Welcome to the 2019/20 season!
League play for all Gold leagues (Under-14 to Under-18/17) begins the weekend of September 7/8.
All league schedules and contact updates are being posted on the LISA website https://www.lowerislandsoccer.com/ over the course of the long weekend. Go to “Competitions” and in the drop-down box select either “Full Field – Boys” or “Full-Field – Girls” and then click on the schedule for your league.
By clicking on a team name in the standings you will be taken to that team’s contact information. Also by clicking on a team name in the standings you will be able to see the league schedule just for that individual team.
It is each team’s responsibility to check the website schedule to make sure the contact information for your team is correct. If there are any mistakes or updates please let your club registrar know as soon as possible and have your club registrar inform the LISA office.
While email addresses are included in your team’s contact information on the website LISA does not consider the sending of an email an official communication between teams. When exchanging game and field information there must be definite confirmation. “Read Receipts” are not considered definite confirmation. Initial contact with your opponent must be by phone.
If you are not the appropriate person to receive scheduling information and other notices that are sent out from the LISA office throughout the season then make sure you pass this package onto the person who should receive it. And ask that person to provide your club registrar with his or her contact data – and have your club registrar notify the LISA office – in order for future emailings to be sent directly to the correct person. There is important information in here that team officials and club personnel need to know.
In addition other notices are sent out throughout the season, including cup draws, and, when required, scheduling changes so it is important that the LISA office has the correct contacts for each team.
SCORE REPORTING
Scores and standings will be posted on the LISA website.
BOTH TEAMS must report to your league’s score recorder (listed on your website schedule) by 5 p.m. the day your game is played.
Sometimes it is difficult to do that, especially if you had to travel to an away afternoon game. In such cases submit your score as soon as possible that evening. But, as both teams are responsible for reporting to their score recorder, hopefully the home team was able to make the deadline.
Reporting scores by email is preferred.
When reporting your score you need to include the division and section (i.e. Boys or Girls; age division; your section is either Gold, Silver or Bronze) as well as the name of the clubs and teams involved. All too often score recorders get reports that have important information missing and therefore can not identify the game that was played. Just naming the two clubs is not sufficient as those two clubs could be playing each other in other leagues – and in some cases within that same league as clubs can have more than one team in a schedule.
And remember, you must also report to your score recorder if your game was NOT played and provide the reason why the game did not take place. This includes anytime the fields are closed. Score recorders do not necessarily know when fields are closed or on what field you were scheduled to play.
Once standings and scores are posted if you noticed any mistakes or if there are any missing scores for your games contact your score recorder as soon as possible.
Regarding the website table:
P = number of matches played
W = matches won
D = matches drawn
L = matches lost
F = goals scored
A = goals against
Pts = total points (3 points for a win; 1 point for a draw; 0 points for a loss)
Please note the far left column (Pos = position in the table) is NOT official. It is part of the software program and that program will not give the same position number to teams that are tied on total points. If two or more teams are tied on points the software program separates them randomly and gives them different position numbers.
In order to declare league champions LISA applies Rule 303 Determining League Winners. In the drop-down box for ABOUT go to Rules > and click on LISA Rules & Regulations. Then click on Chapter 3 Rules, Regulations and Policy for Inter-club Competition and scroll through to Rule 303. The team with the most points showing on the website table is not necessarily the league champion as the number of matches played and “completed rounds” (as defined in the rules) are taken into account.
Sometimes different scores are reported for the same game. If the score posted on the website is not what you think it was that is not an issue as long as the result is correct (i.e. the team that won is correctly identified or it was a draw).
While the standings database shows Goals For and Goals Against that data is only there for interest sake. Goal differential, goal ratio, goals for and goals against are NOT used for any official tiebreaking formula, including the determining of league champions.
Please note with the standings and scheduling software system all teams require a nickname and no two teams within the same club can have the same nickname. If no team nickname was supplied when your club declared its teams for scheduling LISA will use the surname of one of the team contacts or assign a nickname. Please contact LISA if you wish to have your team name changed.
