INFORMATION FOR TEAM MANAGERS

michigantigersfc@aol.com

Team managers play an important role at Michigan Tigers Futbol Club. This page provides information on many topics that you will find useful. 

Scheduling League Games

MSPSP (Premier League) games are scheduled by email or over the phone after the match-ups are posted in August (for fall season) and March (for spring season). Each team is responsible for entering their home games into the online scheduling system.

WSSL and MSDSL games are scheduled by email or over the phone after match-ups are posted in August (for fall season) and March (for spring season). A confirmation meeting is held after the scheduling period. Final schedules are submitted to the Michigan Tigers by email. The club's Home Field Scheduler submits them to the leagues for posting online.

Risk Management

Every manager (and coach) must receive Risk Management Certification to participate in all MSYSA-sanctioned soccer activities. 

You must carry your risk management card at practices, games and tournaments.

To apply for Risk Management Certification (which is good for 24 months), or to reprint your proof of Certification, go to Links page under MSYSA then Risk Management.

Team Communication

Perhaps the most important tasks performed by the team manager are sharing information with the families.

Put together a contact list for the team and distribute it to all of the families.

Send out reminders about upcoming practices, games and any changes to schedules. A weekly email is highly recommended. The club can give you examples of what to include. Add michigantigersfc@aol.com to the list you use for team email announcements; we will monitor these and will try to add information when we notice confusion or uncertainty.

Send a complete game schedule to the player families prior to each season, as well as a map to each away game site. Maps are posted on the Michigan Tigers web site for you to use.

Weather Postponements & Cancellations

The general rule is that games may be cancelled for weather reasons by only two sources:

(1) the owner/operator of the game facility.
If a field site is closed by the management, the club will notify the manager and coach. Please be prepared to notify the entire team by email and phone.

(2) the referees at the field.
If the referees at the field determine that the game cannot begin due to unsafe conditions, pay the referees and we will plan to reschedule the game. Game reports should be signed by the referees and team representatives.

If the weather report is bad, players still need to show up at the game site or the team may forfeit.

Wideworld tries to avoid a cancellation, as it knows that this cause scheduling problems. Wideworld will monitor the weather and water on the fields and if it appears that the fields will be so wet that serious damage would be done to the ground and grass, it may decide to close them. (The fields are in the best shape they have been in for several years, so there is some concern about losing that in a day of games in hard rain.) If a cancellation is announced by Wideworld, we will make every effort to get an early notice to you (even the evening before, if we hear anything), especially if you have games on Saturday morning. We will call the manager or coach of each team affected and send email as soon as we know anything and at least several hours before the time of your game. We will also contact the referee scheduler about the game cancellations. We ask the team manager to call the opposing team contact to inform them of the cancellation. (If you have an early game, it might make sense to get in touch with them this evening, just to work out communication.)

For those of you with away games when rain is likely, you may wish to contact the home team to find out if they have any information the plans for the weekend.

Weather stoppage guidelines

When the weather is stormy, it is the referee's responsibility to determine if a field conditions are unsafe, whether due to water on the field or lightning. Heavy rain may delay a game, but not often cancel it. Lightning, however, will lead to the immediate stoppage. MSPSP: Referees have absolute power to suspend or end games due to weather. If lightning is spotted, they have been instructed to suspend the game immediately. Everyone should move indoors or take shelter. The game should not resume until 30 minutes have passed without further lightning. If more lightning is spotted during the waiting period, the clock re-starts. At any point, the referee can end the game. If the time played is past the 2/3 mark, the game will be considered over. If the game has not reached that point, it will be rescheduled and played over from the beginning.

WSSL and MSDSL: Mostly the same above. The officials are encouraged to wait for up to 30 minutes for the weather to clear before ending the game. As for when the game becomes official, it can be considered complete if the second half has started (for teams in the recreational divisions) or if 2/3 of the game has been played (for teams in the select divisions -- all MTFC teams are currently in select divisions). If these playing times have not been met, the game should be rescheduled. If it cannot be rescheduled before the season ends, then the coaches from the two teams can agree that the game as played will be official.

In any case, if referees show up at the field, they are to be paid, even if the fields have been closed by Wideworld, or if lightning prevents a game from starting or finishing.

If a game needs to be rescheduled, we will work with you to find field time and get you more money to pay referees.

You can also watch the club home page for updates. Please remind your parents to check there before leaving for the field.

Remember, a team can forfeit a game if players don't show up. Even if the referee might up not start a game, a team that is a no-show may be charged with the forfeit.

Game reports

It is the manager's duty to fill out the game report for each outdoor league game. The club will give you blank forms to use, and instructions about how to complete them.

At the start of each game, you give the completed game report, pass cards, and league-stamped roster to the referees. The referees will use these to check the team in.

Be sure to retrieve the pass cards and roster after check-in or after the game.

Also after the game, you or the coach needs to sign the game reports for each team, then take with you a copy of the report.

The score will be reported to the league by the winning team, or, in the case of a tie, the home team.

Paying the referees

Pay the referees before each game.

WSSL and MSDSL Teams: pay referees at home games only.

Michigan Premier League (MSPSP) Teams: pay one-half of the game stipend to each referee at every game, home and away.

If one or more referees fail to show up for the game, or shows up late, please report it to us.

Do not pay anyone who fills in for a missing referee (except in the rare case when a licensed referee in uniform not originally assigned to the game is at the site and fills a spot).

Tournaments

IMPORTANT - All tournament placement decisions will be made by club management. We are happy to hear from coaches and families about preferences and availability, but in the end, no application decision is final unless confirmed to you by our Coaching Director.

The club will submit the registrations and fees for your team's tournaments. At registration, the team manager will be listed as the contact -- you may receive an email about the registration asking you to pay, but that will be taken care of for you.

The manager is reponsible for doing the tournament-site registration of the team before the first game. The tournament organizers will announce the place and time of this registration. Sometimes its on Friday evening (even if there are no games that evening) or on Saturday morning before the first game.

If we have more than one team entered in a tournament, we will attempt to have one manager check-in all of our teams. This can work if it's not difficult to get the check-in materials (roster, etc.) back to each team in time for the first game.

At the check-in, you show the tournament personnel a stamped league roster, pass cards, medical release forms, materials for any guest players, and possibly other tournament-specific forms.

If the tournament is outside Michigan, a "permission to travel" permit from MSYSA (Michigan's state organization), must be presented.

The club will help you assemble the necessary documentation (beyond that which you need for league games).

You should also have a copy of the tournament rules with you and make sure the coach has a copy.

Distribute a copy of the tournament game schedule (including possible semifinal and final games, should the team qualify), a map to the tournament site and a map of the game fields.