A.1.2      Age is calculated by the calendar year of the current playing season. For
          example, for play any time from January 1st to December 31st 2007 (both 
          dates included) the calendar year is 2007 and if a player turns 15 in 2007,
          he or she is ineligible to play Bantam (Box) during 2007.
 

         A.1.3       Each of the four (4) disciplines of lacrosse is known as a Sector.

         The Box and Inter-Crosse Sectors both typically cater to each of the genders via

         a co-ed format. However, a women’s only format is rapidly emerging within the
         Box Sector.

 

A.2     LNSS Divisions of Play

 

          A.2.1     Member Associations (MA) of the CLA, such as the LNSS, are allowed
          to structure their divisions of play, on an annual basis, to best suit the age and
          gender distribution of their registrants.

 

          A.2.2     The LNSS via its “Sanctioning Request / Approval Process” is open to
          receiving, on an annual basis, any specific divisional operating structure that
          may be desired. To aid in this process it should be understood that the LNSS
          currently has no real concerns with the CLA Box Lacrosse Structure being modified 
           as follows:

 

•    Operating a three-year Tyke Division (6 – 8 year olds).
•    Operating a three-year Midget Division (15 - 17 year olds) in conjunction 
      with a four-year Junior Division (18 – 21 year olds).

             •     Operating a no-contact program for women only, providing that no female 
                    participant can be simultaneously registered to play both co-ed and women’s 
                    only. Also the program must progressively develop into a full-contact sport.

           However, they do have some concerns with the following modification and thus
           it should be avoided if at all possible:

             •      Operating a five-year Junior Division (17 –21 year olds).
 

A.3    CLA National Championships

 

           A.3.1    All National Championships and National Invitational Tournaments will 
           strictly observe the age categories of the CLA (e.g. The Midget National Championship
           is for 15 and 16 year olds only). Thus, in a particular season, if any Member Associations 
           are operating under a three-year Midget Division (15 – 17 year olds) format, then come
           time for the Midget Nationals each of those Member Associations will have some 17-year-old
           midgets that are ineligible to play at the National Championship.

 

 

            A.4.1    An “Affiliated League” is an incorporated executive body that governs 
            the overall operations of a group of Clubs / Local Associations that, in-turn,
            each run and operate several lacrosse teams of various age categories, for a 
            specified geographic area, under their own elected executive body. Typically,
            such a league would cater to all the age categories from Tyke to Intermediate.

 

            A.4.2 A “Stand-Alone Affiliated League” is an incorporated executive body that
            governs the overall running and operating of a group of independent and self-sufficient
            teams that each has their own team management panel. Typically, such a league
            only caters to one age category within the Junior to Master range of age categories.

 

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             B.1.1 Currently all box and field lacrosse players below the age category

             of Senior, must register with the club whose boundaries they currently reside

             within. At this point in time there are no designated, geographic boundaries 
             and/or affiliations associated with the age categories of Senior, Adult and Master.

 

 

             B.2.1 The package utilized by each of the clubs and stand-alone affiliated
             league teams, to register their individual players, must at the very least contain the following:

 

                      •  Registration Form 
                      •  Medical Form 
                      •  Acknowledgement of Risk and Release of Liability 
                      •  Code of Conduct
 

               Note: Also the Registration Form must include a “privacy statement” that

               basically conveys the following message, “That all personal information 
               collected is for the sole purpose of servicing and administering the lacrosse
               programs of LNSS and its affiliates. And that no personal information will be
               provided to any third party without the written consent of the individual or the
               parents / guardians of an individual, which ever is appropriate.”

             B.2.2 An “Acknowledgement of Risk and Release of Liability” is a legal document 
             and as a result, the witness must be present when the participant or the participant’s
             parent / guardian, which ever is applicable, reads and signs the document. 

             B.2.3 No individual shall be permitted to play until he or she has a completed
             Registration Package on file with the appropriate, Club Registrar or Stand-Alone
             Affiliated League Registrar or Stand-Alone Affiliated League Team Registrar.


B.3 Documented Proof Associated with Registration Process

              B.3.1 Prima Facie, proof of age, shall be established by filing with the club or 
              stand-alone affiliated league or stand-alone affiliated league team an official
              document issued by the Registrar General's Department, in the province where 
              he/she was born, or a baptismal record, or other satisfactory documentary evidence.

              B.3.2 Documented proof of a family’s or an above the age of majority individual’s 
              primary residence if requested, by a club or stand-alone affiliated league or stand-alone 
              affiliated league team, must be provided by either the player or the player’s
               parents / guardians, which ever is applicable.


