FOR ORGANIZATIONS ENTERING TEAMS IN ESCRA SPORTS

1. All participants of ESCRA should have a Recreation Director present at the Director/Coordinator meeting. 

2. Organizations participating in ESCRA must submit the ONLINE Membership Agreement. 

3. ESCRA is a recreation league and promotes learning and teamwork over winning.

4. No try-out or competitive teams are allowed in ESCRA.

5. Gym/Field Use – Participating members of ESCRA should provide a minimum of one hour of gym/field time, in a facility approved by the board, for every two teams playing in any ESCRA league.   If your organization doesn’t have an appropriate facility, please contact ESCRA Sports PRIOR to the season for special consideration.

6. All gym/field facilities must have a responsible Site Manager present during all ESCRA games. 

7. ESCRA monitors fields/gyms during the season and MUST be in contact with Site Managers during games by phone.

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AGE GROUP DIVISIONS – Playing age is determined by player's age on June 1 of each new school year.

1. For all sports, divisions will be determined by a player's age on June 1 of that school year. 

2. Divisions are as follows:  
   Under 5 and Under 6 (Kindergarten - SOCCER ONLY
   Under 8 (6 and 7-Year-Olds) 
   Under 10 (8 and 9-Year-Olds)
   Under 12 (10 and 11-Year-Olds)  
   Under 13 (10, 11, and 12-Year-Olds) Soccer and Flag ONLY 
   Under 14 (12 and 13-Year-Olds) Basketball ONLY
   Under 16 (14 and 15-Year-Olds) Basketball ONLY
   Under 18 (16 and 17-Year-Olds) Basketball ONLY

3. Birth dates and each player's age on June 1 must be included for each player on every roster.

4. A player that has been held back twice in school must play up.

5. Girls may play on a boys’ team but boys may not play on a girls’ team.

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AGE/GRADE EXEMPTIONS

In special circumstances, an exemption may be granted for a player to play in a division for which he/she is too old.

1. All exemptions must be through the Online System.

2. Organizations will be notified concerning the status of the exemption, Approved/Declined.

3. All exemptions that are approved can be revoked if it becomes evident that the exemption is not appropriate.

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PLAYING ON MORE THAN ONE TEAM

1. Players participating in ESCRA are PROHIBITED from playing on any school or other league/association inside the same season.

2. A team playing in the ESCRA league may not participate in an additional league during the ESCRA season.

3. Competitive Teams ARE PROHIBITED from participating in ESCRA Sports.

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TEAM ROSTERS

1. Each team must have complete rosters turned into the league prior to the first game.  Please email to: EscraSports@gmail.com

2. Revised rosters must be sent to the Rules and Rosters Coordinator prior to the fourth game of the season.

3. For soccer, baseball, and flag football, Churches with two or more teams in the same grade/gender division should be balanced as evenly as possible with grade and ability to prevent one team from being intentionally stronger than the other.

4. For basketball, Churches with two or more teams in the same grade/gender division should be divided at the Recreation Director’s discretion and rated on the “Team Ability Form” as accurately as possible. Teams may be moved into a new division after the Christmas break in order to balance the divisions.

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JERSEYS

For all sports, all jerseys must have the Church’s name on them. For basketball, jerseys should have legal basketball numbers on both front and back and must be legible. For basketball, the jersey numbers should not include 6, 7, 8 or 9. For soccer and baseball, numbers should be on the back of the jersey. No jersey numbers are required for volleyball.

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RULES

All games played within the ESCRA league will be played under the following rules, except for modifications as set out in ESCRA Rules of Play for each sport.

Basketball: National Federation of High School Rules

Flag Football: NFL Flag Football 2016

Soccer: National Federal High School Rules

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CLOCK OPERATOR/SCOREKEEPER FOR BASKETBALL GAMES

ESCRA provides payments for clock operators and scorekeepers for Basketball. Scorekeepers will use the "Approved" ESCRA Scoresheet and ensure the Coach has completed and signed it correctly. Scorekeepers should also be sure that coaches list both the first and last names of players on the scoresheet.

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CHAIN OF COMMAND

ESCRA operates as a middleman. We don’t want to tell you how to run your program. We want to help YOU run YOUR program. If you have any problems,
please follow this path.

1. Coaches should notify their recreation director/coordinator.

2. The recreation director should notify the President or a member on the ESCRA Board.

3. The President will try to work the problem out with that Recreation Director.

4. If needed, the ESCRA Board of Directors will discuss the issue and take whatever action is necessary.

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FORFEIT GUIDELINES

Following a five (5) minute grace period, failure to have the minimum number of players at the game starting time will result in a forfeit. The referee will determine all forfeitures. However, we do encourage a scrimmage game with the winning team giving the forfeiting team enough players to have a scrimmage. All referees are to stay and officiate the scrimmage (2-15 minute halves with a running clock and only one time out per half). The scrimmage should end 10 minutes before the start of the next game.

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PRE-GAME PRAYER

The official will gather both teams and coaches at mid-court or on the playing field for a pre-game prayer. The prayer may be led by the coach, any player, the recreation director or the official to bless the game and its participants.

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50% PLAY RULE

1. Each player present at the game and in uniform must play at least 50% of the game, unless he/she becomes sick, injured, fouls out, or is being disciplined.

2. If a player arrives late to a game, he or she must play 50% of the time that they are present.

3. The coach is responsible for reporting to the referee and scorekeeper any player who becomes sick or injured. The coach must make a good faith effort to keep up with his players’ playing time to ensure compliance with the rule.

