1. Interpretation
1.1 Day-to-day interpretation of these By-Laws shall be at the responsibility of the most senior official present at the time, including but not limited to:
- Programs Coordinator;
- Sports Team Leader;
- Sports Supervisor and;
- Umpire/Referee.
1.2 Players participate in all sports competitions at Cockburn ARC at their own risk.
1.3 Appeals against interpretation of these By-Laws must be lodged in writing to the Cockburn ARC Sports Team Leader.
1.4 Management of Cockburn ARC reserves the right to change or amend the By-laws at any time without prior notice. Cockburn ARC will inform teams of significant changes and it is the teams’ responsibility to remain up-to-date with the rules of participation.
1.5 Please refer to the sport-specific rules relating to each particular sport.
1.6 Local Laws shall apply unless otherwise provided for in these By-Laws.
2. Team Registration
2.1 The registration process is to be completed online on the Spawtz registration portal as found on the Cockburn ARC website.
2.2 No guarantee is given that this application will be successful. Where teams cannot be included in the competition, they will be notified (no charges will be made to a nominated credit card in such instances).
2.3 Registrations must be fully completed, including a nominated credit card, full names, email addresses, dates of birth, and contact numbers of all players. If a child does not have an email address or phone number, the contact details of their relevant parent/guardian may be entered.
2.4 At the conclusion of each season, teams wishing to participate in following seasons must re-register in full. There will be no rolling-over of teams into new seasons.
2.5 New teams joining the competition after the start of a season can be introduced into a competition, but will only be eligible to play in the finals at the discretion of the Sports Team Leader. Fairness to all participating teams will be taken into account when making this decision.
2.6 Cockburn ARC reserves the right to refuse team names that may be considered offensive, inappropriate, or too similar to other names. Inappropriate team names are defined as any name involving political, military, sexual or religious connotations. This will be decided by the Sports Team.
3. Player Registration and Eligibility
3.1 Teams are to register all players as per 2.3 above. Failure to do so will result ineligibility for finals games and/or a penalty at Management’s discretion.
3.2 Team Captains must check in their team ahead of every fixture at the Player Registration Kiosk or via their online account.
3.3 Players must be younger than the division they are participating in. If a player turns the age of the age group they are participating in during the season, it must be made known to Management.
3.3.1 If a player is older than the division they are participating in prior to or at the start of the season, they shall be deemed an illegal player as per Clause 10.
3.3.2 If a team has one (1) or more illegal players that are older than the division they are participating in, they will be required to move up a division at Management’s discretion.
3.3.3 All division changes will be considered equally and fairly and will be subject to division availability and number of participating teams.
3.3.4 Any grade changes are at the discretion of the Sports Team Leader and are in no way guaranteed.
3.3.5 Exemptions must be made in writing to the Sports Team Leader and a compelling case must be presented for exemptions to be considered.
3.3 To be eligible for the finals, players must play a minimum of four (4) games within the regular season, including grading (if it occurs). Illegal players will be penalised according to Clause 10 of the Cockburn ARC By-Laws.
4. Payments
4.1 In order to complete the team registration process, teams are required to nominate a credit card to the team’s account through the Spawtz registration portal. This is the only formal payment method accepted.
4.2 The method of payment is a weekly payment only. Cockburn ARC will not accept any upfront payments.
4.3 The weekly payment amounts to $64.00 per team per game, with no registration fees prior to the season commencing.
4.4 The weekly game fee will be debited from the nominated credit card the day before a team’s scheduled match.
4.5 If payment is declined, the debit will re-attempt on the morning of your game. If it fails again, payment will incur an additional $15.00 fee. Game payment will then be $79.00.
4.5.1 All teams making a late payment must pay by 3pm of the day of their fixture to avoid the late payment fee of $15.00, either via the stadium EFTPOS machine or manually through their Spawtz portal. If either of these payment methods is used after 3pm, the late payment fee will be applied.
4.6 Any forfeit fees incurred will be applied to that team’s account and debited in the next cycle in accordance to Cockburn ARC’s Forfeit Policy.
5. Participation
5.1 Players are welcome to feature in multiple sides during a regular season (including within the same division of the same sport). If a player qualifies for finals for two sides in the same division, they may only represent one team during the entire finals series (semi-finals and grand finals). In the interest of fairness, Management reserves the right to prevent a player playing across multiple teams on the same night if it is deemed unsportsmanlike.
