As it turns out, the more system notices there are in the header of the admin area, the less people will read them. So, we’re moving older notices here.

Moved on 2023-03-27
EMAIL NEWSLETTER: We sent out a newsletter on Wednesday, Jan 25, 2023 that has a bunch of stuff you will need to know for 2023 and 2024. Please double check that all email from helpdesk@tourneycentral.com never goes to spam and gets flagged with the highest priority. Here is the link if you missed it or would like to pass it along to someone else on your team.

ADMIN TIME-OUT: You should log out using the red LOG OUT top menu option after every admin session. Don’t just close the browser window or walk away with the admin open. It will expire. The admin session is set to expire after two hours of inactivity, where you will need to log in again. But, you really should log out after your are done with your admin session.

HTTPS AND DOMAINS You may have noticed your website may be redirecting to a tourneycentral.com address. Your website is reachable with your domain address, but Google has decided to downgrade non-SSL sites, so we’re moving to https. Your website has always resided here and you may continue to use your domain in your marketing. (If you host your own domain and you want https encryption, you may have to configure your DNS to redirect to a xxx.tourneycentral.com subdomain… call us for details)

DOB FIELDS ON THE APP FORM: Because US Soccer has standardized on calendar DOB for age groups, we have eliminated the DOB fields on the application form.

SOFTWARE VERSION: The latest install is 22.200 Build 20221111122600 Your version is displayed in small gray type right below the main header.

TOURNAMENT PULSEPOINT When the PulsePoint data is older than four hours, the login screen will reflect that and the SuperUser will be given an opportunity to rebuild the data files from the Admin Messages Module, only visible to the SuperUser.

SAAS AGREEMENT We have updated your SaaS agreement, mostly to be clear about the duration and what is covered as a Software As A Service, the CANCELLATION POLICY and to clarify the two types of invoice charges, a COMMITMENT and a PRODUCTION fee. In addition, some clarification about your legal responsibilities concerning the collection and use of data from online forms. Please take a moment to read it in your Admin Messages Module. Last updated: October 11, 2022.

EMAIL NEWSLETTER: We sent out a newsletter on Wednesday, Jan 25, 2023 that has a bunch of stuff you will need to know for 2023 and 2024. Please double check that all email from helpdesk@tourneycentral.com never goes to spam and gets flagged with the highest priority. Here is the link if you missed it or would like to pass it along to someone else on your team.

Moved 2020-01-01
MAPS Sept 4, 2018: We have assessed the maps use on the public pages and have determined Google pricing is far out of whack with the cost structure and needs of our product. We are moving to using Mapbox for the public maps, but will continue using Google Maps for the PulsePoint for now… this may change. As of June 27, 2018: Google Maps has modified the terms, conditions and, most importantly COST of its API. As a result, we will be modifying the maps on both the Travel Page and the PulsePoint to accommodate these changes. You may notice slight modifications, i.e., no logos or marketing messages, field locations only, etc.

CHROME BROWSER: If you are using the Google Chrome browser and you see the error ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED, this is NOT a website or DNS issue. This is a well-documented Chrome browser issue where it tries to predict where you are going and serving up an oddly-formed cache file instead of your actual site. This will most likely occur while you are updating scores or editing lots of teams, etc. This will generally (maybe) clear up by itself after waiting an indeterminate period of time (3-4 minutes?) but you can also force this by clearing the cache, fetching a new IP address or switching to Firefox or Safari. If you want to dig into the settings more, please Google troubleshooting guides, but make sure you have a plan in place BEFORE your tournament weekend.

DATABASE UPDATE PLANNED: March 9, 2021 … We will be updating the backend database server after the 2021 spring season concludes around end June-early July. More details will follow. During the cut-over, you may experience momentary, intermittent disconnections as we cut over to the new database server. As always, we will keep interruptions to your event minimal and off-peak.

HTTPS AND DOMAINS You may have noticed your website may be redirecting to a tourneycentral.com address. Your website is reachable with your domain address, but GoDaddy — the registrar — is having some issues with their masking and we decided to discontinue using the masking. Your website has always resided here and you should continue to use your domain in your marketing, but having a tourneycentral.com domain is necessary for Google Maps to work, as well as our migration to https:// in the coming months. (If you host your own domains and you want https encryption, you may have to configure your DNS to redirect to a xxx.tourneycentral.com subdomain… call us for details) You may also have to log in again from the xxx.tourneycentral.com/admin address as the system may kick you out if you are already logged in.

SIX DIGIT PIN IN ADMIN LOGINS: You may be seeing the addition of a PIN field for admins. They are coming in 2021…. just a heads up

Yes, post signs that may be required by your state, your state association in exchange for sanctioning as well as local municipalities. But we recommend you give your soccer tournament even additional protection by including pandemic containment behaviors in as part of your official rules. That way, if a team, player, parent, coach, referee, staff or volunteer does not agree with wearing a mask, it does not become a “rights” issues, but rather a condition of participation.

We never recommend blind copy-paste and always consult your legal representation before including anything in your official rules.

In addition, many state associations are requiring a Return to Activity (RTA) waiver for players, coaches and referees. You should be aware what your state association requires for your event. Here is the page from Ohio South.

