2015 MPSF Men's Water Polo ADMINISTATION HANDBOOK

2015 MPSF Men’s Water Polo

ADMINISTATION HANDBOOK

FOR HOST INSTITUTIONS & PARTICIPATING TEAMS

2015 MPSF Men’s Water Polo Administration Handbook

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2015 MPSF WATER POLO ADMINISTRATION HANDBOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2015 Season Calendar .............................................................................................................. 2 MPSF Contact Information ....................................................................................................... 2 1. Artificial Noisemakers ...................................................................................................... 2 2. Balls .................................................................................................................................. 2 3. Championship Tournament Schedule/Seeding ............................................................... 3 4. Conduct ............................................................................................................................ 3 5. Conference Calls .............................................................................................................. 3 6. Conference Schedule ....................................................................................................... 4 7. Course Set-up ................................................................................................................... 4 8. Cross Over Between Periods ............................................................................................ 4 9. Evaluators ........................................................................................................................ 4 10. Game Management Responsibilities ............................................................................... 4 11. Media Relations ............................................................................................................... 5 12. Officials............................................................................................................................. 5 13. Photographers ................................................................................................................. 6 14. Pre-Game Countdown – MPSF ........................................................................................ 6 15. Pre-Game Countdown – Pac-12 Network Broadcasts ..................................................... 6 16. Pre-Game Introductions .................................................................................................. 7 17. Protests ............................................................................................................................ 7 18. Public Address Sportsmanship Announcements ............................................................. 7 19. Recognition ...................................................................................................................... 7 20. Red Cards ......................................................................................................................... 7 21. Resolving Disputes Between Teams ................................................................................ 7 22. Schedule Changes ............................................................................................................ 7 23. Squad Limits ..................................................................................................................... 8 24. Televised Games .............................................................................................................. 8 25. Tournament Seeding ........................................................................................................ 8 26. Uniforms .......................................................................................................................... 8 27. Video Exchange ................................................................................................................ 8 28. Website ............................................................................................................................ 8 APPENDICES Appendix A: MPSF Men’s Water Polo Regulations ................................................................... 9 Appendix B: Pre-Game Countdown, Introductions, Crossover .............................................. 14 Appendix C: Pac-12 Network Broadcast Pre-Game Countdown ........................................... 15 Appendix D: MPSF Sportsmanship Announcement ............................................................... 16 Appendix E: Game Schedule Change Form ............................................................................ 17 Appendix F: MPSF Video Exchange Guidelines ...................................................................... 18


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MPSF MEN’S WATER POLO ADMINISTRATION HANDBOOK FOR HOST INSTITUTIONS

MPSF 2015 Season Calendar

June 15 Pac-12 Network Televised Games Finalized

August 12 10-11am Pacific – Pre-Season Conference Call

September 5 First day of NCAA Competition

September 19-20 NorCal Tournament at Stanford

October 10-11 SoCal Tournament at Pepperdine/LMU

November 14-15 Last weekend of MPSF conference competition

November 17 10-11am Pacific – Pre-Championship Conference Call

November 20-22 MPSF Championship Tournament at USC

November 22 NCAA Selection

November 28 NCAA Play-in games at home sites of #3 and #4 seeds (6@3, 5@4)

December 5-6 National Collegiate Championship, UCLA

December 9 MPSF Transportation Expense Form due: scan to pdf file, email

January 14 Tentative Date: 10am-12pm Pacific – Post-Season Conference Call Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Contact Information

Executive Director Al Beaird [email protected] 530.669.7600 office 530.304.3889 cell

Media Relations Coordinator Darren Preston [email protected] 818.943.2033 cell

Officiating Coordinator Gary Robinett [email protected] 714.488.5823 cell

Administrative Committee Liaison Jenny Simon O’Neill [email protected] Assistant Athletic Director

Team XStream Video Exchange Hershey Strosberg [email protected] 434.987.9784 office

Current MPSF Men’s Water Polo Regulations – See Appendix A, page 9

1. Artificial Noisemakers Artificial noisemakers such as cow bells, vuvuzelas, horns, thunder sticks, whistles, etc., are not

allowed at MPSF sporting events. Event management staff will ask those using such devices to cease

and desist. If the individual(s) continues to engage in this behavior, the noisemakers may be

confiscated and/or the offending individual(s) may be escorted out of the venue.

2. Balls All MPSF teams shall exclusively use the ball currently under contract with the MPSF and NCAA Championship Committee. This ball will also be used exclusively during MPSF Championship competition. The official MPSF ball for 2015 is produced by Kap7.

mailto:[email protected]






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3. Championship Tournament: Schedule & Seeding– November 20-22 at USC The Federation shall conduct a championship tournament after the conclusion of the conference season. For 2015 only, all ten teams shall qualify for the tournament with seeding based on conference finish and established conference tiebreakers (see regulations). In 2015 there shall be two play-in games conducted between teams finishing the MPSF season in places 7-10 to determine the 7th and 8th seeds. A championship schedule is posted on the MPSF website at www.mpsports.org under the “Championship Central” tab. The tournament host shall rotate annually with two consecutive years in Southern California followed by one year in Northern California although a championship rotation may be established in the near future. MPSF Championship Tournament Game Schedule Friday, November 20 (6 games):

8:30am Game #1 7 vs. 10 (Play-in #1)

