EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1, 2024

 

PREFACE

 

THIS REGULATIONS MANUAL, which is updated annually, serves as the official rules and guidelines by, between and among the Foundation for Interscholastic Youth Athletics (FIYA) and the schools that participate in FIYA.  School administrators are encouraged to review the contents of this Regulations Manual and ensure that its school’s constituents are aware of the applicable provisions.

 

 ARTICLE I – GENERAL PROVISIONS ABOUT FIYA

 

1. Name:  The legal name of this organization is Foundation for Interscholastic Youth Athletics, doing business as FIYA.  FIYA is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization formed in August 2011 under the nonprofit laws of the State of California.

 

2. Role:  FIYA serves as a full-service governing body for interscholastic youth sports offered to elementary schools with a strong emphasis on middle schools (or grades 6, 7 and 8) in Los Angeles County and surrounding areas (hereinafter “Schools”).

 

3. Vision & Mission:  The creation of FIYA fulfills a vision that Schools with a well-balanced athletic program will produce better educated youth for society.  FIYA intends to fulfill its vision by working directly with Schools in Los Angeles County and surrounding areas to offer athletic opportunities to its student athletes and to assist schools by helping develop their athletic programs. In short, FIYA’s mission is strengthening schools through sports.

 

4. Values:  In order to achieve its vision and carry out its mission, FIYA shall govern itself it accordance with the following value statements: (i) Child-centered – FIYA always will be guided first and foremost by what is best for the children in the program; (ii) Positive and Enthusiastic – as youth sports are meant to be fun, FIYA shall conduct itself in a positive and upbeat manner at all times; (iii) Fairness and Integrity – FIYA shall treat all participants fairly, honestly and with transparency in accordance with its policies; and (iv) Quality - our focus is on the people we serve and we will strive for excellence through self-evaluation and continuous improvement.

 

5. Objectives:

o   To provide a quality youth sports program for elementary schools.

o   To tie a youth’s athletic experience with education, thereby creating a well-rounded individual for society.

o   To encourage schools to get parents involved with sports, thereby strengthening the school’s support system.

o   To develop community spirit, school spirit, team spirit and personal esteem.

o   To teach youth about sportsmanship, competition, teamwork and perseverance.

o   To provide as many athletic opportunities to appeal to as many youth as possible.

o   To always keep youth active and to teach about proper exercise and nutrition in a fun and positive environment.

 

ARTICLE II – SCHOOL MEMBERSHIP IN FIYA

 

Membership:  Any School within Los Angeles County and surrounding areas may seek to participate in FIYA.  To officially join FIYA as a participating School member, a School should:

 

(i)  establish a School athletic program and maintain communication with FIYA;

 

(ii)  ensure that its administrators, coaches, student athletes and spectators adhere to the regulations promulgated herein in order to maintain good standing; and

 

(iii)  register for FIYA Athletic Events of interest, become familiar with the specific rules and regulations of said Athletic Event and adhere to them and to the schedule provided by FIYA.

 

In addition, by registering for any Athletic Event, a school acknowledges and agrees as a condition to its membership to the following:

 

A. School’s Waiver of Claims Against FIYA:  By participating in FIYA's Athletic Events, a School hereby waives, releases, acquits, and forever discharges FIYA, its officers and directors, collectively and individually, and any and all persons directly or indirectly associated with FIYA ("FIYA Group"), from any and all acts, causes of action, claims, demands, damages, costs or expenses on account of or which may in any way develop out of any and all known and unknown personal injuries or property damages which any player, coach, administrator or spectator from the school may suffer during the course of or as a result of participating in a FIYA Athletic Event, including but not limited to travel to and from such athletic event.

 

B. School’s Indemnification of FIYA: A participating School further agrees to fully indemnify and defend FIYA Group for any such claims or damages brought against FIYA Group by the School's student athletes, their families or representatives of any kind.

 

C. School’s Acknowledgement re Health Insurance:  FIYA DOES NOT PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE. Schools need to ensure that its student-athletes have the necessary health insurance coverage during the school’s participation in any FIYA sports offerings.

 

D. School’s Payment of its Fee to FIYA:  For Athletic Events, payment generally is due at the start of the Athletic Event’s season unless otherwise notified.

 

Failure to adhere to FIYA regulations and policies may result in a school's suspension from membership in FIYA.

