WaterPolo By-Laws

1. OFFICIAL RULES
A. The National Federation of State School Association Rules for Boys and Girls Competition shall be followed.

2. STARTING DATE AND PRACTICE
A. Organized practice shall not begin prior to the starting date assigned to all teams by the Blossom Valley Athletic League Board of Managers.

B. Organized practice shall be defined as a practice which is attended by the coach and players at which the coach directs, instructs and drills the player, players and/or the team.

C. Days of the week that practice may be held will follow the C.I.F. rules and the general by-laws of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. There are no Saturday practices once league begins.(4-99)

3. OFFICIAL COMPETITION
A. Official competition shall be conducted in the Varsity and Junior Varsity classifications for girls and Varsity and Frosh/Soph for boys.(4-99)

B. No seniors will be allowed on the Junior Varsity team.

C. Once a player moves up to the Varsity in any game, after the first league game, they must remain at the varsity level in league games for the rest of the season.

D. All teams will follow the C.I.F. rules and the general by-laws of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

E. Any player who receives any subsequent misconduct ejection in a season shall be excluded from participating in the next three regularly scheduled matches

E.1 Any player who receives his/her second brutality ejection of the season, shall be excluded from participating in the remainder of

E.2 Any player ejected from any CCS play-off contest because of flagrant misconduct or unsportsmanlike behavior shall be

excluded from participating in the remainder of the playoff contests in that sport during that season and his/her team shall be

subject to further sanctions, as deemed appropriate by the CCS Commissioner. If the CCS playoff contest from which the

player was ejected is the last contest of the year for that team, the disqualified player shall also be ineligible for at least his/her

team's first regularly scheduled league contest the following year. Official(s) ejecting the player will automatically be required

E.3 Any school principal may appeal the disqualification to the CCS Commissioner if they believe that the student was ejected

due to an error in identification. The CCS Commissioner, in conjunction with the league commissioner for that school shall review the

F. A player may move up from F/S or JV to Varsity for tournament play and return to lower level play, regardless of when league play starts. (5/27/04)

4. MEET LIMITATIONS
A. No team or player, Varsity or Junior Varsity/Frosh Soph shall exceed 30 contests per season prior league championships. (10/19/02)
B. Tournament play: The game count in each tournament will follow the guidelines established by the CCS by-laws.

C. Scrimmages shall count as a game and shall be included in the game limit.

1. A scrimmage is defined as a practice or athletic exhibition wherein teams from different schools participate and compete without the benefit of officials and without regards to score and /or time period.

2. Each team is allowed by CCS one scrimmage that does not count against the 30 game limit. After using that one scrimmage, all additional scrimmages shall count as games and shall be included in a teams game limit. (5/26/05)

5. DUAL MEET REGULATIONS
A. The Varsity will play 7 minute quarters and the Girls Junior Varsity and Boys F/S will play 5 minute quarters. (5/24/01)

B. The recommended game ball is any regulation size ball that is recommended by the National Federation.

C. CAPS: There will be no forfeit of games for the improper color of caps without prior approval of the BVAL Executive Board.

6. SCHEDULE
A. A round robin schedule will be played by both the Varsity and Junior Varsity and Frosh/Soph teams (5/26/05)

7. VARSITY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
League championship shall be determined by a point system as follows:
A. Points for round robin competition wins.
1. One (1) point for each round robin win.

B. League championship shall be determined by results from the round robin play. (5/25/06)

C. If there is a tie teams will share the championship and the team placing highest in the league tournament will be the automatic qualifier to CCS.(4-99)

8. FROSH/SOPH BOYS-JUNIOR VARSITY GIRLS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
League championship shall be determined by the results of the dual meet season.(4-99)

9. C.C.S. LEAGUE PLACEMENT
The order of placement for at-large openings for C.C.S. post-season tournament shall be based on the point system established by the C.C.S. Board of Directors for All League teams other than the league champion..The 1st and 2nd place winners of the 12 team league finals tournament, will be the BVAL automatic representatives for CCS. ( For 2006 please see entry requirements as established by the CCS.

10. AWARDS
A. Championship certificates shall be given to each member of the championship team at both the Varsity and Junior Varsity-Frosh/Soph levels. provided four schools or more participated. (12/1/05)

B. There will be nine (9) first-team and nine (9) second-team All League Awards for both the Varsity, Junior Varsity - Frosh/Soph (4-99) levels. In addition the Varsity will receive 5 special recognition awards: MVP, SR.,JR., SOPH, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year. (5-25-00)All League players will be selected in the following manner:

1. Coaches shall select their own players, the number of which is determined by allotment as follows:

First Team Second Team

Allotment	First Team	Second Team
1st Place	2	2
2nd Place	2	2
3rd Place	2	2
4th Place	1	2
5th Place	1	1
6th place	1	1

11. VARSITY PLAYOFFS
A. The playoffs shall be organized by the Water Polo Chairman under the supervision of the Commissioner. A budget will be submitted to the Commissioner one month prior to League Finals for approval.
B. The playoffs shall normally be scheduled one week after the last regular season game.

C. The playoffs shall be operated in the following manner:
All teams of the round robin shall enter the playoffs and the parings shall be as follows:

The #1 and the @2 teams in both divisions will receive a bye in the first round of the 12 team tournament. If there is a tie refer to section 12 of the by laws.

1. ST #3 vs MH #6 5. MH # ! vs winner of game 1 9. Winner of game 5 vs winner of game 8

2. ST #4 vs MH# 5 6. MH # @ vs winner of game 2 10. Winner of game 6 vs winner of game 7

3. ST #5 vs MH#4 7. ST #! vs winner of game 3 11. Winner of game 9 vs winner of game 10

4. ST#6 vs MH#3 8. ST #2 vs winner of game 4 12. Loser of game 9 vs loser of game 10

D. Admission will be charged for League Finals - Please see constitution for fees. (4-99)

12. METHOD FOR BREAKING TIES IN ROUND ROBIN STANDINGS
A. Two teams tied for the same place: If one team has defeated the other team in round robin play, that team shall be designated the place team and the other team shall be the next place team.
1. If a tie remains the second tie breaker is goal differential head to head.
2. Third tie breaker is goals given up in league competition.
3. Fourth tie breaker is a coin toss. (12/02/04)

B. More than two teams tied for the same place: The team with the best goal differential, among the tied teams, shall be the highest placed team. (see #12 A) (12/042/04)