Baystate Youth Field Hockey League
Baystate Youth Field Hockey League
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  • League Reporting Process
    • Weather Cancellation
    • Game Change Process
    • Game Score Reporting
    • Disciplinary Action
  • Member Programs
  • GAME DAY GUIDES
  • More
    • Home
    • ABOUT
      • Who We Are
      • Program Director Central
      • New Program - REGISTER
      • Code of Conduct
      • FAQ
      • Field Hockey 101
    • EVENTS
      • 2025 Master Schedules
      • Select Scores & Standings
    • League Reporting Process
      • Weather Cancellation
      • Game Change Process
      • Game Score Reporting
      • Disciplinary Action
    • Member Programs
    • GAME DAY GUIDES

  • Home
  • ABOUT
    • Who We Are
    • Program Director Central
    • New Program - REGISTER
    • Code of Conduct
    • FAQ
    • Field Hockey 101
  • EVENTS
    • 2025 Master Schedules
    • Select Scores & Standings
  • League Reporting Process
    • Weather Cancellation
    • Game Change Process
    • Game Score Reporting
    • Disciplinary Action
  • Member Programs
  • GAME DAY GUIDES

Overall League & Program Responsibilities

Baystate Youth Field Hockey League Responsibilities

In exchange for each Member Program's commitment, Baystate will:

  • Create weekly game schedule for member teams (8 game regular season)
  • Maintain master league game schedule via TeamSnap
  • Schedule umpires for all league games
  • Provide a central communication forum for all member teams via TeamSnap
  • Access to a central registration, team roster and communication system via TeamSnap
  • Assist in Junior Umpire Training for program member high school students.

Member Program Responsibilities

Individual Town Programs/Teams are responsible for their own equipment.  All goalies must wear proper field hockey goalie equipment (where applicable). In addition to providing equipment, each member  program is responsible for: 

  • Obtain necessary field permits and provide game field availability dates/times to the Baystate Scheduler
  • Have proper insurance coverage
  • Responsible for managing their coaches and any applicable trainings, background checks, etc. 
  • Schedule additional non-league games, as desired, and secure umpires independently
  • Payment of Umpires (utilizing the rate card below)
  • Comply with Baystate League Processes 

Classic Team Set-up

The League was established to created a more consistent playing environment for all, with an emphasis on learning the game and having fun. The League aims to keep games friendly but acknowledges  competition as players and teams progress. Town programs agree to the following:

  • Provide balanced teams in an age group in an effort to compete successfully against teams from other towns (No A Teams, Equal Distribution Only)

Select Team Set-up

The League has expanded on the above Classic Team Program, to provide higher level of competition and opportunities for our young athletes to further develop their skills prior to entering their high school years. Just as established within the Classic program, the league looks for a consistent playing environment for all, with an emphasis on sportsmanship. Town programs agree to the following:

  • Provide a Select Team within the outlined age group (i.e. 7th graders can not play for the 5/6th grade team to fill out a roster), comprised of team members from the Classic Teams currently established within the League. 
  • No players from other communities can be rostered without explicit consent from the Baystate League prior to the season starting. 
  • Select Teams are optional for any program and are only established for the 5/6 & 7/8 Grade Divisions

Umpires

The League will coordinate umpires for all league games per the responsibilities agreement above; however, it is the responsibility of all home member teams to provide payment for all umpires, whether scheduled by Baystate or individually. If games are played at a neutral site, it is the home team that is responsible for payment, unless coordinated with the opponent prior to the game.


Please note that some programs may need to host more home games due to constraints of other member programs have with getting fields within their own communities, in these situations, the away team may need to be responsible for paying the umpire fees. Program Coordinators should work together to make that determination prior to the game. 


Additionally, in an attempt to keep umpire fees lower for programs, for the 1/2 and 3/4 Division, a single Junior Umpire will be assigned. The 5/6 Division will be assigned an adult + a junior umpire. The 7/8 Division, as well as Select Teams, will be assigned 2 adults. This should help for budgeting purposes. 

Umpire rate card

Key Dates

Timeline for the regular season:

The below dates surround the 2025 regular season, including date recommendations for member programs: 


- April - June 2025: Open Registration (this is dependent on each member program)

- Mid-July: Forms Due with Field Availability and Team Count 

- Mid-August: Initial Schedule Draft will be Issued for Review

- Mid-August: Secondary Review of Schedule

- End of August: Final Schedule Published

- September 7, 2025: Opening Day!

- October 13, 2025: Holiday Weekend - No Classic Games

- November 2, 2025: Final Regular Season Classic Game

- November 15-16, 2024: Baystate Select Championship Weekend

Board Meeting Schedule:

The board will be meeting the third Thursday of every month at 7:30 PM. A list of our meetings are as follows. 


- January 16, 2025 (Annual Meeting)

- February (No Meeting)

- March 13, 2025

- April (No Meeting)

- May 15, 2025

- June 20, 2024

- July 10, 2025

- August 14, 2025

- September 18, 2025

- October 16, 2025

- November 20, 2025

- January 15, 2026 (Annual Meeting)

baystate select team SETUP & guidelines

Rules & requirements

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 prior to the first game, including coaches and managers.
    • Roster should include player name, uniform number, and classic team affiliation (i.e. Jane Doe, #42, Beverly 7/8 Black), and a headshot photo.
    • 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.
    • Any Offense during the Playoffs is automatic loss of game and disciplinary action for the following season.
  • 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

  • 2025 SCHEDULE
    • Week 1 - September 11-14
    • Week 2 - September 18-21
    • Week 3 - September 25-28
    • Week 4 - October 2-5
    • Week 5 - October 9-12
    • Week 6 - October 16-19
    • Week 7 - October 23-26
    • Week 7 - October 31-November 1 - NO GAMES HALLOWEEN - Playoff Games can be Scheduled if both programs agree.
    • Playoff Brackets Published October 27
    • First Round & Second Round MUST be completed by November 10
    • Championship Games
      • 5/6 Division will be held on November 15, 2024 at Lynnfield High School
      • 7/8 Division will be held on November 15, 2024 at Lynnfield High School


  • 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 Monday, October 27.
  • 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 -- SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15 at LYNNFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
  • Best of the Rest Playoff Brackets  -- All games played at the higher seed. Championship Games should be played by TBD.

Copyright © 2025 Baystate Youth Field Hockey League - All Rights Reserved.

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