Dear IYSA membership,
We have received quite a few inquiries about inclement weather in the last week. We wanted to remind everyone of how these issues are handled.
The 30-30 Rule will be in effect.
• If the officials detect or see lightning the games will be automatically stopped for a minimum period of 30 minutes. Should there be lightning during the 30-minute stoppage then the 30-minute timer will start again. (This portion is USSF Policy)
• If the stoppage goes beyond 45 minutes, then the game is considered over and will not be restarted, and the result will be determined as follows.
If the game had at least reached half-time, then the score stands as is.
If the game had not reached half but one team was 3 or more goals ahead then the score stands as is.
If the game has not reached half then and bullet #2 is not the case, 7.5.1 in D3L will be in effect - which states - Any game that is abandoned because of inclement weather or darkness, after the completion of the first half, will be considered a completed game. If the first half has not been completed, the teams will have the option to replay the game in its entirety.
If severe weather results in some games not being able to even start due to time constraints, then IYSA will have full discretion over determining a result.
RULES OF CONDUCT
No place outside is safe near thunderstorms
The best shelter is a large, fully enclosed, substantially constructed building. A vehicle with a solid metal roof and metal sides is a reasonable second choice.
If there is no proper shelter, avoid the most dangerous locations: Higher elevations; wide open areas, including fields; tall isolated objects, such as trees, poles, or light posts; unprotected open buildings; rain shelters; bus stops; metal fences and metal bleachers.
REMEMBER THAT YOUR SAFETY AND THAT OF YOUR CHILD
IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A GAME OF SOCCER
Notifications of Cancelations:
IYSA will not notify anyone until an actual change happens with a game. Please trust that we are monitoring the situation and will have discussions with our contacts with City and Referee personnel to make sure guidelines are being followed to ensure a safe experience.
Authority of Canceling Games:
Field conditions are assessed by the Municipal authority and are communicated to IYSA around 24 hours before events if there is an issue that would need to close a field or a whole complex. Weather however is uncontrollable and unexpected outcomes can happen between the time of assessment and game time. Hence why the Referee is required to assess the safety of the field at game time. The Referee is well within the laws of the game to abandon/cancel any match that they deem unsafe to play. The specific law is 5.7 and can be found here
Club home fields are subject to the home club's authority to control their facility. those outside facilities are told to contact us to let us know about field closures, but its best practice to contact the home team if you are going to an outside facility.
If no referee is present 10 mins before a game, both coaches can agree on terms of abandonment and can refer to 5.7.1. But both coaches need to file a Referee NO SHOW form that can be found HERE
We understand that this can cause an inconvenience to show up to a game and have it canceled due to weather, but the safety of players, parents, coaches, and referees is ALWAYS first period.
US Soccer Guidelines for Environmental Conditions:
Environmental conditions can significantly impact player health and safety. Extreme temperatures, severe weather, and the integrity of the playing field and its equipment all impact players’ ability to practice and compete safely. U.S. Soccer’s Recognize to Recover program gives players, parents, coaches, and referees information and guidelines to make sure the desire to play does not cloud the decision-making process when it comes to evaluating environmental conditions to ensure the safety of those on the field.
IYSA intends to follow and uphold guidelines that can be found at the buttons below!