JAM rules for General Policy


© JAM 1996-2024

All KW-Cambridge JAM players should read and understand the below guidelines as well as the specific rules of their sport.  In general,  all KW-Cambridge JAM members should...


This means...

S: Safe play all of the time.  Play with control and be conscious of your surroundings.
M: Members only.  Anyone who plays on your team needs to have an active JAM profile. 
A: Attend online info session and read rules every season. This will keep you up to speed on new issues.
R: Report all injuries which require medical attention and incidents if you desire official KW-Cambridge JAM investigation.
T: Talk to the other team.  Together, KW-Cambridge JAM members can make a fun and safe playing environment.
 

NOTE: These guidelines may change periodically.  KWCJAM also reserves the right to pursue administrative courses of action that differ from what is written here in order to provide the best solution to issues that may arise.

 

JAM is for Everyone – Inclusion Statement

Our program offerings are designed to be inclusive for all members of the JAM community. Our goal is to create a welcoming gender policy that uplifts and supports each player where they are at. To ensure we can offer something for everyone, our programs may be offered in the following formats: Mixed-Gender, Women's, Men's, and Open.

Many of our league rules specify gender-based roster requirements, the goal of which is to ensure that each player has an equal opportunity to be included in gameplay.

Everyone participating in a JAM program is welcome to compete based on their gender identity and gender expression; regardless of their gender assigned at birth. Members whose gender identity does not align with the binary man/woman construct are welcome to play in all our mixed-gender and open programs.

Nonbinary, trans, genderqueer, and all other players who identify as a gender minority can count towards the roster minimums for either men or women in our mixed-gender leagues.

 

KW-Cambridge JAM Guidelines Table of Contents:
1. Team Captain Responsibilities
2. Waivers and how to be a Sanctioned KW-Cambridge JAM Player
3. Physical or Unsportsmanlike Play and Suspensions
4. Fighting/Punching
5. Alcohol/Drugs
6. Incidents Which Result in Loss of Permits
7. Emergency Contact List
8. First Aid
9. Blood During Games
10. Suggested Protective Equipment
11. Reporting Injuries
12. Game Scores
13. Game Score Discrepancies
14. League Standings and Tie Break Guidelines
15. Defaulting League Games
16. Team Uniforms and Dress
17. Player Eligibility
18. Facility Care and Respect
19. Foul Weather Guidelines
20. Footwear
21. Safety
22. Game Rescheduling
23. Cancellation Policy

24. Contact Information
25. Double Headers
26. Team Names
27. Pooling, Skill Levels and Divisions of Play
28. Prizing
29. Minimum Age Requirement for Players
30. Spectators at Leagues and Events
31. Game Ejections in Officiated Leagues
32. No Smoking at Playing Venues
33. Games Scheduled on Statutory and Religious Holidays

34. Parking Guidelines
35. Lost and Found
36. Conflict Resolution
37. Videos and Photographs

 


 

1) Team Captains must:

  1. Know the guidelines of KW-Cambridge JAM outlined here as well as the rules of their specific sport.
  2. Ensure that their teammates are aware of these guidelines and rules.
  3. Provide KW-Cambridge JAM with a complete list of players and their contact information for their team by completing their rosters using the T.E.A.M. invitation system.


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2) Waivers:

To be a sanctioned JAM player, you must have an active JAM profile (this facilitates completing the JAM waiver and accepting the Sportsmanship and Fair Play agreement). To do this, the team captain must send the player an invitation from the T.E.A.M. system (the exception is individual registrants who complete the waiver when they sign-up).  Teams that are using non-sanctioned players may be asked to leave the leagues without refund.  Please click here to read more about player eligibility.


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3) Physical or Unsportsmanlike Play and Suspensions:

Play that is rough or overly aggressive, taunting, or unsportsmanlike acts (name calling, threats, intimidation and discriminatory behaviours of any kind) will not be tolerated by the JAM and may result in the infracting player/team being ejected from the league without refund.  

If reports of this kind of behaviour are received, the following steps are taken:
i) First report - player or team receives a formal warning.
ii) Second report - player or team receives a second warning and a possible suspension, per the discretion of the JAM Head Office
iii) Third report - player or team may be ejected from the league without refund and is not welcome back!

JAM members that are suspended or ejected from any program are not welcome to attend as spectators.

