INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY

Inclement Weather Policy

Coaches and teams must appear at their scheduled field site and be ready to play as scheduled. A failure to appear will result in forfeit of the match. 

Only the Tournament Director(s) may cancel or postpone a scheduled match. Referees retain the ability to suspend a match that is underway at their discretion and only in the case of severe weather. The Tournament Director(s) have the right to:

• Relocate and/or reschedule a match
• Change the tournament bracket/division structure
• Reduce the duration of a scheduled match
• Cancel a match

When inclement/severe weather forces a match to be suspended after it has begun and preventing that match from being completed within its scheduled time, the score will stand if at least

Lightning and Games Disrupted by Lightning

In the event of a game being suspended or delayed by lightning the following policy will be followed:

• Games will be played through rain (without lightning) provided the playing conditions remain safe for the players.
• All games, once started, must finish within their scheduled time slot. The “time slot” begins at the scheduled kickoff time and ends five (5) minutes prior to the next scheduled game on the field.
• In the event of lightning, teams will clear the field at the direction of the Tournament Director, the Site Director (as directed by the Tournament Director), or the referee.
• If teams are directed to clear the field, coaches, players, and spectators must leave the field to take shelter immediately. Fields must remain clear for a minimum of twenty (20) minutes. 
• Once a site is cleared due to lightning, play may only resume when directed by the Tournament Director(s). Referees do not have the authority to restart matches that have been suspended due to lightning. 
• If a game is suspended due to lightning at or after half-time, the score of the game at the time it is suspended will stand as the game result
• If a game resumes after being suspended prior to half time, the game will resume at the (match) time it was suspended. The half-time interval will be limited to 1:00, allowing the teams to switch sides, and play will resume and continue until five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled start of the next game on the field unless otherwise directed by the Tournament Director(s).
• In the event of inclement weather, the Tournament Director(s) will do everything reasonably possible to provide teams and players with the maximum possible amount of game time provided doing so does not compromise the safety of players, coaches, or spectators.