Tournament Guidelines & Toolkit

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Guidelines for Teams Attending Tournaments 

WYSA encourages all teams that wish to attend tournaments to do so.

Teams wishing to attend tournaments can be made up of players, from one or more league teams, as long as the players and team are all registered, and in good standing, with BC Soccer Association.

Guidelines

1. All players must be registered with and be in good standing with BCSA.
2. Players wanting to attend a tournament with a team other than their assigned league team MUST bring a Release Form to WYSA and have it signed/approval given before their coach will be authorized to release their ID Card.
3. The Team going to tournament must be affiliated or in other words registered with BCSA through their district. For example a team that is playing within a league can take a core group of their league players then add players from other teams until they have enough to go to a tournament – this team is recognized by BCSA because it is affiliated/registered with BCSA through its league standing.
4. WYSA players will NOT be released to “Touring Teams” that are not affiliated/registered with BCSA. Parents of players wanting to go to tournaments with teams that are not affiliated/registered with BCSA need to be aware that there is NO insurance coverage for their child if they participate with one of these teams!
5. Tournament teams must cover all of their own fees and expenses. WYSA will not put any funds towards a touring team.
6. Coaches can invite players from teams other than their Club team to go to tournaments, including players from any other COYSA Club: Lake Country, Mission, Kelowna, Rutland, and/or Westside.
7. Coaches of the team going to a tournament need to contact league coaches and inform them of which player(s) they want to take.
8. Players are required to attend at least one weekly League team practice and all regularly scheduled Club league games. This means players cannot regularly miss scheduled Club practices or games in place of touring activities such as touring practices, fundraising events, and exhibition games.
9. COYSA will not grant permission to teams that want to attend tournaments that interfere with a regularly scheduled league game.
10. Teams wishing to attend an out-of-province or out-of-country tournament must refer to the BCSA Travel Policy (attached).
11. Teams attending any tournament should review WYSA’s Risk Management form, and “In Case of Emergency” Planning Paper (attached).
12. Coaches, Parents, and Players are expected to uphold COYSA’s codes of conduct while attending tournaments.

Risk Management Check List
for Teams attending Tournaments

1. Medical forms filled out and handed in to team officials. 
2. Contact numbers (including cell phone) for parents and alternate are on file with team officials.   
3. “Emergency Action Plan” has been made, people have taken designated roles, and everyone understands their role fully. See “In Case of Emergency” Planning Paper.
4. Chaperones are designated.
5. Cell phone numbers and accommodation information for chaperones are on file with team officials.
6. Cell phone numbers and contact info for coaches, chaperones, and hotel has been given to every player, coach, and chaperone in an easy to carry format (e.g. small card).
7.  Address of each field you are playing at are with the coach, and with the person designated to make the emergency phone calls.
8. First aid supplies are fully stocked.
9. Equipment is in good repair.

“In Case of Emergency”
Planning Paper

When an emergency happens, whether it is an injury or a missing player, a pre designated plan will allow everyone to act immediately in a highly effective manner to deal with the “emergency”.

1.  The Team Head Coach should hold a meeting with all coaches, team
     managers, and chaperones prior to the tournament.

2.  Brainstorm everything that could go wrong on while traveling to and
     from, while at the tournament, while at the hotel, time between games,
     etc.

3.  Create an “Emergency Action Plan”:
         

1. Designate a first aid responder, responsible for the first aid kit.
2. Designate someone to stay with the injured or affected person (injury, illness, anxiety etc) including transportation to medical facility if necessary.
3. Designate someone to stay with the team.
4. Designate someone to be responsible for phoning: emergency personnel, parents, chaperones, and WYSA (250-707-0203).
5. Designate who will search if a player is missing.
6. Designate someone to document the incident including any follow-up required i.e. police report or medical requirements.
7. Have a team meeting at the hotel and review emergency exits at the hotel, review codes of conduct, review expectations of players for the field i.e. staying with chaperones, meeting points/times etc.

BCSA Travel Policy
This policy applies to any BCSA affiliated team wishing to play in an out-of-province tournament or to play against a team (or teams) outside of British Columbia. Permission to travel outside of British Columbia can only be granted to teams that are members in good standing with the BCSA..

• No application for BCSA sanctioning of a soccer instructional venture will be considered unless such application has first received the endorsement of the BCSA member District or Senior League. BCSA affiliated teams shall not consider entering invitational tournaments that are not approved by the provincial, State or regional association under whose jurisdiction the tournament organizing group falls.
• BCSA member teams shall not play against teams who are not properly affiliated directly or indirectly with their respective National governing body. Teams traveling to a sanctioned tournament have a reasonable expectation that the tournament will be run properly. If not, complaints and concerns can be addressed through the British Columbia Soccer Association to the tournament’s sanctioning body.
• Only players that are “registered or under permit” may play for your team at a sanctioned tournament.
• No players who are under suspension may play in tournaments and disciplinary action will be taken should a player participate in games while under suspension.
• Any team applying to play outside of BC must first submit the travel form to their youth district or senior league board for permission to travel, and secondly to the BCSA for approval. CSA sanction is also required when traveling outside Canada / United States. In this instance, a fee is charged by the CSA for this service. Teams should include the fee (cheque made payable to the BCSA) along with the completed travel form, when forwarding to BCSA. The BCSA will then forward the form and fee to the CSA once provincial approval has been granted.
• If the team is traveling within Canada or the United States, the form must reach the BCSA offices at least 30 days prior to the teams scheduled departure. Applications received less than 30 days prior to departure may or may not be approved. Should the association approve the application to travel the following fee schedule will apply:

Received 30 days or more before departure: $75

Received between 2 days before departure: $100

Received between less than 48 hours before departure: $150
(Provided the BCSA office can complete travel application)

• In instances where the team is traveling to a destination outside of Canada or the United States, the CSA required that the completed form must reach the BCSA offices at least 6 months prior to the team’s departure date accompanied with a fee of $175.
• A member of the team staff should take a copy of the approved form when traveling outside the province in case the affiliation status of the team is questioned.
• Any team traveling outside British Columbia shall be:

• Under the primary jurisdiction of BCSA and under the secondary jurisdiction of the
Association in whose territory the game, or games, are to be played.
• Subject to disciplinary measures taken by the BCSA in the event that your team is reported for misconduct.