Weather Update

At the weekend it is looking like large parts of the North West are going to be struggling to get above freezing again which means games are likely to be postponed, or at the very least questionable first thing on Saturday morning. As such please think ahead and if possible to the following:

1.You all know your own pitches better than we do, have a look at your fixture lists and decide where the risks are, if you've a 10:00am push back on the pitch in the shadow of the sports hall, it’s probably more of a problem than 14:00 on a pitch that gets the sun.

2.Have a look at where your opposition and umpires are travelling from, reach out to them and figure out what time a decision needs to be made, obviously long distances need more warning than local fixtures. If you can't  agree reach out to your Divisional Secretary for help of mediation.

3.Read the Regulations:

• Regulation 13.3.1.1 The home Team Admin should ascertain from the visiting team the latest time of notification of cancellation, i.e., when they intend to depart for the pitch venue. If an overnight stay prior to the match is expected, this time should be adjusted accordingly. If it is clear that the pitch will be unfit due to weather earlier than the above time, the visiting team should be informed immediately.
• 13.3.1.2 It is the responsibility of the home team to inspect the pitch prior to the above-mentioned departure time. The Team Admin and/or a member of the club or team’s leadership should do this, and a realistic view must be taken at this stage. They should check with Met Office (www.metoffice.gov.uk) to confirm weather conditions for the next 24/48 hours. All teams should use the Met Office as a standardised reference for weather conditions. If the pitch is unfit and is likely to remain so, the match should be postponed

4.Agree communication protocols and get these out to your opposition and umpires. Get phone numbers, speaking to someone is a confirmable medium, email is not. Make sure all your Club and Team admin details are visible on GMS, if they aren't and there is a row about who should have contacted who, the first thing we will check is can someone actually find a phone number.

5.If a game is postponed, start the process for re-arranging it immediately. Please prioritise rearranging any postponed matches from 25-Nov-2023 first. Adult League is priority over any previously arranged friendlies and county cup. England Hockey Adult Tiered Championships take priority over Adult League (masters, mixed and junior Championships do not take priority). The new fixture date must be agreed within 7 days, the Divisional Secretary will have the final say on whether a new date is acceptable or not. If you haven't even attempted to reach out to your opposition by that point the game may just get awarded to them.

6.More information will be published once we know how many fixtures are played and postponed this weekend.

7.Remember your umpires and match officials (if applicable), club umpires might be on the team WhatsApp, or they might not, but appointed umpires definitely aren't. Please remember to keep them in the loop on what's going on, again a phone call is better than an email. All the appointed umpires details are visible on GMS, but please check you can find them before Saturday.

As always, if you have questions please reach out to your Divisional Secretaries first.

Leighan Bleasdale

Adult Leagues & Competitions Chair