NOTICE TO PARENTS – Re: Explaining the
Local League Balancing Rule:
The Beeton Athletic Association (BAA)
operates as a separate organization under the guidelines of the Ontario Minor
Hockey Association (OMHA). Within the BAA we operate teams at the Local League
level. Our teams all play in the Simcoe Region Local League (SRLL).
This organization is made up of member centres from EG, Innisfil, LeFroy, NobleKing, Richmond Hill, Schomberg, Thornton and TNT. Each member centre is allowed to place up to 4 teams in each division. These divisions range from IP to Midget. The SRLL operates under the guidelines of the OMHA. However, the SRLL has its own set of operating policies. One of these policies is the Balancing Rule. This rule applies to each member centre and all teams playing in the SRLL.
BALANCING POLICY: Member centres with 2 or more teams in a division must ensure that all teams be within .400 winning percentage or each other by December 7th to be considered balanced for playoff eligibility.
Member centres whose teams in any division are not balanced on December 7th will have until the end of the season to meet balancing requirements. If a member centre has a division that is out of balance at the end of the season, all of its teams within that division will be suspended from playoff competition.
Fines will be levied to member centres with unbalanced teams within a division as follows:
a) November 15th : $100.00 per unbalanced division
b) December 7th : $150.00 per unbalanced division
c) End of season: Teams are disqualified from playoffs and the member centre forfeits a $300.00 bond.
No player may be moved from their team after November 15th without the permission of the SRLL Board of Executives.
ACTION AND CONCLUSION: As a result, it is very important that all teams within a division are balanced to allow them to take part in the playoffs. If we are balanced by December 7th we do not have to move players. But if we are unbalanced in late October or early November the BAA has to move players in an effort to make all teams within a division balanced. It is for these reasons that the BAA holds evaluation skates and scrimmages prior to coaches selecting the teams. These skates allowed coaches of respective teams to evaluate every player and place the correct number of more highly skilled players on each team.
Once the evaluation skates are completed the head coaches sit down and carefully select the teams for each division. The BAA tries to fill all requests to have friends play together. However, out of fairness to all players, the first priority must be to create balanced teams. The penalty for having unbalanced teams within a division is serious and impacts all players in that division.
After the season starts, Myself and fellow BAA members, will watch games within each division and monitor the standings to see if any movement of players is necessary. In the last 15+ seasons of SRLL hockey our organization has not had to move any players after the selection of the teams.
We as a member centre may have to move players during the season to ensure that teams are balanced. We do not take this movement lightly and understand that this may upset players and parents. It will only be done if it is necessary to ensure our compliance with the rules of the SRLL. Hopefully this letter will explain the reasons for player movement and why it is important to select the proper players for each team. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.
Thanks for your time.
Keith Dobbin
President BAA