ONTARIO RINGETTE ASSOCIATION G&T COORDINATORS HANDBOOK

Introduction ONTARIO RINGETTE ASSOCIATION G&T COORDINATORS HANDBOOK This handbook is intended as a resource for all G&T Coordinators for all regions. Included are the forms that a G&T Coordinator will need to use during the Ringette season. All of these forms will also be available at the ORA website. It is also mandatory that you make use of the Operating Manual available on the ORA website. The Rules of play for the tournaments, the Regionals and Provincials are available under the G&T section of the Operating Manual on the ORA website. Changes that have been approved at the Board level but have not yet been updated in the Operating Manual or on the ORA website are still considered to be in effect immediately following the Board meeting. As there is sometimes a time lag between the meeting and publishing of updates, it is vital to read all communications from the Committee Chair to ensure that the same rules are being applied throughout the Province. G&T Coordinator s addresses are given in the Contacts page of this manual. With all the information available to the G&T Coordinator, coaches and tournament Coordinators there should not be any excuses for not being informed. Good luck! Make lots of new friends and have new life experiences. Remember that you cannot make everyone happy. You are only doing the best you can for the region and province. You are a Regional G&T Coordinator Now what? As a Regional G&T Coordinator you are responsible for all of the Games & Tournaments activities regionally as well as being a member of the ORA G&T Standing Committee responsible for the Provincial aspects of the sport. You are expected to be familiar with: ORA Operating Manual G&T section ORA Operating Manual - Membership Services section ORA Operating Manual - Sports Administration - Chapters #1, #2, #3, #7 ORA Operating Manual Constitution - Bylaw #6 Regional Constitutions and By-Laws/Rules & Procedures As a Regional Coordinator you must find out what meetings you are responsible to attend or hold over the season. As a Provincial committee member there are 3 meetings held over the season, 2 Provincial Championships and 1 Provincial Event. January and August/September may only be Saturday, and April is Fri./Sat./Sun. You must make arrangements to have an appropriately prepared Substitute Regional G&T Representative if you are unable to attend any of the mandatory meetings. Provincial Championships are run by the ORA G&T committee, of which you are part. If you can make yourself available for at least one of these events, it will help the committee greatly. The O.R.A. Board of Directors determines who will participate. If a Provincial event is being held in your Region you or a designate are also expected to attend the committee meetings. Expenses for all meetings (meals & mileage) and approved expenses are paid by the group for which you are working at the time. Sometimes these may be combined and you will have to determine how to differentiate (ask your Region or G&T Chair if you have any questions). For ORA events the travel agent pays for hotels but you will be asked for a credit card on registering to cover any personal expenses. If you have no additional expenses i.e. phone calls or movies, then you will not be charged. For ORA events you can expect a cheque within approx. 1 month for payment of approved mileage and meals. When the ORA office sends out forms to be returned for meetings, etc. please send them back ASAP. This will determine whether the G&T Committee has enough members attending in order to hold the meeting. Once a committee has been confirmed as going to be held, you may book airfare through the approved travel agent if necessary if you reside in North East or Eastern Regions. 1

G&T IMPORTANT DATES for 2013/14 SEASON May 24 June 30 June 30 June 30 July 2 July 9 July 25 July 30 July 30 August 1 August 1 August 6 August 09-11 August 21 August 30 August 30 May Ringette Flash to association presidents, regional directors, G&T Committee, posted to web site Finalize update of G&T Handbook All sanction event applications to be received at the ORA office Regional G&T Coordinators to submit dates for Regional Championship to the ORA office Conference Call: to sanction events. Karla to post list of tournaments Circulate to G&T Committee top 6 tournament selections, ranked in order of preference for every AA team in Region include one tournament per Region except for North East. Also include total number of in and out of region tournaments team plans to attend and whether they want ranking games back loaded or as evenly distributed as possible. Finalize update of Sanctioning E Package Finalize update of Host Guide (Provincials) Circulate final core cost analysis for 2012 Provincial Events. Circulate to G&T Committee proposed budgets for AA, A and U12 Provincial Events Submit Reports for SCM G&T SCM Distribute Sanction E-mail package to be sent to tournament hosts, presidents, Regional Chairs and G&T Coordinators Finalize update to G&T Section of Operating Manual Finalize update to G&T Section of Website September 15 Regional G&T Coordinators must circulate to the G&T Committee the method by which their Region is going to select their Regional Rep for the A Provincial Event September 15 Collect top 6 tournament selections, ranked in order of preference for every A team in Region, including total number wish to attend in region, out of region and prior to December 1. Must include tournaments in a minimum of 3 regions. September 18 Circulate A team tournament selections to G&T Committee. September 19 U12 teams must submit to Regional G&T Coordinators their top 5 tournament selections in order of preference and they must include the total number of in region and out of region they wish to attend as well as team grids September 22 Regional G&T Coordinators must circulate to G&T Committee the list of top 5 tournaments selections for the U12 teams in order of preference as well as team grids and name of person to represent the Region on the U12 Committee 2