10:00am Game #2 8 vs. 9 (Play-in #2)

11:30am Game #3 4 vs. 5

1:00pm Game #4 3 vs. 6

2:30pm Game #5 2 vs. Winner of Game #1

4:00pm Game #6 1 vs. Winner of Game #2 Saturday, November 21 (5 games)

10:00a Game #7 Losers of Games 1 & (9th Place/last game both teams)

11:30am Game #8 Losers of Games 3 & 6

1:00pm Game #9 Losers of Games 4 & 5

2:30pm Game #10 Winners of Games 3 & 6 Semifinal #1

4:00pm Game #11 Winners of Games 4 & 5 Semifinal #2

Sunday, November 22 (4 games)

11:30am Game #12 Losers of Games 8 & 9 7th Place

1:00pm Game #13 Winners of Games 8 & 9 5th Place

3:00pm* Game #14 Losers of Games 10 & 11 3rd Place (Pac-12 Network)

4:30pm* Game #15 Winners of Games 10 & 11 1st Place (Pac-12 Network)

*The Pac-12 Network will broadcast the MPSF Men’s Water Polo Championship third-place and championship games at USC on Sunday, November 22. Sunday times of these games have been changed to accommodate the Pac-12 broadcast schedule. The Pac-12 Network will have production set-up completed prior to 11:30am Sunday. Please plan your travel accordingly.

4. Conduct It is the expectation of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and the Administrative Committee that all

coaches, student-athletes, athletic staff of member institutions and anyone representing the Federation and

its member institutions will conduct themselves in an appropriate manner which projects positive

sportsmanship and a professional image. As such, use of profane language, inappropriate displays of

disrespect for officials, other coaches, athletic staff and players will not be tolerated and may be grounds for

disciplinary action by the Federation.

5. Conference Calls MPSF scheduled conference calls require the participation of all head coaches and recommended participation of institutional sport supervisors. If a head coach cannot make the call for personal reasons, the Executive Director shall be notified as to who will be representing the team on behalf of the head coach. Failure to notify the Executive Director shall result in a $1,000 fine and notice to the

http://www.mpsports.org/


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institution’s Director of Athletics. Teams not represented by head coaches shall not have voting privileges.

6. Conference Schedule

Teams shall play a preapproved schedule which allows some flexibility due to Pac-12 Network television broadcast schedules. The Pac-12 Network will finalize men’s water polo broadcast schedule by June 15 each year.

7. Course Set-up The course set-up for competition involving MPSF teams shall adhere to current NCAA rules.

8. Crossover Between Periods (see Appendix B, page 14)

It is the head coach's responsibility to ensure there is no contact between players, coaches or other team officials with members of the opposing team or game officials during team crossovers between periods, before or after games. Coaches need to ensure there is adequate separation between teams during exchanges.

Should problems arise or a hostile environment is evident, the HOME team shall initiate the crossover by moving around the pool to the opposite side to negate any contact. Referees shall be notified by the HOME team head coach that this protocol is being used.

Game officials and management staffs of MPSF water polo member institutions shall observe the crossover. Game management shall give consideration to bench placement or installing a partition to physically separate teams during the exchange in order to minimize contact and maximize separation.

The conference requires referees to position themselves at the crossover point to monitor the exchange and assess applicable penalties as required by NCAA rules.

9. Evaluators

Referee evaluators will be present at all MPSF conference games and most major tournament games involving MPSF teams. Evaluators are MPSF officials and should be treated as such, including access to a game credential, parking pass, the referee’s dressing and meeting area/lockerroom, a seat at the scorer’s table or proximal to the scorer’s table, refreshments and appropriate security if necessary. Evaluators are not to engage with coaches, referees, players or spectators during the course of game. They are there to observe and grade the performance of referees.

10. Game Management Responsibilities Below are a number of policies and protocols which will help your water polo game management/event staff create a more safe and enjoyable competitive environment for your team and for those teams and spectators visiting your venue. You will note that these policies were instituted several years ago in response to sportsmanship and conduct issues. Please incorporate the following MPSF policy into your water polo (men and women) game management protocol: A. All institutions participating in MPSF water polo shall have clearly identified game management

staff on deck during all water polo games. Game managers/Tournament Directors shall introduce themselves to the referees prior to the start of each game and will make themselves available on deck at all times during games.

B. All MPSF participating institutions shall have emergency medical and evacuation plans in place. C. Game managers shall observe and monitor teams and spectators to anticipate potential

problems and proactively engage in preventative measures when appropriate. D. The attached MPSF Sportsmanship Announcement (Appendix C) shall be read prior to the start

of each water polo game at all MPSF participating institutions and again immediately prior to


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the start of the third period; and as often as is necessary to help maintain the proper competitive environment at the host venue.

E. Game managers should be proactive in managing crowd control. Do not wait until a bad situation has erupted. Be proactive in calming or escorting overly zealous and disruptive spectators out of your venue.

F. Spectators shall not be allowed to disrupt games by taunting officials, players, coaches or institutional staff. Anyone disrupting games, using profane language and/or under the influence of alcohol or drugs or using artificial noise makers after being asked to desist shall be removed from the premises by game management and not allowed back into the venue.

G. A responsible and knowledgeable adult representative (NOT a student-athlete, red-shirt or coach affiliated with the institution) of the institution's athletic department shall oversee the game desk and score table for the duration of all contests, including tournament games, at all MPSF member institutions. See NCAA Water Polo Rules, Appendix G, for Score Desk procedures.

