Tryout Policy for Injured, ill or Absent Players

Applicability

This Tryout Policy for Injured, Ill or Absent players applies to tryouts and team formation for all AA and A teams hosted by the Nepean Ringette Association. This policy covers injuries incurred by a player prior to the start of tryouts, as well as injuries incurred during the tryout period. This policy also covers tryout absences due to an “exceptional circumstance”.

Definitions

An “exceptional circumstance” may be defined as:

• a player is unavailable due to injury
• a player is seriously ill
• a player has joined the Association after the end of tryouts
• a player has an unforeseeable reason to be unavailable during tryouts

Note: Family vacations and circumstances within the player’s/family’s control (ie. conflicts with other extracurricular activities) are not considered exceptional circumstances and do not qualify under this section.

Policy

For a player that is able to complete at least 2 tryout sessions, the evaluations from those sessions, past playing history and coach’s evaluations, if available, will be used to determine the player’s placement upon a team. 

For a player who is unable to complete a minimum of 2 tryout sessions due to an “exceptional circumstance”, the Executive will handle them on a case by case basis. 

For a case to be reviewed by the Executive players must be:

• registered for the applicable tryout process;
• provide proof of injury or illness, in the form of a doctor’s note, if applicable, to prove the case is an “exceptional circumstance”; and
• notify the Competitive Director in writing and in advance of tryouts for any other unforeseeable reason to be unavailable during the tryout assessment period. 

Subsequent Assessment

If it is deemed by the Executive that a player has missed the tryout process due to an “exceptional circumstance”, that player may have their assessment deferred to a later date as determined by the association. In this case, the athlete would be provided with a minimum of 2 hours of on ice evaluation. Evaluators from the original tryout process will be used if possible. The tryout fee set by the association for that particular season would be applicable. Warm-up ice would not be provided.

The Executive will determine which team(s) the player may be considered for. The current situation, input from the player, coaches evaluations (if available) and previous level of play will be considered in making this determination. 

A player may only be added to a team if the following conditions are met: 

1. the player is deemed of caliber to play on the designated team based on the deferred evaluation;
2. there is space available on a team’s roster and no players who have previously been placed on a team will be displaced;
3. a Player Selection Committee and the Head Coach of the team approve of the player’s placement on the team; and
4. any other condition that the Executive has determined to be relevant given the “exceptional circumstance” at play and the current state of the Association.