Palmerston North Indoor Sports Arena Stadium Policy
The seasonal leagues run by PISA are the most successful of their type run anywhere in New Zealand. One of the main reasons for this success is that our competitions have been continually developed over many years, taking into account the changing needs and lifestyles of the people playing our sports.
People play at our stadiums for primarily recreational reasons, to get together with their friends, family and workmates, to burn off some stress from the working week, to help maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, and above all else, to enjoy playing their chosen sport in a well-run graded competition.
We realise that one of the keys to making sure that our teams enjoy their time with us is to make sure that they know how our competitions are run, what they can expect from the Stadium, and also what the Stadium expects from them.
For this purpose, we have combined all of the major features of our seasonal competitions into one publication, and this is known as our Stadium Policy. This policy is detailed over the following pages, and we can’t stress strongly enough just how important it is for all teams to read through this information to ensure that they gain the greatest possible enjoyment from playing at PISA.
Please also keep in mind that this document has been prepared to take into account the major features of our seasonal competitions run throughout the country and as our experience has also taught us that what might work in one Stadium might not necessarily work in another, some features may or may not be applied to your particular Stadium. In this instance you should contact your local Stadium to confirm the conditions applicable to your team.
So, if after reading this information you have any questions or need anything clarified, please feel free to either call your local Stadium, or speak with one of the team on duty when you come in for your next game. We hope you enjoy your time with us and would like to thank you for choosing PISA as the venue for your next sporting endeavor.
Competition Format
- Each of our seasonal leagues include grading games, competition round games, semi-finals and finals and are run-on the basis of each team playing one game per week against teams of similar abilities.
- During grading, your team will play opponents of varying abilities so that we can get an idea of just how competitive or social your team really is. Once the grading rounds have finished, your team will then be placed into a grade that best suits your ability.
- Once in a grade, your team will play a series of competition round games.
- Now don’t panic if your team struggles a bit or isn’t challenged enough during these games, because we do realis that many teams either improve or become more “social” as a season progresses, so we constantly look at the performance of all teams and re-grade teams whenever necessary during the season.
- Once all the round games have been completed, it is generally the top four placed teams in each grade that transfer through to the semi-finals. We do however use a variety of semi-finals formats and choose the best one to suit your grade at the time.
- All teams that make it through to the Grand-Final for their grade will receive some form of prize or award after their final has been played.
Match Rules
- As with all sports, there are a whole stack of rules relating to how each game is played, and without these rules there would be chaos on our courts. The detailed rules for each of our sports are included in this booklet and while it isn’t essential that you swot up and know the rules inside and out (that’s what your Umpire is for), it is helpful to have a quick read through them to get a better understanding of how to play the game.
Team Administration
You will also see that there is a space opposite to list the address details and contact phone numbers for each of your players.
We need as many phone numbers as possible for your team because the more contact points we have the easier it is to get a hold of your team.
We also need to collect all player’s address details for one very important reason. We have to be able to verify if a player was playing at our Stadium on a particular date.
We are often asked for this information by ACC in order to validate an injury claim, and if we do not have your correct phone numbers AND postal address, we cannot legally verify your participation.
We also want to maintain an accurate player database so we can keep everyone informed of upcoming events, competitions etc. The personal information we collect will only be used by Action Indoor Sports and will not be provided to any other entity for any other purpose.
Finals Qualification
To keep our competitions fair and to ensure that the finals for all grades are a true reflection of the season, we have STRICT player qualification rules.
To be eligible to play for a team in any game during a Finals Series, a player must have been registered as a member of that team and taken the court in at least one third of all competition round games played by that team during the season to which the Finals Series relates.
You must first list all of the players you wish to qualify for semi-finals and finals, in the spaces provided within the qualification section. Then each week when you come in for your game, simply tick the box alongside each player’s name under the date of that game.
The second step is to make sure that your player’s names are listed on the match score sheet held by the Umpire in charge of your game. The Umpire will try to make sure that you list your player’s names, but it is ultimately the responsibility of each team to ensure that this is done.
A player will only be considered to have taken part in a particular game if their participation is detailed on BOTH sheets. If you follow this procedure for each game, there will be no nasty surprises when it comes to semi-finals and finals, and we strongly advise all teams to make sure that they qualify enough players to make allowances for unforeseen situations.
Please note that a player cannot play for two teams in the same grade of competition.
Match Fees
As you will be aware, we operate on a pay as you play basis, with no big up-front fees.
For this system to work effectively, all teams must firstly play all of their scheduled games and secondly, they must also pay their match fee in full prior to the start of each game.