LEAGUE SCHEDULES
League schedules are written in a predetermined sequence, one round at a time. One round is a series of games during which each team is scheduled to play one game (and only one game) against each and every opponent. The last date listed on your schedule only reflects the date of that round’s completed numbering sequence. For competitive league play partial rounds are not scheduled; only full rounds.
The last date on your schedule might not be the final day for league play. League play might officially conclude prior to or some time after the last date on your schedule. (NOTE: see the section on League Play further below in this notice for additional information about scheduling changes that take place after the winter break.)
All league winners are declared by applying LISA’s rules (see Chapter 3 of the rules on the LISA website). If, as the season progresses, you have any questions or concerns regarding your team’s situation in the standings contact the district scheduler or the LISA office.
If a club does not have enough fields to accommodate all its home games the teams without an assigned field should contact their opposition to see if the “visiting” team’s club can supply a field in order to play the game. If the teams can not play their game because no field is available at either club they must inform their score recorder and they should try to make it up as soon as possible.
Please note that concerning league games, if a field is offered with a start time different than the standard start time for that division both teams must agree in order for that game to be played at this new time.
LISA does not continue weekly scheduling during the winter break, however that does not mean the season has been shut down. While most of the grass fields are closed during that time by the permit-issuers, some fields, such as the artificial turf fields, remain open.
Teams are expected to make up their outstanding league games during the winter break. Once we return in January there will only be a few weeks left before league play ends and District Cup begins so there will be little time available to make up outstanding league games. In addition field availability can be quite limited during January and February because of field closures and the youth and adult cup play.
Regarding spring break: This year LISA will not continue to schedule regular weekly league games or District Cup matches during the following spring break weekends, March 14/15 and March 21/22 and March 28/29. However that does not mean we are closed. Teams can still play during that time, if both teams agree. In almost every case the deadline for league play will have passed, though, as the semi-finals of the District Cup competition are tentatively scheduled for the weekend of March 7/8.
Please note that this scheduling approach for spring break is for Lower Island’s own competitive programs. LISA does not have scheduling control over inter-district programs such as the Coastal ‘A’ and ‘B’ Cup competitions. As spring breaks vary throughout the coastal region inter-district cup matches could be scheduled during spring break for some school districts.
The District Cup finals are scheduled to take place over the weekend of April 4/5 (host TBA). The semi-finals will be March 7/8 and the quarter–finals (for District Cup draws of five to eight teams) will take place the February 29/March 1 weekend. If more than eight teams are in a District Cup draw their opening round will take place February 22/23.
Once teams are involved in the District Cup competition they can no longer go back and officially make up any outstanding league games.
LEAGUE PLAY
All teams need to be aware that there is a limited number of weekends available for full league play, especially during the final few months of the season. Labour Day, the winter break, spring break and Easter can all have an impact upon the length of the league season. In addition some teams will not be available for league play during the BCSA ‘B’ Cup and LISA Cup playdowns. Teams that advance through these cup competitions will have fewer weekends of league play. Some of these teams could be in contention for league titles or might miss league games against contenders.
Therefore it is important that teams play their league games as scheduled whenever possible (i.e. when fields are open, and not agreeing to postpone). Of course, teams can always make up outstanding games “on their own time” (outside of the time for which LISA schedules) but that can be easier said than done. Teams with outstanding games heading into the winter break should make up those games during the break as once weekly play resumes in mid-January there is very little time left before league play ends and the District Cup playdowns begin. Also in recent years bad weather in February has prevented numerous games from being played.
Please be aware that after the winter break LISA distributes re-scheduling notices on a weekly basis until the end of the Lower Island season. This is done in order to accommodate teams that are involved in cup competitions (e.g. LISA Cup, ‘B’ Cup, District Cup) and therefore unavailable for league play that weekend. That means your game, opponent and home/away designation might change
It also means that teams that were originally scheduled for a bye could end up with a game and teams that originally had a game scheduled might end up with a bye.