Here is some sample language to get you started. Again, JUST A SUGGESTION! Do not copy/paste blindly.

Pandemic containment
The tournament complies with all prevailing health department, state and local orders. All participants are expected to comply with these orders as a condition of attending the event.

In addition, the tournament requires the following:
– Coaches will wear a properly fitting face mask at all times while in the venue.
– Players will wear a face mask at all times while not competing in a game on the pitch. Players are also encouraged to maintain distance from each other on the pitch whenever possible.
– Players and coaches will maintain a distance of at least six feet between each other while on the sideline.
– Referees will wear a properly fitted mask at all times while on the venue.
– Spectators for each team will be limited to a maximum of X per game, and be required to wear a properly fitted face mask and maintain a minimum distance of six feet between each other while on the touchline. While vocal support is encouraged, pulling the face mask down while doing so will be grounds for being ejected from the venue.
– No tunnels or handshake lines are allowed.
– Anyone within the venue and not in their vehicle will wear a properly fitted mask and maintain a recommended minimum distance of six feet at all times while on the venue.

Failure to adhere to the health safety rules while on the tournament venue will be grounds for ejection from the tournament. Please don’t put either of us in a position where your child or coach will not be allowed to compete.

This guide/checklist is a skeleton guide to get you up and running quickly. It only contains the basics to allow you to manage your tournament effectively. It is important that you do each step in order and completely for maximum effectiveness. When information is incomplete on your website, teams call you, send emails etc and ask for clarification. This eats into your management time that you have precious little of.

There is a lot in your Admin Area that allows you to extend your tournament as much as you need, including advertisers, sponsors, referee scheduling and more. Since TourneyCentral is dedicated to only soccer tournaments, it has a lot of tools that are very specific to competitive (and High School) soccer.

Ok, let’s begin. We will assume you have been sent the invitation email with your Admin Area Access Point and your SuperUser password. If you have misplaced this document, please email us at helpdesk@tourneycentral.com or call at 937-836-7477.

***
If you are a new tournament director, but your event has gone through at least one season with TourneyCentral, most of these steps will need simple edits. Again, do these steps in order, don’t skip around and make sure your edits are correct for the current season before moving on to the next.
***

A word about nomenclature:
When you see notation like WebsiteMaint Module>Variables>Go!
it means, in plain language:
– Log into your Admin Area
– Find the Web Maintenance Module
– Select Variables from the ActionMenu™
– Click GO!

Ok, let’s get started!

Getting started, the basic information

We have plugged in some basic information for you to help get you started. You should do the following at minimum before marketing your tournament.

WebsiteMaint Module>Variables>GO!
Complete the information on the Web Site Variables form. If you had a sanctioning form when we set you up, we most likely filled in all the dates and prices for you. If not, you should fill these in. Also, check to make sure all the age groups and genders you are accepting are represented. If more are there than is necessary, send a support email and we’ll take care of that.

If fees are NOT included, teams applying will be asked to submit fees of $0.00 so make sure you fill out the fees.

Email Distribution
Web Site Maintenance Module>Email Distribution
We have included the emails requested on set up, but please verify and edit as needed:
Make sure the emails are set to receive the various notifications from the site. You may use multiple emails per role, separated by a , ex: user1@domain.com,user2@domain.com,user3@domain.com Avoid using spaces and make sure the emails are ACCURATE. As with admin users, keep the number of emails per role to a minimum as some ISPs will see multiple emails sent many times as spam. Soccer tournaments produce a LOT of email, so you should also avoid using tax-payer emails such as schools, military, etc. (if we find government emails, we will remove them. We’re taxpayers here at TourneyCentral as well)

Website Pages
Visit each of these sections and add content. For the FAQs and Front Page, you will be able to add multiple records.
WebsiteMaint Module>
Edit the Rules page
Edit the About page
Edit the Referees page
Add an FAQ
Edit the Latest News/Front Page

In each of these, if you copy/paste from MS Word or a another web page, please look at the end result on the public side and make sure any funky characters and funny line breaks are removed/corrected. Please do not use HTML in these pages

Venues, Maps and Fields
A venue is a location that contains fields. The Venue will be included on your public map. We have added at least one venue when we set up your event.
WebsiteMaint Module>>Add a New Venue
Add as many venues as you will have fields. To make them show up on the general map, you will need to add the GPS data, longitude and latitude (Google Maps is an excellent product to find long/lat. especially for places that do not have physical addresses. Find the location on the google maps website, scroll way to the @ and copy/paste the GPS data…)
Example:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ward+Field/@39.8594463,-84.3268985,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xff5174a13bbf83e5?ved=2ahUKEwjc8-Log5bgAhWM2YMKHXxJBgQQ_BIwDnoECAYQCA
39.8594463 is the latitude
-84.3268985 is the longitude
We will help you if needed… just let us know.

SPECIAL NOTE ON MAPS
If the map does NOT appear on the Maps Page, please double check that the following are included in the map record:
– One of the venues is marked as the Main Venue. You must have a main to provide the center point for the map.
– The ZIP code is included in the main venue
– The GPS (latitude/longitude) information is included for the main venue and it is correct. If your map plunks your playing fields in Turkey or China, chances are your GPS data are wrong 🙂

We have included the main venue in your initial set up, complete with GPS data.