September 17-19 Conference Call: to schedule tournaments for A teams September 24-26 Conference Call: to schedule tournaments for U12 teams October 11 October Ringette Flash to head coaches, association presidents, regional directors, G&T Committee, posted to web site November 10 Remind all AA, A and U12 teams to complete on line intent to proceed form by Nov. 20 November 15 November 20 November 20 December 1 Dec. 3-5 December 15 January 15 January 22 Jan.24-26 January 20 Jan. 21 or 23 January 27 January 30 February 1 February 3 February 4 February 7-9 February 10 February 13 Regional G&T Coordinators circulate to G&T Committee names of all teams to be considered for reseeding. Deadline for all AA, A and U12 teams to complete on line intent to proceed form All U12 teams must do their best to attend their first tournament by this date Intent to Proceed Form with signatures and registration fees due to the Region Conference Call: for final reseeding process and for first sort of U12 Petite Provincial teams Team registration fees for Provincials for all AA, U12 and Regional Reps due at office All U12 teams must do their best to attend their second tournament by this date Submit Reports for SCM G&T SCM AA Provincial Event hosts should receive team registration fees less $5000 hold back Conference Call: for second sort of U12 s A Provincial Event hosts should receive team registration fees less $5000 hold back Regional G&T Coordinators must circulate to G&T Committee the updated budgets for the AA, A and U12 Provincial Events this is a condition of the ORA contract Team registration fees for all AA, U12 and Regional Reps due at ORA office Extra ice to be returned to City for AA Provincials February Ringette Flash to head coaches, association presidents, regional directors, G&T Committee, posted to web site Last tournament to count for rankings for AA Provincials Circulate names of A Regional Reps to G&T Committee Extra ice must be returned to the City for the A Provincials Feb. 14-16 Feb. 14-16 February 17 Last Tournament to count for rankings for the wild card selection Last tournament to count for rankings for A Provincials U12 Provincial Event Host should receive team registration fees less $5000 hold back 3

Feb.18 or 20 February 20 February 24 February 27 Conference Call: Determine Tiers for A Provincials Circulate to G&T Committee the updated budget for AA Provincial Event G&T Coordinators to have contacted U12 Petite Provincial Coaches for their input as to which teams they believe they are similar in skill set to and circulate to G&T Committee. Yvan to circulate recommendations to G&T Committee from U12 Committee as to which teams they believe have similar skill sets. Circulate to G&T Committee the updated budget for the A Provincial Event February28- March 2 Last tournament to count for rankings for U12 Petite Provincials March 1 March 3 March 4 March 5 9 March 11 March 12-16 March 13 March 20 March 31 April 2-6 April 7 April 16 April 18-20 April 28 Team registration fees for Provincials for A Wild Cards due at office Extra ice must be returned to the City for the U12 Petite Provincial Event Conference Call: ranking for U12 Petite Provincial AA Provincial Event in GCRA Final input from regions regarding seeding for U12 Petite Provincial Event A Provincial Event in Kitchener All U12 teams must have attended 2 tournaments, a minimum of 2 of which must be out of Region Circulate to G&T Committee the updated budget for the U12 Provincial Event Circulate to G&T Committee the financial statement for the AA Provincial Event U12 Petite Provincial Event in Sault Ste Marie Circulate to G&T Committee the financial statement for the A Provincial Event Submit Reports for SCM G&T SCM Circulate to G&T Committee the financial statement for the U12 Provincial Event 4

G&T COMMITTEE and O.R.A. CONTACTS CONTACTS 2013-2014 POSITION NAME E-MAIL G&T Chair Yvan Bélanger ybelanger@cogeco.ca Central Region Jamie Showers complete1@bellnet.ca Eastern Region Kathy Noxon noxon6@sympatico.ca Northeast Region Richard Spykerman NorthEast.gandt@spyke.ca Northwest Region Brian Shaunessy g.tsouthern@gmail.com Southern Region Nina Kavalinas nkavalinas@gmail.com Western Region Nancy Nicolson- Houghtling nhoughtling@gmail.com O.R.A. V.P. for G&T Mike Chaudet vptechnical@ontario-ringette.com O.R.A. Executive Director Mike Beaton ed@ontario-ringette.com O.R.A. Administrative Program Director Jessica Sauve admin@ontario-ringette.com O.R.A. Technical Program Director Karla Romphf tech@ontario-ringette.com Ontario Ringette Association: www.ontario-ringette.com RINGETTE WEBSITES Many other associations and leagues can be accessed by using the links available at the above sites 5