If a player is suspended from any JAM program, the suspension will apply to ALL of our leagues/activities until the conclusion of the initial suspension, unless they are informed otherwise. For example, if a member plays Floor Hockey on Monday's and Wednesday's and is suspended for one game following an incident in the Monday league, the suspension also applies to the Wednesday league. 

Unsportsmanlike play can be reported at your TEAM profile.  You must complete this form to file an official complaint about unsportsmanlike play.  Only "official complaints" will be investigated by the JAM.

PLEASE NOTE: Teams can and will be held responsible for their players' conduct. If someone on your squad is behaving inappropriately, it is YOUR responsibility to keep him or her from doing so.

The JAM reserves the right to skip these steps as outlined above at their sole discretion and immediately eject a team or player from the league without refund.  These decisions are non-appealable and failure to comply with them may result in further punitive measures.


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4) Fighting/Punching:

Instances of this behaviour will be cause for immediate expulsion for all individuals involved, whether they are the instigators or retaliating.


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5) Alcohol/Drugs:

Drinking of alcoholic beverages at JAM facilities/venues by players or spectators (indoor or outdoor) is strictly forbidden.  Offenders will be asked to leave the league without refund: no exceptions!

For the safety of yourself, your teammates, your opponents, and our staff, members are not allowed to participate in JAM programs while impaired by the use of drugs or alcohol. Players may be asked to leave the game by the JAM representative on-site if they feel that the member's impairment creates a dangerous environment for both themselves and other members.


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6) Incidents Which Result in Loss of Permits:

 Any team or individual involved in any incident that results in the loss of a permit or which causes harm to the relationship between KW-Cambridge JAM and a facility may be expelled from the league without refund. Incidents can include but are not limited to, the consumption of alcohol and/or illegal drugs at a facility, damages or vandalism to a facility (not directly resulting from the nature of sports), and abusive behaviour towards facility staff and/or KW-Cambridge JAM staff.


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7) Emergency Contact List:

All team captains are advised to carry a list of emergency contact numbers for players on their team. In the event of an injury/emergency, these numbers can be utilized to notify the player's family in cases where medical treatment/attention is required. Captains are also advised to include a list of hospitals with emergency room service on this page. It will take the guesswork out of situations that are stressful and time sensitive.  Click here to find the hospitals in your city.


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8) First Aid:

First aid is the responsibility of the team captain. Ice packs, band-aids, tensors and athletic tape are all things which can be used in the event of minor scrapes and bruises. If a KW-Cambridge JAM representative is on hand when there is an injury, we will be happy to assist in any way we can. We are not, however, responsible for providing tape for bad ankles, fingers etc. There may be a first-aid kit on-site at some venues, but please be prepared for all situations.


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9) Blood During Games:

Any player who begins to bleed during a game must leave the playing area immediately. This player cannot return to the game until the bleeding has stopped and the wound has been sufficiently covered.


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10) Suggested Protective Equipment:

Though not mandatory, the KW-Cambridge JAM highly recommends the use of mouth guards, eye protection, softball helmets and any other reasonable safety equipment. Mouth guards and squash/racquetball goggles can be purchased from most sporting goods stores. Softball players or teams may supply and wear their own helmets if they chose to do so in the interest of safety.


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11) Reporting Injuries:

Injuries requiring further medical attention other than basic first aid must be reported to KW-Cambridge JAM by team captains or co-captains.  The injury report form is accessed from your team profile page in the schedule section.  Select the game date with the relevant check box, and then select "Report Injury" from the "Options" drop-down box at the bottom right-hand corner of the schedule.  Complete the form that appears on the next page.


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12) Game Scores:

It is the team captain's responsibility to report the scores from each game by noon, two (2) business days after the game. This can be accomplished by logging into your JAM profile (click the "my profile" button above). Follow the links through to your schedule and select a game date to submit a score for. For further information, please click here. Scores that have not been approved by noon within two business days will be automatically approved. Scores listed as being "Disputed" will not be approved until the teams agree on the score. If you think a score is incorrect, please dispute it by the noon deadline or else it will be automatically approved. NOTE: For the last regular season game of the season, the deadline changes to noon, ONE (1) business day after the game. This will assist with the prompt posting of playoff schedules. At the end of the regular season, all unreported scores from previous weeks will be entered as a 0-0 tie, if they haven't already.

