Adopted March 21, 2023 by the MYL Board of Directors.

Effective April 2, 2023

 

Mass Youth Lacrosse Member Program Discipline Guide For

Ejections and Game Related Incidents

The purpose of this guide is to help the league and competition committees identify and work with town programs that have had multiple Classic and Select game-day issues. This will allow Mass Youth Lacrosse (MYL), Regional Competition Committees (RCC), and the town programs to work together to determine if the issues are limited to certain individuals, or if there are larger-scale issues with a team, age group, coaches, parents or are program-wide. Each RCC will still have autonomy to determine disciplinary actions for each ejection and incident report they receive.

There are 4 levels of probation action which are based on a program's on-field/game-related ejections and incidents involving players, coaches or spectators over a 2 season period beginning with the 2023 season (2022 ejections/incidents do NOT apply).

***Please Note: The RCC and/or MYL Board may reduce or escalate sanctions based on the severity of any incident(s).

Ejections – When a referee ejects a player, coach or spectator from a game and submits an ejection report. If multiple people from the same town are ejected during any one game, the RCC will decide based on all reports (referee and both teams) if they will count as 1 ejection or multiple ejections for the Town Program as it relates to the Levels of Probation.

Incident Reports – Reports submitted by any adult attending a game that did not involve an ejection. If the RCC issues any discipline, sanctions or warning to any individual, team or program after reviewing the incident report, the Incident Report will count as 1 ejection/incident for the Town Program as it relates to Levels of Probation.

Level 1 – The Level 1 Probation distinction is to be imposed on a town program that has a combination of two (2) ejections or incident reports involving the town program in a given season, or three (3) over two consecutive seasons.

· If a program had 3 incidents in the previous season, they are automatically at Level 1 probation for the following season.

· The program will be notified by the MYL Region Director of the Level 1 probation status. The program is also warned that the next ejection/incident will result in the program’s probation being elevated, and educational programming  mandated for all teams, coaches, and board members.

· The RCC will be notified and asked to  review the incident reports. The RCC can recommend an educational program for the Town Program (at the league's expense). The RCC may also impose a warning  that sanctions will be imposed if there any future incidents in the same  season. 

· Sanctions may include but are not limited to the Following.

o loss of Select Playoff Home Game(s).

o Vacating Select wins or standings.

o Exclusion from Select playoffs or the Classic Jamboree.

· Incidents that take place at the conclusion of the season or during the jamboree will result in discipline being imposed during the following season and will increase the program’s probation level at least one step.

Level 2 – Three(3)  ejections/incidents in a single season or four (4) total ejections/incidents over two consecutive seasons.

· If a town program had 4 ejections/incidents in the previous season, they will start the current season on Level 2 Probation.

· The town program will be  notified by the MYL Region Director that they are officially on Level 2 Probation and the RCC is reviewing all incidents and will impose educational requirements and/or sanctions.

· The RCC will be guided by MYL board members and staff during the review of the ejections/incidents as they may have occurred over multiple seasons, and the RCC members might not have knowledge of these events.  The MYL board and staff will advise the RCC in it’s review of the incidents and the previous decisions made, in assisting making determinations of the mandated educational requirements and/or sanctions for the offending town program.

· The town program will need to complete mandated requirements within 30 days of the RCC’s decision in-season (End of Season the requirements must be completed by March 1 or the following year)  

· The town program will need to produce a Program-Improvement Plan outlining and establishing rules of conduct (addressing the infractions), for players, coaches, and parents.  This Program-Improvement Plan must be presented to the RCC, MYL Executive Board and staff within the above-established timelines.  The RCC and MYL Executive Board and staff will determine if the Program Improvement Plan is appropriate or if aspects of the plan need to be addressed further. 

· Sanctions may include but are not limited to the following.

o Exclusion from MYL Jamboree.

o Loss of Select Playoff Home Game(s).

o Vacating Select wins or standings.

o Exclusion from Select playoffs, removal of games for a particular team, grade level group, or entire gender program for the remainder of the current season.

o Removal of games for a particular team, grade level group, or entire gender program for the next season.

o Removal of Home Games for a particular team, grade level group, or entire gender program for the next season.

o Educational programming for coaches, players, board members, and/or parents prior to participating in any games with MYL.

· Incidents that take place at the conclusion of the season or during the jamboree will result in discipline being imposed during the following season and they will increase the program’s probation level at least one step.

Level 3 – Four  (4) ejections/incidents in a single season, or five (5) over two (2) consecutive seasons.

· The RCC and MYL Executive Board will meet to review and discuss the offending town program’s incidents and determine a mandated program improvement plan and additional sanctions if the program wishes to remain a member of MYL. 

· The town program will need to complete mandated requirements within 30 days of the RCC’s decision in-season (End of Season the requirements must be completed by March 1 or the following year)

· The offending Program’s Board will be held responsible for the implementation of these procedures and rules of conduct immediately or the program will face expulsion for MYL.

· Sanctions may include but are not limited to the following.

o Exclusion from MYL Jamboree.

o Loss of Select Playoff Home Game(s).

o Vacating Select wins or standings.

o Exclusion from Select playoffs.

o Removal of games for a particular team, grade level group, or entire gender program for the remainder of the current season.

o Removal of games for a particular team, grade level group, or entire gender program for the next season.

o Removal of Home Games for a particular team, grade level group, or entire gender program for the next season.

o Educational programming for coaches, players, board members, and/or parents prior to participating in any games with MYL.

· Incidents that take place at the conclusion of the season or during the jamboree will result in discipline being imposed during the following season and they will increase the program’s probation level at least one step.

Level 4 – Five (5) ejections/incidents in a single season, or six (6) over two consecutive seasons

· The RCC will vote on whether or not to recommend the program be suspended from MYL for the next season.

· If RCC votes to recommend, the MYL Board will review and vote on whether to suspend the program for the next season.

· The RCC and MYL Executive Board will meet to review and discuss the offending town program’s incidents and determine a mandated program improvement plan and additional sanctions if the program wishes to remain a member of MYL. 

· The town program will need to complete mandated requirements within 30 days of the RCC’s decision in-season (End of Season the requirements must be completed by March 1 or the following year)

· The offending Program’s Board will be held responsible for the implementation of these procedures and rules of conduct immediately or the program will face expulsion for MYL.

· Restrictions and rules may be put in place including, but not limited to the following.

o Finding town programs willing to play Level 4 Town

o No home games for Level 4 Town

o No spectators for Level 4 Town Home Games

o Extra referee at all games, paid for by Level 4 Town

o Exclusion from MYL Jamboree.

o Loss of Select Playoff Home Game(s).

o Vacating Select wins or standings.

o Exclusion from Select playoffs.

o Removal of games for a particular team, grade level group, or entire gender program for the remainder of the current season.

o Removal of games for a particular team, grade level group, or entire gender program for the next season.

o Removal of Home Games for a particular team, grade level group, or entire gender program for the next season.

o Educational programming for coaches, players, board members, and/or parents prior to participating in any games with MYL.

· Incidents that take place at the conclusion of the season or during the jamboree will result in discipline being imposed during the following season and they will increase the program’s probation level at least one step.