H. Per NCAA rule 7-4, coaches, team officials or players who receive a red card must immediately leave the bench and pool deck. Coaches or players serving suspensions may sit in the spectator stands for the remainder of the game, but may not communicate with members of their team, coaching staff or other team personnel by any means. Coaches receiving red cards are automatically suspended for the next traditional season game. Game suspensions may only be served against NCAA or NAIA four-year institutions and in games on the team’s established schedule immediately after the game in which the red-card was issued. Coaches serving one or more game-suspensions are allowed to sit in the spectator stands and may observe his/her team's game but is not allowed to coach the team or interact in any way with game officials. Coaches in the stands shall be treated as spectators. Coaches must leave the pool deck when the officials arrive and are not allowed to join the team until the conclusion of the game, including any overtime periods. The issuance of red cards is a judgment by an official and as such cannot be overturned by the Federation.

I. MPSF water polo student-athletes receiving game-ejections for fighting or flagrant misconduct will automatically serve a two-game suspension per MPSF regulations – please note this is a MPSF rule (not NCAA rule) for men’s water polo only.

J. Head coaches and institutional administrators responsible for the sport of water polo shall be held accountable for the actions of their coaching staffs, game personnel and student-athletes.

11. Media Relations

The MPSF Media Relations Coordinator will provide weekly updates which will be posted on the MPSF website www.mpsports.org. Updated scores and standings, as well as composite schedules, statistical updates, broadcast schedules, webstreaming links, championship details and other related information will be available on the website. The Media Relations Coordinator will coordinate Federation media relations efforts with those of MPSF member institutions.

12. Officials The MPSF Water Polo Officiating Coordinator will assign referees for MPSF teams during the season, including all tournaments hosted by MPSF member teams and the MPSF Championship Tournament based on rankings from head coaches and evaluators.

All referees assigned by the MPSF will be paid established game fees, per diem and other travel expenses based on their assignments unless otherwise arranged with the Coordinator.

All water polo referees shall be assigned using the ArbiterSports system and paid by the Federation through ArbiterPay.

Coaches and Event Managers of host institutions are urged to regularly check Arbiter for assignments which may occasionally change for various reasons.

Host institutions shall provide parking permits, refreshments and a secure changing area for



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MPSF referees. The changing area should be sufficient to allow for post-game meeting between referees and evaluators.

If necessary, an escort will be provided to/from the venue by event management and/or uniformed police officers.

Event managers shall greet the officiating crew and provide them with an itinerary of the game timelines upon their arrival at the venue. It is important that MPSF officials know who to contact if a need arises.

Questions regarding clarification of NCAA rules points of emphasis, rules interpretations or similar concerns shall be directed to the MPSF Coordinator of Water Polo Officials in a timely, cordial and respectful manner.

13. Photographers

All photographers on deck must request a credential from the host SID. Photographers must remain in designated areas and may not shoot from directly behind the goals. Professional lenses shall not be allowed in the stands unless the individual has a bona fide institutional credential pre-authorized by the host team’s SID.

14. Pre-game Countdown – MPSF (in minutes prior to game start - see Appendix A) 60:00 Pool available for warm-ups 30:00 Referees arrive, inspect course 10:00 Referees clear pool, inspect athletes, meet with Team Captains

Referees line up between teams at center pool in front of the desk facing the stands

Introduction of VISITING team (max 16 athletes); players in cap order (all in robes or all sweats)

Introduction HOME team (unlimited home team players); players in cap order (all in robes or all sweats)

Introduction of Referees

National Anthem

Pre-game handshakes and teams to benches 0:00 Game begins

Notes: 1. Introductions prior to each game shall be conducted according to international protocol

with referees walking teams in from their opponent’s bench. Student-athletes will shake hands with members of the opposing team PRIOR to each game while crossing over to their team’s starting bench location.

2. SIDs/Scorekeepers/Referees: After each game referees MUST sign the official scoresheet either at the desk or in their designated changing area.

3. SIDs shall provide a written pregame itinerary to each head coach and referee upon their arrival at the pool.

4. Minor deviations to the above protocol must appear on the itinerary and pointed out to the visiting coach/referees. (Example: no national anthem, etc.)

5. Major deviations to approved protocol must be approved by the Executive Director and opposing coach at least 48 hours prior to the date of competition. Example: special ceremony honoring seniors, Olympians, etc.

15. Pre-Game Countdown – Pac-12 Network Broadcasts (See Appendix C, page 15)

This protocol shall be used for all games broadcast by the Pac-12 Network. A red hat assigned by the MPSF will be at the desk to coordinate timeouts between game officials and production crew.


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16. Pre-Game Introductions (see Appendix B, page 14) The MPSF shall conduct pre-game introductions using international protocol where teams line up in cap order in front of the opposing team’s bench with the game referees positioned between the teams. The visiting team shall be introduced first, followed by the home team and the officials before teams cross over to their starting benches.

