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Men's Club Leagues
Fall 2008 Leagues
Points System
Advancement to the Spring Playoffs for Regional Division I
Advancement to the Spring Playoffs for Division II
B-Side - League and Playing Requirements
Forfeitures
Day and Time of League Matches
Field Cancellation Policy
Maximum match point differential
Promotion and Relegation Between Division I and Division II
Promotion and Relegation Between Division II and Division III
Division III Championship
CIPP Compliance and Roster/Substitution Management
Check-in Guidelines for MARFU D2 and D3 Playoffs
RSL Teams Playing in Lower MARFU Divisions
The following are the leagues for Fall 2008:
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Championship Division
(RSL and Division I)
Baltimore-Chesapeake (Div I)
Charlotte (RSL)
Maryland Exiles (Div I)
Media (Div I)
Norfolk Blues (Div I)
NOVA (Div I)
Pittsburgh Harlequins (Div I)
Raleigh Vipers (Div I)
Schuylkill River (Div I)
Washington (Div I)
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Division II North
Blackthorn
Brandywine*
Doylestown
Jersey Shore
Lancaster Roses
Reading
South Jersey
Wilmington
* Will play in D2-N but will not be eligible for 2009 playoffs
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Division II South
Frederick
PAC B
Richmond Lions
Rocky Gorge
Severn River
Washington Irish
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Points System
During the League season, teams will be ranked within
their Divisions as follows, based on the method used
in the Super 12 competition:
Win = 4 points
Draw = 2 points (a game tied at the end of regulation time will remain tied)
Loss = 1 point for loss within 7 points or less of
the team that wins
Loss = 0 points for loss of more than 7 points
1 point for scoring 4 tries or more in a match
In the event of a forfeit, the score will be considered
60-0 (MARFU standard) and, in terms of points, 4
for the win and 1 pt for 4 trys or more (total of
5 points for a forfeit win).
In the event of a tie on Super 12 points, the tie-breaker
will be point differential.
Note: the LAU-based championships in the VRU and
PRU will also be based on the above, unless those
two LAUs determine their own systems.
Advancement to the Spring Playoffs
for Regional Division I
The dates for the Spring USA Competition Region
4 (CR4 - MARFU/NRU) playoffs will be listed on the
playoff page.
Determining the seeding of CR4 quarterfinalists from
MARFU and venues:
1. Position in the competition table shall be determined
by the points system as set out above.
2. Within the Championship Division, a separate table
will be set for matches between the Division I-only clubs.
The separate standings table will determine Division
I seedings for CR4 playoff standings. ONLY matches that
are against Division I clubs will count for CR4 playoff
seedings/standings. Seedings will be based on the Super
12 point system.
In the MARFU/NRU Division I quarterfinals, MARFU Team
#1 will host NRU Team #4 and MARFU Team #2 will host
NRU Team #3. NRU Team #1 will host MARFU Team #4 and
NRU Team #2 will host MARFU Team #3.
Determining the Div I Final Four venue:
The location of the Final Four will alternate between
MARFU and the NRU. The event will be held in even years
in MARFU and odd years in the NRU.
Referees: The USARRA will assign the referees for
the Final Four event; the Quarterfinal round are
MARR
assignments.
Advancement to the Spring
Playoffs for Division II
The dates for the playoffs will be listed on the
playoff page.
The following describes playoff advancement:
1. The top 4 teams from Div II North will advance.
2. The top 4 teams from Div II South will advance.
3. Seedings and matches are listed on the
playoff page.
[Note: There is NO reseeding after
the quarterfinal round.]
Determining Div II final venue (MARFU Div II Final
Four): This will be handled via the event bids received
by November 30. The MARFU Board of Directors will
announce the winning venue.
Grounds: The fields for the above matches must be
suitable (e.g., meets MARFU playoff requirements);
otherwise, the opponent will host the match, also
provided their ground is suitable; failing that,
the MARFU Competitions Committee will name the venue.
Referees: MARR will assign the referees
for the Final Four event; the Quarterfinal round
are local referee assignments.
B-Side League and B-Side Play Requirements
Beginning with Fall 2003, a B-side league was started
and played within all three leagues (Championship
Division, II-N, and II-S).
Standings will be kept for
the B-Sides with won-loss-tie records, as well as
point differentials. The winner will be determined
based on best record; wins will count as 2 points,
a tie will count as 1 point, and a loss as 0 points.
A tie in the standings will be broken via point differential
(point differentials will not exceed 30 points).
The leagues will just be played within the separate
leagues at this time (not inter-league).