Hotels
If you are working with a Rooming Agency, they should give you a web address. Simply paste this into the Rooming Link field, add your Stay to Play statement and a short blurb on Hotel Front Page about how teams go about getting rooms. Save changes and you’re done with hotels.

HotelModule>Hotel Variables
Place a message on the Hotel Front Page at minimum to explain your hotel policy, how you wish teams to find hotels or work with your hotels. This is also a good place to plug your local community to teams visiting from outside.

Hotel Module>Add a Hotel
Add a hotel. To make them show up on the general area map, you should include GPS data

Hotel Module>Manage Reservation Dates
If you are using one of the forms that takes hotel requests, please be sure to include the dates. Otherwise, this is not needed.

Advertising and Vendor Module>Add a Company
You should enter your major sponsors here, checking the Major Sponsor and Visible. If you wish them to show up on the DEALS page, you should check DEALS. However, all DEALS will be charged our listing fee of $10.00. Major Sponsors ONLY are free, but if you also check DEALS, they are not.

Add advertisers here as well.

Referee Module>Manage Application Dates
The referee application allows you to split each day into am, am/pm or pm availability. You should set this for each date now to save your assignor some confusion.

That should get you up and running. There are a ton of other features and you are welcome to explore each of them, especially in the Advertising Module.

Moving onto application management…

Short answer, no.

The branding consistency with your site is contained in the graphic header and background color. The TourneyCentral sites are laid out like they are for a very specific reason; to give the teams confidence in knowing where to go and what to do with no fewer than one click. The feedback we get year after year from teams has been one of relief; a relief that they know where to go and they are in experienced hands when they get there.

If you have graphic design, UX/UI experience, don’t take this next thing I’m about to say personally, but the soccer market — with a VERY few exceptions — is dreadful with UX/UI, many designing their site with no clear “funnel” for the guest teams to know how to apply or get information about the event. Our sites are designed specifically to give them the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, and HOW MUCH with as little friction as possible, get them to apply, confirm, get news, get schedules and scores.

We constantly monitor this funnel and refine slightly if/when we see CTA (Call To Action) clicks being missed. If you take a look across the landscape and go to a few non-TourneyCentral sites, you’ll get a sense of the problem without much effort. The “formulaic” layout of our sites is by design and benefits your operational needs.

That said, if you want to set up a micro-site on your club site, funnel teams into that initially and then link off to our site when they are ready to apply and are confident of your UX/UI skills, you can certainly do that. However, if we register and manage a domain as part of the overall package we provide your event, we will continue to point to the front page of our site. If you choose to register your own domain and point to your landing page or micro-site on your club site, you would then need to use the user_account.tourneycentral.com format link we supply to get the teams to your tournament content.

In the future, we may consider releasing a custom CSS/white label for those events who have demonstrated design skills. If you are interested in being part of that test group if/when we make that available, just let us know.

When we set your site up, we’ll match the colors and header design to your logo/event. That is usually all the guest teams need to establish credibility and comfort they are in the right place.

We are implementing https on all *.tourneycentral.com properties soon. In order to take advantage of that if you own your own domain name, you will need to configure your DNS slightly differently at your registrar. Instead of directing the web space to an IP address, you will be FORWARDING if you would like your domain to remain consistent across your website.

1. Secure the internal *.tourneycentral.com URL from TourneyCentral. Most likely, it will be the same as your temp address issued to you when you first set up your site, though it may have changed.

2. Log into GoDaddy (or your registrar… if you need help with this, you will need to call them directly. These instructions are similar, but all registrars handle things a bit differently)

3. Under the DNS Tab, look for the FORWARDING link. Click that.

4. Under the DOMAIN tab, click on the ADD FORWARDING button

5. Fill in the internal *.tourneycentral.com URL in the main field. Select http:// and we will manage it to https:// on the site when we need to… Select Forward only

MASKING HAS BEEN DEPRECATED BY GOOGLE AND GODADDY. It might work, but it is not recommended.

6. DOUBLE CHECK that it is correct by clicking on the Preview link at the top.

7. Save EVERY PLACE it asks you to save. It may ask you to save more than once, so read the instructions carefully.

8. The forwarding can take 24-48 hours, though most are active within an hour or less. If it has been a day and your site does not forward, empty the cache (temp files) refresh your browser or open up a different browser, like Chrome or FireFox… sometimes things get sticky and need routing out. As a last resort, you may want someone from TourneyCentral to log into your account and double check the settings for you, but most often, the registrar is your best go-to.

To create your website header, we need a tournament logo. The header file on each TourneyCentral site has these parts. This helps us establish a consistent look and feel among all the events we host to let your teams know that it is a quality event.

While you are free to hire a graphic designer to create this header file, it is highly recommended that you allow our highly skilled artists to create it for you. This will insure that all changes in size — should it become necessary — will be handled seamlessly.

Here is a standard header file and its parts:

Size: The header file in 906px wide x 105px tall at 72dpi. The format is gif. This is current as of 2016.

Part A: This is the event logo that is consistent year after year. This could also be the hosting club logo. If you have a current logo, we can generally work with whatever you have, however, words are usually an issue. It should be designed to fit within a square aspect ratio, however, this should not mean “take all our graphic elements and shrink it down to fit into a square.” Again, it should be designed to fit a square. This will also help you create avatars for your various social media spaces.

