Rules & Regulations
of
CONNYLACROSSE
(Adopted May 21, 1990; Amended and Restated April 8, 1993; Amended Annually Thereafter)
I. LEAGUE PLAY
Adopted February 19, 1992, amending and superseding previous divisional schemes. Amended April 8, 1993 and January 12, 1995.
1. Each registered CONNY team must play a minimum of six games with other registered CONNY teams. The six games must be played with no fewer than five different opponents. Any registered CONNY team may schedule any other registered CONNY team. All games must be completed between the official start of CONNY league play on April 1 of each year and the official end of CONNY regular season play (a date determined by the CONNY Board of Directors before each season).
Each registered CONNY team must submit a schedule of all games to the Vice President—League Play before the official start of CONNY league play each year, and must submit any revisions of this schedule on a timely basis to the same Vice President.
Each team must play at least one away game that requires a trip of at least forty-five minutes one way in uncongested traffic conditions.
2. All scores for official games must be submitted to the CONNY Vice President—League Play within one week of their completion. Scrimmage games will not be recorded unless agreed to by both coaches.
3. At the end of the regular season (date determined before each season) the Competition Committee will rank the teams according to wins, losses, and strength of schedule.
4. The four top ranked teams will play for the Division I title, the next four teams for the Division II title, the next four teams for the Division III title, etc., the number of divisions to be determined by the Board of Directors each year. (Modified in 2000 to style all divisions except Division I by color instead of number).
5. Any team has the right to appeal their ranking to the Board of Directors. A vote of at least 51% of the quorum of members constituted for the meeting is needed to change a ranking.
II. TEAMS
Adopted November 1, 2007, amending and superseding previous grade-based team levels.
1. Teams shall be a senior team, a junior team, a lightning team, or a bantam team.
a. Senior Team: A Senior Team shall be a team whose players are:
§ Under age 15 on the December 31st preceding the start of a season.
§ Students in the Eighth Grade or lower.
§ Not members of a team from another CONNY member program.
b. Junior Team:A Junior Team shall be a team whose players are:
§ Under age 13 on the December 31st preceding the start of a season.
§ Not members of a team from another CONNY member program.
c. Lightning Team: A Lightning Team shall be a team whose players are:
§ Under age 11 on the December 31st preceding the start of a season.
§ Not members of a team from another CONNY member program.
d. Bantam Team: A Bantam Team shall be a team whose players are:
§ Under age 9 on the December 31st preceding the start of a season.
§ Not members of a team from another CONNY member program.
2. Each member organization will require formal registration of all players. Such registration shall require, at minimum, the player’s name, address, date-of-birth, grade, and signed parental or guardian permission to participate. All players and coaches are required to be members of US Lacrosse.
Each member program must submit a roster of all registered players for each age level to the Secretary before the official start of CONNY league play each year, and must submit any revisions of these rosters on a timely basis, also to the Secretary. These rosters must indicate the age level within which the child will play (e.g., if playing up), and must include, at minimum, each player’s name, address of residence, date-of-birth, grade, and US Lacrosse membership number and expiration date.
3. All players on a particular team must have a physical examination within the nine months immediately preceding the commencement of CONNY league play. The physical should be of the nature of a preschool exam or school sponsored athletic participation exam.
4. Players may be of either sex.
5. Players who live in a community that sponsors a CONNY team must play for the team where the player lives. If a player’s community does not sponsor a team, the player is free to join the CONNY team of his/her choice. In the case of these players, teams are prohibited from recruiting players from one CONNY team to another CONNY team.
a. Exception 1: If a player has been playing for another CONNY team prior to the creation of a program in his/her own community, he/she has the option of staying on this team or joining the CONNY program in his/her own community. If, at that time, the player chooses to play in his/her own community, he/she may neither return to the original CONNY team he/she left nor join any other CONNY team. In situations where this occurs, the coach of the non-resident player should strongly encourage the player to participate in his/her own community’s CONNY program.
b. Exception 2: In extraordinary circumstances, the CONNY Board may grant waivers from this regulation upon written application to the CONNY Board. This application, which must be submitted before the player participates in any CONNY play with the proposed program, should explain what compelling circumstances require that the player play for the proposed program rather than the program indicated under this rule. The application must be submitted jointly by the player/player’s parent(s), the program he/she proposes playing for, and the program with which he/she would play under this rule. Such applications shall be directed to the CONNY Secretary.
