Montreal Superleague Rules and Regulations

Table of Contents

Superleague Rules and Regulations

1) The Superleague Committee oversees and ratifies all new draftees.
2) The Superleague Committee will consist of a Chair and captains of each Superleague team (i.e. ladies’ and men’s football, hurling & camogie).
3) The Superleague Chair will be appointed by the Montreal Shamrocks Exec Committee each year, before the commencement of the winter league.
4) Two Official drafts will take place each year. The first draft will take place before the beginning of the winter league; the second will take place after the conclusion of the winter league and before the commencement of the summer league.
5) Any player joining the Superleague during a winter or summer league will be put into an official draft regardless of the team they have played for during the preceding winter/summer league.
6) A Superleague team may recruit novice players to play for their own Superleague team without obtaining permission from the Superleague Committee. The definition of a novice is: A non-Irish player who has never played Gaelic sports before. ALL Irish players are considered non-novice.
7) Circumstances with novice recruits: A Superleague team playing a new recruit for the first time, must notify the Superleague Chair ASAP. At the novice recruit’s first game, the opposing captain must be informed of the name and number of the new recruit. The two captains must also notify the referee that the game is agreed to proceed.
8) All new novice recruits may be re-drafted at next official Draft.
9) Any player that has previous experience playing Gaelic sports and enters the league during a winter/summer league will not be allowed to play until assigned a team by the Superleague Committee. Exception: Guest players will have to adhere to Guest Rules (See Guest Rule Section below). In the case of hurling or camogie, the drafting of players with previous experience and guest players will be agreed amongst the captains of the Superleague hurling and camogie teams and ratified by the Superleague Chair.
10) In certain circumstances, the entire Superleague Committee may not be able to convene in time, in which case ALL captains of the particular code in questions (i.e. ladies’ football, men’s football, camogie or hurling) must agree before an experienced player enters onto a field. Any such agreement must be relayed to the Superleague Committee within 24 hours.
11) The Guidelines for assigning a team are: Any new experienced player will join the Superleague team currently at the bottom of the league. As this scenario is fluid, it will be to the discretion of the Superleague Committee. Once assigned a team, this player remains with that particular Superleague team until the next Official Draft.
12) Official Draft: The official draft will take place at a specified Superleague Committee meeting before each winter and summer league. The Draft is then announced at a specified ‘Draft night’.
13) Teams will be assessed on current squad numbers and abilities of regularly attending players. New draftees will be assigned permanent teams to best keep an even competitive nature across all teams.
14) Once assigned a permanent team, a player is expected to remain with their Superleague team.
15) Under extraordinary circumstances (e.g. a Superleague team unexpectedly loses several of their players) in an off season, the Superleague Committee has the power to re-draft any player at an Official Draft.
16) An individual player may request to be re-drafted. The explanatory request must be provided in writing, detailing any concerns or outstanding issue to the Superleague Chair.
17) Any objection to game results or league standings must be submitted in writing by a Superleague captain to the Superleague Chair. All objections must come from a majority consensus of Superleague team (e.g. if Superleague team has 15 members, at least 8 must agree to the objection). All agreeing members must be named on the objection.
18) All objections will be heard by the entire Superleague Committee. As there is a conflict of interest, if an agreement cannot be made through dialogue, the objection will then be moved to the Montreal Shamrocks Exec committee (i.e. the Superleague committee will NOT vote). If a decision cannot be made by the Montreal Shamrocks Exec committee, the objection will be referred to the Competitions Control Committee (CCC).
19) Before or during a Superleague game, if any irregularities are noted by a team, both captains must agree upon a solution and notify the referee of their agreement.
20) Any team playing a person who has not been presented to the Superleague Committee or opposing team will forfeit that particular game.
21) Rule and amendment: Amendments to the Superleague rules can only take place at an Official Draft meeting. Once a league is underway, the rules cannot be amended under any circumstances.

Guest Rule

In addition to Rule 9

Superleague Officiating

1) In order to be eligible to play in the final of a given superleague season a player must have officiated at least three times in that season.

2) Players must complete their officiating duties before the end of the regular season; officiating final games will not count.

3)Officiating duties include, but are not limited to:

a. Referee
b. Linesmen
c. Umpire
d. Score Keeping
e. Time Keeping

Superleague Discipline

1) Any actions taking place on the pitch resulting in a sending-off will require a written referee’s report sent to the Chair of the Superleague Committee within 48 hours of the game.

2) Any suspensions or disciplinary action will be taken directly from rule as outlined in the Official Guide.

3) The Superleague Committee will issue a written statement of disciplinary action to the player within 24 hours of receiving the referee’s report.

4) The player may appeal the decision of the Superleague committee within 48 hours of receiving the decision.

5) Upon appeal, the referee’s report, Superleague committee’s written decision and the player’s written motion to appeal will be sent to the CCC.

6) The CCC is appointed each year by the Chair person of the Superleague Committee.

7) Upon reception of the Motion to appeal, the CCC can either: a) uphold the appeal; b) uphold the decision of the Superleague Committee; c) adopt a new sanction (e.g. increase or decrease number of suspended games).