The preferred formats, in order are:
1) Illustrator, layers.
2) Photoshop, layered
3) PNG with a transparent background
4) PDF
5) JPG

We can usually work with anything you have as long as you trust us to do a good job for you. (we will) But if something truly is unusable, we’ll let you know quickly. WE want you to look as good as possible so we will generally have some solutions to work with what you have. You run a tournament, not a creative shop and we get that!

Part B: The event name. Usually it fits on one line and we can use the fonts that are contained in your tournament logo, your club site or something that reflects the event name, look and feel. If we need to split it up into multiple lines, we will do that skillfully. You need it to be easily ad quickly read. So do we.

Part C: The web address. This is usually set in Helvetica Neue Black, 18pt but we adjust based on the event. It is always top, flush right and will be set in the color that makes the most sense for the event usually white or black.

Part D: Most times (not always) we will pick up some unique element from your logo or club site and screen it back to tie the whole header together. In the event we don’t have anything or the elements would be too busy as to be distracting, we may go with a generic soccer ball or net pattern.

With the internet, your soccer tournament is a 365/24/7 event. As such, your website will stay active for the current season until you tell TourneyCentral to roll it forward for the next. Make a commitment early for next year. Get your sanctioning forms completed, lock down the venue and the dates, sign the hotel contracts, get yourself on the calendar and turn your web site over to next year. Make it real as soon as you can.

Here is what you can expect until you roll your event forward for the next season.

Immediately following your tournament:

• The application will be explicitly closed.
• The preorder apparel flag in the left rail will be inactivated
• The team login will be removed.
• Any front page news that is NOT a thank you message will be expired to avoid confusion.
• The countdown on the front page will be toggled to say “The [YEAR] [TOURNAMENT] has concluded.”
• The current year teams and schedules will remain.
• The referee schedules will be unpublished, the application link and login will be removed.

Approximately four months after your tournament:

• The admin will be locked down and a link to request a roll forward to the next season will be put in place.

You should IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING the conclusion of your tournament, export the team data, schedules and standings files as well as the information on team distribution, etc for your post-tournament report and community meeting such as CVBs who may wish to gauge economic impact. After about four months after your event, this area will be locked down.

If you choose to own your own domain, you will need to point it to our web space. We use GoDaddy for our domains, so if you use another service, you should contact their tech support on instructions on how to do this.

You agree to:
– Pay for your fees
– Renew your domain
– Change the IP address when we migrate servers

If you allow your domain to lapse, we cannot help restore it.

You will need the IP address: 74.85.128.156

Here is how to do it in your GoDaddy account.

1. Log into your account. Once you are there, you will need to launch your Domains app.

2. Search for your domain using the search tool in the upper righty corner.

3. Once you are there, click on the DNS Zone tab.

4. On the Edit screen, click on the edit pencil and use 162.245.225.23 for the value. You should also consider setting up a TXT record for SPF, with the value v=spf1 mx -all to bind the domain as the only IP address email should originate. This may or may not cur down on spam or help prevent email from being sent to spam.

When you have made the change, a RED BAR will appear, asking you confirm the change. Make sure you save the changes.

5. You can safely log out at this point.

GoDaddy cautions that it takes 24-48 hours to propagate the Internet, but it usually takes less than an hour for everything to connect up.

DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, DIRECT A DOMAIN TO TOURNEYCENTRAL WITHOUT FIRST CONFIRMING IT IS OK. We have stuff we need to configure on our servers to make sure it goes to the right place once the IP is directed.

Multiple domains

Sometimes you may want multiple domains to point to your tournament website, like a longer version or a plural version. We will set up ONE primary domain on our server, so you will need to redirect any additional domains into the primary domain on GoDaddy (or your registrar.) Here are instructions to do that on GoDaddy (you will need to ask your registrar if you use anyone else.)

1. Log into your account. Once you are there, you will need to launch your Domains app.

2. Search for your domain using the search tool in the upper righty corner.

3. Add Forwarding to your PRIMARY DOMAIN. Make sure there are no typos. Save the tab. Do not change any other setting.

4. Refresh and wait for the changes to take place. This could take from a few minutes to an hour, depending on how busy GoDaddy is. Check the secondary domains in your browser and see if they resolve into the primary domain.

5. If all went well, the DNS servers should have changed to GoDaddy servers and the forwarding will be set. If you have previously assigned the DNS to point to our servers or another server on the secondary domains, you may need to force a change. Click on the Manage link under the Nameservers and choose Standard, then save.

6. As with most things DNS, you should wait a reasonable time period for it to resolve, 1-48 hours.

These instructions are current as of 2015-07-02. If GoDaddy makes changes, we will update this help file. If you notice they have changed before we can update, please call us before preceding.

We already have Google Analytics (GA) installed on your tournament website to track aggregate data for TourneyCentral. The GA specifications are such that more than one GA code on a page is not officially supported by GA. There have been some hacks around this, we are aware of them and understand that they may work in some instances. However, they rely on very old code (2008 or so) and we prefer to keep current with any third-party tools

We have the Tournament PulsePoint which gives you some site specifics like traffic, unique visitors, etc. That is our official site tracking solution and we keep adding to it as the needs of tournaments change. if you would like to see something we don’t have, holler and we’ll consider adding.