Seeding 101 Once the teams have been formed the Association Registrar completes a Team Registration Form. As part of this document the Association is required to indicate an Age Group (U7, U8, U9, U10, U12, U14, U16, U19, 18+ and 30+) and a level of play (recreational, regional C or B, Provincial or A or AA). Coaches are required to look over this form and sign it before it is handed in to the Regional Membership Services Coordinator prior to November 15th. After that the information regarding each team at each level is compiled into a chart, which is then published. A notice is sent out to the membership informing them that the chart is available and that each Association is responsible to verify the information found there. This is the FIRST opportunity for a coach or an Association to amend a team s seeding. Teams will be considered for reseeding based on the process for reseeding teams mid season document available on the ORA website. Each Region may have their own procedures and policies for the review of seeding for the Regional level teams. The Provincial G&T Committee is responsible for any changes in seeding at the "A" or "AA" level. While the region is responsible for bringing their regional teams and regional concerns to the Provincial body, this body is the ultimate authority for final provincial seeding. Current provincial practice allows a team to seed themselves higher than they perhaps are currently capable but not lower than their performance. For B and C teams only; where needed a FINAL Seeding review could be held in January/February. The process is the same as December but the outcome of the meeting is considered to be the FINAL opportunity for a team to be moved. The seeding chart is once again updated with any revisions and coaches are given 3 days to review and question any reseeding. This seeding and the team commitment deposit at the designated meeting form the basis for the scheduling of the Regional tournament and this should be commenced as soon as the seeding appeal timing has passed. Regional formats must follow any rules as laid out by that region and ORA. Every effort will be made to establish fair groupings providing equal competition meeting as much as possible. In every Regional Tournament some arbitrary decisions will occur to meet ice availability and team distribution. GENERAL INFORMATION The job of the Regional G&T Coordinator is to ensure that each team is given the opportunity to play at a competitive skill level as possible. The Regional G&T Coordinator is responsible to facilitate the process and arbitrate any disputes. This guide has been compiled as an easily accessible resource for all G&T Coordinators. Essential information and forms so teams in your region can achieve a successful Ringette season are noted below. The Rules of Play and Constitutions for all the Leagues, which operate in different Regions, are available from the leagues in which your teams are participating. A player may play on 2 teams under a Player agreement form, which must follow the rules as set down in the Operating Manual. This is administered by Membership Services & G&T Coordinators. The Games and Tournaments and Membership Services section(s) of the ORA Operating manual have been added as links to this document. This section contains all the rules for sanctioned events from eligibility, substitutions, and attendance to tie breaking, match/misconduct and excessive penalty assessment. Cited here are the most frequently used pages in the G&T section. http://www.ontario-ringette.com/administration/op_manual/documents/games%20and%20tournaments.pdf Also http://www.ontario-ringette.com/administration/op_manual/documents/membership Services Section.pdf Sanctioned Events: ORA Operating Manual G&T section 3. a. iii. Substitutions: ORA Operating Manual G&T section 3.c. vii. 6

Player Substitutes for Invitational Tournaments- All ORA sanctioned events must follow these substitution rules. Within Regions individual leagues may impose limits on the number of League games in which a player may be used as a Substitute. See also TRF Adjustment Form (Appendix G&T F-04). As the G&T Coordinator you are only responsible for the ORA sanctioned events. TRF Changes: Teams are able to make changes to the Bench Staff and Players on their original TRFs after they have been submitted to the ORA office by the association Registrar through the use of the Information Change Form. These changes can be made until January 8th of the current playing season. This form is not for Substitutions but for permanent changes and additions to teams (Appendix MF- 10) Tie Breaking: ORA Operating Manual G&T section 5. f. Ranking of Tied Teams Match and Misconduct Penalties: ORA Operating Manual G&T section 5. c. Match/Misconduct Penalties NOTE: Coaches and/or players that have been suspended WILL NOT be permitted to play in ANY scheduled league or tournament game until the suspension has been served and all prescheduled games count towards satisfying the suspension. If a match penalty is assessed against a player or member of the Bench Staff in O.R.A. sanctioned play, the player/bench staff shall receive an automatic two (2) game suspension for a match penalty assessed during play, to be served in the next two (2) regularly scheduled games, and an automatic three (3) game suspension for a match penalty assessed after the game, to be served in the next three (3) regularly scheduled games. The player/bench staff shall be suspended from any team until the full suspension is served with the team he/she was a member of when the penalty occurred. If a misconduct or a match penalty is assessed against a bench staff member, then that person shall not participate on any other team in a bench staff capacity until the suspension has been fully served. If a misconduct or match penalty is assessed against a person who participates in ringette as both a bench staff member and a player, then the secondary position will never be more severely punished than the position held when the penalty was assessed. When a bench staff member is asked to leave a game and no penalty is recorded on the game sheet, they are considered to have been assessed a misconduct penalty and he/she will be suspended for the next regularly scheduled game. Wild Cards: ORA Operating Manual G&T section 4. f. Wild Cards and Vacant Entries and g. Selection of Wild Card Entries. Injuries: Risk Management and Injury Form (Appendices M-F-13, M-F-14). This form should be completed whether immediate medical treatment is required or the potential for medical treatment exists. The latest updates for Bench Staff requirements from the Coaching Development are also made available to you. YOU MUST BE FAMILIAR WITH THESE RULES! 7