B.4 Registration For Teams

               B.4.1 Each club or stand-alone affiliated league or stand-alone affiliated 
               league team must duly submit to the LNSS Registrar an accurate and complete
               (i.e. No missing data) standard LNSS “Team Registration Form” for each and
               every team. The deadlines associated with these submissions are as follows. 

                            •      Box Lacrosse - May 15th of each playing season. 
                            •      Field Lacrosse - August 15th of each playing season.

                 Note: The LNSS Registrar shall utilize these completed forms to update and
                 maintain the Society’s Registered Players historical database.


B.5 Failure to Meet Registration Obligations


                 B.5.1 Any club or stand-alone affiliated league or stand-alone affiliated league
                 team failing to register each and every player and/or pay the appropriate registration
                 fees, when invoiced by the LNSS Treasurer, may be subject to disciplinary action in 
                 accordance with the LNSS Discipline Policy.

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C.  PLAYER MOVEMENTS (Within a Club or Club to Club Same League)

C.1 General


C1.1 Any moves under this section, Section C, require that a LNSS standard form, either
 the “Player Movement” or the “Exceptional Player Status Request / Approval” be completed
by the club or clubs (where applicable) and then approved by both the applicable league’s
Executive Committee and the LNSS, before the registration of the player(s), in question,
can be moved to the other team.

C.1.2 Any player moves approved under this section, including those that are described
as permanent, shall only be good for the current playing season.

C.1.3 It is imperative that due diligence be continually exercised throughout this section,
by those authorized to make approval decisions, especially in the area of permanent moves.


C.2 Permanent Move “Playing Down” Within a Club


C.2.1 No player can play below his or her own age category, except in the case where a
league(s) has been given approval, by the LNSS, to operate a division(s) of play that
encompasses more years than the standard documented by the CLA.


C.3 Permanent Move “Playing Up” Within a Club


C.3.1 In the event that a club does not have enough players registered in an age category
to field a team and club to club moves are not a viable option; those players that are registered
may play for the same club, subject to the prior approval of the appropriate league’s Executive
Committee and the LNSS, in the age category that is one above their own.

C.3.2 Exceptional players in the final year of an age category may, after first registering in
their own age category, apply in writing to play one age category above their own. The
LNSS documented procedure must be followed and before the applicant’s registration
can be moved to the higher age category team all levels of approval must be signed off
 on the “Exceptional Player Status Request / Approval” form.


C.4 Club to Club Within Same League


C.4.1 In the event that any club has a surplus of registered players, in an age category or
categories, then any required moves to other clubs, within the same league, to accommodate
those surplus registrations will be controlled and approved by the appropriate affiliated
 league’s Executive Committee.

C.4.2 In the event that LNSS accepts a new club into the Society and this necessitates a
revision to existing boundaries, any existing players whose home club changes shall, at
the onset of registration process, belong to the club they played with the previous season.
Thus a “Player Movement” form must be, not negotiable, duly submitted for any returning
player that the new home club’s initial team structure can accommodate. However, after
the new club’s first season, the exact opposite shall apply, regardless of where they played
the previous season the players must now register with the club whose boundaries they live within.


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D. PLAYER TRANSFERS (Inter Provincial or Stand-Alone Leagues within Nova Scotia)

D.1 General

D.1.1 Any transfers under this section, Section D, require that either the LNSS “Player
Release / Transfer ” form or the CLA “Inter-Member Transfer ” form be completed by a
team or the teams involved and then approved by the appropriate governing bodies.

D.1.2 Any player that has already sat-out (i.e. did not register for or play any discipline
of lacrosse) for an entire playing season, is free to sign for whom ever he or she desires,
providing that he or she is a member in good standing with his or her previous governing
body (e.g. BCLA) and his or her previous club.

D.1.3 No player transferring-in to this province shall be permitted to dress, for his or
her new team, until he or she has on file, with the LNSS, a one hundred percent
completed Transfer Form.

D.2 Stand-Alone Affiliated Leagues in Nova Scotia

D.2.1 Any player that is or was registered, in the previous season, for a team in a
stand-alone affiliated league cannot play, without first obtaining a release and transfer,
for a different team in the self same stand-alone affiliated league or any other stand-alone
affiliated league within the province.

D.3 Inter-Member Within Canada

D.3.1 The CLA, via its Sector Committees, governs each discipline’s policy with respect
to these transfers.