5.2 Players from any team (regardless of division) during a regular season are permitted to fill in for another side to meet the minimum number of players required to start a game. This is only permissible when a team is short of regular players, and Management reserves the right to deny a player from filling in for a side if it is deemed unsportsmanlike.
7. Team Responsibilities
7.1 Prior to the game commencing, all teams are required to have paid their game fee in advance.
7.2 All teams must provide their own scorer for the duration of the match. Teams are therefore responsible for monitoring the scores during the game, and umpires/referees will not be held responsible for scoring errors in the event a scorer is not provided.
7.3 The team will be held responsible for the conduct of its members, coach, and spectators, and all parties shall be subject to the Behaviour Management Guidelines as provided for in Appendix 1.
7.4 Any spectator or coach suspected to be under the influence of drugs/alcohol will be denied entry to the facility and/or asked to leave the premises immediately. If this request is disregarded the matter will be reported to the Duty Manager, Security and/or Police in accordance with Cockburn ARC’s operating standards.
7.5 Any disputes to decisions made on-court can be made to the umpire/referee or Sports Supervisor at half time, or upon conclusion of the match. Any and all disputes must be communicated in line with the Cockburn ARC’s Code of Conduct.
8. Team Captain
8.1 Responsibilities of the Team Captain/Organiser are:
a. Prior to the match:
- Ensure sufficient player numbers to start the game;
- Ensure that their fixture has been paid for in advance and;
- Check in registered players and add any new players at the Player Registration Kiosk.
b. During the match:
- Ensure all team members and supporters behave in a sportsmanlike manner.
c. After the match:
- Thank umpires and opposition team;
- Provide competition feedback to Sports Supervisor if necessary.
9. Uniform Requirements
9.1 All players in each team are required to present themselves in conforming uniforms for each match. Uniforms are to have the same colour and shade.
9.2 All players participating in
basketball fixtures must display a number on the backs of their jerseys.
9.3 Participants may not wear jewellery, watches, pins, or other dangerous items, except for a Medic Alert Bracelet, which must be taped. Fingernails may be taped, cut, or gloved at the discretion of the umpires/referees. Tape is not provided by Cockburn ARC, and it is the responsibility of the player and/or coach to ensure that they comply with the above.
9.4 If a player’s uniform is deemed to be unacceptable by the umpire/referee or Sports Supervisor, a bib must be worn by that player. Cockburn ARC will not be responsible for providing bibs unless under extenuating circumstances, at Management’s discretion.
9.5 A uniform will be deemed unacceptable under the following circumstances, including but not limited to:
- Strip clashes;
- Lack of numbers and;
- Inappropriate wording and/or graphics.
9.6 Three weeks’ grace will be allowed from the commencement of the season for teams to be in conforming uniforms.
9.7 Failure to comply may result in scores awarded to the opposing team, as stated below. Uniform issues will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Sports Supervisor.
- Basketball: 2 points per player;
- Futsal: 1 goal per player.
9.8 New teams or individuals joining a team during the course of a season may be given some leeway with regards to correct uniform at the discretion of the Sports Team Leader and/or Supervisors.
10. Illegal Players
10.1 The penalty for playing illegal players is automatic forfeiture of the match in which the offence occurred.
10.2 Illegal players will be defined as follows:
- Players who are too old for their division;
- Players participating under an assumed name;
- Players under suspension and;
- Players ineligible for finals fixtures.
10.3 A player knowingly playing under an assumed name may be reported for misconduct to Management, and may result in a loss of competition points at the discretion of the Sports Team Leader.
11. Umpires and Referees
11.1 Cockburn ARC will endeavour to provide two experienced and/or qualified umpires/referees for each Basketball match played, and one for each Futsal match. Teams are still required to pay the full game fee of
$64.00 in the event a fixture has one umpire or referee. Teams are expected to show patience and understanding for referees that are still developing their experience. The City of Cockburn is committed to providing a safe working environment for all of its employees, and will take a zero-tolerance stance on abusive or intimidating behaviour towards umpires or referees.
11.2 Responsibilities of the Umpire/Referee
a. Prior to the match:
- To inspect the condition of playing area, ball and equipment;
- To ensure all players are wearing the correct uniform, and;
- To check all players’ nails and jewellery.
b. At all times:
- To apply Cockburn ARC’s By-Laws and sport-specific rules to all matches, and;
- To provide the highest customer service to all players and patrons.
11.3. During play, the umpire/referee’s decision is final, and they shall not permit any discussion about their decision. However, at the request of the Team Captain, umpires/referees may provide an explanation on their interpretation of the rules. This explanation may be given at half or full time only.
