Weather Policy
Updates related to weather (if any) may be communicated on Facebook (www.facebook.com/depererapides) and on this website. However, please be aware that games are normally only called off at game time due to weather conditions at game time. If you have a game scheduled, you should arrive at your game and see what determination is made by the referees at game time. They may elect to call the game, play the game, or delay the start of the game. For older age groups, games can be delayed by as much as 45 minutes and still play half of the game, which is enough for an official game.
If you are the COACH of the home team for a game that is cancelled due to weather conditions, not enough players, etc., you are still required to pay the referee(s) that show up for the game.
If you are a REFEREE, you must arrive at the game on time (10-15 minutes early) and make a determination as to whether the game can be played. Obviously if weather conditions are unsafe, you should not go to the field. However, once it is safe, you should get to the field, especially if additional games are scheduled. Remember that you may delay the start and still have an official game if at least 1/2 of the game can be played. If early game(s) are cancelled, you must still be at the later game(s)to again determine if the game can be played. If you are at the game and the game is cancelled at game time, you should still be paid. If you are not at the game, you will not be paid.
If games are called off early in the day, you will receive notification via email, on Facebook, and on the game status page of this website. This has occurred in past years due to poor field conditions at the start of the season. But it is very, very rare for this to occur once the season has started. DPRYS games are played across a wide geographic area (Wrightstown, DePere, Howard, Green Bay, etc), so the only reasonable way to handle game cancellations is to allow the referees to make the determination at game time.
Lightning, Thunder & Extreme Heat Rules
In DPRYS the safety of players and participants is of utmost importance.
1) In the event of a storm, games and/or practices must be stopped and suspended with no exceptions, until the danger has passed using the following minimum criteria:
a) The sighting of a lightning flash or the hearing of the sound of thunder shall be reason enough to stop and suspend a game and/or a practice session.
b) Do not wait until it rains.
c) Do not try to reach the end of a quarter or the end of a game.
d) Coaches shall take their players to a safe location upon suspension of a game and/or a practice session.
e) Following suspension of a game, the referees shall promptly leave the field to a safe location.
f) Play and/or practice shall not be resumed prior to 30-minutes after the last sighting of lightning or the last sound of thunder heard.
2) Additionally, use the following guidelines to determine if a game will be restarted:
a) If the game is suspended for lightning after halftime, the referee shall terminate the game.
b) If the game is suspended for lightning prior to the completion of the first half, it will only be restarted if it is reasonable that one half of the game can be completed 10 minutes prior to the next scheduled game on that field (following the mandatory 30 minute wait from the last lightning flash).
c) If the game is suspended for lightning prior to the completion of the first half and no additional games are scheduled on the affected field, the game may be restarted if it is reasonable that one half of the game can be completed within 90 minutes of the scheduled start time (following the mandatory 30 minute wait from the last lightning flash).
3) In periods of extreme heat or when a high heat index exists, you have the right to shorten the length of quarters. Meet with coaches before the game to determine and agree on the length of the quarters. For example, shorten 8-minute quarters down to 5 or 6 minutes, 15-minute quarters down to 10 or 12 minutes.