D.3.2 Any player that currently is or was registered, in the previous season, for a team
outside of Nova Scotia cannot play here in the province, without first personally obtaining
a release from his or her previous team and that team’s governing body (Member Association).
Likewise any Nova Scotia player leaving the province should personally obtain a release
from the LNSS and his or her current team or the previous season’s team, which ever is
applicable, if they intend to continue playing lacrosse.

D.3.3 A transfer is necessary when a family relocates or an individual relocates without
his or her family.


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E. AFFILIATION

E.1 Guiding Statements


E.1.1 Affiliation is an internal club process that is defined as, the temporary use of a player(s)
by a team one-age category above the player’s own age category for the purpose of replenishing
the aforementioned team, that is already or will soon be short-benched due to injury,
suspension or player shortage and for absolutely no other purpose.

E. 1.2  Each individual club's executive can define, if they so desire, their own internal
guidelines that they will follow to ensure an un-biased application of the full contests
of this section (Section E).


E.2 LNSS Policy Statements


E.2.1 During any playing season (Jan 1st to Dec 31st) any player may only be brought-up,
on a per sector basis, for a maximum of five (5) games. Prior to any approach being made
to the individual player, by the coach of the higher age category team, the players parents
and the lower age category coach must have granted their permission for the approach
to be made.

Note: At any time during a pending or propsed affiliation move, the low age category coach
can opt to veto said move if the circumstances are such that his player(s) and/or team will
be adversely affected.

E.2.2 During any Affiliated League’s playoff series, any given player must play solely for his
or her own team. If, at some point during the series, the team is eliminated from any further
competition, then and only then the player shall be free to play for his or her affiliated team(s).


E.3 Some Shall and Shall Not Items


E.3.1 Each Affiliated League’s Executive Committee or its specified designate shall, prior
 to the opening of its league play each season, document and submit to the LNSS, for its
approval, the parameters that clearly describe and dimension affiliation from their own
league’s perspective.

Note: If any league is requesting any special modification(s), such as goalkeepers
being permitted to play-up more than five (5) games in a season, to the LNSS Policy
Statements they must clearly and precisely define their rationale for any such a request(s).

E.3.2 Any affiliate (player or players brought-up) shall be clearly identified on the game
sheet by writing the initials AP in the left hand margin opposite the applicable name or
names.

E.3.3 Under absolutely no circumstances shall a regular player(s), not even if he or she
was previously considered to be a potential “no show”, who on game night arrives on time
and is fit to play be replaced, on the bench, by an affiliated player(s). The affiliated player(s)
must be the one that does not dress for the game.

E.3.4 Under no circumstance shall a player be permitted, by anyone, to play-up on a night
when his regular team has a game.

E.3.5 Verified affiliation violations shall result in the suspension, even if it has to be
administered after the fact, of the player or players brought-up and the coach of the higher age
category team. Each affiliated league’s / stand-alone affiliated league’s Executive Committee
or its specified designate shall be solely responsible for the ongoing monitoring and the
administering of any required disciplinary action.

E.3.6 Any team that leaves the province to compete at the Major Nationals or Minor Nationals
or National Invitational Tournaments or on the International Scene shall not have any under
or over age player(s) on the team roster. Even approved exceptional player status is not to
be considered as automatic approval for a player to be put on such a roster, only the LNSS
can approve such an addition or additions. Not withstanding any precedence that can be
cited, be it actual or perceived, from this time forward this is the LNSS position.


E.4 Affiliation Structures


E.4.1 The LNSS affiliation structures for Men’s Field, Women’s Field, Inter-Lacrosse
and Women’s Box are simple and straightforward.


Men’s Field: Mini Tyke --> Tyke --> Novice --> Pee Wee --> Bantam --> Midget --> Junior

Women’s Field: Not Applicable

Inter-Crosse: Not Applicable

Women’s Box: Pee Wee --> Bantam --> Midget -->  Intermediate --> Junior


E.4.2 The LNSS “ideal” affiliation structure for Co-ed Box Affiliated League(s) shall be
as illustrated below. However the individual affiliated leagues can, on an annual basis,
seek approval from the LNSS to run and operate variations of this structure.


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F. CODE OF DICIPLINE

F.1 General


F.1.1 All disciplinary action and / or penalty assessments documented within this section,
Section F, are either clarifications of who the “appropriate governing body” is or additions
to what is called for by the CLA in their Rule Books. This Code of Discipline applies to all
pre-season, league, league playoff, recreational and exhibition games played within Nova
Scotia by any, recreational teams, affiliated league teams, stand-alone affiliated league
teams, regional teams, travel teams and provincial teams.