12. Commencement of Matches
12.1 Games will run for 35 minutes starting from 4pm and finishing at 7:30 pm.
12.2 Teams must field a minimum number of players in order to start the match as follows:
- Basketball: 4 players;
- Netball: 5 players and;
- Futsal: 4 players and;
12.3 If a team has less than the minimum required players to start the match, for every one minute that play is considered late, the opposing team will be awarded points/goals as follows:
- Basketball: 2 points per minute;
- Netball: 1 goal per minute and;
- Futsal: 1 goal every 2 minutes.
- Volleyball: 1 point per minute.
12.4 Each age group competing in the basketball competition will be subject to age-specific rules that encourage sportsmanship and a social atmosphere. Refer to Appendix 3 for age-specific basketball rules.
12.5 If a team does not have the minimum required players on court and ready to play within ten minutes of the scheduled starting time, it shall be deemed a “no-show”, and it shall lose the match on a forfeit and be required to pay their usual game fee ($64).
12.6 The clock will not be paused during matches for any reason.
13. Competition Points
13.1 Competition points will be awarded as follows:
a. Win: 4 points;
b. Loss: 1 point;
c. Draw: 2 points;
d. Forfeit: -2 points;
e. Bye: 2 points and;
f. Forfeit loss:
- Netball: 20-0;
- Basketball: 20-0;
- Futsal: 3-0 and;
- Volleyball: 25-0.
13.3 In the event of a COVID-19 Centrewide shutdown, and competitions have been suspended by Management, teams will not earn any competition points to ensure fairness across all teams.
14. Substitutes
14.1 Each team shall be permitted to have an unlimited number of substitute players during a regular season fixture, provided all players are registered on the Spawtz online portal.
15. Abandoned Games
15.1 A fixture may be abandoned in the following situations, including but not limited to:
- Major injury causing immobilisation;
- Inappropriate behaviour or conduct and;
- Stadium operating standards are compromised i.e. power failure or storm damage.
15.2 The final outcome of abandoned games will be determined by Management.
16. Finals
16.1 To participate in semi-finals and finals, a player must be registered on Spawtz and have participated in a minimum of
three (3) games, including grading fixtures.
16.2 Finals will be in the following format for all sports unless Management decides otherwise:
Semi Finals- Game 1: 1st vs. 4th;
- Game 2: 2nd vs. 3rd.
Grand Final- Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
3rd vs. 4th Playoff- Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser
16.3 In the event of a drawn finals fixture at the end of the match, the sport-specific rules shall apply as follows:
- Basketball: Teams shall play one round of five (5) minutes without rest. If a further draw occurs, after extra time, a further period will be played until a minimum of three (3) points exists, with the winner being the team ahead.
- Netball: Teams shall play one round of five (5) minutes without rest. If a further draw occurs, a further period will be played until a margin of two (2) points exists, with the winner being the team ahead.
- Futsal: Teams shall play one round of five (5) minutes. If a further draw occurs, teams will go to a penalty shootout, with the winner determined by the team scoring the most goals after five (5) attempts. If a further draw occurs, teams will go to sudden death (goal-for-goal) with the winner determined by the team scoring the first goal unmatched by the other team. Each player is allowed only one (1) attempt during the penalty shootout until all other players have had an attempt.
- Volleyball: If the match is in the third set, the winner of the match is the team who is up by at least two points at the end of the timeslot. If the timeslot is up and the third set is tied or one team is up by one point, the game will continue until one team is up by two points.
16.4 Any team with money outstanding at the end of a regular season will be ineligible to play finals.
16.5 In the event that a team which finishes in the top four at the end of a regular season informs the Sports Team Leader that they are unable to play in the finals prior to finals fixtures being produced, the team which finishes fifth will be brought into fourth position.
16.6 Teams that fail to qualify for finals will still receive fixtures during semi-finals week and grand-final week.
17. Forfeits
17.1 Teams forfeiting a regular game
the day before their scheduled fixture are required to pay their normal game fee only
($64.00).
17.2 Teams forfeiting a regular game
the day of their scheduled fixture are required to pay
two times their normal game fee
($64.00) amounting to
$128.00 before they take the court for their next scheduled fixture.
17.3 Fines are required to be paid prior to the next scheduled fixture. If fees are not paid, they will be automatically charged to a team’s nominated credit card at the next payment cycle.