 

ARTICLE III – PROVISIONS FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION 

 

1. Athletic Director/Coordinator:  As part of its mission, FIYA is committed to assisting Schools with the formation and development of a strong athletic program.  FIYA strongly recommends that each school maintain an athletic director or coordinator (“AD”) to handle the administrative aspect involved with afterschool youth sports.  While each school should dictate the role and responsibilities of its athletic director, we offer the following main suggestions:

 

• • The AD should be familiar with the contents of this Regulations Manual, understand FIYA’s policies, procedures and calendar of athletic events, and maintain regular communication with FIYA including attending all mandatory meetings;
•  
  • The AD should (i) share important information with its school’s coaches, players and parents, (ii) ensure that its coaches are properly trained and certified, (iii) create a sports environment where fun, sportsmanship and good character are emphasized more than winning and losing and (iv) ensure that its players, coaches and parents maintain proper perspective about the role of the sports program at the school at all times;
•  
  • The AD should be responsible for finding knowledgeable coaches for its various teams and assisting its coaches with developing a practice schedule that commences AT LEAST TWO WEEKS PRIOR to the team’s first game. FIYA recommends that teams should practice at least twice a week throughout the season.  The AD should supervise as many practices and games as possible.
•  
  • The AD should assist the coach with having tryouts several weeks prior to the start of the season. While there is no mandatory roster number, we recommend carrying a minimum roster of two times the number of players required.  For example, the ideal minimum number for basketball is 10, for volleyball is 12, for football is 14 etc.  The AD should also know that a school may register multiple teams in a League Event.  However, the rosters for each team must be kept separate and distinct; in other words, you cannot interchange players from the multiple teams;
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  • The AD should ensure that its teams have (i) the appropriate sports equipment along with first aid kits and (ii) school sports uniforms with a set of pennies of a different color as a backup; and
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  • To the extent that the school hosts FIYA athletic events, the AD should work with FIYA to ensure the playing facility is set up appropriately in accordance with FIYA guidelines.

 

2. Communication:  FIYA communicates general information and sports-specific information to the schools.  With respect to general information, FIYA recommends that each school have its principal and at least one school staff/faculty member (preferably the school’s designated athletic director), provide its email address to FIYA.  Simply send an email to info@onfiya.org with your name, school name and address and request to be added to FIYA’s email distribution.

 

With respect to sports-specific information during the course of a particular season, FIYA conducts its official communications through the school's administration and/or the school's appointed coaches for its sports teams.  Only communications from school administrators and/or coaches to FIYA are recognized by FIYA.  As such, any communications from players (student athletes) and their families during the course of an athletic event's season should be directed to the school's administration, not to FIYA.

 

Lastly, FIYA mainly communicates its information on its website (onfiya.org), to include the LeagueApps and Athletic.net registration platforms, as well as its social media accounts.

 

3. Sports Offerings:  FIYA endeavors to offer as many Athletic Events as possible.  FIYA Athletic Events are classified either as League Events or as Tournament Events.

 

League Events occur over an eight to ten-week period and involve a regular season game league schedule consisting of approximately 7-8 games and includes county-wide playoffs for Division 1 qualifying teams.  There are no playoffs for Division 2 or Division 3.

 

Tournament Events are generally a one-day event (which can be offered on multiple occasions) for which a school can participate in any number of Tournament Events it desires.  Tournament Events often involve an individual competition as well as a team competition.

 

While demand will dictate the specific Athletic Events in a particular year, FIYA historically offers the following Athletic Events (* denotes a Tournament Event):

 

In the Fall, Girls Volleyball, Boys Flag Football (7 v 7), Girls Flag Football (5 v 5), Boys/Girls/Coed Futsal (Indoor 5 v 5 for Division 1 only) and Cross Country*

 

In the Winter, Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, eSports and Cheer/Dance*

 

In the Spring, Boys/Coed Volleyball, Boys/Girls/Coed Futsal (Indoor 5 v 5 for Division 2 and Division 3 only), Girls Soccer, Boys Soccer and Track & Field*

 

The rules for the above listed Athletic Events will be listed in the Appendix to the FIYA Regulations Manual.  FIYA is open to organizing any sport not listed above if enough schools warrant the demand.  Please contact FIYA to request consideration that a particular sport be added as an offering.

 

4. Divisions:  FIYA organizes its Athletic Events based on grade level:

 

Division 1 is the most competitive level and is for student athletes in grades 8 and below who are enrolled in the school and meet the requirements set forth in the student athlete section of the FIYA Regulations Manual.  There are county-wide playoffs for League Events in Division 1.

 

Division 2 is a development level and is for student athletes in grades 6 and below who are enrolled in the school and meet the requirements set forth in the student athlete section of the FIYA Regulations Manual.  There are no county-wide playoffs for League Events in Division 2.

 

Division 3 is an introductory level and is for student athletes in grades 3 and 4 who are enrolled in the school and meet the requirements set forth in the student athlete section of the FIYA Regulations Manual.  There are no county-wide playoffs for League Events in Division 3.

 

5. Centralized Facilities:  FIYA organizes its League Events based first and foremost on centralized facilities available in geographical areas.  Schools that serve as a centralized facility should review the FIYA Facility Memo set forth in Appendix A of the Regulation Manual.

 

The centralized facility model means multiple games each game day at a single facility.  This model enhances the quality of the league, provides a safer and more enjoyable playing atmosphere for all participants and reduces the administrative expenses.  FIYA desires to work with its participating Schools who have facilities to host League Events.  This policy can help host Schools who have acceptable playing venues on its campus to reduce their costs of transporting their athletes as well as reduce some of its registration costs.