4. Failure to play all players at the designated playing time will result in the notification of the respective church representative and the following penalties: 1st violation of the 50% rule results in that team’s forfeiture of the game. The 2nd violation of the 50% play rule results in disciplinary action for coaches and/or expulsion from the league.

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CANCELING A GAME

The league will not reschedule games but if a team must cancel a game, coaches should contact his/her Recreation Director and the 

If a team has to cancel a game but would like to play it at another time, the coach should contact the coach of the other team and find a mutual time and day they can play. One of the coaches should then contact his/her Recreation Director to see if the church field or gym is available. If a game is canceled and rescheduled, the teams that are rescheduling the game will be responsible for securing and paying officials.

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MAKE-UP GAMES DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER

If a game is not played because of inclement weather, coaches of the two teams playing each other should contact each other and find a mutual time and place they would like to play. One of the coaches will then call his/her Recreation Director to see if their field is available for play. Once the field is booked for that game, the Recreation Director should contact the Referee Coordinator to schedule officials for the game.

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INCLEMENT WEATHER: (901) 679-6041

Site Managers should TEXT field conditions before 7:30 a.m. for Saturday games. Field conditions will then be recorded on the rainout line after 8:00 a.m. and in the event of cancellations, an email will be sent to all directors and coaches. Coaches and Recreation Directors can check field playability shortly after 8:00 am.

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COACH/PLAYER/SPECTATOR EXPECTATIONS

Players, coaches, and spectators should display good sportsmanship that honors themselves, their Church, and Jesus Christ. Instruction and cheering should be encouraging and positive. The league will not tolerate foul language, unsportsmanlike behavior, or yelling at the referees by coaches, players or spectators. The league will also not tolerate yelling at the opposing team or opposing players. No coach, player or spectator should confront a referee after a game. No exceptions.

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COACHES

Coaches are in a leadership position and are expected to display good sportsmanship at all times. The coach will be responsible for all behavior issues related to players and fans. Coaches are responsible for seeing that his/her bench area is cleaned after each game.

If a coach is ejected from a game, he/she must leave the Church premises. The penalties for a coach who refuses to leave the premises may result in forfeiture of the game, suspension of the coach for a game, suspension of a coach for the season or suspension of the team.

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SPECTATORS

The official and the Recreation Director are empowered to require spectators to leave the gym or playing field if they believe it is warranted. If a team’s spectators are displaying inappropriate or unsportsmanlike behavior, the official will warn the team’s coach on the first offense.  PLEASE NOTE: For basketball, if inappropriate behavior continues, the referee will give a direct technical foul to the coach. The opposing team will receive three free throws and possession. Also, if the spectator can be pointed out by the referee or Recreation Director, the spectator will be asked to leave. If the spectator does not leave, the spectator’s team will forfeit the game.

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SUSPENSIONS

The league may suspend players, coaches, spectators or teams from the league for foul language or unsportsmanlike or inappropriate behavior. Suspensions or ejections from the league will be decided on a case-by-case basis by ESCRA.

Coach Suspensions:
If a coach is suspended by the league:

1. The Recreation Director of that Church will be notified.

2. The facility where his/her team will be playing the following week will be notified.

3. The penalty for a coach who either coaches during his suspension or knowingly plays a player who is on suspension from the league will be determined by the Board.

Player Suspensions:
If a player is suspended from the league:

1. The Recreation Director of that Church will be notified.

2. The coach of the player will be notified.

3. The parents may be notified.

4. The facility where that team is playing the following week will be notified.

5. The penalty for a player who plays during his/her suspension may result in the player being suspended for the rest of the season. The penalty for a coach playing a player that has been suspended by the league may result in suspension of the coach.

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OFFICIALS

ESCRA holds clinics for officials prior to each season. All interested individuals must be at least 16 years old to be a referee.

Referees will enforce the rules of the game with instruction, fun, fairness and safety in mind. If a referee does not show up, please call the Officials Coordinator.

 

Let’s encourage our officials! For some, it is their first time to officiate or the first time to have a job. However, if you experience an official who is not knowledgeable of the game, has a bad attitude, is late for the game or does not show up, coaches should report the game and referee to his/her Recreation Director. The Recreation Director will then contact the Officials Coordinators. No coach or fan should confront an official after a game. No exceptions.

For all sports, ESCRA assigns and pays officials for all games.
For all games, (2) officials will be assigned to manage the game and administer the rules. Exception: Soccer - U5, U6, U8 - (1) official.

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PAYMENT OF OFFICIALS

The officials will fill out a referee/umpire card with the teams that played the score of the game and a signature from the Recreation Director at the site.  The official will then turn in his/her referee/umpire card to the Coordinator of Officials every two weeks. The Coordinator of Officials will then send a list of officials with games officiated to the league treasurer every other Tuesday. The league treasurer will cut checks and checks will be ready to be picked up from Officials Coordinator’s Church that Wednesday afternoon or they will be mailed out that afternoon.

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PAYMENT OF OFFICIALS FOR FORFEITS OR CANCELED GAMES

If a game is canceled and an official is notified 24 hours prior to the game, the league will not pay the officials for that game.

If an official shows up for his/her game and was not notified that it was canceled, the official will be paid for that game.

If a game is a forfeit but there are enough players between both teams to have a scrimmage, the official will call the game and will be paid.  If the game is a forfeit, there are enough players to have a scrimmage and the official chooses not to officiate the game, he/she will not be paid for the game.