Regulations Manual

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 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 on the elementary school level (with particular emphasis on middle schools or grades 6, 7 and 8) in Los Angeles County and surrounding areas.

3. Vision & Mission: The creation of FIYA fulfills a vision that elementary schools with a well-balanced athletic program will produce better educated youth for society. FIYA intends to fulfill its vision by working directly with elementary 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 program. 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, 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 youths 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 elementary school within Los Angeles County and surrounding areas may seek to participate in FIYA. To officially join FIYA, 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;

(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; and

(iv) By registering for any Athletic Event, a school acknowledges and agrees as a condition to its membership to the following:

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. School’s prompt payment of its registration fee to FIYA.

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 elementary 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 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.

- 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

- 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 personnel (preferably the school’s designated athletic director), provide their 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) as well as its social media platforms (@fiyathletics).

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

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

Tournament Events are generally one-day events (which can be offered on multiple occasions) for which a school can participate in as many number of Tournament Events as 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 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 a particular sport.

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 city-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 city-wide playoffs for League Events in Division 2.

Division 3 is an introductory level and is for student athletes in grades 4 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 city-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.

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: 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.

The general registration fee for a League Event is $650 per team for Division 1 and $600 per team for Division 2 and Division 3. 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 school's receipt of an invoice from FIYA which is generally sent after the first week of the start of the 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.

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 mandatory coaches meeting for that League Event, then a full refund shall be provided.

If a League Event does not have a mandatory coaches meeting, then written notification needs to be provided to FIYA before the date when the League Event’s final schedule is issued.

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 paragraphs 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 head 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. Game Schedules for League Events: FIYA issues draft game schedules for League Events shortly 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.

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.

4. 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.

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

5. Game Start Times: The official starting time for games is what is set forth in a final 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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 tiebreaking 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.

While FIYA strives to have all league teams play each other (a Balanced Schedule), there are rare circumstances where this does not occur (an Unbalanced Schedule). Consequently, as seen below in the illustrative applications, the implementation of the tiebreaker procedure has special application with respect to an Unbalanced Schedule.

Lastly, 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.

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

(A) Two Tied Teams Balanced Schedule Scenario

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

A. If Team A beat the 1st place team and Team B lost to the 1st place team, then Team A is 3rd place and Team B is 4th place.

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

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

(B) Two Tied Teams Unbalanced Schedule Scenario

a. Team A and Team B are tied for 3rd/4th 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 1st place team.

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

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

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

a. Team A, Team B and Team C are tied for 3rd/4th/5th place. If the Head to Head tiebreaker does not resolve placement because the tied teams have the same record against their tied opponents (for example, A beat B, B beat C and C beat A so that all three teams are 1 - 1), we then utilize the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker.

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

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

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

(D) More Than Two Tied Teams Unbalanced Schedule Scenario

a. First, the Head to Head tiebreaker is applied and we determine if there are any “advantaged” team(s) and, if so, we set them aside. We then compare the remaining team(s) not involved in any Head to Head tiebreaker by using the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker first and then, if needed, the Coin Flip tiebreaker. After these teams are ranked, we then compare them to the advantaged teams using the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker first and then, if needed, the Coin Flip tiebreaker.

b. Team A, Team B and Team C are tied for 3rd/4th/5th place. Team A beat Team B but no other tied teams played each other. Under the Head to Head tiebreaker, Team A is an advantaged team and is set aside. We then compare Team B and Team C by using the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker in similar fashion as stated in previous illustrative applications. If Team B wins the tiebreaker versus Team C, we then compare Team A to Team B. This has already been resolved by the Head to Head tiebreaker. Consequently, Team A is 3rd place, Team B is 4th place and Team C is 5th place.

c. Alternatively, in comparing Team B and Team C, it is determined in this scenario that Team C wins the tiebreaker versus Team B. So we now compare Team C to Team A. Since there is no head to head result between these two teams, we must first utilize the Highest Place Opponent tiebreaker and, if needed, then the Coin Flip tiebreaker.

d. If Team C wins the tiebreaker against Team A, then Team C is 3rd Place, Team A is 4th Place and Team B is 5th Place. However, if Team A wins the tiebreaker against Team C, then Team A is 3rd Place, Team C is 4th Place and Team B is 5th Place.