 

FIYA also attempts to minimize a school’s transportation distance to a centralized facility.  Unless otherwise specifically instructed by a school, FIYA will always deem transportation distance as the primary factor when it places a school into one of its leagues.  When a geographical area has enough participating schools and centralized facilities for more than one league, then FIYA considers the competitive aspects and attempts to group similar quality schools into the same league.

 

6. Registration & Payment:  For each Athletic Event, a school must submit an online FIYA registration form by the stated registration deadline.  Information about the registration for each Athletic Event can be found on the FIYA website under the Registration tab. Unless otherwise stated, the general registration fee for a League Event is $695 per team and the general registration fee for a Tournament Event is $20 per athlete for all three divisions.

 

For first time participating schools, payment for League Events is due at the time of registration.  For returning schools, payment for League Events is due upon the start of the League Event’s season.  For Tournament Events, payment is due upon the school's receipt of an invoice from FIYA which is generally sent upon the conclusion of the final Tournament Event for that particular sport.  FIYA reserves the right to deny registration for Athletic Events to Schools with outstanding unpaid invoices.

 

7. Refunds:  A school shall ensure that its account balance with FIYA is paid in a timely fashion.  Generally, there are no refunds given.  However, for League Events, if a school notifies FIYA in writing on or before the Drop Date (see Article IV, Section 3), then a full refund shall be provided.

 

For Tournament Events, a school will be billed for all the athletes that a school registers at the registration deadline regardless if the school and/or athlete subsequently are unable to compete.

 

8. Statistics & Marketing:  As a nonprofit entity, FIYA’s sustainability is aided by collecting data from participating schools.  In light of this objective, schools agree to submit to FIYA prior to the completion of the regular season, certain data about its participating team's roster as it relates to age, ethnicity and such other pertinent information which may be useful to assist FIYA with its sustainability.  In addition, FIYA’s sustainability is aided by its marketing.  Schools therefore that participate in FIYA agree to assist in this marketing to the extent practicable such as helping promote FIYA events and marketing FIYA signage on its campus.

 

ARTICLE IV – PROVISIONS REGARDING ATHLETIC EVENTS 

 

1. Introduction: The sections in Article IV below deal with the process from the time of registration for an Athletic Event through to the end of the season including playoffs and awards.  These administrative regulations should be read in conjunction with the game rules of the particular Athletic Event which can be found in the Appendix.

 

2. Preseason Video Meeting:  Generally, there is a preseason video meeting for coaches.  For League Events, these are live video meetings; for Tournament Events, these are generally pre-recorded video meetings.  Specific information about particular video meetings can be found online on the home page of the particular Athletic Event.

 

It is highly recommended that a school has all of its coaches attend the video meeting as the information discussed has the most impact on the coaches and the school team they are coaching.  If an athletic director or school administrator attends the meeting instead of the coaches, it is the obligation of the school representative to have the coaches review the recorded session of these meetings which are made available by FIYA.

 

3. Drop Date:  A school team may drop from a League Event without financial penalty if it does so by providing written notice prior to the Drop Date.  The Drop Date for a League Event is the day after the preseason video meeting for coaches.  In the unlikely event there is no preseason video meeting, the Drop Date is the date specified by FIYA.  The Drop Date for a Tournament Event is generally the same date as the final date of registration.

Schools that repeatedly drop from League Events after the Drop Date may be subject to further disciplinary action, including but not limited to prohibitions on future participation in FIYA events.

 

4. Game Schedules for League Events:  FIYA issues draft game schedules for League Events generally a week after the preseason video meeting.  At the time of registration, a school is asked to provide dates it absolutely cannot play which includes school holidays.  In addition, schools may submit preferred days/times it wishes to play.  If no dates are provided, the assumption is the school has no restrictions or preferences.

 

A draft schedule is created and will make every effort to include the submitted requests.  A school will receive the draft schedule by email and it will have the opportunity to review the draft schedule for any unavoidable conflicts and to request changes to the draft schedule.  It is highly recommended that the coach and/or athletic director compare the entire draft game schedule to its school calendar to ensure that there are no conflicts.

 

Once a League Event game schedule is finalized, an email will be sent to notify the school that the game schedule is final and posted on our website.  The final schedule supersedes any draft schedule or other communication that may occur during the draft schedule phase. Shortly after final schedules are posted they will be uploaded into the LeagueApps platform and linked from the particular sports page of our website.

 

A school should adhere to the final game schedule as posted on the website.  A team that fails to show up to a game on the final game schedule will be assessed a forfeit loss which is treated as a negative or deduction in points in the league standings.  School teams that have multiple forfeits may be subject to further disciplinary action.

 

5. Rescheduling Games from Final Game Schedules:  FIYA recognizes that there may be rare circumstances which require a game on the final game schedule to be rescheduled.  The most acceptable type is when the host facility becomes unavailable. FIYA will reschedule such games due to facility issues.