Depending upon the placement of teams in cup draws and the outcome of those cup matches some teams might end up playing the same opponent two or three weeks in a row because of the limited number of available opponents in their league. It could also mean that a team has a bye (no game) two weekends in a row or two out of three weekends.
So please inform your players and their families that their game schedules are likely to change week-by-week throughout the last part of the Lower Island season.
CUP PLAY
Attached is a handy visual chart of some of the cup competitions your team could play in this season.
‘A’ and ‘B’ CUP COMPETITIONS
Lower Island teams that want to enter the B Cup (entering this competition means committing yourself to both the Coastal B Cup and the Provincial B Cup competitions) do so through their clubs. It is assumed all Gold level teams want to enter, if this is not the case speak to your club representatives.
The Provincial B Cup and the Coastal B Cup are two different competitions however in order to compete in the Provincial B Cup you also have to participate in the Coastal B Cup. In other words, if you have entered “the B Cup” your team has entered two B Cup competitions and your team is now committed to following through as far as your team progresses in both competitions. BCSA can issue a fine when a team drops out.
So if you are entering “the B Cup” make sure your team (e.g. players, parents) will be able to meet all the Provincial B Cup and Coastal B Cup commitments which could include travel, overnight stays and the associated costs. It also involves being able to field a team for all your coastal and provincial matches. If your team advances all the way through to the Coastal B Cup final that means your team will be playing through the spring into early May. If your team qualifies for the Provincial B Cup tournament that means your team will also be playing during the summer in early July and that will require travel and hotel/motel accommodation.
The Lower Island competes in the B Cup in the U14 to U18 divisions, both Boys and Girls. Even though U17 and U18 teams compete against each other in a combined U18/17 Lower Island league with only one league champion recognized, U17 and U18 teams have their own separate B Cup divisions.
The dates for our Lower Island B Cup playdowns and the regional final against the Upper Island are tentatively scheduled for: Lower Island quarter-finals January 18/19; Lower Island semi-finals January 25/26; Lower Island finals February 1/2; and Lower Island rep vs. Upper Island rep February 22/23. Field closures and replays (necessitated by successful protests) could cause B Cup matches to be played on other weekends (including the Family Day long weekend) or on other weekdays.
The teams that win the Vancouver Island/Powell River B Cup regional final (Lower Island rep vs. Upper Island rep) automatically qualify for their Provincial B Cup tournament in July.
Both teams that compete in the Island regional final continue on in the Coastal B Cup playdowns. The winning team, known as the Vancouver Island rep, and the losing team, known as the Island runner-up, advance to the quarter-final round of the Coastal B Cup where they will play Lower Mainland teams. If the Island runner-up wins its quarter-final, semi-final and the Coastal B Cup final that team also qualifies for the Provincial B Cup tournament in July.
NOTE: It does not matter if the Vancouver Island rep loses in the Coastal B Cup quarter-finals, semi-finals or finals as that team has already guaranteed itself a berth at the provincial tournament.
The Coastal B Cup finals are tentatively scheduled for May 2/3. All of the coastal finals usually take place on the Lower Mainland (host TBA).
The Boys Provincial B Cup tournament will tentatively take place in early July (host TBA).
The Girls Provincial B Cup tournament will tentatively take place in early July (host TBA).
Teams playing in the VIPL are not eligible for the B Cup. The VIPL teams compete in the Coastal/Provincial A Cup.
LISA CUP
The LISA Cup competition is for non-Gold teams (i.e. Silver, Bronze) that do not enter a Provincial Cup competition (i.e. A or B Cup). It is a random-draw single-elimination cup competition for Lower Island teams only that is offered in the following three age groups: U14, U16/15 combined and U18/17 combined, for both girls and boys. The declaration deadline for LISA Cup is October 1.
The LISA Cup will be played throughout the regular league season. The seventh annual edition of the competition will begin with Round 1 the weekend of October 26/27 if more than eight teams are entered. Round 2, the quarter-finals, will be November 23/24. Round 3, the semi-finals, are scheduled for January 18/19. All LISA Cup finals will be played the weekend of February 8/9 at PISE. NOTE: for the finals your match start time and match day will likely not be the same as your weekly league games.