17. Protests Protests shall be conducted per NCAA Rule 7-10 (page 31, NCAA Water Polo Rules), which states that protests shall be resolved immediately by the referees. Protests shall be lodged with officials and the scorer’s desk citing specific rule(s) violations at the next break in play. If it is not possible to resolve the protest on site, it shall go to the governing authority (MPSF Conference) for resolution. Protests may only be lodged for misapplication of rules, equipment malfunction and errors in recording information or other desk errors. Protests may not be filed for judgment calls. The issuance of red cards shall not be considered for reversal. See NCAA Rule 7-10 for more detailed information regarding protests, including the need for written notification by the head coach filing the protest to physically be attached to the official scoresheet and notation of the protest and outcome on the official scoresheet.

18. Public Address Sportsmanship Announcement (see Appendix C, page 15) The public address announcer shall read the attached MPSF Sportsmanship Announcement a minimum of once prior to the game and once at halftime, and as many times as needed, to proactively address spectators and participants about the need to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with sportsmanship and the Federation’s sportsmanship policies.

19. Recognition Student-athletes will be recognized for Player of the Week, Player of the Year, and Newcomer of the

Year, as well as All-Tournament (MPSF Championship), All-MPSF and Academic All-MPSF Teams at

the conclusion of the season. A Coach of the Year will also be recognized. The MPSF Media Relations

Coordinator will oversee the awards process.

20. Red Cards The issuance of a red card is a judgment call by a referee and as such is not subject to reversal by the Federation. Individuals serving suspensions for red cards must do so in the spectator stands and are not allowed any communication with the team during the time of jurisdiction of the referees which is typically 30 minutes prior to the start of the game until five minutes after the conclusion of the game or resolution of any post-game situation. Non-compliance shall result in forfeit of the game by the offending individual’s team.

21. Resolving Disputes between Teams Per MPSF Bylaw 204, disputes between institutions shall be addressed directly between the athletic directors (or designees/sport supervisors) of those institutions. The Executive Director and Officiating Coordinator shall be copied on any information exchanged between the institutions. If the issue cannot be satisfactorily resolved between the institutions the Executive Director may be asked to resolve the dispute. Video review to question officiating calls is no longer an option. The

MPSF will not review officiating calls for further action as this is not typically done by any of the five MPSF member conferences in other sports.

22. Schedule Changes (Use the Game Schedule Change Form - Appendix D, page 16) If it becomes necessary for a scheduled game to have a date or time change, it is imperative that the Executive Director be contacted immediately with rationale for the changes. It will also be necessary


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to contact the Officiating Coordinator and Media Relations Coordinator after approval from the Executive Director had been granted.

23. Squad Limits Teams shall not travel more than 16 eligible student-athletes to any MPSF conference game or to participate in the MPSF Men’s Water Polo Championship Tournament. Institutions may determine their own limitations for non-conference games and contests played during non-traditional seasons shall not be affected by this policy. Note: If your team has a trip involving both a conference game and a non-conference game the above policy applies only to the MPSF conference game. For conference games on the road, teams may not suit up more than 16 student-athletes. Home teams may suit up more than 16 student-athletes. A team’s squad-size for non-conference games shall be determined by each institution’s policy. Home teams do not have limitations on the number of players on the bench.

24. Televised Games The Pac-12 Network will televise a number games involving MPSF teams during the season. The broadcast schedule for Pac-12 Network games shall be finalized by June 15 prior to the start of the season. Times of games associated with Pac-12 football games will TBD until approximately 10 days prior to the game date. The accompanying Pac-12 Network broadcast timing protocol and Time Out protocol shall be utilized for all Pac-12 Network games unless otherwise indicated or unless another network elects to broadcast MPSF games. The MPSF Officiating Assignor shall assign a red hat for each televised game to coordinate broadcast timeouts between the production crew, the desk, and officials.

25. Tournament Seeding Tournament seeding for both of the major men’s tournaments shall occur 10 days prior to the start of the tournament. The first major tournament of the men’s season (typically NorCal) shall be seeded by the MPSF Media Relations Coordinator who will conduct a vote of the 16 participating head coaches. Coaches may not vote for their own teams. Only coaches of NCAA member teams shall be allowed to vote. The second major tournament of the season will be seeded by the host coach using the National Coaches’ Poll issued 10 days prior to the tournament.

26. Uniforms MPSF teams shall wear uniforms and caps consistent with current NCAA regulations.

27. Video Exchange (see Appendix F, page 18) Teams shall provide video to Team Xstream for all MPSF conference games per attached Video

Exchange Guidelines.

28. Website The MPSF website www.mpsports.org is the repository for information for each sport, as well as policies, procedures and regulations. Most information is accessed by clicking on sport link on the left and then clicking on highlights on the right where much of the aforementioned information is available. For additional administrative information, regulations, forms, etc., click on the administration link on the lower left of the page and maneuver from there.


506 MEN’S WATER POLO REGULATIONS

506.1 FEDERATION CHAMPIONSHIP The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation shall be composed of a 10-team single division in the sport of men’s water polo.

506.1.1 Scheduling The Federation schedule shall be a single round-robin schedule.

506.1.2 Federation Champion The Federation Championship and automatic berth in the NCAA Championship shall be determined by a post-season tournament.

506.1.2.2 Championship Site Rotation The site of the Championship Tournament shall be selected annually by the Federation Administrative Committee using a three-year rotation schedule of two years in Southern California, followed by one year in Northern California.