 

FIYA also recognizes that a school might have a subsequent academic or other event which creates an unavoidable conflict with the final game schedule.  A school must contact FIYA only about the potential rescheduling of a game; schools should not contact the opponent or the facility.  A variety of factors such as timing, facility and personnel availability, among other factors, are first considered by FIYA in granting the reschedule request.

 

If a school provides written notice by email to FIYA at least five (5) business days prior to game time about an unavoidable conflict and a request to reschedule a game, FIYA will notify the opponent and the facility.  If the opponent and the facility is willing to accommodate a rescheduling of the game, then FIYA will endeavor to reschedule the game.  An agreed upon rescheduled game will become an official part of the final game schedule.  If an agreed upon rescheduled game ends up never being played, then FIYA under most circumstances will treat the result as a tie game for standings purposes.

 

If an opponent is not willing to accommodate a rescheduling of the game, then the opponent will be credited with a victory.  So long as the written notice was provided in a timely fashion, the requesting school will only be marked with a loss, not a forfeit.  In addition, if a facility is unable to provide time for a rescheduled game, then the requesting school will be marked with a loss, not a forfeit.

 

If a school provides less than five (5) business days but more than two (2) business days, the game will not be rescheduled but the team unable to play will be marked with a loss, not a forfeit.  If a school provides less than two (2) business days written notice about its unavailability to play a game on the final game schedule, then such game is subject to a forfeit loss.

 

Please note that the preferred method of communication with respect to this section is by email only.  Phone calls and texting are more difficult to track when dealing with the volume of schools. 

 

6. Game Start Times:  The official starting time for games is what is set forth in a final game schedule and in a playoff game schedule.  Teams are encouraged to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to their scheduled start time.  Grace periods are subject to field/facility availability and the discretion of game officials in consultation with FIYA.  Games may start earlier than the listed time if both teams and the officials agree to the earlier start time.

 

7. Pre-Game Procedure:  It is highly recommended that coaches introduce themselves to the opposing coaches, referees, game operators and/or facility hosts upon arrival to exchange any relevant information prior to the start of the game.  As part of the pre-game procedure, coaches should gather their team for the FIYA Sportsmanship Pledge.

 

8. Game Results:  It is recommended that the coach of the winning team submit the results of the game to FIYA within twenty-four (24) hours of the game’s completion. Scores are not important; rather which team won/loss is the only information needed.  Submission shall be by email or text message.

 

9. Standings:  Unless otherwise provided, league standings will be recorded as follows:  A win equals 3 points, a tie equals 1 point, a loss equals 0 point and a forfeit equals minus 3 points.  In the event an overtime period is not played in a League Event for whatever reason, the game will be considered a tie.  Scores of individual games are not kept and have no bearing on standings or Division 1 playoffs.

 

The team with the highest point total in the final standings is the League Event champion.  If there is a tie amongst teams for first place, the head to head result is the League Event champion.  If the head to head result does not provide resolution, then the tied teams are co-champions.

 

10. Tiebreaker Procedures for Division 1 Playoffs:  When determination of a team’s place in the final standings of a League Event is important for determining what teams qualify for Division 1 playoffs and/or a team’s seeding in Division 1 playoffs and there are placement ties among teams, FIYA will employ the following tiebreaker procedure: (1) Head to Head; (2) Highest Place Opponent; and (3) Coin Flip.

 

Not having the capability to schedule tiebreaking games, the guiding principles for the above tiebreaker procedure are (i) to let the game results from the season be the primary determinative factor to resolve the final placement of tied teams, (ii) if, at any stage of the tie breaking procedure, the Head to Head result can be applied to provide resolution, it will be utilized; and (iii) the Coin Flip tiebreaker should be used as the last possible resort.

 

The Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker looks at the record of all the tied teams against the highest place team in the league not involved in the tie.  Based on the tied teams’ placement, the highest place opponent could be above or below the tied teams.  The Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker first looks above the tied teams and if that option is not available, it then looks immediately below the tied teams in descending fashion.

 

If the Coin Flip tiebreaker needs to be utilized, it will occur by video meeting toward the end of the regular season and the representatives of the tied teams will be invited to observe.

 

While FIYA strives to have all league teams play each other, there are rare circumstances where this does not occur (an Unbalanced Schedule).  Consequently, as seen below in the illustrative applications, the implementation of the tie breaking procedure varies when dealing with an Unbalanced Schedule.

 

The following are illustrative applications of the tiebreaker procedure employed by FIYA:

 

Two Tied Teams Balanced Schedule Scenario

Team A and Team B are tied for 3^rd/4^th place.  We first utilize the Head to Head tiebreaker.  If this does not resolve the placement, then we utilize the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker.  We first look to see how each team fared against the 1^st place team.

i. If Team A beat the 1^st place team and Team B lost to the 1^st place team, then Team A is 2^nd place and Team B is 3^rd place.

 

ii. If the results against the 1^st place team are the same for Team A and for Team B, then we employ the same Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker against the 2^nd place team.  If the results against the 2^nd place team do not resolve the tiebreaker, then we employ the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker against the 5^th place team and so on.