If and when GA officially supports multiple GA codes on the same page, we will eagerly re-write our software to support this feature as GA gives you better planning tools for traffic analysis.

We strive to provide the very best integrated software that saves the tournament time, provides for an exceptional user experience for their guest teams and offers the tournament opportunities to effectively service sponsorships and local advertising opportunities; all while remaining current with the expectations of website users and soccer trends.

From the onset, we decided that we would price the software and support fairly, that everyone would get the same price so there is never a perception of “back-room deals” and that we would provide ongoing support and upgrades for the tournaments. Our focus — as is yours with your tournament — is not to be the lowest price, but to be the BEST option in providing the ultimate guest team experience. In turn, that experience would attract more teams to the tournaments as they begin to recognize the TourneyCentral format as being the partner provider with only the best tournaments that share our values of excellence.

For us, discounts mean three things:

1) An acknowledgment that we have been overcharging you all along and
2) Less margin to adapt, grow and evolve as the tournament landscape changes rapidly.
3) Increased administrative costs in keeping all the “special deals” straight.

None of these things serve either of us well.

Nonetheless, we realize that certain tournaments may be more price-sensitive than others and we encourage you to always be searching for the best value that serves your tournament. We expect no less from the best. While we will never compete on price, we do listen and implement ideas that come from tournaments that enable them to attract the best teams into their tournaments. We are here to support you when you need help and are nimble enough to implement changes that keep the tournaments we support on the cutting edge of both technology and the soccer industry. For example, we have recently integrated social media networks like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube into our team, scoring and advertising modules, with more features to come. Our PulsePoint Dashboard provides information about your tournament that supports it as a positive community event. The list beyond the basics of application, scheduling and scoring goes deep and broad.

That being said, we are always looking for ways to cut the cost of providing the service while maintaing the high standards of accessibility that define the TourneyCentral brand. We would be the first to pass that savings along to all of our loyal tournaments.

I know that is a very long answer to a really short question, but somehow “No” just didn’t seem to be right answer to give back. I hope my more detailed explanation explains our vision of the soccer tournament landscape and that the vision aligns with yours for your tournament and that we will enjoy a very long, very prosperous partnership.

We recommend that you NOT change out the logo from year to year and instead, develop and feature a logo and name that persists so teams can find you and identify with your branding.

If, however, you wish to change the header graphic, these services are available for the current rate of $95.00/hour, minimum one hour.

In order to maintain consistency and a high quality appearance across all the TourneyCentral events, all graphic work to the site is performed by TourneyCentral. While your designer is welcome to provide feedback, the final decision on the artwork belongs to TourneyCentral.

*The initial set up, including the header artwork is free.

The graphic header on the Web site was established when your tournament site was first set up. It contains your tournament logo, name and the web site address. This was part of the complimentary Web site set up done done initially.

Because it also serves to help identify the TourneyCentral brand, we reserve the function of creating it and making all changes. We will pass the header by the tournament director for approval, but the overall quality and integrity of the design must meet our standards of quality, usability and element placement.

The graphic header, along with the set up of your tournament site including your domain, is done as a one-time set up free of charge. While all other software updates and upgrades are always free, graphic changes are not. We urge you to consider the headers with the long-term viability of your tournament in mind or budget for annual changes.

Clickable Logos:
We do not allow clickable logo in the header, partly for design reasons, party for technical reasons and partly to establish value within the sidebar and DEALS areas for you.

Yearly Logo Changes:
We STRONGLY recommend that the logo you choose for your header graphic communicates the tournament as one that is stable year to year. While you may have a new shirt design or event logo each year, the logo you choose for your Web site should be one that is static from year to year.

However, we recognize that some events have strong feeling about changing out the logo every year and we allow for that. In your User Agreement, there is an hourly charge for graphic changes, minimum one hour per approval cycle. Our preferred format — and one that will save you hours of design charges — is as an Adobe Illustrator vector file, with layers in tact. The next preferred is an Adobe Photoshop file with layers. We can work with jpg files, but they should be large and have a minimum of drop shadows and small type. The more time we spend stripping away a background, the more expensive it will be.

Yearly Logo Change Options:
The free options available to you to display your yearly logo on your site are:
– Include the logo as a Major Sponsor in the Advertising Area so that it rotates in the sponsor area on the front page.
– Include it as a photo and turn on your featured space as Photos instead of Ads
– Set the design to permanently display in the feature space by checking “Display Graphic”
Be sure to upload your shirt design first. All of this is done in the Web Site Maintenance Module.

We get suggestions all day long, every day and putting them all in practice would erode the benefits of providing standardized software and would increase support and development costs far out of reach of most soccer tournaments.

In order to provide the featured web site at the prices we do, we MUST be able to standardize on certain things, they MUST work with all our tournament events and for those items that are variable, we MUST make it so the user can set the options themselves reliably. That being said, the apps, schedule layouts, forms, feedback, application/acceptances/payment/confirmation flows etc are those such things.

