Late Cancel Fine Policy and Process

The BAYS Late Cancel fine is in place to pay the referees when a game gets canceled late for reasons other than severe weather or unplayable fields. The organization that cancels the game late is responsible for paying the Late Cancel Fine. See BAYS Match Rule 16.

Rationale:

  • Referees are in short supply
  • We need to ensure BAYS games remain competitive / desirable
  • It is in the best interest of coaches, teams, and clubs to have qualified, dependable referees
  • Retention of BAYS referees is especially important now that more Club Soccer games seem to be playing on Saturdays 
  • BAYS referees commit to working at a specific date/time. If they are not paid for a late cancellation, they may seek alternative options that guarantee money for time committed.
  • Late cancellations are generally avoidable with better, more timely communication:  
    • Soccer Organization to Travel Coaches
    • Parent to coach
    • Coach to opponent
    • Home coach to Referee Assignor
  • Fines are to DETER the behavior to encourage clubs to ensure that coaches are communicating with parents/players and opponents. BAYS already recommends that coaches communicate with each other on the Wednesday before each weekend game.

Deadlines for Game Cancellation Notification to/from Home Coach: 

  • Saturday AND Sunday scheduled games:  Thursday by 7:00pm
    • Rationale for including Sunday in this cancellation window is that those refs are older and have more options beyond BAYS games
  • Weekday scheduled games:  Noon the day before the scheduled game   
  • COVID Exemption: Clubs will NOT be charged the Late Cancel fine in cases when there are enough positive COVID test results, reported to the coach AFTER the notification deadlines above, that result in the number of players falling below the BAYS minimum required to start. BAYS will pay the referees in these instances. Positive coach results do not count as other credentialed coaches could coach the team.

Late Cancel Fine Process

  • Referee Assignors (or Field Schedulers) get notified of a game cancellation. If initial cancellation was AFTER the notification deadline above, Assignor/Field Scheduler uses the LC (Late Cancel) button in their BAYS Game Management or Game Scheduling function.
    • Assignors have the responsibility for determining the canceling team or if it met the criteria for the COVID exemption.
    • All referees must have accepted their game assignment for the LC to process correctly.
    • Games should remain scheduled to be able to apply the LC process. You cannot apply the LC process to a game that has already been Unscheduled.
    • Strongly recommend copying the entire text of the email (if one was received) providing why the game was canceled. This helps greatly in providing rationale to the towns as to why game was an LC.
    • The LC button systematically processes a number of actions:
      • The canceled game is moved to be a non-counting game and shows up in the scoring pad/game management with the suffix -86.
      • A replacement game with the original game number is automatically created in the teams' schedules. It is posted as Unscheduled.
      • The LC rationale provided by the Referee Assignor is recorded and can be viewed in an LC(-86) game report
      • LC game reports are auto-filed so that the assigned referees can be paid.
      • Coaches and club/league officials are sent notifications that the the game was canceled: See below
  • Assigned referees will be paid even though no traditional game report is filed.
  • Team that cancels late is assessed a Late Cancel fine that matches the cost of a full referee crew. Rates are set each season and can be found here: https://bays.org/content/team-rates-fines-and-fees

System Auto Notifications once Late Cancel is submitted:

  • Both coaches notified that game was canceled late and moved to Unscheduled and that the game will need to be rescheduled per the timeframes in Match Rule 8.
  • All assigned/accepted referees are notified that the game was a late cancellation, but that they will be paid.
  • Club President and Club Treasurer of the team that Assignor marked as cancelling team are notified that a charge will be forthcoming and directed to look at their Late Cancel Penalty Report.
  • Division Director is notified that the game was canceled late and will need to be made up per the timeframes in Match Rule 8.