If you would like to update a score that was automatically approved as a 0-0 tie, please reach out to us directly and we can look into rectifying the score. However, once the playoff schedule is posted, scores cannot be changed afterwards. Only a playoff score can be changed before the next playoff game if there was an incorrect score or tie submitted. 

Both teams must agree on the final score. If an agreement cannot be made on the final score, then both teams will receive a default loss.

If a team plays the incorrect opponent, the score will be recorded as a tie for all teams involved.  Please double check to make sure you are playing the right team prior to your game.


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13) Discrepancies:

Discrepancies or arguments regarding scores, complaints or any other ambiguous item must be dealt with within 3 business days after the latest posting of the scores on our website for the week in question. During the final week of the regular season, any and all discrepancies must be resolved by noon the following day. Captains should ensure that the score of their game has been recorded correctly by checking the KW-Cambridge JAM website. PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE OFFICE LOOKING FOR SCORES:  sometimes scores are delayed in being reported, but they will always be posted as soon as they become available.


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14) League Standings and Tie Break Guidelines:

Wins are worth 2 points, ties are worth 1 and losses are worth 0. If a team defaults, they will lose one point. Standings can be accessed from your user profile.

To break a tie in the Final Standings:
1) Defaulted Games*
2) Head-to-head competition**
3) Head-to-head points /-
4) Head-to-head points against
5) Division points /-
6) Division points against

* If two or more teams are tied at the end of the regular season, the team(s) who defaulted the fewest games will receive the higher seed. 

** The head-to-head tiebreaker is based on the regular season match-ups between two or more teams that may be tied in the standings at the end of a season. Note that head-to-head tiebreakers will not apply if three or more teams are tied and those teams did not play against each other an equal number of times.

If two teams are tied, the winner of the regular season match between the two teams will be ranked higher.

If the two teams did not play each other, tied during the regular season, or played multiple games and tied in total points from those match-ups, then the next criterion for breaking a tie will be used.

If three or more teams are tied, all games between only the tied teams during the regular season will be evaluated, and the team that has a higher total game points from only those games will be ranked higher. This criterion can only be used if all of the tied teams played against each other during the regular season for the same number of games (i.e. Team A played Team B, Team B played Team C, and Team C played Team A). However, if the teams did not all play against each other during the regular season for the same number of games but common sense tells us one team should be ahead of others (i.e. Team A beat Teams B and C in the regular season, but Teams B and C did not play in the regular season) then in this unlikely (but still possible) situation, KW-Cambridge JAM admin reserves the right to use their best judgment to fairly seed the teams.
 

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15) Defaulting League Games:

Teams that default more than 2 games may be asked to leave the league without refund. If you know you may not be able to field a full team, please call the other captain in advance; you should attend with as many people as you can and play pick up...it is the fun and polite thing to do.

Captains may agree to waive the rules regarding the minimum people but this MUST be decided before the game starts. Simple communication between team captains can clear this up quickly and easily.

FOR PLAYOFFS, please refer to Player Eligibility:

JAM will have the final ruling should teams contact the office regarding playoff defaults disputes.


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16) Team Uniforms and Dress:


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17) Player Eligibility:

 

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18) Facility Care and Respect:

Respect the schools: put things back where you found them, take all of your items with you and put trash in provided receptacles.  Remember: you are in someone's work and learning environment. You would not like it if someone came in at night and left a pile of water bottles and clothing on your desk. Please be out by the hour specified on your schedule. This is in your hands. Enter and exit ONLY by the specified areas. Do not wander the schools in areas other than the gyms. Showers are not provided.


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19) Foul Weather Guidelines:

Please note: JAM will contact you by email if we are notified during business hours that a venue is closed causing games to be cancelled

>> OUTDOOR LEAGUES FOUL WEATHER GUIDELINES:

>> INDOOR LEAGUES FOUL WEATHER GUIDELINES:

>> SEVERE WEATHER EXCEPTIONS (Indoor or Outdoor):

The only exception to the above foul weather rules is if JAM declares a Severe Weather Situation, based on extreme and unusual weather (including poor air quality). In the event of a Severe Weather Situation where venues remain open, game standings will be recorded as ONE of the following:

Severe Weather Situation status will be used at the sole discretion of the JAM Admin Team and is not subject to debate. A decision on this status will be made at 3:00 pm on game day.