Please note that this fee is a team fee, and as such must be paid in full regardless of the number of players taking part in any match. If a shortfall occurs due to players not turning up, it is the responsibility of the team to cover this amount, not the Stadiums.
Registration Fees
Each team must pay a registration fee for each season in which they participate.
We do not insist that this fee is paid when you register your team, but we do set a final date for the payment of this fee each season.
Teams that fail to pay their fees by the due date will be penalised two (2) competition points for each week that this fee remains unpaid after the due date.
Defaulted Games
We understand that there may be times when a team is unable to make it to one of their scheduled games, and if given a minimum of 72 hours' notice, we can usually arrange for the game to be re-scheduled.
Teams that give less than 72 hours' notice or worse still, no notice at all, do not benefit greatly from our understanding.
In all instances, the team defaulting will have points deducted from their team’s total on the Championship Ladder and these will only be reversed if the game is re-scheduled and played at a later date.
The two teams affected by any such default are asked to make every effort to fit in with the re-scheduled time and day, which may or may not be on their normal playing day. We simply ask that all teams provide the Stadium with as much notice as possible of any intended default so as to enable us enough time to contact the opposing team and attempt to re-schedule the game.
Any team that defaults any game without giving PISA sufficient notice, will be charged a default fee equivalent to the Total Fee of Both Teams for the sport and match they were scheduled to play.
Please note that for the sake of all teams in the competition, we reserve the right to remove from the competition, any teams that default twice or without sufficient notice. Any such team removed from the competition shall have no claim against any match or registration fees paid prior to them being removed.
Playing Days
When entering the competition, all teams are asked to select the day and times that they would prefer to play their games (preferred day).
Each team is also asked to select which times they would prefer to play any games that are scheduled to be played on a Sunday.
The reason we need to know what time each team can play on a Sunday is simply due to the fact that whilst by far the majority of a team's games are played on their preferred day, ALL teams must also play a small number of games on a Sunday.
Allocating teams games to be played on a Sunday, means that we can accept more teams into each of our competitions. This in turn provides a better choice of grades for teams to be placed in, and as such, the best possible standard of competition for all teams. It also means that we can keep our playing fees at their current level.
The scheduling of games onto Sundays is kept to the minimum possible number, and done on a rotational basis so that these games are allocated evenly across the days and grades.
It is a COMPULSORY requirement that each team participating in one of our weekly competitions agrees to play these games, and we expect all teams to play these games as we would any game scheduled on their preferred playing day. Please note that our policy concerning “Defaulted Games” detailed previously, is applied equally to ALL games scheduled to be played on a Sunday.
Points Scoring System
The following points scoring system is generally used for all competitions regardless of which sport is being played;
- Win = 4 points
- Draw = 2 Points
- Loss = 0 Points
- Default Win = 8 points
- Default Loss = -8 points
In addition to the above, there are also bonus points available in each sport and these are as follows;
Indoor Netball Bonus Points
The team that scores the most goals in each quarter is awarded one (1) bonus point, and if the scores for any quarter are drawn, the bonus point for that quarter is shared evenly by both teams.
Indoor Cricket Bonus Points
The team scoring the most runs in each corresponding batting partnership will be awarded one (1) bonus point, and if the runs scored in each such partnership are equal, the bonus point for that partnership is shared evenly by both teams.
Indoor Soccer/Touch Bonus Points
If the losing team in any match loses by two (2) goals/touchdowns or less, they will be awarded one (1) bonus point.
Ladder Position
When determining the finishing order of teams at the end of all round games, the positions will firstly be determined by points, secondly by the number of wins and thirdly by goal/run/touchdown difference.
For these purposes, a draw is considered half a win and goal/run/touchdown difference is calculated as a percentage by dividing the goals/runs/touchdowns scored by the goals/runs/touchdowns that have been conceded.
Spirit Of The Game
We ask that all teams respect the fact that our sports are primarily played for social reasons and as such should be played in good spirit and with a measure of self control.
For this reason alone, the “SPIRIT OF THE GAME” will be taken into account by the Umpire in all decisions that they make.
Foul or abusive language, intentional dangerous play, over aggressive play, and a lack of respect for other players personal safety are just some of the examples of what we consider to be detrimental to the “SPIRIT OF THE GAME”.
If your Umpire rules that either the normal penalty for an infringement of the rules is insufficient, or that a player is not playing in accordance with the “SPIRIT OF THE GAME”, they may be ordered to leave the court.
Stadium Management reserves the right to remove from it’s premises, for any duration as it sees fit, any player or team that does not keep within the “SPIRIT OF THE GAME”.