506.1.2.3 Championship Tournament Qualification For 2015 only all 10 MPSF men’s water polo shall qualify for the championship tournament. On Friday morning prior to the start of the championship tournament there shall be two play-in games

with #7 vs. #10 and #8 vs. #9. Winning teams shall advance while losing teams will play Saturday morning for ninth-place and thereafter are eliminated from championship competition. (8/15)

506.1.2.4 Championship Tournament Seeding Teams shall be seeded based on their standing after Federation conference play is concluded.

506.1.2.5 Championship Tournament Format The eight-team bracket plus two play-in games will play out until all places have been determined. (8/15)

506.1.2.6 Tiebreakers – Two Teams If two teams finish the Conference season with identical Conference W-L records in official Conference games, the tie shall be broken based on head-to-head competition between the tied teams with the winner of the regular season Federation conference game receiving the higher seed.

506.1.2.7 Tiebreakers - Three or More Teams Tied (1/10):

If three teams finish the Conference season with identical Conference W-L records in official Conference games, the MPSF Championship Tournament seeding shall be determined by the following tiebreakers in this order:

A. Head to Head Results (W-L record) in the official Conference games between the tied teams B. Goal difference in the official Conference games between the tied teams C. Most goals scored in the official Conference games between the tied teams

First: Tiebreaker A: Head to Head Comparison: Compare the W-L records of the official Conference games between the three teams tied with identical Conference records, utilizing Tiebreaker A. If one team defeated the other two teams in the official Conference games, that team shall receive the highest seed; the remaining two teams, if still tied shall break their tie using head to head comparison. If one team has one win and one loss, that team shall receive the next highest seed, and the

APPENDIX A

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remaining team with two losses shall be seeded third. Second: Tiebreaker B: Goal difference in the official Conference games between the tied teams Three teams have identical W-L records in the official Conference games against each other (each winning one game and losing one game), the next applicable tiebreaker shall be Tiebreaker B, the goal difference between these three teams. The team with the highest goal difference in the official conference head-to-head games shall receive the highest seed. The team with the next best goal difference shall receive the next best seed. Straight goal difference; there is no reverting back to head to head to differentiate.

Example 1: Team A +2, Team B 0, Team C -2 = Team A gets highest seed within that group, Team B next

highest seed, Team C is the third seed among that group.

Example 2: Team A +2, Team B -1, Team C -1 = Team A gets highest seed within that group; Team B and Team

C remain tied in goal differential which is then broken using their head to head result. This keeps within the spirit and philosophy of resolving two-way ties by the results of comparing head to head competition; i.e., direct result of the conference game between these two teams.

Note: Ties may not necessarily be broken in this order. For example, if three teams are tied in their W-L record against each other, goal difference shall be calculated. If the top two teams (rather than the bottom two teams) are tied in goal difference, the team which won the game between them shall be seeded first and the other second. The team with the lowest goal difference would be seeded third.

Example 3: Team A, Team B and Team C all have identical goal differences then advance to:

Third: Tiebreaker C: Most Goals Scored between Three Tied Teams If the goal difference is identical between the three tied teams, the next tiebreaker shall be Tiebreaker C, the most goals scored in the official Conference games between the three tied teams. The team scoring the highest number of goals in these games shall receive the highest seed. The team scoring the next highest number of goals in these games shall receive the next best seed.

Example:

Team A lost to Team B 3-4 and beat Team C 6-5 Total goals scored 9 Earns last seed among these 3

Team B beat Team A 4-3 and lost to Team C 8-9 Total goals scored 12 Earns 2nd highest seed

Team C lost to Team A 5-6 and beat Team B 9-8 Total goals scored 14 Earns highest seed

Fourth: Tiebreaker D: Three Teams Tied in Goals Scored If the three teams remained tied after comparing most goals scored, then the tiebreaker in order, (W-L record, goal difference, and most goals scored) of each team shall be compared with the highest available seeded conference team outside of these tied teams and working down through the already established seeded team list until the tie is broken. For example, if there is an unbroken three-way tie for first, the comparison shall be made to the fourth seed, followed by # 5 seed, 6, 7, etc. If there is an unbroken three-way tie for fifth seed, the comparison shall be with the top seeded team, followed by # 2 seed, # 3, etc.

506.1.2.8 Four-way Tie If four or more teams finish the Conference season with identical W-L records the seeding shall be determined by utilizing the same tiebreakers listed above. When comparing official Conference W-L records between four teams, the team with the best Conference record among the teams shall receive the highest seed. If two teams are tied with the best record among the four teams, the winner of the official Conference game between the two teams shall be seeded first, the loser second. The winner of the game between the other two teams shall earn the

APPENDIX A

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third-highest seed, with the loser being assigned the fourth-highest seed. If three of the four tied teams have identical won-loss records against each other, the fourth team is placed either first or fourth, as appropriate. The seeding of the remaining three teams shall be determined as described in 506.1.2.8 using Tiebreakers A-C.