8) Any player receiving a suspension in the last or last couple of games of a league will have their suspension extended into the next season as required.

Playing Rules

All games will be played as per Official Guide/LGFA/Camogie Rules in the appropriate game. Supplementary to this are Super League specific rules for age, mixed-gender and winter/summer rules as laid out below:

A team may not request substitute players unless below the minimum number of players required to play plus two players (outdoor season – 11, indoor season – 9).

In the event of a team requiring substitutes to field a team, the match will be played but will result in a drawn game in the standings if the team requiring substitutes wins, unless none of the substitutes has demonstrated the ability to significantly alter the result of a match through their play in the previous season

A list of “sub eligible” players will be drawn up and agreed upon by the captains and SL Committee prior to the beginning of the season

1) Age Policy: Superleague games are generally for those aged 18 years and over. An individual between the age of 16 and 17 on the 1st of January of the year league may be allowed to play. The Superleague Committee and Superleague Captains will assess the physical size and skill level of the potential player before allowing the individual to play. The parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of the player must also sign a waiver of liability, which will be prepared by the Superleague Committee. Individuals under 16 are strictly forbidden to play.

2) Mixed –Gender (Co-Ed) Policy: All games will adhere to their respective rules (i.e. Men’s Gaelic football – Official Guide; Ladies Gaelic football l – LGFA; Hurling – Official Guide and Camogie – Camogie Association Guide). In mixed-gender (Co-Ed) games, the rules will revert to the female rules in all instances with some further Superleague specific rules laid out below. More specifically, no contact will be permitted.

3) Summer Superleague Football Rules:

a. Games will be played as 8-11 a side. The number of players will usually be 9, but can be adapted with the agreement of both captains and the referee.
b. Games will be played in 2 halves of 25 minutes each.
c. A person playing for a Superleague team who is a member of another Superleague team is NOT allowed to score (e.g. a team may be short numbers and have requested players from another team for a particular game).

4) Winter Superleague Football Rules:

a. Games will be played 6-9 a side. The number of players will usually be 7, but can be adapted with the agreement of both captains and the referee.
b. Games will be played in 2 halves of 25 minutes each.
c. Players may only score within the opposing team’s half of the pitch.
d. Players are only allowed ‘two movements’ before they must pass the ball (i.e. allowed one bounce and one solo, or two solos only). If a third movement is made, it will be regarded as overcarrying.
e. The goalkeeper may take kick outs from their hands.
f. There is no square ball.
g. 45’s are taken off the ground at the corner of the halfway and sideline of the side on which the ball went out.
h. A person playing for a Superleague team who is a member of another Superleague team is NOT allowed to score (e.g. a team may be short numbers and have requested players from another team for a particular game).

5) Winter Superleague Hurling and camogie rules:

a. Games will be played as 7-a-side. With any changes to this to be agreed between both captains and the referee in advance of the game
b. Games will be played in 2 halves of 20 minutes each.
c. Captains make their teams known to each other in the week before the game
d. 3 restricted players per team per game – chosen from players who are deemed eligible for restriction. Players eligible for restriction to be determined by hurling subco during hurling draft prior to winter and super league competition
e. The captains choose those that they want to restrict on their opponent’s team – with the names communicated to the players in question and the referee prior to throw-in
f. In the case where there aren’t enough players eligible for restriction present at a game, the number of restrictions per team is reduced down to two – with this to be agreed between the captains and communicated to the referee prior to throw-in
g. Restricted players cannot score goals or take sideline cuts. Should a restricted player score a goal, then it will only count for one point, regardless of whether or not an opposing goal keeper makes contact with the ball on its way in.
h. In the event of a free being awarded, the fouled player must take the free. In the case of restricted players, the rules in the paragraph still apply.
i. Players can only score points beyond their own third of the pitch (goal zone) i.e. whichever line marks that zone.
j. Goal keepers are nominated before the game and cannot play outfield unless agreed to before throw-in between both captains
k. Goal keepers cannot score from a puck out.
l. Puck outs must be taken from within the small box.
m. All games shall be non-contact and no charging at opposition players will be tolerated
m. Hand pass goals are not permitted.
o. Umpires can be overruled by the referee.
p. A person playing for a Superleague team who is a member of another Superleague team is NOT allowed to score (e.g. a team may be short numbers and have requested players from another team for a particular game)

6) Summer Superleague Hurling and camogie rules (to be provided in May 2018)

Guidelines

1) If both teams are short on numbers and request players from non-playing Superleague teams for a fixture, the team who has the most registered players present will get the number of substitutes available advantage (e.g. if seven subs are available, the team with the higher number of registered players present will have 4 subs).
2) Novice recruits will preferably remain with their Superleague team at the next Official Draft. However, they may still be re-drafted at the discretion of the Superleague Committee.
3) Experienced/Irish players who are open for Official Draft will be assigned a team to best balance out the teams; the team for which they played in the preceding Superleague should not influence their Draft.
4) All substitutes must be agreed upon by the opposing team’s captain and the Superleague committee, and submitted for approval no sooner than 24 hours before the match.