As long as more than eight teams are entered, all teams will be drawn into action for the opening round October 26/27, except if there is an odd number. If there is an odd number entered the “odd team out,” based upon the random draw, will receive an opening-round bye. In other words, at most, there will only be one bye in the opening round. Additional byes might be necessary in the quarter-final round in order to reduce the number of teams advancing to the semi-finals to four. If a team received a bye in the opening round it will not be one of the teams receiving a bye in the quarter-finals.
Except for the finals (as explained above) the first three rounds of the LISA Cup will be scheduled for your usual game day. If your team has a league game scheduled for that day your team will play the LISA Cup match instead of the league game. Your league game will then be considered “outstanding” and can be made up “on your own time” (outside of your weekly game day and start time for which LISA schedules) as long as both teams agree. It is also possible that LISA might re-schedule your outstanding league game.
The LISA office will conduct the draw and distribute the schedule for the opening round in early October. In the LISA Cup competition there is a separate draw for each round.
ISLAND INVITATIONAL CUP
The Island Invitational Cup is also known as the Tournament of Champions and is the official championship for Vancouver Island/Powell River. It is a one-game winner-take-all final between the Upper Island rep and the Lower Island rep. The Lower Island rep for the Island Invitational Cup is the Gold league champion. The host for all the finals in the Island Cup alternates between the Upper and Lower Island.
The 56th annual Island Invitational Cup will be hosted by the Campbell River the weekend of April 4/5.
The Vancouver Island Invitational Cup is not part of the Provincial/Coastal B Cup or associated with it in any way. Even though it might involve some of the same teams it is an entirely separate competition. The winner of the Island Invitational Cup does not advance to any other competition.
Please note that there will be Island Cup finals in both Girls U17 and Girls U18 as well as for both Boys U17 and Boys U18 if both the Upper and Lower Island have a representative that qualifies. So even though in the Lower Island district U17 and U18 teams play in a combined league for which there will only be one official league champion recognized, two teams – one U17 and one U18 – will represent the Lower Island at the Island Invitational Cup. One of those reps will be the U18/17 Gold league champion and the other will be the highest-finishing team (based upon LISA’s rules for determining league champions) in the other age group. Games between the two age groups count in determining both the U18/17 league champion and the two (U17 and U18) Island Cup reps.
LOWER ISLAND DISTRICT CUP
The District Cup is the final competitive program of the Lower Island in-district season. It is NOT a league playoff.
It is a single-elimination, random draw, cup competition for Lower Island teams that are not Lower Island representatives that go on to play in an inter-district competition (e.g. the B Cup, Island Invitational Cup). The winner of the District Cup does not advance to any other competition.
For the Lower Island District Cup Silver and Bronze league champions are promoted to a higher level of play. The Bronze league champion competes in the Silver District Cup and the Silver league champion competes in the Gold District Cup as those teams have, over the course of the season, proven themselves to be the best team in their league.
The Gold league champion is not eligible for the District Cup. The Gold league champion represents the Lower Island in the Island Invitational Cup and will play against the Upper Island rep for the Island championship.
The start date for the District Cup playdowns depends upon the number of teams in each draw. If there are more than eight teams entered in a draw they will start their playdowns the weekend of February 22/23. Draws with five to eight teams entered will start with the quarter-final round February 29/March 1. The semi-finals (and draws with three or four teams) will take place March 7/8. All District Cup finals will be played the weekend of April 4/5 (host TBA).
When teams lose in the District Cup playdowns they are eliminated from the competition and LISA stops scheduling for them. In other words, their 2019/20 Lower Island season is over.
In regards to outstanding league games, no team once it has played a District Cup match can play any outstanding league game. Once a team is in the District Cup competition their league play has ended – it does not matter how many league games that team has outstanding.
NOTE: In regards to the scores, standings or any other issue concerning league or cup play all questions, concerns or comments are to be submitted by a team official, club rep or club director. If your players and/or parents have any such questions or concerns they are to contact the appropriate team or club official.