506.1.3 Squad Size The maximum squad size for the MPSF Men’s Water Polo Championship Tournament is 16 student-athletes and four additional bench personnel for a total of 20 persons allowed in the bench area during championship competition per NCAA Men’s Water Polo Championship regulations. All student-athletes must be in official school uniform. Coaches and trainers must also be in appropriate school athletic attire. (8/00, 1/08, 6/09) 506.1.4 Travel Squad Limitations Teams shall not travel more than 16 eligible student-athletes to any MPSF conference game or in the MPSF Men’s Water Polo Championship Tournament. Institutions may determine their own limitations for non-conference games and contests played during non-traditional seasons shall not be affected by this policy. Home teams have no bench maximum for student-athletes. (6/09)

506.2 Official Ball The official NCAA championship ball is recognized as the official Federation ball for men’s water polo competition. (8/11)

506.3 Officials At least one "A" rated official shall be assigned to work each match counting in the Federation Men’s Water Polo Championship standings. Goal judges shall be used during all championship games. (See also 404 and 405 regarding appropriate contact with officials and penalties for inappropriate contact with officials, misconduct and other unsportsmanlike acts.)

506.4 Playing Rules All Federation games shall be conducted using NCAA Water Polo Rules.

506.4.1 Violent Conduct Specific to men’s water polo, any student-athlete removed from a game for flagrant misconduct or other violent act shall automatically receive an additional game suspension (total of two games) to be served immediately after the first game suspension imposed by NCAA rules and in the manner prescribed in the NCAA Rule Book. (9/02, 7/10)

506.5 Scouting MPSF teams may only videotape games in which they are competing or any/and all games during the Southern California and Northern California Invitational Tournaments and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship Tournament. For the purposes of this regulation a tournament is defined as an event requiring full participation for the duration of the tournament and which has a championship game. (11/98, 1/08, 6/13) 506.5.1 Videotaping Per MPSF Video Exchange Guidelines, all conference games involving MPSF teams shall be videotaped by the both teams and, uploaded to the Team Xstream website by the home team immediately after the conclusion of the game. If a technical issue arises and the home team is not able to upload the video in a timely manner, the visiting team will then be asked to upload game video. Also, if requested, teams shall provide video to the Executive Director and or Officiating Coordinator for review. (1/09, 1/14)

APPENDIX A

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506.6 Pre-game Countdown (in minutes prior to game start) 60:00 Competition pool available for warm-ups 30:00 Referees arrive, inspect course 10:00 Referees clear pool, inspect athletes, meet with Team Captains Referees line up between teams at center pool in front of the desk facing the stands

Introduction of VISITING team (max 16 athletes); players in cap order (all in robes or all sweats) Introduction HOME team (unlimited home team players); players in cap order (all in robes or all sweats) Introduction of Referees

National Anthem Pre-game handshakes, Teams to Benches 0:00 Game begins

Notes:

1. Introductions prior to each game shall be conducted per international protocol. Teams will line up in front of opponent’s bench with referees in the center between teams. After player introductions and the national anthem, student-athletes shall shake hands PRIOR to each game while crossing over to their team’s starting bench location.


3. SIDs shall provide a written pregame itinerary to each head coach and referee upon their arrival at the pool.


5. Major deviations to approved protocol must be approved by the Executive Director and opposing coach at least 48 hours prior to the date of competition. Example: special ceremony honoring seniors, Olympians, etc. (8/00)

506.7 Game Management Responsibilities (See Game Management/Operations Handbook) Game managers and host institutions shall be responsible for, but not be limited to, the following responsibilities. (8/08)

1. Ensuring competitions are administered in accordance with MPSF, NCAA and institutional regulations, policies and standards.

2. Safety and security of all participants. 3. Proactive crowd control, including compliance with the MPSF Sportsmanship Announcement

which is to be read prior to the start of each contest and as often as deemed necessary. 4. Establishing pre-game contact with officials to ensure parties responsible for handling in-game

issues are known to officiating crews. 5. Course set-up in compliance with MPSF and NCAA regulations.

506.8 Tournament Seeding 506.8.1 Seeding NorCal and SoCal Invitational Tournaments

A . Seeding shall take place 10 days prior to the start of tournaments. B . NorCal (Northern California Invitational Tournament or First Tournament):

The MPSF media relations coordinator shall conduct the seeding process for this tournament.

Coaches from all 16 participating teams shall vote to seed the teams.

Coaches shall not vote for their own teams. Only NCAA member teams shall be allowed to vote.

NorCal seeding tiebreakers shall be the final poll of the previous season after the NCAA championship.

C . SoCal (Southern California Invitational Tournament or Second Tournament):

The host coach shall use the National Coaches’ Poll issued 10 days prior to the tournament.

SoCal seeding tiebreakers shall be head to head results if the tied teams have played. If no head

APPENDIX A

12

to head results or head to head records are tied then the tiebreaker will revert to the final poll from the previous season after NCAA championship. (1/08, 8/11, 1/14)

506.8.2 The Southern California and Northern California Invitational Tournaments shall utilize two pools.

506.8.3 Desk and Table Staff Supervision The Federation recommends that host institutions retain Mary Sprague [email protected] to manage the scorer’s desks at the two major tournaments and the MPSF Championship Tournament. (8/14)

506.9 COACH MEETINGS Head coaches may meet in person if issues warrant, otherwise all meetings will be conducted via teleconference. The MPSF Executive Director, in consultation with the Administrative Committee, shall determine if a meeting is to be scheduled. 1. Head coaches are required to participate in all official Federation meetings for their sport. 2. All excused absences must be granted by the Federation Office prior to the meeting. 3. Institutions represented by an assistant coach, rather than the head coach (unless he or she is excused per

#2 above), lose their voting privileges at the meeting of head coaches. The head coach is expected to participate on conference calls and attend meetings. Prior approval from the Executive Director is required in order for a replacement delegate (assistant coach or administrator) to have voting privileges. Institutions not represented by either the head or an assistant coach at a Federation meeting are subject to an institutional private reprimand and a $1,000 penalty to be paid to the Federation.

