playoffs. Note: a player must attend the game and sit on the sidelines and act in a respectful manner in order to deem the suspension served

Third Ejection
If a player is ejected a third time from a league game within the season he may not play any league or playoff games that season

Discipline 
If a member’s actions on the field are repeatedly unsafe and outside the rules; or

If a member’s actions are unacceptably confrontational with or disrespectful towards other players, spectators or the refereeing crew; or

If a member of the club violates the confidentiality requirements described below

A formal complaint may be filed verbally or in writing with the club’s general manager and is to be kept confidential. A person issuing a complaint must use the phrase “I am hereby submitting a formal complaint” or something of that nature to clearly communicate that the complaint is something more than general discussion. If the complaint is about the team’s general manager then the complaint is to be presented to the club’s coach and to be kept confidential. The confidentiality of the complaint is not only to be kept private among the officers but also by the complaining member as well.

Once a complaint is filed the general manager, coach, assistant coach and team recruiter shall meet to discuss the credibility of the complaint and determine what discipline, if any, is necessary. If the complaint is made regarding any of the four mentioned officers, then that officer will not be included in the meeting.

After discussion between the officers and investigation as needed is completed, a decision among the meeting officers shall be made regarding discipline. The decision made by the majority of the officers at the meeting shall be the final decision. If an officer chooses not to or is unable to participate in the meeting then he will not be counted when determining whether a majority has been reached. If a majority consensus cannot be reached, the general manager will make a final decision.

Discipline can range from a private warning to lifetime expulsion from the club.

If discipline is deemed appropriate, the general manager will inform the member of the decision. The member being disciplined is not entitled to know who made the complaint however he is entitled to know what the complaint was.

Whether or not discipline is deemed appropriate, the general manager will inform the complaining member of the discipline decision. The complaining member shall keep that discussion confidential.

If discipline that is of a non-private nature is levied upon a member, the general manager will inform the club in a manner he deems most appropriate. A non-private form of discipline need not be kept confidential by anyone.

Delay of Start to a Game 
Games shall start promptly at the scheduled time unless both coaches agree to delay the start time. It shall not be deemed discourteous for one coach to refuse his consent to a delayed start time and it will be deemed a form of disrespect for any member, player or coach to unreasonably protest to any refusal by a coach to grant a request for a delayed start to the game. If there is a subsequent game scheduled to be played on the same field that will have a delayed start time as a result, the start of the game may not be started more than 15 minutes late unless the coaches agree to shorten the playing time, shorten the half-time break, or otherwise make arrangements to ensure that the start of the subsequent game is not delayed by more than 15 minutes. If both coaches from the subsequent game are amenable to starting the subsequent game late by more than 15 minutes then the above described shortening of the halftime break or playing time need not be followed.

Tie Games 
At the end of regulation, if a game is tied, the teams will play two more 5 minute overtime halves with the teams changing sides and taking a 5 minute break in between halves. If the game remains tied after overtime then the game shall be ruled a draw unless the game is a playoff game. If a playoff game remains tied after overtime, a replay of the entire game shall be scheduled on a date and time agreeable to opposing coaches but is not to be delayed more than 7 days. If opposing coaches cannot agree on a date and time to play the replay match, the date and time of the replay match will be set by the club’s general manager. A team may utilize all eligible players on its official roster in the replay game, whether or not the player played in the playoff game that is being replayed. Any player that sits out of a playoff game that ends in a tie requiring a re-play of the match shall be treated, as it relates to eligibility and determination of whether he is to be credited for sitting out the game, as he would if the playoff game had not ended in a tie.

Teams with Limited Players 
The full amount of players that teams will play during league play shall be 9 players vs. 9 players unless otherwise set by the general manager at the start of that year’s league. The full amount of players may be increased by agreement of the coaches of the teams at the start of the game. A team may begin its game with as few as 8 players.  If by the time a game is scheduled to start (or by its delayed start time if such a delayed start time is arranged as described above) a team cannot field 8 players from its official roster then the team forfeits the match. At that time a scrimmage, with the short team using non-roster players, borrowed players, or the teams playing each other with fewer players (such as 7 v 7), may be played between the teams if the coaches choose however the result of the scrimmage will not be deemed an official league game. If neither team can field 8 players when the game is to begin, it is a draw or, if it is a playoff game, the game must be rescheduled as if it were a re-play match described above.

If a team is unable to field a team of 8 at any time after the game begins (due to injury, ejection, or otherwise) then that team must forfeit the match.

One team’s inability to field the full amount of players does not mean an opposing team that is able to field the full amount of players must play with less than the full amount of players.