Application Process and Approval Guidelines For Sanctioned Events Application Process Applications are sent to the ORA office and then are circulated to the Regional G&T Coordinators. Associations have a deadline of June 30 th of the current year to submit the completed form and include the application fee. The June 30 th deadline will be enforced and any applications received after that date will be treated in a first come, first served manner and there are no guarantees of divisions or dates. Meeting the deadline with both the form and fee are requirements of approval. Associations that have a historic right to a weekend will be given rights of first refusal for divisions by the G&T Committee. Tournaments with the same historic rights will work with the G&T Coordinators and G&T Chair to resolve any conflicts before approval is granted. Approval Guidelines The application process must have been completed by the deadline, June 30 th. The association must be in Good Standing with the ORA and the Home Region. The association must have held a tournament the previous year on that same weekend (or according to municipal ice assignments of normal weekend) in order to maintain rights. New tournaments must have worked with G&T Coordinators to determine suitability of selected dates to avoid conflicts. Hosts that have been fined for Sanctioned Event Rule violations will be placed under review by the G&T Committee and are not guaranteed an event for the coming season even if they have met the application deadline. Divisions may be approved based on the association s ability to meet the following criteria: A host team in the division Meets the requirements of the G&T committee to have an event at that specific time to allow for Provincial level teams to qualify to attend a Provincial event, only in cases where there is no registered home team to take part Officiating is able to provide appropriately qualified referees to the event No other event offering that division within a two-week timeframe (one week before-one week after), only in cases where there is no registered home team to take part Adequate ice time allotted to the association by their municipality to ensure a positive experience for the teams AA events one event in the province per weekend; however the number of available teams, tournament options in that division and distance between the events will be taken into consideration. AA divisions will be assigned teams according to the list of 6 tournaments ranked in order of preference that AA coaches must submit to their Regional G&T Coordinators by July 25. Tournament Hosts may not accept more than 5 teams per division without approval of the G&T Chair in consultation with the Regional G&T Coordinators. A events one event per region per weekend. A divisions will be capped at 5 teams, and any increase to the capped number of teams must be approved by the Chair of G&T in consultation with the Regional G&T Coordinators. B & C events -- conflicts within a region can be resolved as long as they will not be impacting on each other. Each region may determine an internal policy for tournament s within their region. Where B&C conflicts cross-regional borders then they will be resolved using a 4 team procedure similar to that in use at the AA and A level. Tournaments do not have to be held on the same weekend to be deemed in conflict. All Event hosts must inform teams immediately once the division capped number is reached and teams are to be told to seek an alternate tournament option. 8

TOURNAMENTS All teams within Ontario who compete in sanctioned play are registered with ORA using a form called a TRF. Each team should carry a copy of this form with them at all times as proof of registration and proof of players registered for the team. All teams are registered with an age grouping and level of play. Within your Region your age grouping is determined by the age of your oldest player unless the your Region Executive has granted an exemption. Level of Play (AA, A, B, C) is determined initially at registration. During the Ringette season, the performance of the team will be continually observed and your level of play rating will be adjusted accordingly. Normally in Ontario, team seeding is a responsibility of the Games and Tournaments Coordinator. In this process, the team has first rights to pick its level of play. All games between two Ontario teams played outside the Province must be reported to your Regional G&T coordinator. This information will be shared with the other regions to assist in seeding teams within the province. Please help us make this work. Tournament listings are available on the ORA website (www.ontario-ringette.com/tournaments). The site is updated regularly throughout the season as changes to the original listing may occur. This list offers opportunities for all teams to experience tournament play at their competitive level throughout the province. Help coaches in your region to plan which events they should/ want to attend. For B/C teams the Regional Championship Tournament should be looked upon as the pinnacle for the team and the players. This tournament is designed to provide openings for every team in the region to compete at an equal level of play leading to the opportunity to win a medal at their seeding. Normally the Regionals are divided into B & C Championship. From time to time more levels are added to ensure availability of levels of play for all teams. These levels may include major/minor divisions. All AA teams may participate in the AA Provincial Championships. They will be required to complete both an online Intent to Proceed form as well as a hard copy Intent to Proceed form with signatures completed. For A teams, the goal within the Region may be the Provincial Qualifying Tournament (Prelims). These prelims are held to determine, as necessary, the Regional Representative for the Provincial Championships. Each Region and the Host Association is entitled to have one representative in each division at the Provincial Championship. For the 2014 season it has been determined that a maximum of 14 teams per the U19 Belle and 18+ Open divisions may participate. A maximum of 21 teams per the U14 Tween and U16 Junior divisions may participate. From time to time not all Regions or Hosts have qualified teams to fill the divisions. These spots become open to Wild Card teams. Representation by a team at the Provincial Championship is determined by guidelines set out by the region. It is the responsibility of each team to make sure they comply with the rules governing those events. Please check the ORA web site for more information. Up to a maximum of 7 18+ Open A teams who register to participate in the 18+ Open A Jacks division will play at the AA Provincial Championships. Should more than 7 teams register for the Jacks division, they will be ranked according to tournament performance and those ranking lower than 7 th will be invited to attend the A Provincial Championships. This will be discussion at August SCM. All A teams will be required to complete both an on line Intent to Proceed form and a hard copy Intent to Proceed form with signatures completed if they intend to participate in the Regional Qualifier, Provincials and/or the Wild Card Selection Process. All U12 Petite Provincial teams may participate in the U12 Petite Provincial Event. They will be sorted into pools of similar skill sets as per the Process for Sorting the U12 Petite Provincial Division available on the ORA website. They will be required to complete both an on line Intent to Proceed form and a hard copy Intent to Proceed form with signatures completed. 9

