Review of Rule Changes, 2018

STANDARDS OF PLAY 2018 Members, the new rulebooks will be sent to sanctioned tournaments for you to get them, BUT, if it will be a while before you get to a sanctioned event, please contact me and I will send you one. Laura Humphreys katelyn.p.james@gmail.com REVIEW OF RULE CHANGES: For those of you who have not gotten a new rulebook yet, there were no changes to how the game is played. There were updates to the Code of Conduct and Foreign Player Rule, which was published on January 23rd and a few tweaks to include a Referee. For review, a summary is included below: 1) Under Substitute Player, 9 a. has been added: ‘Except for 9 g., a substitute player can only replace an injured player.’ 2) Umpire Horse Positioning During Line Ups: rule 3 j. was removed. 3) A Referee position has been added, and is on the Definitions page and after the Tournament Umpire section on page 21. 4) Under Umpires, 14 d. has been removed. 5) 14 g has been changed to ‘In the event of a disagreement between umpires, time will be called off to consult with the Referee. The Referee’s decision is final.’ 6) Under Umpires; 14 h. has been removed. This was about the Head Umpire needing to be an adult member of the APA. 7) Update to Foreign Player Policy, Code of Conduct: 8. FOREIGN PLAYER POLICY a. A foreign player is defined as a player that has not established a permanent a permanent United States domicile for 12 consecutive months b. A current APA membership does not nullify a player’s foreign player status as being a foreign player c. Eligibility to compete in international competitions for the APA d. Eligibility to vote in APA elections if an Adult Member. e. A limit of one foreign player per team will be allowed to play at the APA national tournament with the following requirements: 1) They play in the A grade or 2) they play at an APA sanctioned tournament during the 12 months prior to obtain a current APA rating. f. If the division is 3-man then one of those players can be a foreign player. If the division is 6-man then one of those players can be a foreign player. If a division changes from 3-man to 6-man before the start of the tournament the club must rearrange players and fi nd a replacement if two of the sections had a foreign player. 9. CODE OF CONDUCT a. Members of the American Polocrosse Association understand that they represent polocrosse and the APA and agree to adhere to its rules, guidelines, and Code of Conduct at polocrosse events. b. GENERAL GUIDELINES: Members will: i. Place horses’ welfare above all other considerations. Animal abuse as identified by a doctor of veterinary medicine will not be tolerated. ii. Respect the local and federal laws at the venue and respect the person and property of others. This includes refraining from threatening, destructive, or abusive behavior. iii. Conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner. iv. Adhere to rules and guidelines of the APA rule book and the rules established by the Event Organizer. v. Abide by the APA Alcohol Policy. c. Members are expected to conduct themselves at all polocrosse events in a manner which is in keeping with the guidelines and the Code of Conduct of the APA and will not bring discredit upon the APA or the sport of polocrosse.