Each team must understand that the B-matches will
be played in the spirit of the intention; the purpose
is to promote B-side players and to give them something
to play for. While it is ok for clubs to have a mixed
A/B side, it is not ok to flagrantly stack up a side
with A-side players (or All Stars).
For each, A-side match, a B-side match will be played.
Failure to play the B match under these rules will
incur penalties (see Forfeitures).
The B match will have at least 30-minute halves.
The referee may cut the game short if requested by
the team who is down at least 30 points with 10 minutes
to play in the match.
It is up to each team to field a side of not less
than 13 players at kickoff.
Each team shall be required to maintain a fielded
team of at least 13 players except for those sin-binned
or sent off by the referee. Each team can, after
kickoff, bring on additional players to field a full
side of 15 players less the number of players sin-binned
or sent off.
If necessary, each team will field players from the
A side match to bring the fielded B side team up
to the minimum requirements at any time from kickoff
through full time.
Opposing teams may mutually agree to different terms
for the B match.
Forfeitures
Forfeiture of an A-match will be set at $500 as well
as being barred from the playoffs. A second occurrence
in the competitive season will warrant an additional
fine AND demotion to the next lower division for
the following year.
B-matches will be played by ALL (REPEAT ALL) TEAMS;
forfeiture of a B-match will be set at $300, unless
mutually agreed upon by both teams and with (a minimum)
Email documentation to the MARFU Competitions Committee.
Additionally, a second occurrence in the competitive
season will warrant an additional fine AND demotion
to the next lower division for the following year
AND being barred from the playoffs.
In playoff matches: Sunday consolation matches will
be played, as part of the spirit of the game. The
forfeiture fine will be set at $200, unless mutually
agreed upon by both teams and with (at a minimum)
Email documentation to the MARFU Competitions Committee.
If a fine were invoked, the offended team would receive
the fee.
The fines are not additive. If a fine was invoked
for the forfeit of an A-match, the fine for the forfeit
of the B-match would not be invoked.
A match forfeiture will be counted as a 60-0 league
win.
Day and Time of League Matches.
MARFU league matches must kick off between 12:00 noon
and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, unless a mutually agreeable
change is made prior to the beginning of the season and
reported to the appropriate referees association and
to the MARFU Competitions Committee.
MARFU Men's Divisional Field Cancellation Policy.
1. Home Clubs are required to contact their Away opponents prior to their scheduled league matches in the event that there is a problem with the weekend's scheduled site.
2. If the original Home field was cancelled (for any reason), the Home team shall make any/all effort to secure a suitable field no further than 30 miles in additional travel distance from the original venue for the Away team.
3. If the Home team cannot secure a field as stated above, the teams will negotiate for a make-up date during the Fall Season within the vicinity of the original Home team. If a decision cannot be reached by the two teams, the match will be rescheduled on the earliest available Make-up Date (as prescribed by the seasonal schedule).
4. If the match cannot be scheduled, the MARFU Men's 15s Club Committee will adjudicate the resulting complaint.
Maximum match point differential.
A team will receive no more than 60 (+/-) differential
points for a match win in the MARFU divisional standings.
The 60-point differential will be determined from the
losing team's final score.
Examples: a 72-0 match would count as a 60-0 match (60
pt max differential); an 80-50 game would count as an
80-50 game (only 30 point difference); a 90-25 win would
count as an 85-25 win (60 point max).
This does not mean that matches will be halted after
a 60 pt differential has been reached; play may continue
at the discretion of the referee due to safety issues.
This rule only applies to the administrative league standings
and not to the actual match.
Promotion and Relegation Between Division I and Division II.
Teams will be required to play within their level for the full competition season, including league and playoff matches. Beginning with the 2009/2010 Rugby Year, the Top MARFU Division II team, as determined by the Spring 2009 Division II Playoffs, will be promoted to Division I; the last place Division I team, as determined by Fall 2008 Division I league play, will be relegated to Division II for the following Rugby Year.
If a team refuses to accept promotion/relegation as required, then that club will not be allowed to play in a division or playoff competition the following year.
Promotion and Relegation Between Division II and Division III.
1. The EPRU Div III Champ may challenge the last place EPRU team in MARFU Div II-N.
2. - The PRU Div III East or West Champ may challenge the last place PRU Team in MARFU Div II-S. Last place is determined by league matches.
3. The VRU Div III South Champ may challenge the last place VRU Teamin MARFU Div II-S team. Last place is determined by league matches.
4. MARFU reserves the right to add additional teams in
the event imbalances in the leagues occur.
5. Promotion/relegation matches would be played no later
than the first Saturday in April at the
site of the Division II team in a full 80-minute match
with a tie going to the Division II club; the match can
be scheduled at an alternate date, assuming both clubs
agree.