17.4 The Sports Team Leader reserves the right to suspend a team from competition if
three (3) forfeits occur within the same season. Suspensions may remain until all monies are paid in full.
17.5 In the event of a forfeit, the non-offending team shall receive a credit
unless they take part in a scratch match or general court usage.
17.5.1 It is the policy of the Sports Team to find a team to participate in a scratch match against the non-offending team without cancelling the fixture entirely. A credit will be awarded if there are no available teams to participate in the scratch match.
18. Withdrawals
18.1 Withdrawal from a competition during a season will result in a
$192.00 withdrawal fee.
18.2 Withdrawal from competitions must be done by completing a Team Cancellation Form and providing it to the Sports Team Leader.
19. Stadium Misconduct
19.1 Players and spectators shall be subject to the Behaviour Management Guidelines as per Appendix 1 in the event of any and all stadium misconduct, including but not limited to sport-specific conduct.
19.1.1 Application of the Guidelines during matches are at the umpire/referee’s discretion and are subject to their interpretation.
19.1.2 Application of the Guidelines prior to or after matches are at Management’s discretion, including but not limited to Sports Supervisors, Sports Team Leader, or Centre Management. Management may refer to the Suspension Guidelines as provided for in Appendix 2 in the event of further escalation beyond a sport-specific consequence as stated in Appendix 1.
19.2 Misconduct shall include, but is not limited to:
- Abusive language;
- Unsporting conduct;
- Undue rough play;
- Resisting, striking, and attempted striking and;
- Violating Terms and Conditions of Entry of Cockburn ARC.
19.3 Player or spectator incident reports will be reviewed by Management, which reserves the right to suspend a player, team, or spectator from the competition and/or stadium.
20. Player Suspension
20.1 Reported players or spectators who are suspended will be advised by Management (where possible) or by the Team Captain on Management’s behalf in accordance to the Suspension Guidelines as per Appendix 2.
20.2 Any suspension or penalty may be appealed by the Team Captain in writing to the Sports Team Leader within 48 hours of being notified of the suspension. Should the appeal be forwarded to the tribunal, a cost of $50.00 will be applied.
20.3 Should a player be requested to go through the tribunal process, non-attendance to the tribunal shall be interpreted as an admission of guilt.
20.4 Management reserves the rights to place players and/or teams on “good behaviour bonds” if their behaviour throughout the season regularly consists of anti-social behaviour. If that team and/or player is to commit any sort of offence after being placed on a good behaviour bond, it will then be dealt with in a much more serious manner, including but not limited to suspension or removal from the competition.
20.5 If a player is expelled from a scheduled game more than twice throughout a regular season, they may be prevented from playing in any future competitions.
21. Insurance
21.1 All players are responsible for their own insurance.
21.2 All players play at their own risk.
21.3 All participants authorise Cockburn ARC to obtain medical/ambulance assistance for them in the case of an accident or emergency involving them, and agree to reimburse Cockburn ARC on demand for all costs incurred in obtaining such assistance.
22. Medical Conditions
22.1 Cockburn ARC recommends that all participants check with their doctor before playing or partaking in any physical activity. Cockburn ARC will not be held responsible for any injuries or medical conditions sustained prior to or externally to any participation in Cockburn ARC’s competitions.
23. Outstanding Debts
23.1 Forfeiting teams must pay any due fines within 14 days (or next automated payment cycle) of the forfeit date.
23.2 Any teams with outstanding debt will be contacted directly by the Sports Team Leader. If a payment dispute cannot be resolved by the next payment cycle, a team’s participation in a competition may be suspended until the account can be settled.
23.3 Cockburn ARC reserves the right to engage a debt collection agency should an outstanding amount not be cleared by a team within a fortnight of the first failed transaction.
Appendix 1: Behaviour Management Guidelines
The actions listed below are non-binding guidelines used by the Cockburn ARC Sports Team to determine stadium misconduct in a sport-specific context, which may result in the person in question being subject to further suspension as per Appendix 2.
a. Caution: Player is notified that the behaviour demonstrated is unacceptable or unnecessary.
b. Warning: formal warning that if said behaviour continues, the relevant sport-specific consequences as detailed below will apply.
c. Sport-specific consequences:
- Basketball: technical foul, resulting in one (1) free throw and possession;
- Netball: player suspension, resulting in the player sitting out of the game for two (2) minutes;
- Futsal: yellow card and;
- Volleyball: yellow card, resulting in a point awarded to the opposition and a loss of service.
d. Final sport-specific consequences, resulting in the player no longer participating in the match, and may result in ejection from the Centre at Management’s discretion:
- Basketball: second technical foul;
- Netball: order off;
- Futsal: red card and;
- Volleyball: red card.