 

iii.  If there is no resolution from any Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker, then the Coin Flip tiebreaker is used.

 

Two Tied Teams Unbalanced Schedule Scenario

Team A and Team B are tied for 3^rd/4^th place.  If the teams played each other, we first utilize the Head to Head tiebreaker.  If this does not resolve the placement, then we utilize the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker.  We first look to see how each team fared against the 1^st place team.

i. If Team A did not play the 1^st place team and Team B beat the 1^st place team, then Team B is 3^rd place and Team A is 4^th place.

 

ii. If Team A did not play the 1^st place team and Team B lost to the 1^st place team, then we apply the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker against the 2^nd place team.  Under this scenario, if Team A beat the 2^nd place team and Team B did not play the 2^nd place team, then Team A is 3^rd place and Team B is 4^th place.  However, if Team A lost to the 2^nd place team and Team B did not play them, then we apply the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker against the 5^th place team.

 

iii. If there is no resolution from any Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker, then the Coin Flip tiebreaker is used.

 

More Than Two Tied Teams Balanced Schedule Scenario

Team A, Team B and Team C are tied for 3^rd/4^th/5^th place.  If the Head to Head tiebreaker does not resolve placement because the tied teams have 1 win and 1 loss against their tied opponents (A beat B, B beat C and C beat A), we then utilize the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker.

i. If Team A beat the 1^st place team and Team B and Team C both lost to the 1^st place team, Team A is 3^rd place (due to the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker), Team B is 4^th place (due to the Head to Head tiebreaker vis a vis Team C) and Team C is 5^th place.

 

ii. If the results against the 1^st place team are the same for Team A, Team B and Team C, then we employ the same Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker against the 2^nd place team.  If Team A lost to the 2^nd place team and Team B and Team C both beat the 2^nd place team, Team A is 5^th place (due to the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker), Team B is 3^rd 4^th place (due to the Head to Head tiebreaker vis a vis Team C) and Team C is 5^th place.

 

iii. If these results are the same against the 2^nd place team, we then employ the tiebreaker against the 6^th place team and so on.  If there is no resolution from any Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker, then the Coin Flip tiebreaker is used.

 

More Than Two Tied Teams Unbalanced Schedule Scenario

Team A, Team B and Team C are tied for 3^rd/4^th/5^th place.  Team A beat Team B but no other tied teams played each other.  First, the Head to Head tiebreaker is applied and we determine any “Advantage” team(s) and then compare such team(s) against the tied teams whom it did not play by using the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker.

 

Under this scenario, we compare Team A to Team C against the 1^st place team.  We utilize the same Highest Place Opponent tie breaking procedure as described in the foregoing applications.  Whichever team wins the tiebreaker, we then compared the losing team to Team B.

 

11. Complaint/Protest:  A formal complaint/protest is a written objection directly associated with the FIYA Regulations Manual. Complaints/Protests cannot be filed on a game official’s judgment.  All protests must be signed by a school administrator and a certified coach and received by FIYA within 48 hours from the starting time of the game.  The written protest must contain the following information:  

 

i. Date, time and site of game.

 

ii. Teams involved.

 

iii. Names of officials if possible.

 

iv. FIYA Regulation that is alleged to be violated.

 

v. Factual account of the incident(s) that caused the protest.

 

FIYA reserves the right to investigate any situation that appears to be in direct conflict with the FIYA Regulations Manual.  Investigations will be handled on an individual basis depending on the severity of the violation.  FIYA will issue a written decision within three (3) business days of receipt of the complaint/protest.

 

12. Playoffs:  County-wide playoffs are for qualifying Division 1 teams only; this section details the underlying policies and procedures with respect to Division 1 playoffs and its qualifying playoff teams.  There are no county-wide playoffs for Division 2 and Division 3 as student athlete development is the primary focus for these lower divisions.

 

Playoffs serve as a culmination of the regular season, providing School teams with a chance to showcase their talent and dedication while representing their school.  Beyond the thrill of competition, participating in county-wide playoffs fosters a sense of camaraderie among student athletes from different schools/regions, promotes social interaction and highlights that, regardless of background or circumstance, there is more that unites the student athletes than separates.  Overall, the value of having middle school playoffs throughout the county prepares the student athletes for high school, enriches their middle school educational experience and nurtures the holistic development of the student athletes.

 

The following are general guidelines with respect to FIYA playoffs for League Events:

 

i. There needs to be at least two leagues in a League Event to have FIYA playoffs.

 

ii. The top teams in each league qualify for playoffs.  Leagues with 4 to 6 teams will get 1-2 playoff qualifiers; leagues with 7 to 9 teams will get 3-4 playoff qualifiers, and leagues with 10 to 12 teams will get 5-6 playoff qualifiers.  In order to consider any team outside of this league qualifying formula, such a team should preferably have a league record of at least .500.