6. A player eligible to play on a Junior Team may “play up” to a Senior Team. However, in no situation may a player “play down” below his or her appropriate age level.
7. CONNY strongly suggests that a player not simultaneously play for two teams of the same CONNY member organization (e.g. “A” Team and “B” Team; Bantam Team and Lightning Team, Junior Team and Senior Team). Coaches may move otherwise eligible players up or down in the course of the season based on their judgment of the players’ skills and development, but no player should play two levels of competition simultaneously.
8. Under extraordinary circumstance, and by special petition to the CONNY Board of Directors, a ninth grade player may play for a CONNY Senor Team. To do so:
a. The player must meet the standard age restriction for Senior Team play (Under age 15 on the December 31st preceding the start of a season).
b. The player must have played on a CONNY team as a 7th and 8th grader.
c. The player must not be eligible to play for any other lacrosse program offered by his/her school or town.
d. The player and his/her proposed team must submit a written petition to the CONNY Board of Directors showing that s/he meets all criteria for Senior Team participation, other than grade. The petition shall include, at minimum, the player’s date-of-birth, school, height, weight, lacrosse history (number of years, A/B/etc. level as 8th grader, All-Star or Select appearances), future lacrosse plans beyond 9th grade, details of other sports played and athletic honors earned, and any other circumstances the petitioners feel are relevant. Such petition shall be delivered to the CONNY Secretary.
e. The Board of Directors, sitting in a properly constituted meeting, must approve the petition by a seventy-five percent (75%) super-majority vote.
The use of ninth grade players is further restricted as follows:
f. No team may have more than two ninth graders on its roster.
g. No team with a ninth grader on its roster will be eligible for the Senior Division I Tournament.
h. No ninth grader will be eligible to play on any CONNY All-Star team.
i. The CONNY team for which the player last played shall have “first option” on the player. If that team does not want to use the player, s/he can play for any team meeting these criteria.
9. Under extraordinary circumstance, and by special petition to the CONNY Board of Directors, an old-in-grade 8th grader (a player currently in 8th grade who turned age 15 before the January 1 preceding the season) may play for a CONNY Senior Team. To do so:
a. The player must be currently enrolled in school as an 8th grader.
b. The player must have played on a CONNY team for at least two previous seasons.
c. The player and his/her proposed team must submit a written petition to the CONNY Board of Directors showing that s/he meets all criteria for Senior Team participation, other than age. The petition shall include, at minimum, the player’s date-of-birth, school, height, weight, lacrosse history (number of years, A/B/etc. level as 7th grader, All-Star or Select appearances), details of other sports played and athletic honors earned, and any other circumstances the petitioners feel are relevant. Such petition shall be delivered to the CONNY Secretary.
d. The Board of Directors, sitting in a properly constituted meeting, must approve the petition by a seventy-five percent (75%) super-majority vote.
The use of old-in-grade 8th graders is further restricted as follows:
e. No team may have more than two old-in-grade 8th graders on its roster.
f. No team with an old-in-grade 8th grader on its roster will be eligible for the Senior Division I Tournament.
g. No old-in-grade 8th grader will be eligible to play on any CONNY All-Star team.
III. RULES OF PLAY
CONNY play shall be governed by the current National Federation of State High School Associations Boys Lacrosse Rules except as amended and modified by the CONNY Board of Directors. Each year, the CONNY Board shall review the CONNY Rules of Play to find opportunities to reduce injury, increase the safety of players, increase the educational and learning experience, maintain the balance of the contests, and promote a speed and finesse style of play over a style featuring unrestrained hitting and intimidation tactics.
Each year the amendments to the NFSHSA Rules adopted by the Board of Directors for CONNY play shall be distributed to all members and officials.
