Spring Tournament

Spring Tournament Requirements

• Teams are guaranteed at least 5 games (27-mins in length).  *subject to change
• The tournament is setup as pool-play, and teams are ranked based on the fall 2022 standings.
• The tournament first come, first serve. Teams must first RSVP and are required to pay dues by the deadline (see below). NOTE: for the 2023 Spring Tournament, teams who were scheduled to attend the 2020 Spring Tournament will have automatic entry as long as they complete the RSVP by the assigned deadline (see below). This is the final tournament for unused credits to be used.

Schedule

• All teams are required to be prepared and available to play between 2pm-7pm on Friday, 7am-8pm on Saturday AND 7am-3pm on Sunday.
• If a team needs to request to play non-Friday games, they must indicate this on the RSVP form. The NFHL will do its best to accommodate all requests. Non-Friday game requests will be prioritized for teams traveling significant distances or with extenuating circumstances.
• Sometimes games need to be switched and rearranged – we need you to be flexible, patient, and open-minded.
• Teams must bring light and dark colored shirts/jerseys.

Registration Process

• All teams (full and honorary members) are invited to play in the Spring Tournament. It is first come, first serve.
• By submitting an RSVP, you are committing to coming to the tournament with a full team and paying dues. You will be required to pay tournament dues if you submit an RSVP (even if you cancel). Please do not submit an RSVP unless you are 100% committed to coming with a full team and paying dues.
• 2023 Dues = $800 per team. For teams that were scheduled to attend the 2020 Spring Tournament, a credit of $500 will be applied to these tournament dues (if the credit has not already been used or refunded).
• Tournament dues are non-refundable.

Deadlines

Teams that would like to participate in the tournament must abide by the following rules and deadlines:

• December 9th, 2022 – RSVP Deadline
  By submitting an RSVP, you are committing to coming to the tournament with a full team. You will be required to pay tournament dues if you submit an RSVP (even if you cancel). Please do not submit an RSVP unless you are 100% committed to coming with a full team and paying dues.
• Teams that were scheduled to attend the 2020 Spring Tournament (canceled due to COVID-19), and did not attend the 2021 Fall Challenge Cup, will have automatic entry into the Spring Tournament, as long as an RSVP is submitted by this deadline. NOTE: these teams have a $500 credit on their account which leaves a remaining balance (if the credit has not already been used or refunded).
• February 1st, 2023 – Dues/P2P Deadline
  • OPTION 1: PAY ONLINE
    Easiest and fastest way to pay and avoid accruing late fees (late fees start accruing February 1st – see below).
    PAY ONLINE HERE
  • OPTION 2: MAIL A CHECK
    If mailing a check, it must be received by the NFHL by February 1st (late fees start accruing February 1st – see below). If you have any concerns that your check will not make it to our office by February 1st, please also make sure your school submits a Promise to Pay (P2P) email (option 3) to avoid late fees.
  • OPTION 3: PROMISE TO PAY (P2P) FROM YOUR SCHOOL
    Download the tournament invoice to give to your school (to have them send us a check or pay online). Your school must send us a Promise to Pay (P2P) email by February 1st.  The P2P email must be sent from the team’s assigned school representative (Club Sports Director, etc.), or someone authorized on their behalf, and must include the following:
    • Verification that all paperwork has been submitted and that dues are being processed
    • Estimated timeline of when the NFHL should receive the check

    This P2P email must be sent to info@nationalfieldhockeyleague.com by February 1st. For schools that submit a P2P email, the deadline for the NFHL to receive payment is April 1st.

• March 1st, 2023 – Roster/Survey/Hotel Deadline

• • Rosters
    Rosters must be sent to info@nationalfieldhockeyleague.com in EXCEL format, using the NFHL template only. Rosters can be updated prior to the first game at the tournament.
  • Survey
    All teams must complete the mandatory tournament survey (sent to the captain.coach email).
  • Hotel Reservations
    Teams are required to book their hotel reservations using only the booking links provided on our website. Teams should submit their reservation numbers in the tournament survey.

Late Fees

• Dues OR P2P not received by February 1st: a late fee of $50 will be charged to a team’s account (this will be added on February 2nd).
• Dues OR P2P not received by February 15th: an additional late fee of $50 will be charged to a team’s account (a total of $100 – both late fees – will be added February 16th).
• Dues OR P2P not received by March 1st: if the NFHL has not received a team’s dues or a P2P by March 1st, the team will not be allowed to participate in the Spring Tournament. The team will be removed from the tournament, placed on probation and their account deactivated on the NFHL website. The team will only be reinstated with a majority vote from the NFHL officers and once the tournament dues and the late fees have been paid.