That is the short “No”

We frequently take user suggestions and incorporate them into the system, so the long “no” is:

No, not yet, but…

– Why?
– What benefit would this have for the tournaments and teams?
– Would it create confusion or the potential of confusion?
– How would this increase team applications and/or decrease the number of clicks to a particular task?
– Does this add value to the process or is it just personal preference?
– Is personal preference enough to add value to the product?

Sell us on why this would benefit ALL of our tournament events and we’ll consider it for the next round of updates.

Also, send us what you propose. The more detailed, the better.

Congratulations and welcome back to TourneyCentral for another year! This help document assumes you have already been through at least one season of using TourneyCentral and you are now rolling your tournament forward.

Step 1: Contact us when you wish to roll forward. Mostly likely, we have locked out the admin area to avoid premature resetting of critical data items like taking applications for the previous year, etc. Once we have reset your current years, you are then ready to go. If you need a team list and schedule from the previous year, ask for this BEFORE we roll you forward as extracting it after we do will require a charge of $100.00. (You grabbed this right after your tournament ended last year, right? 🙂 )

Step 2: We have now rolled forward your CURRENT YEAR and the DOB YEAR that calculates the dates each age group fits into. Your planner items have all been cleared and their dates have been rolled forward exactly one year. Your current teams have been dropped into the MARKETING MODULE.

The GAME SCHEDULE and ACCEPTED TEAMS have NOT been cleared from the side menus for a very specific reason. They are your best marketing for your upcoming tournament. Coaches want to see who participated in the tournament last year, how you seeded them, what your schedule was like and how the teams ended up. You are free to clear the teams by pressing the Clear Team Menu in the Applications Module and Unpublish the Schedule in the Scheduling Module. Once you do this, though, you can’t go back, so make sure you really, really, really want to do this.

Step 3: We will contact you to update the authorized contacts, verify invoicing and mailing addresses.

Step 4: You should update the following items as soon as possible to avoid confusing your guest teams:
Team Applications Module
– Application fees (gender, age, format)
– Competition levels (upper, lower, etc)
Web Maintenance Module
– Front page news items
– About Page
– Rules Page
– Web site variables to include dates, location, the fees description. Be sure to check/uncheck whether you want applying teams/clubs to appear on your site. As you will have none to begin with, you may want to hide this until a significant number of teams apply.
– Maps and Venues. If your field layouts may change, it is best to delete the field maps from each venue
– Update/Add FAQs
– Update your forms. Delete those that are specific to the previous year and roll the year forward for those that you can re-use. Upload your sanctioning/permission to host form. Make sure you check to make this visible in the variables.

Hotel Module
– Update hotels. If you marked them Sold Out, make sure they reflect an Available Rooms status

Scheduling Module
– Double check standings to make sure they are consistent with the rules. NOW is the time to make sure you don’t write rules the software can’t support (even though we find it hard to believe we didn’t think of every combination of tie-breaker…) If you write rules the software can’t calculate, you may want to revisit the rules.

Referee Module
– Unpublish the game schedule if it is still active to prevent referees from logging in.
– Add the dates and the appropriate AM/PM per day so the referee can indicate availability easily.

Admin Users Module
– Verify everyone who needs access to the site is active and they know their password. IF YOU ARE NOT THE SUPERUSER, PLEASE DO NOT ASK TOURNEYCENTRAL FOR YOUR PASSWORD. You must get that from your SuperUser. At some point, we will limit the number of admin users to under 5, so please give out access thoughtfully.

That is about it. We recommend you do all of the above things in one fell-swoop to avoid parts of your site from not being updated as things get busy. Later almost never comes.

Tournament logo and header changes

DOB Year
This is the basis for the division age calculation. Typically, it is set for August 1. You are not able to change this from the admin screen. Rivershark will set this when renewing your agreement for a new year.

Schedule Year
The schedule year is the year for which you wish to display the schedule and accepted teams. This will be last year’s schedule UNTIL your application deadline for the current year. You are not able to change this setting from the admin screen. Rivershark will change this once your deadline has been reached.

Current Year
The current year is the year for which you are accepting applications. You are not able to change this setting from the admin screen. Please contact Rivershark for help with this.

It is important that you do these tasks IN THE ORDER presented. If you do things out of order, you will get email and phone calls saying that the web site is “broken”. There are many teams and only one of you, so the ratio is upside down. However, if you do everything below IN ORDER and COMPLETELY, things will go SOOOOO smooth and save you a TON of work.

APPLICATION PROCESS CLOSED
– When the deadline has passed, teams may still submit applications, but they will be flagged as Waiting, in green, on your team applications listing.
– The register.html page will also say that the application process is CLOSED, but invite them to apply and that they will be contacted by the tournament if there is an opening.
– The tournament director should change the front page message to reflect the registration status. Also, the quick news should be changed as well as the crawler. The quick news is a great place to highlight any divisions that need more teams, example: We are looking for 3 more Boys 10 teams to round out our division. Click on REGISTER above to apply.
– When the deadline is past, the teams WILL NOT be able to modify ANY part of their application themselves. However, they will be able to see the STATUS of their fees, acceptance, etc.

FORMS, ACCEPTANCE, CONFIRMATION
WEB MAINTENANCE MODULE
– By the deadline, you should have updated ALL the forms necessary for registration. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THESE LINKS ARE AVAILABLE AND ACTIVE BEFORE YOU ACCEPT TEAMS. Things happen VERY fast on the Internet.
– WRITE the acceptance and rejection email. (samples in the Help Module… PLEASE customize it to the Tournament Development Event Invitational) Stage this and be ready to send.

DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING!! Write a Step-by-step process, going through the confirmation process yourself to make sure anyone can confirm following your directions.
TEAM APPLICATIONS MODULE
– Click on Go!, select Accept from the drop down menu, check the teams to accept and click on Mark Checked Applications.
– Then do the same for the Unaccepted teams, except select Not Accept.
– IMPORTANT Click on the Build Team Menus button. This makes the drop down menus along the left side of the web site. (You should “refresh” the menus each time you accept or drop a team, just to make sure the latest team list will be built.)
– Now filter on ACCEPTED teams and click Go! Select All. Type in a Subject and paste your ACCEPTED message into the message field.
– Send.
– Then do the same for the Rejected teams, except filter on Not Accepted and paste the Rejected message into the box.
– Double, triple, quadruple check that the team is marked accepted and non accepted BEFORE clicking on that Send button. Computer make very fast, very accurate mistakes… there is not recovery from sending the wrong message, so slow down, unplug the phone, shut the door and just really make REALLY SURE you are sending the right message to the right group.
– Change your front page message saying that all accepted teams have been notified via email.

CONFIRMATION
– Almost before you are done sending the message, teams will confirm. It is explained in the email message, but basically they need to log in using their TEAM ID NUMBER (we put it on EVERY email sent through the broadcast tool), click on the Confirm Attendance button and download all the forms you updated in the Web Maintenacne Module. After a team confirms, the confirm button will change to Duplicate Forms button. This is so they can go back and download the files again if needed.

SCHEDULING
TEAM APPLICATIONS MODULE
– Seed your teams (see tips in the newsletter)

SCHEDULING MODULE
– Set up/edit your maps
– Set up your fields
– Set up game dates and times.
– Set up your divisions.
– Set up your winner placeholders (Winner A vs Winner B in BU10). There is a one button “Make Placeholder Teams” that will build Winner A, Winner B for each division, so make sure ALL the divisions you are using have been entered and are named correctly before you build winner placeholders.
– Start scheduling.. Only ACCEPTED TEAMS will appear on the drop downs, sorted by Division and Bracket
– Publish schedule when done.
– If you add or change ANY game, be sure to re-publish.

Send emails… make sure you check ONLY accepted teams….

——————————————-
RIVERSHARK CYA DISCLAIMER
——————————————-
The following snippet of text is merely a ‘serving suggestion’ for you to edit to fit your event. You are STRONGLY urged to read and re-read the copy and edit as necessary. PLEASE DO NOT MERELY CUT AND PASTE AND SEND OUT IN A BROADCAST.

Use at your own risk; provided AS IS. You should ALWAYS assume that you will find something that is inaccurate or just plain wrong in the following copy. Don’t blame us if you fail to read and/or edit for mistakes, typos, test the links or anything else contained herein.
——————————————–

We regret to inform you we were NOT ABLE TO ACCEPT your team for the Tournament Development Event Invitational. We received applications from many more teams than could be accommodated by the limited number of fields and referees.

In reviewing all applications, participants were selected using the following criteria:

– Geographical mixture;
– Level of league play;
– Tournament participation, and
– Competitive team history.

Please understand that our inability to accept your team into this year’s tournament is by no means a slight against your team. We simply could not accept all the teams that showed interest and had to use the above criteria to sort through all the applications.

Let the teams know how and when they will get their money back.
We are returning your original check for your tournament application fee.

We hope to continue to increase the number of teams in next year’s tournament and hope you re-apply when registration forms are available on our web site after DATE. In the meantime, we wish your team the best of luck during the upcoming season and thank you for considering the Tournament Development Event Invitational.

The Selection Committee

——————————————-
RIVERSHARK CYA DISCLAIMER
——————————————-
The following snippets of text are merely ‘serving suggestions’ for you to edit to fit your event. You are STRONGLY urged to read and re-read the copy and edit as necessary. PLEASE DO NOT MERELY CUT AND PASTE AND SEND OUT IN A BROADCAST.

Use at your own risk; provided AS IS. You should ALWAYS assume that you will find something that is inaccurate or just plain wrong in the following copy. Don’t blame us if you fail to read and/or edit for mistakes, typos, test the links or anything else contained herein.

These snippets are designed to be cut and pasted to make complete broadcasts, depanding on the topic. You should send them out as they are appropriate for your event.
——————————————–

Place at the top of each broadcast. Keep it rolling by removing deadlines that have already passed. COACHES RESPOND TO THINGS THAT SAY DEADLINE!
DEADLINES:
Monday, XX/XX/XXXX: T-shirt and pin Pre-orders
Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX: Something
Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX: Something else

TWITTER
Now you can get scores update notices on Twitter. Just follow @tourneycentral (http://twitter.com/tourneycentral) (or search for #EVENT.) Each time the scores are updated, we will send a tweet out with the division(s) that are updated along with a link to the tournament site. Using Twitter is best from a Web-enabled smart phone such as iPhone or Blackberry, but you can configure your Twitter account to send you text messages when we update.

