: Rules
Maintain and Improve the Standard of Play
Definition of Collegiate Eligibility
Alcoholic Beverages Policy
Players Code of Conduct
Duties of the Faculty Advisor to a Rugby Team
Coaches Code of Conduct
Women's Collegiate Divisional Play Rules and Regulations
MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF PLAY
The Collegiate Coordinator(s) will:
- Ensure that documentation of eligibility requirements are disseminated to and understood by all college teams. Contact will be made with college registrars or the appropriate college official.
- Ensure that scheduling problems peculiar to the college program are known and resolved well in advance.
- Aid in the selection of the EPRU Collegiate All-Star / Under 23 Side and work closely with the EPRU college coaching staff.
- Encourage intra-union play. EPRU college sides will be encouraged to play Full, Associate and Recognized Members of other subunions.
- Maintain close association and communication with the Mid Atlantic RFU Collegiate Coordinator to ensure that the objectives of the national and regional college staff will be met.
- Institute and maintain a safety program and forum to address the challenges and issues of college rugby.
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DEFINITION OF COLLEGIATE ELIGIBILITY
The USA Rugby Collegiate Committee shall act as the directive body on behalf of any club situated within the United States of America which represents a two-year or four-year academic institution of higher education and which meets these criteria:
- The club must be authorized and recognized by the administration of the college or university.
- The club must have a faculty member who serves as advisor to the club.
- The club must have a permanent mailing address (this address should not be that of a student officer, but should be a permanent P.O. Box or address at which members of the club can be contacted regardless of any changes in administration).
- The club must have an appointed coach. After January 1, 1995, collegiate coaches must be certified or duly recognized by the Committee. Certification standards and procedures are available from USA Rugby.
- The club must provide a Certified Referee. The Referee must attend the EPRU Referee Clinic(s) and meetings, as well as all training offered by the Referees Society. The Referee must maintain membership in the Referees Society and be available to referee as requested. Effective January 1, 2000 all games must be refereed by a Certified Referee.
- The club must be a member in good standing of a Local Union recognized by the USARFU.
- The club must follow all USARFU directives regarding player eligibility and competition. (In any competition which may effect the outcome of league standings or any competition leading to the national collegiate championship, players must be full-time undergraduate students, as defined by the institution, who are pursuing a bachelor's degree program and have not already received a bachelor's degree from that institution or any other similar four-year institution).
Any questions regarding a player's eligibility should be submitted in writing to the Chairman of the Collegiate Committee before the player in question is allowed to take part in any championship match. A championship match is defined as any match played between two intercollegiate programs which effect standings or advancement to the National Collegiate Championship.
USARFU Collegiate Eligibility Rules
http://www.usarugby.org/eligibility/eligcol.pdf
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ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES POLICY
Revised 3/20/06
- Drinking by those under the legal age is prohibited. Rugby is not an excuse to drink illegally.
- At rugby matches held on property owned by the University or College, the serving or selling alcoholic beverages before, during or after the match is prohibited. In addition, all school policies on alcoholic beverages must be strictly adhered to by everyone in attendance.
- At rugby matches involving only collegiate teams in an off-campus location, the selling or serving of alcoholic beverages before, during or after the match is prohibited. Local policies, such as by the Township, City and/or Parks Department, must be followed.
- At rugby matches or events that mix collegiate and senior clubs, alcoholic beverages shall not be served or sold unless a procedure is in effect that will prevent serving of alcoholic beverages to under age persons. This procedure must be in writing and approved by the EPRU prior to the event and must also be established in accordance with all local policies, such as by the Township, City and/or Parks Department.
- It is the ultimate responsibility of college and local officials to insure that their own regulations and laws are enforced.
- Disciplinary action will be utilized to censure clubs, event hosts, and others under the jurisdiction of the EPRU who fail to take the necessary action to enforce these regulations.
The following guidelines are recommended for those college teams that violate the Alcoholic Beverages Policy and the Code of Conduct.
- First Offense: Offending team to be fined $100 and placed on probation for a minimum of one year. During this time the team will not be permitted to participate in post-season playoffs or have any member participate in its union, territorial or national college All-Star / Under-23 program.
- Second Offense: Offending team to be fined $250 and placed on probation for a minimum of two years. During this time the team will not be permitted to participate in post-season playoffs or have any member participate in its union, territorial or national college All-Star / Under-23 program.
- Third Offense: Offending team to be permanently suspended. A team may re-apply for union membership after a period of two years.
