CVC Spring League

[Bronwyn MacInnis]

Hi Spring League Captains

As promised here is everything you need to know about Spring League -- sorry for the monster mail! There are a lot of important details though so please read carefully and let me know if you have any questions.

As a reminder, the league begins next Thursday, April 24th and runs every week for 5 weeks, with finals night on May 22nd. We'll then all celebrate another great Spring League and all things volleyball with a party at the Fountain on Saturday May 24th!

This season the league will be played at Perse, USC, and North Cambridge Academy (Manor). Where you play each week depends on how your team does the week before, as explained below. The schedule for the first week is attached. 

 

LEAGUE FORMAT:

The league will follow a "ladder" format where teams will move up, down, or stay between 5 pools each week based on the outcome of the previous week's matches. 

All teams play every week, with 3 teams in each pool playing a round robin. Each team will play two matches and ref one match.

There is 40 min for each match to be used as follows: 8 min warm up and 2 x 15 min sets with 2 min between sets. 

There will be no stopping the game clock for time outs, delays, injuries etc, and no changing ends halfway through the game. The schedule is tight to try to maximize playing time, but this means we have to be ruthless about keeping to schedule. If this schedule proves to be too tight after a week or two I will have to reduce the playing time, but I don't want to do this!

For Week 1 (Apr 24) all teams have been allocated to pools for a mini seeding tournament (see attached schedule). Based on the results of Week 1 the teams will be distributed into the ladder for Week 2. From then on one court will be designated for each pool for all remaining weeks: pools 1 and 2 will always play at USC, pool 3 will always play at Manor, and pools 4 and 5 will play at Perse.

In subsequent ladder play weeks (Weeks 2-4): the winning team from each pool moves up one level/pool, the lowest team from each pool moves down one pool, and the middle team remains in the same pool. Exceptions are in the top pool where the top two teams stay at the top, and the bottom pool where the lowest two teams stay in the bottom pool.

This format repeats itself each week from Week2-4. This way the level of the teams should roughly even out allowing for competitive play in each pool, but there will surely be surprises and upsets along the way!

The final week (Week 5) will be a championship in each division based on performance over the entire tournament (excluding Week 1). So in the final week you don't just play wherever you ended up based on the previous week alone but based on overall standings. More about that later.

Ranking for Week 2 will be as follows: 

After Week 1, the top team from pools 1 and 2 plus the next winningest team in those pools form pool 1. The remaining 3 teams across pools 1 and 2 form pool 2. The top teams from pools 3-5 form pool 3, the middle teams from pools 3-5 form pool 4, and the losing teams from pools 3-5 form pool 5. Record will be determined on wins followed by points scored. Ranking for the finals night (Week 5) will be based on these criteria across Weeks 2-4. 

I know it all sounds a bit complicated but I promise its not, and if you have any questions feel free to ask. I also promise its a really fun format, since every week is like a mini tournament with teams striving to move up the ladder and to not get relegated! Goooooo teams!

GENERAL LEAGUE SCHEDULE and FIXTURES FOR THIS THURSDAY:

...are in the attached document. 

Hopefully by now you understand that the fixtures for each week after this Thursday will be set by the previous week's standings. Each week you should be able to figure out where you play the following week based on the results of the night, but I will also send a mail with the upcoming week's schedule each Monday.  

REFFING RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reffing teams are allocated in the attached schedule, please note yours carefully. You need to provide a 1st and 2nd ref, two line judges, and one scorer. 

Reffing teams are also responsible to help make sure we start and end games promptly and generally keep to time. Specifically this means it is the job of the first ref to call captains, run the warm up, and get the games started and played on time. No exceptions. Be ruthless. :)

The first reffing team each night is responsible to set up the net 

If your team refs the first match of the night, make sure they are at the gym in time to set up the nets 10 minutes before the start of play (ie 7:50 pm). There will be a 25 point deduction to the reffing team of the first match if the net is not set up so we can start promptly on time (see....I mean ruthless!! :).

If your team refs the last match of the night, make sure they stay to take down the nets and put equipment away. There will be a 25 point deduction to the reffing team of the last match if they leave without cleaning up and helping us get out of the gym quickly (rarrrrr :) 

I don't want to actually deduct points from anyone so please everyone just try to help get the nets up (and down) on time :) 

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS CAPTAINS:

1. Make sure you have a team each week. You can pick up spare players who are free to play at your venue on the night, but please don't rely on this. Remember there must be two women on the court at all times. 

2. Make sure you pay on the first night: £100 cash or cheque (made to CVC) given to me at Perse, Sarah Maplesdon (Jelly Babies) at Manor or Els Classens (CVC NVLw) at Manor. 

3. Make sure your team is on time and actively helps keep to schedule through the night.

4. Make sure you record the scores of each match. 

5. Make sure the first ref from team 1 from each pool texts or emails me the scores (or a photo of the scoresheet) for all matches on their court by noon on the following day.

6. Make sure you generally know the league format and rules and keep your team informed about everything they need to know.

7. Make sure your team knows when they are reffing and if they need to be at the gym early to set up. 

8. Just one more time in case you missed it...help us keep to time!!!! 

9. Most importantly (next to keeping to time ;) HAVE FUN!!! :) Spring league is getting better and better every year, lets keep it going! 

10. Speaking of fun, don't forget the party! May 24th at the Fountain :)

OK I think that's everything....

Please look at the attached schedule. Make sure you know what's going on and where your team plays this week. Make sure your team knows too :) Make sure you let me know how you get on each night. And make sure you have fun!

Cheers :) Bronwyn

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[Bronwyn MacInnis]

Hi Again

I've had to change the schedule from the version I sent last night (never have tried to use my brain at midnight!)...please find the update version attached, ignore the previous one. 

The seeding pools are now slightly different, and the ranking for Week 2 will now be split between the top 3 and bottom 2 pools, as opposed to the top 2 and bottom 3 as described below (but it all merges into one ladder anyway...). Don't worry if this doesn't make sense, just play hard and win as much as you can and I'll tell you where you need to be the following week!

Please drop me a quick line to let me know you received this. Also please send me your team list with email addresses if you haven't already.

Thanks again and have a lovely Easter :) Bronwyn