1)  Please note that we are charged to change game dates, therefore cancellations and and rescheduling of games should only be initiated in cases of extreme circumstances.  Light rain and slightly wet fields do not count as reasons to reschedule a game.

2)  Check out the Home Games/ Practice Calendar found under TEAMS on the website.  Look for potential scheduling conflicts.

3)  Contact coach from opposing team with potential dates

4)  Contact the HOVSA Registrar or Coaching Coordinator with preferred date/ time.  They will contact East Central District to request referees.

Soccer is an outdoor sport; we play in the rain, we play in the cold, and sometimes we play in the snow.  Still, the safety of players and coaches is a prime concern. Visible lightning or audible thunder – at the soccer fields or during soccer play will automatically result in a cancellation of all games being played at that time. Subsequent games to be played later that day will be cancelled separately if weather conditions continue.

Due to rapidly changing weather conditions and in keeping with East Central District's desire to minimize the total number of weather cancellations, advance notice of weather cancellations may not always be possible. It is recommended parents and children always show up to the field unless they have received notification from their coach, team manager or other Association official.

If you strongly feel that a game should be cancelled, please contact someone on the HOVSA Board as soon as possible.  They may travel to the field to determine if conditions are still okay to play in. 

If the HOVSA Board agrees and games are cancelled, they will try to reach out to families through Demosphere.  We ask that you also try to reach out to players families.

 

Approval 9/16/2013
** See East Central cancellation policy for additional procedures

BAD WEATHER
1) Prior To The Start of The Game

a. Before Teams Arrive at The Field: In the event of pre-existing poor field conditions or weather, a designated club officer may determine that the game should be postponed. The designated club officer should notify the referees and the visiting team of this postponement. Either team may start the rescheduling process by submitting 3 options for new game dates and by following the East Central rescheduling guidelines.
b. At the Field: The referee will determine if a team will take the field or continue play if weather conditions deem it necessary to suspend the game. In instances when the referee suspends a game due to weather conditions, darkness, etc., a game will be considered complete if the first half has been completed prior to the game suspension.

Once a game has been suspended and the first half or more of the game has been completed, the teams will not take the field again and the game will be recognized as a complete game. Scores will be recorded at the point the game was suspended. If the first half has not been completed, the game must be rescheduled and played in its entirety. If there is a game following the first suspended game the teams and referees should wait to see if they could get at least half of the game in. They should wait the 30 minutes form the last sound of thunder before taking the field. This policy is meant to save on rescheduling games.

Once a game has been suspended due to thunder, teams must vacate field and take shelter. Referees and coaches should communicate the dangers of lightning and instruct players and spectators to take shelter.

THUNDER RULE
If you hear thunder you must wait for 30 minutes before you start a game or restart a game that was in progress. When hearing thunder, assume there is lighting. Thunder is a better indication of when to stop a game because you can see lightning from a greater distance than what is necessary for game stoppage. Hearing thunder means there is lighting very close and it is unsafe to continue a game.

ORDER OF AUTHORITY
1) Referee
2) Club Official
3) Coach
4) Parent

If at any time, a parent thinks that it is unsafe to play a game when they hear thunder or see lightning, they have a right to pull their child from the competition.