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PLAYERS CODE OF CONDUCT
The EPRU fully supports the USA Rugby Collegiate Committee’s statement regarding conduct and expects ALL collegiate teams to abide by this statement:
"Collegiate rugby players and coaches represent their colleges and are ambassadors of collegiate rugby in the United States. As such, collegiate rugby players and coaches are expected to behave with dignity both on and off the field. Collegiate rugby players and coaches should not tolerate rude or anti-social behavior of any sort which would reflect negatively on the image of USA Rugby or the student athlete’s college/university, and the image of collegiate rugby as a serious and disciplined athletic endeavor. Any breach of this Code of Conduct will be forwarded to the appropriate disciplinary committee for action."
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DUTIES OF THE FACULTY ADVISOR TO A RUGBY TEAM
All College Teams are Required to have a Faculty Advisor
The Faculty Advisor should act as a liaison between the team and its players and the university. They may or may not be a coach (in fact, they shouldn't coach unless they have a thorough knowledge of the game), but should attend matches, particularly at home, and participate in team functions and social events whenever possible.
Specific responsibilities are:
- Ensure that the election of club officers takes place at the END of the Fall season (November time-frame) and that the club President notifies the EPRU Secretary, secretary@epru.org or P.O Box 393, Exton, PA 19341, of the new officers immediately. Make sure to include officer position, name, email, phone and mailing address (for both summer and school, if different).
- Ensure that recruiting of new members is done at the beginning of each school year and on a continuous basis.
- Ensure that complete and reasonable matches are planned for the team and that the Match Secretary has sent a copy of the schedule to Women's Collegiate Coordinator via the online form. (Spring schedules are due by February 1st, Fall schedules by August 1st).
- Ensure that practice sessions are properly organized and under the control of the appointed coach. Help the team locate a qualified coach if none is currently assigned.
- Ensure that budget requests for college funds are properly prepared and submitted in a timely and professional manner.
- Ensure that college policies regarding the use of facilities, insurance, playing personnel, use of funds, etc. are adhered to.
- Ensure that the team has access to the appropriate services and facilities offered by the college (practice & playing field(s), equipment, medical trainer, EMT, etc.)
- Notify the proper EPRU officials of any disciplinary matters affecting the team.
- Attend, with club officers, the Annual General Meeting of the EPRU (the third Wednesday of September).
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COACHES CODE OF CONDUCT
In an effort to raise the standards and quality of play and player behavior as well as improve the image of the sport of rugby, every high school and collegiate coach is expected to abide by the Rugby Coaches Code of Conduct. This Code is based on the premise that rugby should be an integral part of the education process of the student-athlete and that coaches are, above all, teaches with an ethical duty to enhance the physical, mental, social and moral development of student-athletes and teach them positive life skills that will help than become personally successful and socially responsible.
The purpose of Divisional Play is to determine the EPRU Women's Collegiate Champion and runner(s)-up who will represent the EPRU at higher levels of competition.All teams in divisional play must be fully enrolled in USA Rugby’s Club & Individual Participant Program (CIPP) as per the EPRU CIPP Policy. Teams who are not fully enrolled in the current CIPP Program by April 1st will not have their divisional matches count in the standings. Enrollment of the club and its players in the previous year's CIPP Program does not fulfill the requirements. (see CIPP Policy for further details)Players must have medical insurance in order to participate in any rugby activity. Players should supply copies of their medical cards to their club as proof of coverage. All clubs must also be in compliance with the EPRU Player Transfer Policy, MARFU and USA Eligibility RequirementsThe EPRU Women’s Collegiate Coordinator schedules Collegiate Women's Divisional Play matches. Determination of final standings.
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NEW League Point System for Standings (est. fall '06)
New System will award points as follows:
4 for a win
2 for a tie
0 for a loss
1 point for 4 or more tries scored in a game
1 point for a loss by 7 points or less
1 for match report submittal within 24 hours of match - both winning and losing sides are to submit a match report.
0 for forfeit and the match is played
-1 for forfeit and the match is NOT played
-3 for game day no-show*
* A minimum of two-days (approx. 48 hours) notice (by email to Collegiate Coordinator and opponent) prior to day of match is required in the case of a game not being played, otherwise the game is considered as a no-show on game day. Even with this notice, game is still considered a forfeit and subject to EPRU Disciplinary action.
Max. scoring differential for standings will be limited to 25 points.
There is NO sudden death in divisional play (the exceptions being playoffs or challenge matches).
- Ties are entered into the standings and each team is awarded 2 points (see Reporting Requirements).
- A forfeited match will be credited with a score of 10-0 (see Forfeits).
Tie Breaking Procedure in Final Standings
- Results between tied teams
- Cumulative point differential for all divisional games (points for minus points against) up to maximum differential of 25 points. The purpose of capping the differential is to discourage teams from needlessly running up the score.