 

iii. Based on the total number of playoff qualifying teams, FIYA determines whether to have multiple playoff tiers.  While there are other factors considered, there generally needs to be at least 16 playoff qualifying teams to have multiple playoff tiers.  Creating multiple playoff tiers enhances the underlying policies set forth above and allows for a more competitive balance amongst the playoff qualifying schools.  For playoffs, the primary focus is on competitive balance and less on travel concerns.  Whereas, during the regular season, the primary focus on forming leagues is geography and, secondarily, on competitive balance.

 

iv. In such cases where multiple playoff tiers occur, qualifying teams will be placed in either:

i. Division 1 - the highest level and therefore includes the top playoff qualifying teams, or

 

ii. Division 1A - the second highest level and therefore includes the next highest level of playoff qualifying teams, or

 

iii.  Division 1AA - the third highest level and therefore includes the remaining playoff qualifying teams.

 

v. FIYA recognizes that not all leagues in a League Event share the same competitive balance.  For example, a first place team in a particular league may not be considered a top level playoff team and similarly a fourth place team in a particular league may be considered a top level playoff team.  Consequently, in organizing its playoff brackets, FIYA focuses its comparison on teams amongst all of its leagues in the particular League Event.

 

vi. While FIYA will solicit information from School teams as well as from game operators and referees about which playoff Division is most appropriate for a school team, FIYA is the final decision maker for making playoff placement determinations based on comparing teams with other playoff qualifying teams from different leagues/regions.

 

vii. The following factors are considered, listed in order of importance:  a team’s current talent level, any non-league results between playoff qualifying teams, a team’s coaching experience, the size and resources of a school, the age group of the team and the school’s recent historical results in the particular sport.  It is important to note that different weights are placed on these factors and the goal is to determine whether a team will be competitive in a particular playoff division, not whether a team can win the championship in a particular playoff division.

 

viii. Unlike regular season schedules, playoff scheduling is much more restrictive and consequently FIYA cannot guarantee that it will be able to accommodate playoff schedule requests.  FIYA will make playoff schedule adjustments for hosting facilities.  In addition, while FIYA will still attempt to limit a team's travel during playoffs, it is less of a determinative factor during playoffs.  Teams with higher seeds will either receive 1st round byes and/or play against lower seeds.

 

13. Awards:  As detailed below, FIYA issues individual and team awards for League Events and Tournament Events.

 

League Events – a league championship plaque is given to the first place team in all Divisions.  For teams that tie for first place, FIYA will use the head to head result to break the tie.  Where there is no head to head result, multiple league championship plaques will be given.  For Division 1 only, FIYA shall provide a county-wide playoff format for League Events and will issue team and individual awards to the champions and the finalists.

 

Tournament Events – a team plaque will be given to the top finishing teams in each Tournament Event and individuals ribbons and/or medals will be given to the top finishing individuals in each Tournament Event.  In addition, for some FIYA Tournament Events, FIYA will issue team seasonal tournament champion awards.

 

14. FIYA Awards Assembly – is a special end of the year event held in early June (typically the second Saturday) to honor and recognize certain Division 1 student athletes as follows:

 

ALL FIYA Athletic Team (by League Event):  The ALL FIYA Athletic Team Award is for Division 1 athletes who (i) are recognized by their school team as the best skilled player(s) of the school team and (ii) the school team qualifies for and participates in FIYA county-wide playoffs for that League Event.  School teams that qualify for county-wide playoffs can nominate players from its team for the ALL FIYA Athletic Team as follows:

i. Every school team that qualifies for Division 1 playoffs can nominate one athlete from the team.  However, the Division 1 Finalist can nominate up to two athletes from the team and the Division 1 Champion can nominate up to three athletes from the team;

 

ii. If the League Event has Division 1A playoffs, then either the Final 4 teams or the Elite 8 teams from Division 1A playoffs (such determination will be made by FIYA based on the size of the Division 1 playoffs) can nominate one athlete from its team; and

 

iii. If the League Event has Division 1AA playoffs, then the Division 1AA Champion and the Division 1AA Finalist can nominate one athlete from its team.

 

Based on any extenuating circumstances, FIYA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to adjust the distribution as noted above.

 

ALL FIYA Cross Country Team:  The ALL FIYA Cross Country Team Award is for a Division 1 athlete who finishes in the top twenty percent (20%) in a meet and achieves such qualification at a minimum of cross country meets during one season (if there are 6 total cross country meets in a season, then the minimum number is 4; if there are 4 or 5 total cross country meets in a season, then the minimum number is 3). The top twenty percent (20%) is determined by taking the total number of D1 runners at a meet and dividing by 5; we round up if the divisible number is .5 or higher.

 

ALL FIYA Track & Field Team:  The ALL FIYA Track & Field Team Award is for a Division 1 athlete who finishes in the Top 6 in at least two of the individual events as listed below and achieves such qualification at a minimum of track and field meets during one season (if there are 6 total track and field meets in a season, then the minimum number is 4; if there are 4 or 5 total track and field meets in a season, then the minimum number is 3).

i. For Track Events - the 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 meters.