506.10 Coach Sportsmanship and Professionalism The Committee strongly recommends that prior to each season Athletic Directors of MPSF member institutions sponsoring the sports of men’s and women’s water polo discuss commitment to a higher standard of personal conduct, professionalism and sportsmanship for coaches as representatives of their institutions, the Federation and the sport. Coaches who are repeatedly found to be in breach of professional and sportsmanlike conduct may be subject to probation and suspension by the Federation. Actions which are categorized as unprofessional and unsportsmanlike conduct include, but are not limited to: 1. Use of profane language. 2. Inappropriate displays of disrespect for officials, other coaches and players. This may include obscene or

disrespectful gestures, failure to meet established deadlines, overzealous response, verbal attacks of a personal nature, and overt acts of physicality directed at officials, opposing team members or game personnel.

3. Lack of compliance with timely requests for information, including video, forms and rankings by the Federation office.

4. Lack of participation on conference calls or attendance at coach meetings. Prior to the start of each season, the Executive Director shall send a MPSF Policy Acknowledgment Form to all head coaches which they and their supervisors must sign to acknowledge they have discussed this issue with their Director of Athletics and agree to abide by its conditions. This form shall be returned to the Federation office on a date established prior to the start of each season. Failure to comply will result in suspension of the head coach for the first game of the season.

APPENDIX A

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mailto:%[email protected]

MPSF MEN’S WATER POLO Pre-Game Countdown & Introductions; Crossover Protocol

Minutes prior to game start 60:00 Pool available for warm-ups 30:00 Referees arrive, inspect course 10:00 Referees clear pool, inspect athletes, meet with Team Captains

Referees line up between teams at center pool in front of the desk facing the stands

Introduce VISITING team (max 16 athletes); players in cap order (all in robes or sweats)

Introduce HOME team (unlimited home team players); players in cap order (all in robes or sweats)

Introduction of Referees

National Anthem

Pre-game handshakes and teams to benches 0:00 Game begins Notes: 1. Introductions prior to each game shall be conducted according to international protocol with referees

walking teams in from their opponent’s bench. Student-athletes will shake hands with members of the opposing team PRIOR to each game while crossing over to their team’s starting bench location.


3. Host SIDs or Event Managers shall provide a written pregame itinerary to each head coach and the referees upon their arrival at the pool.


5. Major deviations to approved protocol must be approved by the Executive Director and opposing coach at least 48 hours prior to the date of competition. Example: special ceremony honoring seniors, Olympians, etc.

Pre-Game Introductions The MPSF shall conduct pre-game introductions using international protocol where teams line up in cap order in front of the opposing team’s bench with the game referees positioned between the teams. The visiting team shall be introduced first, followed by the home team and the officials before teams cross over to their starting benches. Crossover Between Periods

It is the head coach's responsibility to ensure there is no contact between players, coaches or other team officials with members of the opposing team or game officials during team crossovers between periods, before or after games. Coaches need to ensure there is adequate separation between teams during exchanges.

Should problems arise or a hostile environment is evident, the HOME team shall initiate the crossover by moving around the pool to the opposite side to negate any contact. Referees shall be notified by the HOME team head coach that this protocol is being used.

Game officials and management staff of MPSF water polo member institutions shall observe the crossover. Game management shall give consideration to bench placement or installing a partition to physically separate teams during the exchange in order to minimize contact and maximize separation.

The conference requires referees to position themselves at the crossover point to monitor the exchange and assess applicable penalties as required by NCAA rules.

APPENDIX B

14


Pac-12 Network - Men’s Water Polo Pre-Game Protocol (7:00 p.m. start)

Scoreboard Clock

Actual Time Action

60:00 5:57 pm Pre-game countdown clock begins; pool available for warm-up

1:00 6:56 pm Teams clear pool and line up for anthem and introductions ^

0:00 6:57 pm National Anthem

0:00 7:00 pm Introduction of visiting team/coaches +

0:00 7:02 pm Introduction of home team/coaches +

0:00 7:04 pm Introduction of of!cials

0:00 7:03 pm Teams cross over, shaking hands as they pass to reach their bench

0:00 7:04 pm Final team huddle**

Starters are announced once everyone is in the water

0:00 7:05 pm Game Begins*

^ Teams line up in front of the opposite bench in reverse cap number order.

+ Each name is followed by two claps by both benches

** Typically the entire team will jump in the water and huddle, then swim over to the edge of the pool. Starters stay and everyone else gets out to sit on the bench.

*Starters line up near their goal across the pool. The 2 teams face mid pool. At the whistle, everyone swims towards mid pool. From the edge of the pool, the referee drops the ball into the middle. First person who secures the ball has possession.

cw/rev9-18-12

APPENDIX C

15

MPSF SPORTSMANSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

In the interest of sportsmanship and fair play the Mountain Pacific Sports

Federation encourages fans to support teams and officials in a positive manner

and to please refrain from directing derogatory comments toward participants.

Profanity, racial or sexist comments, or other intimidating actions directed

toward event participants will not be tolerated and are grounds for immediate

removal from venue. Artificial noisemakers are prohibited and will be

confiscated if cooperation with event management staff is not immediately

forthcoming. The consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages, tobacco

products and other illegal substances is also prohibited and constitutes grounds

for removal.