10. Protest: A formal protest is a written objection directly associated with the FIYA Regulations Manual. 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:

1. 1. Date, time and site of game.
  2. Teams involved
  3. Names of officials if possible.
  4. FIYA Regulation that is alleged to be violated.
  5. 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 protest.

11. Playoffs: Playoffs are for qualifying Division 1 teams only; there are no city-wide playoffs for Division 2 and Division 3. The following are general guidelines with respect to playoffs for League Events:

The top teams in the 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, Leagues with 10 to 12 teams will get 5-6 playoff qualifiers.

Based on the total number of qualifying teams, FIYA determines whether to have one or two playoff tiers. While there are other factors considered, there needs to be at least 16 qualifying teams to have two playoff tiers. In such cases, qualifying teams will be placed in either Division 1 playoffs (higher skilled or qualifying teams) or Division 1A playoffs (as compared to Division 1, these are lower skilled or qualifying teams). While FIYA will solicit information from school teams about which Division is most appropriate, FIYA is the final decision maker for making playoff placement determinations based on historical data and observations from personnel and officials.

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.

12. 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 city-wide playoff format for League Events and will issue team and individual awards to the finalists.

In addition, for Division 1 only, FIYA will recognize the following individual awards: All League, All Academic and All Sportsmanship. All League are for the top players in the league as nominated by the coaches. All Academic are for all players who maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher during the academic period. All Sportsmanship are for the players in the league who best exemplify the FIYA Sportsmanship Pledge as nominated by the coaches.

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.

13. 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 Team Award: The ALL FIYA Team Award is for League Events where FIYA conducts Division 1 or Division 1A playoffs. School teams that qualify for Division 1 playoffs or Division 1A playoffs can nominate players from its team for the ALL FIYA as follows:

(i) Every school team that qualifies for Division 1 playoffs can nominate one athlete from the team;

(ii) The Division 1 Finalist can nominate up to two athletes from the team;

(iii) The Division 1 Champion can nominate up to three athletes from the team; and

(iv) The Final Four teams from the Division 1A playoffs can nominate one athlete from the 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 Award: The ALL FIYA Cross Country Award is for a Division 1 athlete who finishes in the top twenty percent (20%) in a meet for at least four (4) cross country meets during one season. 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 Award: The ALL FIYA Track & Field 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 qualifications at a minimum of track and field meets during one season (if there are 6 total track meets in a season, then the minimum number is 4; if there are 4 or 5 total track meets in a season, then the minimum number is 3).

1. For Track Events - the 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 meters.
2. 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 four 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 four 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.

Shanese Washington Memorial Scholarship Winners: A $500 scholarship award presented each to three winners who best exemplify the FIYA Sportsmanship Pledge and write the winning essay as selected by the scholarship committee.

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 1stAid/CPR training, and (D) submit any necessary personnel documentation as required by the school for which he/she coaches.

3. Medical Matters: Coach 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 also 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.

Schools with more than one school team entered in the same division of the same League Event may NOT interchange players from its multiple teams; each roster must be separate and distinct.

In addition, where there is a coed League Event along with a boys/girls League Event 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.

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 June 15 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 June 15 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 the 4th grade or below to participate in FIYA Division 3 Athletic Events. There is no age requirement for this Division.

3. Team Roster: 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. However, if a school has multiple teams in different divisions of a League Event, a student athlete may be moved UP ONLY, provided the grade level and age requirement in Paragraph 2 above is maintained. (In other words, a Division 3 athlete can be moved up to Division 2 or a Division 2 athlete can be moved up to Division 1). After being moved up, a student athlete may not under any circumstances return to the original team for which they played.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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, Paragraph 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 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.

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