It is the responsibility of the umpire/referee to apply Steps 1-4 at their discretion, and participants should be aware that all sport-specific consequences are subject to the interpretation of the umpire/referee in question.
Any further actions undertaken by the participant subject to behaviour management can result in an immediate ejection from the facility and/or further suspension from the competition, in accordance to the guidelines as per Appendix 2.
Appendix 2: Suspension Guidelines
The actions listed below are non-binding guidelines used by the Cockburn ARC Sports Team Leader to determine appropriate suspension periods. Please note that any suspension handed down is at the discretion of the Sports Team Leader, who may consider context when determining an appropriate suspension.
| Abusive Language | |
|---|
| Abusive or offensive comments, swearing, derogatory or obscene remarks toward any player, spectator, official or Management. | 1-3 weeks |
| Racial abuse or swearing that cannot be contained by sensible direction from official or Management. | 2-6 weeks |
| Red Card/Ejection from Game | |
|---|
| Any form of ejection from the game, including ejection from the venue. | 1 weeks |
| Unsportsmanlike Conduct | |
|---|
| Offensive gestures, deliberate provocation, baiting of opponents. | 1-3 weeks |
| Playing under an assumed name or playing whilst already suspended/not registered on Spawtz online portal. | 1 week |
| Endangering players, umpires/referees or spectators with reckless or unsafe gestures and/or behaviour.2-3 weeks | 2-4 weeks |
| Spitting on floor/player/officials/Management. | 3-8 weeks |
| Intimidation | |
|---|
| Threatening gestures, words, or actions toward any player, official, or Management. | 1-6 weeks |
| Threatening gestures, words or actions towards an official, Management or player which may constitute as a genuine threat to their safety and/or danger to life. | 1 year-permanent ban |
| Undue Rough Play | |
|---|
| Any undue physical action used to gain unfair advantage (i.e. tripping, elbowing, jumping or running into other people, tunnelling, deliberate barging of an opponent, umpire or referee). | 1-3 weeks |
| Pushing, Striking and Attempted Striking | |
|---|
| Pushing that causes another person to stagger or fall, and/or causes injury. | 2-6 weeks |
| Intentional contact with an official or Management, including but not limited to pushing, shoving, or undue physical actions. | 4 weeks-permanent ban |
| Attempted striking. | 2-6 weeks |
| Slapping, hitting, kicking, butting, or other striking actions that appears intended to harm. | 3-15 weeks |
| Malicious or multiple striking actions delivered with apparent intent to injure or cause serious harm. | 1 year-permanent ban |
| Resisting | |
|---|
| Refusal to obey a reasonable and legal instruction given by an umpire or referee, Management, and/or Security. | 1-3 weeks |
Appendix 3: Age-specific basketball rules
Under 8's- Size 5 ball
- 8’6 rim height
- Teams must be behind halfway when the offensive team is bringing the ball up the court and cannot run over until the offensive team is over halfway. This is applied after a score and after a violation.
- No keyway violation
- No back-court violation
- Free throws to be taken from the white semi-circle
- No fouls are recorded
- No 8 second violation
- No 5 second violation
- Umpire according to skill level of game
- Mercy rule: If a team reaches a 20 point lead, any score made from there won’t be added on to the score, until the lead reduces below 15 points. The 20 point mercy rule will be replicated on Spawtz scoring and ladder system post-game.
Under 10's- Size 5 ball
- 8’6 rim height
- Teams must be behind halfway when the offensive team is bringing the ball up the court and cannot run over until the offensive team is over halfway. This is applied after a score and after a violation.
- No keyway violation
- No back court violation
- Free throws to be taken from the free throw line
- No fouls are recorded
- No 8 second violation
- No 5 second violation
- Umpire according to skill level of game
- Mercy rule: If a team reaches a 20 point lead, any score made from there won’t be added on to the score, until the lead reduces below 15 points. The 20 point mercy rule will be replicated on Spawtz scoring and ladder system post-game.
Under 12's- Size 6 ball
- 10ft rim height
- All rules applied
- Fouls are recorded
- Keyway violation applied (lenient)
Under 14's- Size 6 ball
- 10ft rim height
- All rules applied
- Fouls are recorded
Under 16's- Size 7 ball
- 10ft rim height
- All rules applied
- Fouls are recorded