A team s level of play as mentioned in the seeding paragraphs above determine the tournaments the team can enter. Teams can only apply for tournament entrance at their current level of play. If a team wishes to enter in a different age grouping or level of play, they must have written permission from their Regional G&T Coordinator and you must insure that the tournament host informs all other teams of their attendance and qualifications. When applying for entrance into a tournament, team must submit a copy of their TRF. This TRF must be as submitted to ORA. If a team has any special qualifications or differences such as an over age player written permission from Regional Coordinator must be attached to their TRF and again the host must inform all teams in that division. Before a team accepts entry into a tournament they must make the necessary commitment to have sufficient bench staff and players. Most tournaments do not give refunds once a team has been accepted. Be aware that many tournaments may be scheduled to begin early Friday and some may even begin earlier in the week. The substitution rules are clearly defined in the ORA Operating Manual G&T Section and you and the coaching staff must be aware of these rules and how they apply to your circumstances. If there is any doubt, contact the G&T Chair for assistance. You must also be aware of any special rules on substitutions that your association and/or conference may have in place. It should be noted that no substitutions are allowed in any but the most extreme circumstances at the Regionals and the Provincials. Substitutions at Provincials must be approved by the G&T Chair in consultation with the G&T Committee. When coaches arrive at a tournament they will be required to register their team. At this time they must fill out a TRF adjustment for any Players/Bench staff who will not be there or who are changes from your TRF. Again these must follow the ORA G&T rules. All of these forms are sent to the G&T committee and any violations of the rules can lead to the team and the bench staff losing the right to compete at further tournaments. All substitutions must be qualified. REMEMBER THERE IS NO SUCH POSITION AS WOMAN ON THE BENCH! The required female presence must hold one of the following Coach, Assistant Coach, Trainer or Manager and must be fully qualified for the position they are filling. They must also be registered with ORA. Information on the proper qualifications can be found in the ORA Operating Manual Coaching Section. A copy of this manual is available on the ORA web site. If there is any doubt, contact the Region Coaching Coordinator for assistance. Once in a tournament, whether they are competitive or not, the team must compete in all scheduled games. Failure to do so will be dealt with at a host and a region level. Before entering the tournament the responsibility is on you to be aware of the calibre of teams that the host has invited. If you have questions in this regard the G&T Coordinator for the host region should be able to provide comparative ratings. All complaints about a tournament should be put in writing to the host committee with copies to the G&T Coordinator of your region and the G&T Coordinator for the region in which the tournament was held. During the tournament, if any member of a team has an injury, a person from that team must complete a Risk and Injury form (Appendices M-F-13, M-F- 14). This form should be completed whether immediate medical treatment is required or the potential for medical treatment exists. Not only does this provide documentation of the incident in case of further consequences but it also allows Ringette to gather information which will be valuable in the future for preventing similar injuries from occurring. It is within the rules of ORA for a player to be signed on an A or AA TRF while signed to a B/C level TRF either in the same or a different association. A two-team playing agreement also falls under the same current association rules that govern player releases in a Region. In all cases the coaches of the teams, the player concerned and a parent or guardian must have signed a 2-team playing agreement (Appendix G&TF- 02M-F-02). This document must spell out the rules for division of the player s participation between the two teams. Any subsequent dispute must be brought to the Membership Services Coordinator for resolution. It should be noted that regardless of the contract or arrangements made at no time may a player play in two provincial championships or in two tournaments on the same weekend or for two teams in the same tournament. 10

TOURNAMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR G&T It is your responsibility to monitor all of the sanctioned events approved within your region. This includes monitoring the pre-package, the event happenings, and the post-package. Ensuring that all Provincial results are circulated as needed and that the payment is given to the Region treasurer in a timely fashion so that the appropriate portion can be sent to the ORA office. Keeping on top of these can take a lot of time. If you have a committee train them to administer specific events so that it does not all fall on your shoulders. Applications come to the ORA office and then are circulated to the Region Coordinator. Conflicts must be resolved before they can be posted on the ORA website. An association in good standing may apply for a sanctioned event. Any other body must have prior approval from the ORA G&T Committee. The following are guidelines: In all events teams may not be held hostage on a waiting list. Tournament Hosts may not accept teams beyond their registration limits without approval of the G&T Chair in consultation with the G&T Committee for AA and A divisions. Tournaments Hosts may not accept teams beyond their registration limits without approval of the Regional G&T Coordinator in consultation with the G&T Committee for B and C divisions. It is not the choice of the Host to accept a team that states that this is the only tournament that they wish to attend. This is the team s decision and if they choose not attend any tournament, so be it. B&C conflicts within a region can be resolved as long as they will not be impacting on each other. Each region may determine an internal policy for tournament s within their region. Where B&C conflicts cross Regional borders then they will be resolved using the same procedure as in the A and AA divisions. Tournaments do not have to be held on the same weekend to be deemed in conflict. A events rule of thumb only one per region per weekend-.where there are two or more events being held the same weekend the following guidelines have been adopted: Each association is to cap the overlapping divisions at 5 teams and must inform teams that they should look to another tournament. AA events one event is usually the rule of thumb within the province on a weekend; however the number of available teams, tournament options in that division and distance between the events will be taken into consideration. Make sure that each host has received the tournament sanction package and understand the requirements... This may be done by holding a meeting or sending it out and following with a phone call. E-mails can be very handy but there are times when a phone call can solve a lot of questions. Schedules must be followed as per the package. When teams travel in or out-of province an ORA Out-Of-Province form must be completed. If they are entering Ontario, the host is responsible for ensuring that this form is completed and submitted. When teams come into Ontario you will have to do some homework to assist the host with the appropriate age group and level of play. Playing Rules must be followed as per the ORA G&T Section of the Operating Manual. Any changes must be approved in writing by the Region G&T Coordinator. Scheduling: It is recommended that whenever possible, a team not be scheduled to play less than three hours after the end of the previously scheduled game and that there be no more than eight hours between the end of the previously scheduled game and the scheduled beginning of the next in the same day. It is also recommended that whenever possible, a team not be scheduled to play less than twelve hours after the scheduled end of their last game on the previous day. Teams at U12 and below are not to be scheduled for more than 2 games per day. In divisions where there is a four game guarantee, all four games must be part of the round robin format. In divisions where there is a three or four game guarantee, all three or four games must be part of the round robin format. Tournament schedules must be approved by the Provincial G&T Committee prior to posting. If you can attend (or have a designate attend) your job is one of monitoring. (i.e. ensuring results are being posted correctly and that the tie breaking rules are posted and followed). 11