 

ii. For Field Events - the Long Jump, Shot Put and Turbo Javelin.

 

ALL FIYA Academic Award:  The ALL FIYA Academic Award is for Qualifying Schools only; Qualifying Schools are schools that register and fully participate in multiple Division 1 League Events and/or Tournament Events during the course of a school year.

 

Specifically, for male athletes to be eligible, the Qualifying School needs to register and fully participate in at least three separate League Events and/or Tournament Events in Division 1 boys. Similarly, for the female athletes to be eligible, the Qualifying School needs to register and fully participate in at least three separate League Events and/or Tournament Events for Division 1 girls.

 

A Division 1 Co-ed League Event counts toward determining if a school qualifies. Please note that if a school has multiple Division 1 teams in a particular League Event, however, it is still counted as just one League Event for the school for purposes of this section.

 

To receive an ALL FIYA Academic Award, a student athlete from a Qualifying School needs to (i) be in 8th grade, (ii) fully participate in at least TWO of the Qualifying School’s Division 1 teams (this can be a League Event or a Tournament Event) and (iii) maintain a cumulative grade point average for the entire school year of at least 3.90.

 

ALL FIYA Sportsmanship Award:  The ALL FIYA Sportsmanship Award is for Qualifying Schools only, as that term is defined in the previous section.  Each Qualifying School may nominate graduating 8th grade student athletes who best exemplify the FIYA Sportsmanship Pledge by completing the ALL FIYA Sportsmanship Nomination form and submitting it to FIYA prior to the deadline. A student athlete who is nominated is not automatically awarded the All FIYA Sportsmanship Award.  Rather, all nominated student athletes will be carefully reviewed by FIYA and all the Qualifying Schools subsequently will be notified of the selected members to the ALL FIYA Sportsmanship team.

 

Shanese Washington Memorial Scholarship Winners:  A $500 scholarship award presented each to three members of the ALL FIYA Sportsmanship Team whose essay (based on the prompt provided by FIYA) is selected by the scholarship committee as one of the top three essays.

 

ARTICLE V – PROVISIONS FOR SCHOOL COACHES

 

1. Coach’s Role:  A coach in youth sports plays an incredible role in the lives of children. Valuable life lessons and important virtues are taught and developed on the playing field.  A coach therefore assumes the role of a teacher in FIYA and in light thereof, each coach shall act, speak and dress in a manner consistent with a professional teacher.  In addition, a coach is responsible for the conduct and supervision of the student athletes and the spectators for his/her team as well as supporting the officials' decisions during the game.  In light of this, coaches should share with their parents and spectators the FIYA Adult Code of Conduct listed in Article V.

 

2. Coach Requirements: Schools employ their own coaches and therefore should ensure their own rigorous screening process.  A school coach in FIYA should:  (A) be at least 18 years old; (B) complete the NAYS online coaching certification program; (C) have 1^stAid/CPR training, and (D) submit any necessary personnel documentation as required by the school for which he/she coaches.

 

3. Medical Matters:  Coaches should maintain a first aid kit and all emergency medical information for each player on the team at all practices and games.

 

4. Team Roster:  Coaches should maintain a team roster which can be used to validate the eligibility of each team member and as such schools may be asked to provide such eligibility verification.  See Article VI for more eligibility information about student athletes.  Note the following:

 

i. Females can play in a boys division so long as the school believes that there are no safety concerns; males cannot play in a girls division.  If a school has a girls team and a boys team in the same sport during the same season, a female player cannot play on both teams but must choose one team only at the outset of the season.

ii. If a school has multiple teams in the same division of a League Event, a student athlete may play with only ONE of those teams throughout the season.  Each team’s roster must be separate and distinct; absolutely no exchanging of players between teams.

iii.  If a school has multiple teams in different divisions of a League Event, a student athlete may be moved between divisions only once during the season (provided the grade level and age requirement in Section 2 above is maintained).  After being moved, a student athlete may not under any circumstances return to the original team for which they played.

iv. If a school has a coed League Event team and a boys or girls League Event team of the same sport during the same season, a student athlete may play only on one team, not both.  For example, a male student athlete must choose to play either boys volleyball or coed volleyball in the spring season; he cannot do both.  However, he could do coed volleyball and boys soccer because, although they are offered in the same season, they are different sports.  Similarly, a female student athlete can play girls volleyball and coed volleyball because, although they are the same sport, they are offered in a different season.

 

Any game in which a team is found to have used players in violation of the above will be recorded as a -3 forfeit in the standings for the offending team, and a win for the offended team. Any school, team, or coach found to have repeatedly violated the above, with no time limitation, will be subject to further disciplinary action, including but not limited to prohibition of future participation in FIYA events for the school, disqualification from playoffs for the team, and/or suspension of the coach.