- Number of tries scored in division games (tries MUST be recorded on match reports)
- Cumulative point differential of common non-division EPRU opponents in current season
Field Requirements
- Field must be AT LEAST 65 yards X 100 yards try line to try line - 110 yards overall - minimum 5 yard in-goal area
- Field must be properly lined and goal posts padded as set forth by the Referees Society
- Spectator ropes must be erected goal line to goal line on AT LEAST ONE SIDE of field. Only touch judges and trainer will be permitted inside rope.
- 4. If extenuating circumstances prevent a club from playing on a field with required minimum dimensions (see 1), the club MUST SUBMIT IN WRITING to the EPRU Women’s Collegiate Coordinator the exact dimensions of the field to be used and an explanation of the circumstances preventing the use of a larger field. The EPRU Women's Collegiate Coordinator will review the situation and make a recommendation to the EPRU Executive Committee. If the situation warrants, the club may be dropped from divisional play. This letter must be submitted no later than September 1st.
- Unless a waiver is granted by the EPRU Women's Collegiate Coordinator, failure to comply with the Field Requirements are grounds for protest and may result in forfeit by the offending team (see Protest Procedure).
- All players must play in matching jerseys, shorts & socks whose colors AND style have been registered with the EPRU. Jerseys must be clean, free from holes and tears.
- Jerseys may be short-sleeved but must not be "cut-offs" or sleeveless. Short-sleeved, hemmed jerseys must cover the bicep.
- Shorts must be clean and free from holes and tears. Boxer shorts CANNOT show below rugby shorts (no bike shorts). Socks must be clean and free from holes and tears.
- Numbers on jerseys (for the correct positions) are mandatory for all teams.
- In the event of a lack of contrast in jersey colors, the home team is responsible for providing alternate kit to the satisfaction of the referee.
- Failure to comply with the Kit Requirements is grounds for protest and may result in forfeit by the offending team (see Protest Procedure).
Reporting Requirements
- Form for reporting match results is available on the EPRU website.
- Completed reports must be returned to the EPRU Women's Collegiate Coordinator NO LATER THAN 24 HOURS FOLLOWING THE MATCH. Please use the online form listed above for submittal. Both home AND away teams and both winners AND losers should submit match reports.
- Failure to report as noted above will result in zero (0) points
being given.
Minimum Number of Players
A club must field a minimum of 12 players from their own roster for a division match to count in the standings.
Match Dates
- Matches must be played on the dates set by the EPRU. If there are extenuating circumstances which preclude either team from playing on that set date, then a mutually agreeable alternate date and reason for the change shall by submitted, in writing, to the EPRU Women’s Collegiate Coordinator for consideration.
- NO CHANGES SHALL BE PERMITTED WITHOUT APPROVAL OF THE WOMEN'S COLLEGIATE COORDINATOR. No changes will be considered within two (2) weeks of the match.
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Failure to Play Match
- If a club fails to keep a division fixture for any reason, the club will be required to post a $500 bond or cash within thirty (30) days of the report of the offense, to be held by the EPRU for one year. If, within that year, there is a second offense, the money will be forfeited to the EPRU. The EPRU will disperse monies as appropriate. Otherwise, the EPRU will return $400; $100 will be kept by the EPRU.
- The club will not be permitted to participate in divisional play unless the bond is paid before next year's schedule is prepared
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*Note* If a club fails to keep a non-divisional match and there is a signed match contract, they will be subject to disciplinary actions that may include fines, probation and suspension from the EPRU.
Protest Procedure
- The Team Captain must advise the referee BEFORE KICKOFF that her team wishes to register a protest and give the reason.
- The referee must notify the opposing Team Captain that a protest has been lodged and for what reason. The referee should give the offending team a reasonable amount of time to correct the circumstances of the protest.
- If the circumstances are not corrected, the referee and protesting team MUST notify the Women's Collegiate Coordinator, in writing, within 72 hours of the circumstances of the protest. The protest will be reviewed by the EPRU Executive Committee and the teams involved will be notified of the Committee's decision.
Eligibility Requirements
- Only Full Members in good standing with the Union and respective Referees Society are eligible to compete in Division I. Associate and Recognized Member clubs in good standing may compete in Divisions II and III.
- USA Rugby Collegiate Eligibility Rules will be in effect for ALL division games. The official eligibility rules can be found online at:
www.usarugby.org/eligibility/eligcol.pdf
Here are some important items to note. Student-athletes have five consecutive years of eligibility to play college rugby. The student-athlete must be enrolled full-time and as an undergraduate seeking her first bachelor's degree. The student-athlete must play on the team representing the school in which she is enrolled. There are some exceptions to these rules, see official rules for details.
- A college photo I.D. card will be required and must be given to the referee before the game begins. Players without cards will not be permitted to take the field. Any player attempting to use a card other than her own will face disciplinary action.
- The Women's Collegiate Coordinator may request team rosters at any time.