Summer Ringette and Other Special Events Summer Ringette leagues have some unique issues. Some teams are disbanded for the summer and some may have already had try-outs for the following season.. Provincial Events The G&T Committee are responsible for monitoring the hosts to ensure that everything is progressing well. This is assisted by ensuring that the Region G&T Coordinator of the host association is invited to all of the meetings. The Chair of the Region also should be asked to attend. Between the 2 you can assist the committee with any questions they may have. Ensure that the whole committee has a copy of the Provincial Host Guide and follow the required timelines. Submission of the minutes from the planning meetings and the updated budgets for the Provincial Events to the G&T Committee are a requirement in the Host Contract. It is the G&T Coordinator s job to ensure that everything is set up to declare the region representatives for provincials. The method being used to determine this must be decided by Sept. 15 th of that playing season. You must collect any fees and ensure that the ORA office receives payment by February 1 st of the current playing season for all teams in your Region that are confirmed to attend a Provincial event. Fees for any teams that are qualified after the initial fee deadline must be paid immediately upon confirmation of their attendance. At Provincials G&T administer the event. This will include ensuring that the registration desk is operating well and that any questions from bench staff are answered by G&T, post scores on results boards, attend coaching meeting, and attend nightly meetings when necessary. The 14 teams attending A Provincials in the U19 and 18+ divisions and the 21 teams at U14 and U16 divisions will be divided into groups of 7 according to rankings. Host teams and one team per Region per division will be guaranteed the opportunity to participate in Provincials, but not necessarily in the top tier. FORMS and DOCUMENTS Games and Tournaments Section ORA Operating Manual http://www.ontario-ringette.com/administration/op_manual/documents/oragt.pdf Sanction Event List Forms TRF Adjustment Form http://www.ontario-ringette.com/administration/documents/gtf07.pdf Information Change form (TRF) http://www.ontario-ringette.com/administration/documents/mf10.pdf 2 teams Player Agreement http://www.ontario-ringette.com/administration/documents/gtf02.pdf Bench Staff Code of Contact http://www.ontario-ringette.com/administration/documents/cf01a.pdf Out of Province Play request http://www.ontario-ringette.com/administration/documents/gtf08.pdf Regional - Intent to Proceed to Provincial / Wild Card Regional - Intent to Proceed to Regional Risk Management & Safety Incident/ Accident Form http://www.ontario-ringette.com/administration/documents/mf13.pdf 12

G&T Policies & Procedures AA Ranking AA teams in the U14, U16 and U19 divisions will be ranked using the following format: All teams must attend 4 tournaments. At least two of these must be out of Region and in two different Regions. All AA teams must submit a list of 6 tournaments that they wish to attend; one must be in each of Central, Eastern, Southern and Western, ranked in order of preference by July 25 th. The G&T Committee will assign ranking games based on these lists. Failure to provide the list of tournaments on time will result in the team being assigned to tournaments as fits the requirements of the G&T Committee. Wild Cards Stats Playing out of registered division of level i.e. B team playing in an A sanctioned tournament stats do not count (if the team is later re-seeded to A then the stats will count for both teams) Non-eligible teams for Provincials scores do not count examples are: Region rules not complete for teams to attend A B team playing in an A division A U16Jr. A team playing in a U19Belle A division If a team applies to a tournament in good faith and ends up due to scheduling issues only playing against out of age/division teams the tournament counts for a tournament but stats do not count When a team applies for a tournament in good faith and ends up playing in another division the results only count if another team from their age division and level play against them that game (s) will only count When a cancelled game (due to weather) occurs, the game will not count as a tie because it was not an actual game played When a game is a forfeit treat the same as a cancelled game above A team that does not intend to go to Provincials but does attend some events-those results will count When a team is moved to a different division/level of play their stats become null and void against the previous group and only keep any against the new group. Only round robin games will count towards points in the ranking process. Invitational Tournaments Playing in one event only is for the safety of the players Breaking Substitution Rules in certain circumstance an exception to the from own association rule may be necessary i.e. teams from that association are all entered into their own tournament subs have to come from outside as the not playing on 2 teams in the tournament rule is for the safety of the player Make sure that any out of division/level team(s) are clearly identified when recording scores Absolutely no goalie substitutes playing on two teams in an event on a weekend We, G&T Coordinators, do not deal in What ifs for tie breaking or any other hypothetical situation that may be dreamed up. Notify the appropriate Regional G&T Coordinator of any Substitutes being used in a tournament. Any suspensions that arise from a penalty must be reported immediately to the appropriate Regional G&T Coordinator (even if the suspension was served in the tournament). All tournaments for age divisions U12 and higher are required to use shot clocks. The use of shot clocks at U10 and lower is not permitted. Shoot Outs are never permitted. 13