 

5. Playing Time:  FIYA recognizes the value of youth sports for children and the incredible role that coaches have in the lives of children. Coaches should always strive to maximize each child’s playing time.  FIYA suggests the following guidelines:  A Division 3 athlete should play roughly an equal amount of playing time as his/her teammates; a Division 2 athlete should have at least one quarter of playing time and a Division 1 athlete should participate in each game.

 

6. Officials:  A coach shall endeavor to maintain a positive and professional relationship with game officials at all times.  The FIYA standard is to have minimum to no dialogue with game officials during the game. In the rare cases that a coach feels the need to discuss an issue with game officials, the coach should do so calmly and privately during a stop in play.

 

7. Ejection:  A coach ejected from a game or competition will automatically be suspended for a minimum of the next two games or competitions.  A suspended coach who participates in a game/competition will cause that game/competition to be declared a forfeit and he/she will be subject to disciplinary action by FIYA.

 

ARTICLE VI – PROVISIONS FOR STUDENT ATHLETES

 

1. Eligibility:  In order to participate in FIYA, a student athlete must: (i) be a full-time student enrolled in the elementary school he/she represents, (ii) maintain the school’s academic standards for student athletes, including standards for conduct and effort and (iii) meet the grade and age requirements as set forth in Section 2 below.

Any student athlete enrolled in a home school program must petition FIYA to determine whether such athlete is allowed to play in FIYA for a particular elementary school. Until such petition is approved in writing, FIYA maintains the sole discretion on how to deal with a non-petitioned home school athlete.

 

2. Grade Level and Age Requirement:  FIYA is for student athletes in grades 8 or under.  No high school student may participate in FIYA regardless of age.

 

For Division 1 participation, a student athlete, regardless of grade level, who is 15 years old before July 1 may not participate in FIYA in the following school year.

 

For Division 2 participation, a student athlete, regardless of grade level, who is 13 years old before July 1 may not participate in FIYA Division 2 Athletic Events in the following school year.  However, such student athlete may participate in Division 1 Athletic Events.

 

For Division 3 participation, a student athlete must be in 3rd grade or 4th grade to participate in FIYA Division 3 Athletic Events.  There is no age requirement for this Division.

 

3. Academic Standards:  Student athletes must meet its school’s academic standards including conduct and effort. Each school is responsible for establishing and monitoring the academic progress of its student athletes.  FIYA recommends an academic average of C in all core subjects.

 

4. Suspended Student:  If a school takes disciplinary action against a student that results in a student being suspended from school, then the suspended student shall not be eligible to participate in FIYA during the suspension. A school using a suspended player may face sanctions.

 

5. Sportsmanship/Ejection:  Each student athlete participating in FIYA shall endeavor to exhibit good sportsmanship at all times.  FIYA reserves the right to discipline any student athlete who does not exhibit good sportsmanship.

 

In addition, game officials have the authority to remove a player from a game if the officials determine that the player needs a cooling off period in order to maintain control of the game as well as to assist the player in question to regain his/her composure.  It is within the game officials’ discretion in consultation with the coach to allow the removed player to re-enter the game.

 

Game officials also have the ability to eject a player from a game. Any ejected player shall automatically serve a minimum one game suspension.

 

6. Pre-Game Pledge:  Prior to each FIYA competition, players shall gather to say the FIYA Pledge:  I pledge to always show respect for my teammates, opponents, coaches and officials; to show good sportsmanship in both winning and losing; and to compete to the best of my ability at all times.

 

ARTICLE VII – PROVISIONS FOR SPECTATORS/PARENTS

 

1. Free Admission:  In light of FIYA’s stated objectives (see Article I, Section 5), FIYA does not charge monetary admission to any of its Athletic Events.  We believe getting parents involved with his or her child’s school sports program strengthens the school and helps develop community spirit.

 

2. Adult Code of Conduct:  By attending a FIYA Athletic Event, each parent, family member or related spectator hereby agrees to the FIYA Adult Code of Conduct which is as follows:

I understand that as a spectator I too represent my child’s school and I will be a positive role model for my child and my child’s teammates and coaches at all FIYA Athletic Events.  I will treat EVERYONE in a respectful, courteous and professional manner.

 

I will cheer POSITIVELY for my team and I will refrain from any negative cheering or comments directed toward any team or person including the officials and the coaches.  Questioning or commenting on officials’ calls or coaching from the sidelines are examples of negative cheering.

 

Lastly, I acknowledge that I am responsible for the conduct of all of my family members and guests and I further acknowledge that any behavior exhibited by me or my family members or guests that is not consistent with this Adult Code of Conduct may result in me being banned from attending any future FIYA Athletic Events games or from my child not being allowed to participate in future FIYA Athletic Events.

 

 

APPENDIX

 

 A - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

B - HOST FACILITY MEMO

C - BASKETBALL RULES

D - CHEER/DANCE RULES

E - CROSS COUNTRY RULES

F - FLAG FOOTBALL RULES

G - FUTSAL RULES

H - SOCCER RULES

I - TRACK & FIELD RULES

J - VOLLEYBALL RULES