GRA Policy - Out of Area Players

Part 1 Definitions:

• A Gloucester resident is a player whose principal residence is within the jurisdiction of the Gloucester Ringette Association, as defined in the by-laws of the Association.
  
  
• An out-of-area-player is a player whose principal place of residence is outside the jurisdiction of the GRA.
  
  
• An-out-of-area-player who has played three consecutive seasons or more with the GRA is considered a GRA member under the Ontario Ringette Association rules and for the purposes of this policy is treated as a Gloucester resident, as defined above.

Part 2
Policy and Procedures

Circumstance # 1:

The number of Gloucester resident players that try out for a specific age and level of play is less than the total number of players required as indicated by the coach prior to try-outs (House league team do not normally declare a number of players required in advance of tryouts)

If this is a competitive tryout, house league players should be asked to participate. If there are not enough additional players of caliber available from within house league, other associations will be invited to send players to try out. In this case, there is no restriction on the number of out of area players permitted on the team.

Circumstance # 2

The number of Gloucester resident players that try out for a specific age and level of play that have the appropriate calibre of play is less than the total number of players required (as indicated by the Coach prior to try-outs) to form a team at that age and level of play.

In this situation, the following procedure will be followed:

1. lack of appropriate calibre of Gloucester resident players will be determined at the first tryout by independent third party evaluator(s). A Gloucester resident player who is of the appropriate calibre cannot be cut from the team in favor of an out-of-area-player.
   
   
2. The maximum number of out-of-area skaters per team is as follows (numbers exclude goaltenders):
   
   
   1. where the total number of skaters required to form the team is twelve or less, the maximum number of out-of-area skaters to be allowed on that team is two; or,
      
      
   2. where the total number of skaters required to form the team is thirteen or more, the maximum number of out-of-area-players permitted on the team is three.
      
      
3. Any exceptions to the above limits are to be approved by GRA Executive on a case by case basis.
   
   
4. In any situation, the selection of out-of-area-players is subject to the final approval of GRA Executive, and a signed release from the players home association.
   
   
   

Part 3
Independent Third Party Evaluation - Process

1. Whenever possible, an initial approved list of evaluators who have accepted to act as independent evaluators is prepared prior to try-outs.
   
   
2. Prior to the try-outs, a coach indicates how many players she/he is planning to have on the team.
   
   
3. At the end of the first try-out, the coach assesses whether or not in her/his opinion, there is an adequate number of Gloucester resident players who are of calibre to form the team, and if not, the coach identifies to the appropriate vice-president those players not judged to be of calibre. A request to invite out of area players to the next tryout will only be approved if the independant evaluators agree there is not an adequate number of Gloucester resident players of calibre. The invitation to out of area associations will be made president to president.
   
   
4. If it is agreed there is not enough players of calibre, out-of-area-players may then be considered by the coach, in accordance with the policy and procedures in Part 1 and Part 2 above.
   
   
5. Once the coach has determined which out-of-area-players she/he would propose to keep, the players selection must be confirmed by the independent evaluators. In the event of evaluation disagreements between the coach and the independant evaluators, the independent evaluators will prevail.