Scheduling Basics
Schedule Preparation
Prior to the league structure meeting for your age group:- Get a calendar to keep track of the important scheduling dates above and the dates mentioned below.
- Confirm with your parents the last day of the season for your team. If you plan to play through July but several of your players are leaving for vacation, you'll have trouble fielding a team. Identify the last day you expect to have a full roster for your team and write it in the calendar.
- Get each player's personal schedule - band concerts, vacations, field trips, birthday parties, etc. Any day that a player is unavailable, write it in the calendar.
- Get the list of dates and times that you will have a home field and enter them in the calendar.
Entering Schedules
A couple days after your age group scheduling begins, a link to the schedule entry page for your league will be provided. You will have 2 weeks to enter your schedule online. The process is easy and directions for entry will be listed on the web page. When schedule entry for your age group is closed, you will receive an email within a few days stating the schedule is available online for your review. You will have one week to review and confirm.
Note: You will only enter games which take place at your home field(s) regardless of whether you are considered the home team or not.
Avoiding Unplayed Games and Forfeits
There are several reasons contributing to unplayed games and forfeits:- Rainouts
- Unable to field 9 players for a game (vacations, events, injuries, illness, etc.)
- Schedule confusion
- Failure to schedule the game before the season starts
PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST UNPLAYED GAMES AND FORFEITS
- Properly prepare for scheduling (see above)
- Schedule all your games during the pre-season - don't leave games unscheduled for later.
- If a team requests a reschedule, confirm the rescheduling BEFORE you cancel the game. Be aware, that you do not have to agree to reschedule a game that is not postponed due to weather. However, we expect teams to accommodate schedule changes to the best of their ability. If teams manage their player and home field calendars properly, the need to reschedule will be minimal. When rescheduling a game, email the new schedule information (time, date, location) and well as which team requested the change.
- Take your calendar to every game. If a game is postponed, attempt to schedule the make-up game immediately. If you maintain your calendars, you will know when you have players and fields available.
- Protect yourself against unexpected absences (injuries or illnesses) by rostering players from a team one year younger than your team. Use these players in an emergency.
- If you must reschedule or cancel a game, phone the other team's manager then send a confirmation email. Do not depend on email for emergency communication.