Allegheny Rugby Policies Player Eligibility Policy

ALLEGHENY RUGBY UNION PLAYER ELIGIBILITY POLICY

In order to verify eligibility of players on your team for league play, each club will be required to clear (verify) players with their respective Registrar's office.

The process will be as follows:

COLLEGE CERTIFICATION

1. Copies of the certified lists (with personal information i.e. Student I.D. #s blacked out/omitted) will need to be mailed to the ARU Vice President, or his or her designee, prior to your second league game. This information may be entered into the ARU online match report system for verification of club and player eligibility.
2. Match Day Procedures (for 2nd league game and subsequent games): Along with the Match Report (listed with players' names, CIPP #s and ID Photos), you will also need to present a copy of the verification list (Registrar Certified) to the coach of the opposing team and referee. (The pre-match paperwork should be done no later than 30 minutes prior to kick-off).
3. For new players (i.e., those starting after the submission of the original verification list), each coach will be required to obtain verification of eligibility before advancing to the playoffs. However, in recognition of the difficulty that may ensue with obtaining immediate information from your Registrar's office any player's name appearing on the match report but not listed on the Registrar's verification list must be highlighted on the match report.
4. For students not listed on a verification list, proof of enrollment (i.e., student ID card) must be required prior to kick-off.
5. Proof of enrollment (i.e., student ID cards) must be presented at a reasonable time (15 minutes or more) prior to kick off. In order to protect private information listed on the verification list all Student ID #s must be deleted (or omitted) from information submitted to the union or shared with opposing teams (see item c on Registrar information memo).

CLUB AND TEAM MEMBERSHIP AND LEAGUE PLAY

1. No team, including all youth teams, may play any player in a league match that is not a bona fide member of that club. Clubs with sides in multiple divisions of ARU league play shall conform to USA Rugby’s eligibility requirements, as set forth at www.usarugby.org.
2. All club and individual USA Rugby CIPP memberships shall be verified through the on-line USA Rugby CIPP database; provided that clubs shall maintain paper evidence of such CIPP memberships in the event of any disputed membership.
3. A new player for a club indicated on the match report shall not be eligible to play in a league match until the player is registered in USA Rugby’s CIPP program. If a player is found to have played without being CIPP registered, the club is subject to disciplinary actions, including forfeiture of any game(s) in which the player played.
4. A probationary club will not be considered part of the ARU until such club has fulfilled the financial responsibilities of the union. A probationary club must also fulfill all requirements as a full club member concerning the Midwest Rugby Union Constitution, Bylaws, Policies and Procedures.
5. Any club playing in the ARU who wins a championship, including a probationary club, is designated as an ARU representative.
6. Every ARU player must be a registered member of the USA Rugby CIPP program by the first match of the season. Players joining a club after the start of the season shall promptly file their CIPP application with USA Rugby and that application must be on file with USA Rugby, and proof of such filing must be available, prior to the player being eligible to play in a match. This requirement also applies to second, third and lower side games.
7. The CIPP registration of every player on the match report shall be verified through the USA Rugby on-line CIPP database prior to any ARU sanctioned tournament matches.
8. Any club that has not met the foregoing CIPP standards is subject to review by the ARU Executive Committee with respect to its eligibility for promotion the next season.
9. In order for a club to be considered eligible to compete in the ARU for a given season, the club, if in existence, must have complied with CIPP registration requirements for the prior season.

IDENTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION POLICY

1. For purposes of upholding the foreign player eligibility requirements set by USA Rugby regulations, clubs shall provide electronic copies of documents of residency (or otherwise) for any player if requested by ARU. Any player not a US resident must be identified as such before application for ID verification.
2. If a player is found to have played in matches under false pretenses (E.g. presentation of false or altered documents) , the club (and player) risks forfeiture of those matches, relegation, probation or expulsion at the discretion of the ARU Executive.
3. Once ID verification has been performed, the ID is valid until a change of status (E.g. change of club, expiration of CIPP for a season, change of age based division, change of residency status etc), or a minimum of 3 years at the discretion of the competitions committee.A player can play in one (1) league match without ID registration, provided that a picture
   • ID is produced for inspection by the opposing club officials, and all other eligibility requirements are fulfilled. That player is otherwise not eligible to play until the player’s ID application has been completed and verified. Only the following are acceptable as legitimate:
   • Pictured identification: Driver’s License, Military ID Card, Passport (picture page), Student ID, State ID Card.
   • Proof of US Citizenship/Legal Residence: US birth certificate, US passport, US military officer ID Card, resident alien (green) card.
   • Proof of a Resident Alien Card: For a person who is in the process of getting a resident alien card, the stamp that appears in the passport of an individual that has been approved as a resident alien and contains his resident alien (green card) number will be the only other acceptable alternative.
4. A team may be required to line up in match report order for purposes on checking all players against their CIPP verified ID. This check will be done with both team representatives, with the referee as a supervisor. If the report and subsequent check is acceptable, each representative will sign both copies of the report indicating their approval.
5. Referees will collect the match reports before the start of each match. The match shall not start without a properly filled out match report. The ID information page should be retained by the opposing club.
6. The referee shall add the final score to the match report (s) and any disciplinary report, and sign the report. The match report does not take the place of a disciplinary report.
7. After the match, the host team is responsible for mailing (or electronically transmitting) the match reports to the ARU Vice President (except in cases of protest – see below) within fourteen (14) days of the match, and for entering the score and any scoring details into the online match report system within 24 hours of the match.
8. The ARU Vice President shall give notice by electronic mail from time to time of match reports that were not timely submitted and such notice shall include a further deadline for such match reports to be submitted. If a match report is not received by the Vice President on or before that further deadline, all matches played by any offending club on the subject day may be subject to forfeiture by action of the Executive Committee.
9. In the event that the online match report is not available at the match, the team representative shall write down the match roster with as much information as is available to provide to the opposing team representative for inspection. A separate copy should be retained. Each team must ensure that the roster is updated with the retained information as soon as possible after the match. It is not acceptable to use this method except in exceptional circumstances.
10. For clarification, a club that does not have enough eligible players, has the following options:
    • a. Only play the people who have verified IDs, which means the club will play short; or
    • b. With the consent of the opposing team, play the players (but not without valid CIPP registration) and forfeit the match.
11. The ID policy may be enforced at ARU sanctioned tournaments.