The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation thanks you in advance for your

cooperation.

APPENDIX D

16

MPSF SCHEDULE CHANGE REQUEST The athletic administrators and head coaches of the involved institutions have approved the following

schedule change(s). The request is not approved until authorized by the MPSF Executive Director. Please scan and email to the Federation office at [email protected]

Please note one of the following:

□ Change □ Addition □ Cancellation

SPORT ____________________________ CURRENT SCHEDULE PROPOSED SCHEDULE Contest _____________@____________ Contest _____________@____________ Date ___________________________ Date ___________________________ Time ___________________________ Time ____________________________

Please note that prior to Athletic Director approval, the requesting coach must contact the MPSF officiating coordinator to ensure officials are available at the requested date/time.

Reason/Rationale for Schedule Change:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Signatures: Approved Host Athletic Director/Designee ______________________________ Date ___________ Approved Visiting Athletic Director/Designee ____________________________ Date ___________ Approved 3rd Athletic Director//Designee _______________________________ Date ___________ (if necessary) Approved MPSF Executive Director ________________________________ Date ___________

MOUNTAIN PACIFIC SPORTS FEDERATION PO Box 850 | Woodland, CA | 95776-0850

530.669.7600 [email protected]

APPENDIX E

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MPSF Men’s Water Polo Online Video Exchange Guidelines

September 24, 2014

1. Responsibility - Head coaches are responsible for their team’s compliance with the MPSF video exchange guidelines. It is essential that requests from MPSF institutions be fulfilled in a professional, exacting manner and on a timely basis.

2. MPSF teams shall not provide video or other scouting information to non-MPSF teams. 3. Video Recording Policy – MPSF teams may only record video of games in which they are

participants, with the exception of the NorCal, SoCal and MPSF Championship Tournaments, during which participating teams may record any and all games.

4. Uploading Video

a. The Home Team shall upload video of MPSF conference games to the Team Xstream server. b. Home Teams shall upload video by Monday at 12:00pm (noon) Pacific. c. Visiting teams shall also record games and be prepared to upload video in a timely manner if

the home team has a technical problem and is unable to upload by the deadline. d. Higher-seeded teams in the MPSF Championship Tournament shall upload video on the

Monday following the conclusion of the championship. e. In the event of a technical issue, see Chain of Communication below.

5. Downloading Video - Teams may download video as soon as it is available on the server.

6. Server Access - There shall be an open exchange among MPSF teams only. All games uploaded to

the server shall be available to all MPSF teams. Access is not available to non-MPSF teams. Referees, evaluators and conference staff shall also have access.

7. Camera Location - Cameras shall be located at mid-pool; except UCLA and UC Santa Barbara which

may shoot at different locations with better sight lines due to facility anomalies.

8. Field of Vision a. The primary field of vision shall be the half of the pool in which the action is occurring. b. It is not necessary to include referees unless a situation develops where it does become

necessary to include officials in the field of vision. c. Game video shall show the time and score after each goal and the end of each period.

9. Audio

a. All teams shall provide running verbal commentary. Commentary shall include reciting the score with time and period in which the score takes place, as well as situations involving referee intervention.

b. If crowd noise is a factor, a white board should be used to note time and score.

10. Quality of Cameras – All video shall be shot in HD 720p or better.

11. Chain of Communication a. Teams shall be on the honor system and will communicate directly with each other when

problems arise to resolve issues in a timely and cooperative manner.

APPENDIX F

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b. In the event of technical difficulties the home team video coordinator shall contact the visiting team video coordinator explaining the issue and asking for assistance in uploading video. The visiting team coordinator shall comply by uploading video in a timely manner. If the issue cannot be resolved in a timely manner by the video coordinators of either or both teams, the home team coordinator shall contact the Technical Coordinator of online video service provider Team Xstream and copy the Executive Director regarding the issue. The home team shall also contact all other MPSF teams to inform them of the technical issue and their attempt at resolving the issue in a timely manner.

c. Other issues shall also be resolved between teams via coach to coach or administrator to administrator communication. Only after this level of communication has occurred and the video exchange issue has not been resolved will the Executive Director become involved.

12. Violations – Teams shall report violations to the Executive Director. In addition, teams shall email

the Executive Director with issues, technical problems or violations. Exceptions may be made for demonstrated technical failure. Consequences for violations include: a. First violation: Warning from the Executive Director with possible corrective action required of

the offending team if necessary. b. Second violation: Loss of download access privileges for the following week. Uploads are still

required to be made by the home team by the Monday noon timeline even if the home team is not allowed download access. Communication with the Sport Supervisor of the offending institution.

c. Third violation: $250 fine to the head coach and loss of download access privileges for the following week. Communication with the Sport Supervisor of the offending institution.

d. Note: The Executive Director maintains the discretion to contact the supervising administrator of an offending team at any time, if in his opinion a violation(s) or ongoing misconduct warrants such communication. Depending on the nature and severity of an infraction, disciplinary actions may include, but are not limited to, those noted above and may also include loss of access for the remainder of the season.

13. These guidelines may be reviewed annually and revised as necessary.

APPENDIX F

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Documents

2015 MPSF Men's Water Polo ADMINISTATION HANDBOOK