League rules card

Goggles are required for all divisions, other than 7/8; however, any program within the Baystate League is free to make them required throughout their programs. Additionally, any player within a program that has removed the requirement, can still wear goggles if they feel more comfortable doing so. Umpires will also not be enforcing restrictions of Field Hockey goggles versus Lacrosse goggles, all protective eye wear will be accepted at the various divisions based on player needs (i.e. those that have other variations due to wearing prescription glasses. 

Umpires will not be checking against jewelry; however, all coaches should encourage their players to remove any loose fitting or large jewelry that could pose a safety issue to the player or others during the game. Field Hockey is a physical sport and Baystate is no responsible for any player injuries resulting in wearing jewelry on the field. 

GAME OPERATIONS

• All Select Games MUST be four quarters of play consisting each of 12 minutes of Running Time with a 1 minute break in between the 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th quarters and a 5 Minute Half Time. 
• Each town must provide a safe, regulation-sized field hockey field (grass or synthetic) at no cost to the league for all home games. Lighted surfaces are recommended but not required. Player safety will be taken into consideration given for fields without lights.
• Home team MUST provide:
  • Adequate number of balls for game play
  • Cones/pylons for field corners, opposite bench side midfield, and the substitution box
  • Scorers table, scoreboard, and timing devices for game and penalties
  • A minimum of 2 people to run the clock, scoreboard, and penalties.
• Game is Tied at the End of Regulation - Shootout
  • Shootout Rules: for a shootout, each team will send 5 players of their choosing to the field, along with their goalie. Each player from each team will take an individual shot on goal. Best of 5 wins. If after 5 shots, the teams are still tied. Each team will select an individual player, one at a time, to shoot for a sudden death win. If the first team to shoot makes their goal, the second team still has the opportunity to shoot. This will continue until a team misses.
  • A coin flip will determine the coach’s choice to shoot first or second. The away team will make the call for “heads” or “tails”, a correct answer will allow for their choice of first or second shot. This will continue in this order until a winner is decided, regardless of sudden death.

ROSTERS

• Select Teams are not for creating a "super team" of the best few players from multiple towns.
• Each player MUST be registered with the Classic Team within a Baystate Program, and in good standing.
  • Approved Exception: 7th or 8th Grade players playing for their respective High School Junior Varsity Teams, can be waived from the Classic Team requirement. No other waivers will be allowed for club team play, etc. 
  • Players still have the right to play if they wish to play for Town, Select and JV.
• Players who live in a town that has a youth field hockey program NOT in the Baystate League are NOT eligible to play as part of a Baystate Select League Team.
• Towns MAY NOT cut players from their own town to accept players from another town program.
  • Additionally, towns MAY NOT cut players from their select team to accommodate players from neighboring towns that do not have a program and are in the currently rostered within their respective town program.
• Rosters with players from multiple town programs:
  • Two Town Programs that BOTH do not have enough players interested in Select to form their own individual teams, may submit a Waiver to COMBINE and create a Select Team. This team must consist of at least 4 players from each town program. Once approved, all players from both towns are allowed to be rostered, no individual player waivers are needed. Submit a Girls Select Combined Town Program Waiver Form. 
    • A combination of programs to create a combined Select Team should be given first priority. If a combination is unavailable, the players can make the determination that is best for themselves and join a town program via the Individual Player waiver option listed below.
    • DEADLINE to Submit a Combined Program Waiver is TBD
  • A town program that does not have enough players to create their own Select Team, and is interested in accepting 3 or less players from a neighboring town, may submit an Individual Player Waiver for EACH player they are looking to accept. Once approved, the player may be rostered onto the team. If you are looking to take 4+ players from another town, you must submit a Combined Program Waiver (see bullet point above). Submit a Girls Select Individual Player Waiver (waiver must be submitted by the Town Program Leader/Coach looking to accept the out of town player). 
• Teams must submit a Rosters to the Select Committee by TBD, including coaches and managers.
  • Roster should include player name, uniform number, and classic team affiliation (i.e. Jane Doe, #42, Beverly 7/8 Black)
  • Rosters must be submitted at least 1 week before Select game(s) begin.
• Any team having been found to have an ineligible player participating in a Select Game:
  • First Offense: Team loses that game 1-0
  • Second Offense: Team will not be eligible for the Playoffs.
• Changes to a team’s roster during the season must be approved in advance of games being played with a new player on the roster, by the Select League Directors. Approval will only be provided due to a player injury resulting that player missing the remaining games of the season. 

COACHES

• Teams may roster a maximum of 5 coaches, but only 3 coaches/managers should be on the sideline for any game.

SCHEDULE

• 2024 SCHEDULE
  • Week 1 - September 11-14
  • Week 2 - September 18-21
  • Week 3 - September 25-28
  • Week 4 - October 2-5
  • Week 5 - October 16-19
  • Week 6 - October 23-26
  • Week 7 - October 31-November 1 - NO GAMES HALLOWEEN
  • Playoff Brackets Published November 3
  • First Round & Second Round MUST be completed by November 13
  • Championship Games
    • 5/6 Division will be held on November 16, 2024 at TBD
    • 7/8 Division will be held on November 16, 2024 at TBD

• Teams MUST keep to the original schedule as published except for the following circumstances:
  • Religious Holiday (Ex: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, etc.) and School Breaks
    • If your team is unable to field a team on these dates, you MUST reach out to your opponent within 7 days of the schedule being PUBLISHED.
    • Work with your opponent to reschedule the game at date/time that works for both teams. 
    • The home team should submit a Game Change Request Form IMMEDIATELY, following the Regular Season Game Change Process outlined on baystateyouthfieldhockey.com.
    • Failure to communicate with your opponent within 7 days of the schedule being PUBLISHED of your team's inability to play a scheduled game may result in a forfeiture (Select League Committee decision).
  • The ONLY reason a game should be canceled/postponed the week of a game should be Weather Related Issues
    • If your field is no longer available due to weather, the HOME team MUST communicate immediately to the opposing coach and assigned umpires. If its within 48 hours of the game, home team must communicate via email, phone, and text to get an acknowledgment from visiting coach and officials.
  • Player availability is NOT a permitted reason for asking the opposing team to change ANY game date/time.
  • All games changed the week of the originally scheduled game are subject to review by the select committee. Any team found to have requested a game change for non-weather or field availability reasons is subject to penalty, including forfeiture of game(s), and loss of hosting a post-season home game, where applicable.

PLAYOFFS

• All Teams will either be placed in the Championship or Best-Of-The-Rest Playoff Bracket. The Select Committee will decide on the number of teams that make the Championship Bracket. All other teams will be in the Best Of The Rest Brackets.
• Playoff Brackets announced Sunday Night, November 3.
• 5/6 & 7/8 Championship Bracket Playoffs
  • First Round, Quarterfinals and Semifinal Games for all are played at the Higher Seeded Team, where applicable
  • First Round MUST be completed by TBD
  • Quarterfinals MUST be completed by TBD
  • Semifinals MUST be completed by TBD
  • CHAMPIONSHIP GAME -- TBD at TBD
• Best of the Rest Playoff Brackets  -- All games played at the higher seed. Championship Games should be played by TBD.