6. A Div III team desiring to challenge a team for promotion/relegation
must declare their intention no later than 5:00 PM 2 days
after the end of their league play in the Fall (typically,
this will be Monday afternoon). If a decision is not
made by the end of that period, no promotion/relegation
match will occur.
Division III Championship.
The LAUs are responsible for the determination of their
Division III champion and each club's eligibility.
The MARFU Division
III playoffs will have a Quarterfinal Round on one weekend
and a "Final Four" on the following weekend.
The top two Division III teams from
the VRU, EPRU and PRU will be entered into the eight-team event. No LAU will get more than three teams into the MARFU playoffs; the assignment of the two #3 LAU seeds will be determined by the MARFU Men's 15s Club Committee.
Each LAU gets their #1 seed in the Top Four seeds of the D3 Playoffs.
If the Division III Championship match of the previous year consists of two teams from the same Union, that Union will get the #1 and #2 seeds at the next year's playoffs.
There shall be no
entry fee for the MARFU Championship.
All matches are full 80-minute matches.
The location of the Final Four event must
be bid through the MARFU Event Bidding Process and
approved by the MARFU Board of Directors. MARR will
assign the referees
for the Final Four event; the Quarterfinal round of matches
are local referee assignments.
As a result of problems in 2002, the Div III teams
and their LAU will certify via Email to the MARFU
Competitions Committee that if their club wins the
Div III Championship then they have the commitment
and are prepared to travel to the USA Div III National
Championship series.
CIPP Compliance and Roster/Substitution Management
All clubs are expected to register all their players in the USA Rugby CIPP program. All clubs are expected to abide by the Laws of the Game with respect to starting and reserve rosters. These rules apply to league and playoff matches. These rules are written with the intent that the teams will be self-monitoring. In addition to MARFU rules, MARFU adheres to USA Rugby eligibility rules.
MARFU will not strictly monitor compliance except in obvious cases of non-compliance. MARFU reserves the right to monitor compliance without notification. The following rules to be used by the clubs to self-monitor each other's eligibility.
1. Each club must have 15 players on its USA Rugby CIPP roster by the Friday preceding any match. Failure to have at least 15 players on the roster will be taken as prima facie evidence of an inability to field a full, legitimate team on game day. Teams may apply for a waiver from the MARFU Competitions Committee, or failing their approval, from the MARFU Executive Committee. However, if a team can show that, while having less than 15 players on their CIPP roster, they are fielding a legitimate team on game day, then no penalties will be levied.
2. MARFU is cognizant that new players come to a team throughout the season. New players may not play until USA Rugby has processed their CIPP application and their name appears on the USA Rugby CIPP roster for their club. CIPP registration prior to spring season playoff matches also comes under timing requirements mandated by USA Rugby.
3. It is the responsibility of the club to ascertain that new players are eligible to play; that is, that the new player is not CIPPed with another club, that the new player has not played in the current competitive cycle with another club (and may not be CIPPed yet) in matches leading to a national championship, and that the new player is not serving a suspension from play that was handed down by another rugby administrative body (domestic or international). If the player has a current CIPP number, the club should check with the player's (former) club as to his eligibility; there may be a reason why the player has not been released by his club. Questions about eligibility should be resolved with MARFU administrators before allowing the new player to take the field. Clubs that play ineligible players are subject to various penalties, including forfeiture of games in which the ineligible player took part.
4. Prior to the kickoff, each team may demand a game-day roster of participating players, including substitutes, from their opponent. This roster shall include the names and positions of starting and reserve players CIPP numbers should be easy to also include but are not required. This list may be checked against the USA Rugby CIPP roster on the spot or at a later time. The challenged team should be prepared to produce a game-day roster, and kickoff may not be delayed more than 30 minutes past the scheduled time. [Teams should perform the roster check/challenge as early as possible so as not to interfere with their pre-game preparations. Likewise, a team cannot show up right before kickoff and be excused from a roster check/challenge on the grounds that they need time to prepare for the game, nor can the challenging team take an inordinately long time to complete this process.]
5. Prior to the kickoff, each team may challenge their opponent's game-day roster, including substitutes, by asking to check any or all players' identification. Such identification must include a clear and recent photograph (less than 10 years old but taken when the player was at least 18 years of age; players younger than 20 may produce photo identification that is no more than 2 years old; players under 18 should note the USA Rugby eligibility regulation at the link above). Such identification may be a driver's license, passport, visa, military identification, or any other such original picture identification. Photocopied identification that does not clearly identify the player to the satisfaction of the challenging team may be rejected as insufficient. The challenged players should be prepared to produce such identification, and kickoff may not be delayed more than 30 minutes past the scheduled time. Any player that cannot produce satisfactory identification when challenged, and who subsequently plays in the game, does so at the risk of being declared ineligible if a protest is filed by the opponent. [Teams should perform the roster check/challenge as early as possible so as not to interfere with their pre-game preparations. Likewise, a team cannot show up right before kickoff and be excused from a roster check/challenge on the grounds that they need time to prepare for the game, nor can the challenging team take an inordinately long time to complete this process.]