F.1.2 Each season, each and every league must submit a “Sanctioning Request / Approval
Form” to the Society. The LNSS approving said request(s) mandates the applicable affiliated
leagues and stand-alone affiliated leagues to develop or continue to operate under, which
ever is applicable, their own individual Code of Discipline, elect or appoint their own Suspension
Coordinator and Discipline Committee to apply and administer their own automatic one
or two game suspensions, committee generated three to five game suspensions and
accumulation policies for the repeat offenders, on a day-by-day basis.

F.1.3 Given that the Game Sheets and when applicable Game Incident Reports are the
only official documented proof of what transpired at any given time during any given game,
the LNSS demands that the Referees in conjunction with the Minor Officials ensure that
both of these documents are, at all times, clear, concise and accurate. Game Sheets must
be accurate with respect to the timing of all events that occur during a game, the size of
each bench, individual player’s numbers including goalkeepers, goal scorers, who assisted
on each goal, penalties assessed, head coaches names and the names of all referees and
minor officials that worked the game. Game Incident Reports shall always be duly submitted
in a timely manner, by the appropriate referee(s), for the following penalties; any five-minute
major(s), game misconduct(s), gross misconduct(s), match(s) and any bench clearing incident.
In the event that the referee(s) fail to comply with this directive, they could be fined.

F.1.4 The LNSS hereby defines, that for both box and field lacrosse the referee’s jurisdiction
shall begin fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled game time and shall continue until the teams
 have entered either the dressing rooms or the designated changing areas after the game.
Warnings and/or Penalties can be assessed throughout this entire jurisdiction period.

Reference: CLA’s Box Lacrosse Rule and Situation Handbook – Rule 23, Referees.


F.2 LNSS Actionable Items

F.2.1 A Match Penalty assessed for Molesting Officials shall result in an indefinite
suspension of the offending person until the LNSS Discipline Committee can deal with
the matter.

F.2.2 If an individual accumulates any two-way combination of the following penalties,
Gross Misconduct and Match (e.g. GRM + M or GRM + GRM or M + M) he or she shall
be indefinitely suspended, from the date of the second infraction, until the LNSS Discipline
Committee can deal with the matter.

F.2.3 In the event of a Bench Clearing incident occurring, the head coach or head
coaches shall be indefinitely suspended until the LNSS Discipline Committee can deal
with the matter. The club or clubs involved shall automatically be fined $125.00 by the LNSS.

F.2.4 For each of previous items in this sub-section, Sub-Section F.2, the initial steps are
that the applicable Suspension Coordinator shall first notify the offending person or persons
of their indefinite suspension and then he or she shall gather all the appropriate documentation
and forward it on to the LNSS. On receipt of all the documentation the LNSS shall proceed in
accordance with the Discipline – Operating Policy.


F.3 LNSS Directives, Actionable by Others

F.3.1 A Gross Misconduct Penalty or a Match Penalty that does not involve molesting
officials shall result in a minimum 2 Game Suspension pending further review by the
applicable affiliated league or stand-alone affiliated league Discipline Committee.

F.3.2 Any Game Misconduct Penalties assessed to an individual that simply cannot be
served in the game they are called (e.g. during a major melee the referees call three
game misconduct penalties on the same player) shall result in the applicable affiliated
league or stand-alone affiliated league Suspension Coordinator assessing an automatic
one-game suspension per game misconduct penalty not served, which would have been
at least two (2) in the quoted example.

Note: Since ten-minutes is charged on the game sheet against any assessed game
misconduct penalty, the affiliated league’s or stand-alone affiliated league’s must
identify within their Code of Discipline how they will be treat game misconduct penalties
that are assessed within the last ten-minutes of a game.

F.3.3 Any member(s) of the Bench Personnel who persist in using abusive language
and/or progressively loosing their self-control shall be quickly escalated, by the referee
and/or the referees, through the following per individual punishment cycle, one warning
 one bench minor  game misconduct. Obviously any further antics, by the individual,
on his or her way from the bench to the dressing room could warrant a Gross Misconduct
Penalty being assessed.