Mini-Games at Provincials Notification of mini-game info once known to: o Person responsible for the printing of game sheets o Person responsible for the scheduling of the minor officials (shot clock/timekeeper/scorekeeper) o Arena staff re: time, procedures for flood between 10 min. periods & overtime o Officiating Chair/Designate o No early starts o Dressing room problems try to use a side by side that can be used and teams can walk to when dressed Meeting Agendas August/September Planning, Preparation for the Season, Tournament Sanction packages, Assigning of AA Ranking Games January Provincials Preparation, Seeding of Teams, Budget April - Changes for the next season, Changes to the Operating Manual, G&T Chair Responsibilities Report monthly to ORA Board VP in charge of G&T Liaise with G&T Coordinators biweekly/monthly to discuss any issues that arise Prepare annual timelines and ensure that they are met Review monthly G&T financial reports from ORA 14

Appendix A G&T Agenda for Coaches Meeting 1. Introductions of G&T Committee members in attendance 2. Sign in all teams must be represented by at least one bench staff member. Contact names and phone numbers for use in case of emergencies can be collected at sign in OR from the online registration system. We do not relay scores, etc. 3. Each bench staff going on the bench must sign in individually. Please do not put all of the names in by one person. Name must be in the appropriate spot or have a position noted beside the name. 4. Cross off all players not participating, once you are sure that they will not be coming. Indicate Goalies/Captains/Assistants and include jersey numbers. If an injured player is on the bench; the initial Inj. must be indicated on the score sheet. Any additions of players must be pre-approved by the G&T Chair in consultation with the G&T Committee. In some cases, not all bench staff members will fit on the game sheet. As long as the names of bench staff members being added are included in the event program, then they have been verified as qualified to participate on the bench and you can simply make the change. If their name has not been included in the event program, then their addition must be approved by the Coaching or G&T Committee Chair. Make sure that you note the position if it is a spot that denoted another position. There will be no TRF Adjustment forms available. 5. Any errors in rosters must be reported to G&T immediately. TRFs and ICFs will be required to prove player registration. Coaches may be required to present their proof of certification. 6. Labels MUST NOT be used over pre-printed game sheets. 7. No unqualified bench staff in the area Ineligible bench staff cannot be perceived as coaching from the stands. Photographers may be given access from time to time at discretion of the referee. 8. Trophies will be given back immediately after pictures to the G&T Coordinator or returned to the registration desk. It will be needed for the next presentation. 9. Sportsmanship ballots must bring key and sportsmanship form and get keys and game sheet. No comments or ½s or zeros. Rate by put initials make sure you take the correct form. The person completing the form initials and turns it in with dressing room key to get game sheet and car keys in return. 10. Code of Conduct must have been signed by all bench staff. Anyone found to be in violation of this will be required to meet with the discipline committee and could have further suspensions. 11. Any coaching questions will be referred to coaching designate and officiating to the officiating chair or designate or an officiating supervisor. Otherwise there will be a G&T person at each site (barring any problems) to go to see. 12. The tie breaking will not be done until the last game involving the tied teams. I will be at to determine these games. Mini-games will be held if it means sending a team home instead of proceeding. All rules including the mini-game rules are included in the ORA Operating Manual G&T section. All teams involved in mini-games must be represented in a meeting with me/designate immediately after the last game involving the tied teams. Example: 3 way tie for second no minigame; 3 way tie for 3 rd - determine third by tie-breaking and the other 2 will play a mini game to decide who stays and who goes. Mini games are scheduled for Saturday night at arena. 15