6. A team may ask the name of a replacement player at the time of replacement during the match, and check this name against the game day roster. The referee should check with the opposing team before allowing this player to enter the match, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the teams to verify the identity of the substitution player entering the game and keep track of substitutions. The referee, having checked with the opposing team, should then keep track of substituted players by name and position in case there is a question later. If there are questions about the player's eligibility to participate in the game, the team should inform the opposing captain or team manager and the referee that a protest may be made at a later time. The protesting team should be prepared to present proof of this transgression to the MARFU Competitions Committee and/or the MARFU Disciplinary Committee and/or the MARFU Executive Committee. [The purpose here is to avoid having a neutral match official at each game who can verify player identities and whether that player has already played in the match. The teams can accomplish this on their own.]
7. The referee will not adjudicate any disputes before, during, or after the match, but may be called by MARFU as a witness to the events surrounding the protest. Other witnesses, whether or not part of either teams' roster of players, may be called as they are identified.
8. If a team fails to ask for a player roster or challenge a player's eligibility before the match, or during the match in the case of a replacement player, they shall be prohibited from protesting the game on grounds of ineligibility.
9. If a team intends to challenge the eligibility of an opposing player, they must obtain the game-day roster, including starters and substitutes, of both teams, and submit this to MARFU within three days after the match for review. Whether or not a challenge is forthcoming, an official of each team is obligated to sign the game-day roster as well as printing their name and giving a telephone number and an e-mail address (if not their own e-mail address, then that of another responsible club official); such official could be a club executive officer, or club captain, or club coach, or other club member claiming to represent the club. Teams should retain the game day roster until such time as they deem it unnecessary to retain. No eligibility challenges shall be permitted where game day rosters, having been collected, are subsequently destroyed.
10. If a team fields an ineligible player on game day, as determined by their own admission or by the finding of some MARFU administrative body, then the match will be treated as a forfeit (penalties for forfeits are further provided for by MARFU competition rules).
Check-in Guidelines for MARFU D2 and D3 Playoffs
Quarterfinals: At D2 and D3 quarterfinals, each team will have available a copy of their roster (with names, numbers/positions, CIPP numbers, and citizenship status) and picture identification for each player. Proof of citizenship will not be required, but a team may challenge any (or all) players within 24 hours after completion of the match. In the event a discrepancy is found that impacted the outcome of the match or failed to comply with the spirit of the USA Rugby guidelines for player eligibility, the offending side will be suspended from playoff competition for one (1) year and will be fined $500, payable to the MARFU Treasurer within 30 calendar days of the decision.
Final Fours: At MARFU D2 and D3 Final Four events, all teams will appear with identification
and citizenship documents as required by USA Rugby at their championship events; MARFU will parallel
USA check-in procedures in preparation for our teams going forward. A team may have a player without
proof of legitimate citizenship, but that player will count against the club maximum of foreign (non-resident)
players. Players may be exempted from the proof of citizenship requirement if their CIPP registration
shows that their USA Citizenship has been verified (usually because they have attended a national championship
event). Teams with less than the full number will not be barred from playing, but may only play with
the legitimate number of players (resident plus non-resident) as currently defined by USA Rugby.
RSL Teams Playing in Lower MARFU Divisions
MARFU has specific additions to the USA Eligibility Guidelines (located at http://www.usarugby.org/information/default.asp?NavPageID=58330):
1. A copy of each week's match rosters mentioned in (g) (above) will also be sent to the MARFU Men's 15s Club Committee when they are sent to USA Rugby.
2. A copy of each RSL match roster of the preceding Spring RSL season must be sent to the MARFU Men's 15s Club Committee.
3. No more than 5 players who STARTED in a RSL match (for any team) in the previous Spring RSL Season may participate in any given match for the lower side in the Fall Season. A player that NEVER STARTED for a RSL club (but may have been on the roster as a sub) is not counted with the "five" and is just considered as one of the lower side players.
[IMPORTANT NOTE: the above covers BOTH the players who stay with their current clubs AND those who "migrate" to other teams (like D2 sides) in the Fall AND players from out of territory who just happen to show up.]
4. Lack of compliance may result in disqualification of the team for the applicable playoffs and the removal of that team's results in the standings.
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