Cancellations/Withdrawals

All teams must cancel in writing (send email to info@nationalfieldhockeyleague.com). Teams that have submitted a written RSVP and cancel:

• On or before February 1st: still required to pay dues by March 1st. Failure to pay dues will result in probation from the league. A team put on probation will be reinstated once the dues have been paid.
• February 2nd – March 1st: still required to pay dues, any accrued late fees, PLUS a $100 fine by April 1st. Failure to pay dues, any accrued late fees, and the fine will result in probation from the league. A team put on probation will be reinstated once the dues, any accrued late fees, and fine have been paid.
• March 2nd – March 31st: still required to pay dues, any accrued late fees, PLUS a $250 fine by April 15th. Failure to pay dues, any accrued late fees, and the fine will result in probation from the league. A team put on probation will be reinstated once the dues, any accrued late fees, and fines have been paid.
• April 1st or later: still required to pay dues, any accrued late fees, PLUS a $500 fine by April 15th. Failure to pay dues, any accrued late fees, and the fine will result in probation from the league. A team put on probation will be reinstated once the dues, any accrued late fees, and fines have been paid.

“No Shows”

Teams that have committed to coming to the Spring Tournament (by submitting an RSVP and sending their dues) and do not show up for 1 or more games at the tournament (including playoff games):

• Will be put on probation until notified by league coordinators and must pay a fine of $750.
• Team will be reinstated only by majority votes by the NFHL Board.

Pre-Order Tournament Shirts

• All tournament shirts must be PRE-ORDERED ONLINE.
• Shirts will not be for sale at the tournament.
• Shirts ordered online will be available for pickup at the Registration Table at the tournament. We cannot ship shirts!

ORDER ONLINE HERE

Rules

Male Field Player Addendum: Male Players (Regular and OT) – “Up Two”: The number of male field players allowed for each team is determined prior to the start of the tournament. The team with more male field players, as listed on their final roster submitted to the NFHL, is allowed to field a maximum of 2 more than the number of male field players listed on the opposing team’s roster. The number of male field players on each team’s roster cannot change once the final roster is submitted, regardless of injuries, attendance, etc. The goalie is excluded from this rule.

Rosters

Teams need to submit a copy of their roster (in EXCEL format) prior to the deadline to info@nationalfieldhockeyleague.com. Please also bring a copy with you to the tournament. Download the Roster Form here: Roster Form

• All players listed are required to be eligible players as determined by your school’s rules. You may also include alumni, as per NFHL rules.
• All players listed on your roster will need to have a Waiver and Release Form (please see below).

Player Waiver And Release Form

All players listed on the roster are REQUIRED to turn in a completed waiver and release form. Players without a signed release form will not be allowed to play in the tournament.

• Captains should distribute the link (for players 18 and older as of tournament day) and PDF form (for players under 18 on tournament day) to all players.
• 18+ players should complete the online form prior to the deadline, and forward a copy of their responses to their captain/coach.
• U18 players should download the PDF and submit the signed copy (parent/guardian signature is required) to their captain or coach prior to the deadline.
• Captains/coaches should email the U18 forms to kristin@nationalfieldhockeyleague.com in a single document, prior to the deadline.
• Captains are responsible for tracking the completion of all forms by their players and for submitting the U18 forms.
• Please note: all players under 18 years of age are required to have a parent/guardian signature.

Directions and Field Information

• Virginia Beach Field Hockey Training Center (Fields 1 and 2, Sportsplex)
  • 2044 Landstown Centre Way, Virginia Beach, VA 23456
• Turf shoes only – NO spiked cleats
• Free parking is available for all teams and parents

Fans

• Teams are allowed to have as many fans as they like to attend the tournament.
• Free admission and parking for all fans.
• Please keep your fans updated if any changes are made.
• All fans are required to abide by all NFHL and Sportsplex rules.
• Fans who are disruptive and do not abide by the misconduct rules will be removed from the tournament and will jeopardize their’s teams entry in the tournament.
• We take this VERY seriously!

Misconduct Rules

MISCONDUCT RULES