F.3.4 Any suspended individual cannot participate in lacrosse in any capacity until his
or her suspension has been completely served. All player and bench personnel suspensions
must be served in “consecutive regularly scheduled games” of the appropriate team or bench.
The appropriate team or bench are identified below:
         ► Player suspensions must be completely served on the team that the individual is 
              officially registered with. 
         ► Bench Personnel suspensions must be completely served on the bench that the
               individual was suspended from. 
         ► Any in-province, season’s end, carry over suspensions shall re-commence with
               the first regularly scheduled game that occurs for the individual with his or her new 
               official team or bench. 
         ► Any out-of-province carry-over suspensions, associated with an inter-member 
              transfer, shall commence with the first regularly scheduled game that occurs for
              the individual after he or she signs for his or her new club or new team. 
         ► When time suspensions (e.g. six months) are assessed an actual return date 
              will be identified in writing to all of the concerned parties.
Note:   The day-by-day monitoring and administration of the above suspensions is the
responsibility of the Suspension Coordinator of the applicable affiliated league or stand-alone
affiliated league. 
          ► Player suspensions assessed to a “provincial team member"  or "travel team 
               member" must be completely served, in so far as is possible, on the team that
               the individual is officially registered with. But any un-served suspensions that exist 
               when the team leaves the province shall be carried over into the event that the team
               is attending. 
               Important Note: If there is a carry-over involved the coaches have the authority to cut
               the suspended individual from the team. 
          ► Bench Personnel suspensions assessed to a “provincial team member” or "travel team
               member" must be completely served, in so far as is possible, on the bench that the
               individual was suspended from. But any un-served suspensions that exist when the
               team leaves the province shall be carried over into the event that the team is attending. 
               Important Note: If there is a carry-over involved the LNSS almost certainly will cut the
               suspended individual from the team.
Note: The ongoing monitoring and administration of the above suspensions is the
responsibility of the LNSS Board member assigned to do the job.

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I.4 Travel on Behalf of LNSS


I.4.1 Travel expenses, budget permitting, will be paid by the Society for the following:

♦   CLA AGM, typically no more than two persons, one of which must be the President or a
      formally appointed designate. In the event that the Society has a staff person, then at
      the discretion of the Board, that person may also attend.
♦   CLA SAGM, typically no more than three persons, one of which must be the President
      or a formally appointed delegate. In the event that the Society has a staff person, then at
the discretion of the Board, that person may also attend.
♦    CLA Committee Meetings, such as Minor Nationals; Strategic Planning; Coaching and 
      Officiating, typically only the LNSS representative on the committee.
♦    Affiliated clinics, training courses or organizational meetings conducted in Nova Scotia.
♦    Other travel as authorized by the Board of Directors.

Note: The term “formally appointed” means that the CLA must be notified in writing that the
designate will representing LNSS at their Board of Directors Meetings.

I.4.2 The current rates and conditions associate with travel expenses are as follows.

♦   Mileage, 35¢ per km to the driver only. Car-pooling shall be maximized.
♦   Train fares, buses, subways, taxis and ground transport costs will be paid. Receipts are required.
♦   Airfares will be paid, at the going commercial class rate. Receipts are required.
♦   Accommodation will be paid, at the going economy rate. Receipts are required.
♦   Per Diem $50.00 per day. No receipts are required.
♦    If the tab for the “traditional banquet/group meal” at a CLA function is not picked-up
       by the CLA then that cost will be paid by LNSS. Receipts are required.

Notes: At any CLA function, the cost of the round of golf or the hockey game or the lacrosse
game is the individual’s personal responsibility. At their AGM and SAGM the CLA typically
cover all the breakfast and lunch costs, while at Committee Meetings they typically cover
airfare, accommodation, breakfast and lunch costs. Obviously this reduces the per diem
costs of the LNSS.

I.4.3 Temporary advances, in the form of a cheque, to cover the travel expenses associated
with a pending authorized business are available from the Treasurer. The corresponding
expense claim / refund must be submitted within 30 days of the event.

I.4.4 In exceptional circumstances, providing the supporting receipts are available, t
he actual costs incurred over and above the allowed per diem rate may be paid at the
discretion of the Treasurer.

I.4.5 In the event that the travel is international, the Vice President of Finance has the
authority to determine an LNSS per diem rate that adequately compensates for the variance
in international per diem rates; the applicable currency exchange rate and an additional
allowance to address the “no choice” nature of the business environment. The primary
source for the various components of the determination will be Canada’s Federal Government
Tables.

I.4.6 Entertainment and/or hospitality costs, pre-authorized by the Vice President of Finance,
associated with LNSS hosted events or LNSS business obligations at certain events will be
considered as a separate line item in the event budget.

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