- Only Full Members in good standing may represent the EPRU in the Mid-Atlantic RFU Collegiate Playoffs (i.e. you must be a Full Member at the time of EPRU qualifying teams are determined).
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A divisional match will consist of two (2) 40 minute halves. Teams are encouraged, but not required, to play an instructional "third-half" or second match for newer or "B-side" players. Results of extra halves will not count toward Divisional Play. Make sure to finalize number of halves and game length with your opponent before game day.
Seven injury related substitutions will be allowed per match. A player leaving a game because of injury will not be allowed to return for the duration of the match.
Referees
- If no referee has been assigned by the Referees Society, then the home team must supply a qualified referee that meets the approval of the visiting team. Union referees and referees who have attended the Union referee clinic are automatically approved. If the home team cannot supply a referee, the visiting team may provide one by prior agreement of both teams.
- If the assigned referee does not show, or the teams cannot agree on a replacement referee, then the match is to be rescheduled and played before the start of playoffs. Home team must notify the EPRU Women’s Collegiate Coordinator within 24 hours of the originally scheduled match date.
Forfeits
- Teams who fail to field an eligible side or who fail to provide a referee for home games must forfeit the game and receive 0 points.
- A match report indicating the reason for the forfeit must be submitted to the Divisional Play Coordinator by the team who forfeited. In the event of a forfeit, teams may still elect to play a non-divisional game. (also see "Failure to Play Match").
- For purposes of calculating point differential, the score will be 10-0.
Determination of "Bye" Weekend
- Since a number of colleges have a Fall Break or Parents Weekend during October, all women's college teams must identify which date, if any, they want a "bye." The club MUST submit a written request to the Women's Collegiate Coordinator no than April 1.
- Requests received after April 1 will be honored only at the discretion of the Women's Collegiate Coordinator. If no date is submitted, then a date will be assigned. There is to be no appeal of the assigned date. Requests are to be submitted annually.
Divisional Movement
- Premier League – Teams wishing to join or leave the Premier League, should request to do so no later than April 1.
- RED, WHITE & BLUE Divisions - At the conclusion of fall divisional play, the top two finishers in the White and Blue leagues will move up a division for the following year’s league play. The bottom two finishers in the Red and White leagues will move down a division for the following year’s league play.
- The top two finishers will be determined at championship weekend – the winner/loser of the final/championship match.
- The bottom two finishers will be determined by total team points and tiebreaker rules.
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The EPRU Women's Collegiate Coordinator, in agreement with the EPRU Executive Committee, reserves the right to add new teams and to adjust the divisions as it becomes necessary.
Tied Matches During Post League Play
- In the event of a tie after a full match during playoffs and challenge matches, the tie-breaking procedures shall be as follows:
- Referee will flip coin (same as starting a match)
- Teams will play sudden death in ten-minute periods, switching ends at the end of each period. Each new ten-minute period will begin with a kickoff at mid-field, alternating teams for the kickoff.
Completion of Match Contracts
- All of the divisional play matches, as well as all non-divisional matches, MUST have a completed Match Contract issued by the home team, signed by both teams and be kept on file by each team. The home team should send this signed contract to the visiting team with a self-addressed, stamped envelope for its prompt signing and return. The contract is to establish mutually agreeable "A" side kick-off time, number of matches and location.
- Failure to comply with this contract is subject to EPRU disciplinary procedures. If a team refuses to return a completed Match Contract, please advise the EPRU Women’s Collegiate Coordinator accordingly.
- Saved emails, indicating agreement of match details (kick off time, location, # of matches etc) BY BOTH TEAMS is an acceptable substitute for the paper copy match contract.
Submittal of Complete Fall Schedule
- Your complete fall schedule must be submitted to the EPRU Women's Collegiate Coordinator NO LATER THAN AUGUST 1. Please use the Women's College Match Schedule.
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- IF YOU DO NOT SEND IN A SCHEDULE BY AUGUST 1, YOUR CLUB WILL BE FINED AND MAY NOT BE ASSIGNED REFEREES.
- DUE TO THE SEVERE SHORTAGE OF REFEREES, ALL MATCH SECRETARIES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO COORDINATE THEIR HOME MATCHES WITH THE MEN'S RUGBY TEAM. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR THE REFEREES SOCIETY TO SEND ONE REFEREE WHO CAN COVER BOTH MATCHES.
Teams Not Wishing to Participate in League Play
Teams are not required to participate in divisional play or the proposed league structure. Teams that make this choice are free to schedule whomever, whenever they choose and will not participate in divisional play or playoffs or be subject to promotion or relegation. Teams wishing to not join or rejoin divisional play must make this declaration, in writing, by April 1 to the Women's Collegiate Coordinator.
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