13. Mini game and tie-breaking rules will be posted next to the stats boards. G&T will discuss the rules but not what if situations until it is time to complete them. 14. Teams must be ready to go on the ice 10 min. before the scheduled time except for the first game of the day (first scheduled game of the day refers to the first scheduled game of the day at the facility is not team s first game), after slush ice and any play-off games on Sunday. Teams cannot go on the ice any earlier. The warm up time will begin at the 10 min. early mark. 15. There will be 3 min. warm up buzzers. At 2:30 a whistle/buzzer will indicate time to have cheers, etc. At end of warm up the teams must be ready to play. Missing part or the entire warm up does not allow for any delay in the start. 16. All games are played to a winner at the AA and A Provincial Championships. Regular period time overtime period sudden victory. Time on clocks will be set at 15 min for any overtime periods. At AA this will be 20 minutes for the U16 and U19. There will not be overtime during the round robin games at the U12 Petite Provincial Event. 17. Warm up areas as designated by host remember the warm-up area is a privilege not a right. There must be an adult supervising at all times. This should not be taking place where there is spectator traffic and other building users up to facility rules. No music in the pads. 18. If horns or noise- makers are interfering with the game and the person is asked to stop it will be the team s responsibility to ensure that they do or they will be ejected. 19. Statistician Player stats will be done as often as possible. They will not be changed unless an error in inputting occurred. Any errors in who scored the goals or wrong shirt numbers must be addressed with the referees immediately following the game. 20. If there are shot clock problems, all attempts will be made to get them going before the game continues. If not possible the game will continue without one. 21. Handshakes are mandatory between all players and coaches. It is highly recommended that coaches not be allowed on the ice. Bench staff need to have a helmet if on the ice. 22. Schedule issues 23. No piling on goalies at the end of the game. No climbing on the net for pictures. Safety First! 24. Any issues please put in writing so that they can be addressed at the April meeting. Anything after that may not be able to deal with. 16

Appendix B Fines for hosts are as follows: 1. Host not submitting tournament rules a minimum of three weeks prior to the first day of the tournament. - $100.00 2. Host not submitting tournament schedule a minimum of three weeks prior to the first day of the tournament. - $500.00 3. Host not submitting list of teams, level of play and ORA team number a minimum of three weeks prior to the first day of the tournament. - $100.00 4. Host not electronically submitting the matrices showing the final results within five days of the completion of the tournament. - $500.00 5. Host not submitting list of officials within two weeks within two weeks of the completion of the tournament. - $100.00 6. Host not submitting safety audit forms a minimum of three weeks prior to the first day of the tournament. - $100.00 7. Host accepting over approved number of teams. - $100.00 for violation and $25/team over approved number 8. Host not submitting tournament game sheets (white copy) within two weeks of the completion of the tournament. - $100.00 9. Failure to submit Sanction Event Fees within two weeks of the completion of the tournament.- $50.00 10. Failure to notify O.R.A. office of interprovincial play. - $50.00 11. Host posting tournament schedule without G&T Committee Approval - $500.00 12. The use of shootouts for anything other than 3 on 3 tournaments - $500.00 13. Host advertising specific details (date, divisions and team registration fees) prior to receiving approval - $100 14. Host not submitting a summary of substitution and suspension information within 5 days after the tournament - $100 15. Any association fined for violation of sanction rules shall be under review by the G&T Committee to determine whether they shall retain the right to host another O.R.A. Sanctioned Event. Fines for Associations or teams are as follows: 1. Using the A or AA or 1 or 2 designation at the U12 Petite Provincial level on apparel, websites, tournament schedules or anywhere else - $250 2. Using the B or C designation at the U9 or U10 levels on apparel, websites, tournament schedules or anywhere else - $250 3. Associations withdrawing from the Provincial Championships after the withdrawal deadline: December 31 st of the current season - $1000 in addition to the Team Entry Fee Fines for teams are as follows: 1. Team found to have played in wrong age division. - $50.00 2. Team found to have played in wrong competitive level. - $50.00 3. Team found using the same substitutes in more than one tournament. - $50.00 4. Team found to have used more than three (3) substitutes in the same event. - $50.00 5. A team found not to have produced a copy of their T.R.F. at tournament registration. - $50.00 6. A team found not to have filled out a T.R.F. Adjustment Form at tournament registration when such form was required. - $50.00 7. Team participating in regularly scheduled games while under O.R.A. suspension. - $50.00 8. Teams who use of ineligible substitute. - $50.00 17

Appendix B 9. Teams found to have a T.R.F. not registered at the O.R.A. office before participating in a Sanctioned Event. 10. Teams who fail to provide a second set of jerseys at a Provincial Event - $500 11. Teams who fail to have numbers visible on the front and the back of the jerseys - $100 Fines for players/ Bench staff are as followed: 1. Player/Bench Staff/On-ice Official found not to have paid either or all affiliate program fees, O.R.A. dues, or O.R.A. insurance fee (or equivalent). - $50.00 2. Player found to have played in wrong age division. - $50.00 3. Player found to have played in wrong competitive level. - $50.00 4. Player found to have played in more than one Provincial Championship. - $50.00 5. Player found to have played for more than one team in the same event. - $50.00 6. Bench Staff/Officials found to have incorrect qualification. - $50.00 7. Player/Bench staff participating in regularly scheduled games while under O.R.A. suspension. - $50.00 8. Any Player/Bench Staff/Official fined for violation of sanction rules shall be under review by the appropriate Committee, to determine whether they shall retain the right to participate in another O.R.A. Sanctioned Event. (i.e: Coaching Coordinator reviews Bench Staff, Officiating Coordinator reviews Officials). Should we include something like: The consequences for non-compliance regarding any G&T rule will be a fine of up to a maximum of $500 unless otherwise specified? 18