You can also use Twitter to post up a spirit message. Just send the tweet to @tourneycentral and be sure to use the tag #EVENT If the player or fan is also on Twitter, be sure to include their Twitter account as well so it shows up in their stream.

Wondering how to use Twitter? Check out this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o). If you don’t have an account, the soccer tournament is a perfect excuse to get on Twitter. It’s free!

CHANGES TO YOUR APPLICATION
Please take a moment to verify that all the information on your application is correct. Using your TEAM ID NUMBER posted above, please visit the web address below to make edits to your application, if needed. Any changes to application can be made online until XX/XX/XXXX
http://www.thegameofsoccer.com

COLLEGE COACHES
Again this year, we will invite college coaches to attend the Tournament Development Event Invitational. Last year, we had 38 college coaches attend to watch players. Your players will be given an opportunity to complete a profile and have this available for the coaches who attend. As the event draws nearer, we will have more information about the college profiles.

COLLEGE COACHES PROFILES
U14 and older only, please!
COACHES: Please log into your team application page and enter your TEAM LIST, including player names, position and jersey number. Once you enter this information for your team, you can use the Team List to send an email with a password to each player. Each player can then complete their detailed profile so college coaches can search the profiles.

HOTELS
Have you reserved your hotel rooms yet? Some hotels are already full and many are receiving requests daily for rooms. Don’t get caught up in the mad scramble to book a room at the last minute. Visit the hotel area on our web site today to request rooms.
http://www.thegameofsoccer.com/tavel.html

RESTAURANTS AND TOURNAMENT DEALS
We are beginning to post up restaurant and tournament deals as receive them from our sponsors. Many of these are good discounts for meals and entertainment. We encourage you and your parents to check the web site often and search the travel database.
http://www.thegameofsoccer.com/cgi-bin/seq.cgi?fnc=coupon&anchor=A

TOURNAMENT DEALS
Tournament deals are available from local businesses. Please visit the deals page and encourage your team and parents to support the businesses who help make the Tournament Development Event Invitational possible. You can also visit the Tournament Deals by clicking on the red coupon along the left side of any page on the web site.
http://www.thegameofsoccer.com/cgi-bin/seq.cgi?fnc=coupon&anchor=A

TOURNAMENT DEALS
Have you made your lunch and dinner plans while you will be at the tournament yet? Why not “stroll” on over to our Tournament Deals button on the left side of every page to check out what local restaurants are featuring. We’re adding new deals all the time!
http://www.thegameofsoccer.com/cgi-bin/seq.cgi?fnc=coupon&anchor=A

COUPONS AND SPECIAL DEALS
Be sure to check out the travel section by clicking on the Tournament Deals! Button in the left rail on any page of the web site.
http://www.thegameofsoccer.com/cgi-bin/seq.cgi?fnc=coupon&anchor=A

T-SHIRTS AND PINS
Has your team ordered t-shirts yet? Get a great pre-tournament price on orders placed now. Last year, we ran out of pins due to a heavy amount of pre-orders. We ordered more this year, but don’t run the risk of not getting your pin because of a late order. See the design and download the order form on the web site.
http://www.thegameofsoccer.com/shirt.html

SCHEDULES
The schedules are expected on or about xx/xx/xxxx. Please do not email asking when they will be available. When the schedules are available on the web site, we will send an email to the primary and alternate email address(es) used when you applied. It is very important that you notify us of an email change by using the form at http://www.thegameofsoccer.com/contact.html (Please DO NOT EMAIL as this may cause a delay in making the change.) As with the acceptance packets, we will NOT be mailing (USPS) the schedules. If there is a change to a schedule, you will be sent an email notifying you of this. Updating the web site is the fastest, most efficient way for us to communicate a change, so please double check your schedule on the web site.

SCHEUDLES
The schedules are now available on line. Please check your schedule by selecting your division in the drop down menu in the upper left corner of any web page, under the GAME SCHEDULES
http://www.thegameofsoccer.com/games.html

REGISTRATION
Check and double check that you have all the form necessary for registration. If a player is missing a form, they will not be allowed to play. *All guest players outside STATE MUST BE VALIDATED by their STATE ASSOCIATION. There will be no exceptions to this rule.*

Your registration requirements may vary, but the important thing is to MAKE A LIST. The list below is a SAMPLE ONLY.
REGISTRATION
Check and double check that you have all the form necessary for registration. If a player is missing a form, they will not be allowed to play. *All guest players outside STATE MUST BE VALIDATED by their STATE ASSOCIATION. There will be no exceptions to this rule.*

What you need for team registration…

If registering under USYS, you will need to provide�the following:
1. Original State Approved Roster and one copy of that roster to leave with the tournament
2. Validated Player Pass Cards..both rostered players and guest players
3. Validated Coaches Pass Card..one for each coach, if applicable. Maximum of 3
4. Medical Release Forms..one for each player. You may use your teams own forms.
5. Tournament Liability Form which must be signed by all players and a parent or guardian
6. Travel Permit if outside of STATE
7. Guest Player Roster approved and validated by the state in which the player is registered

US Club Soccer Requirements
If registering under US Club Soccer affiliation, you will need to provide the following:
1. Approved Official Roster
2. Medical Release Form for each player. You may use your own team form if you already have one.
3. Validated Player Pass for each player
4. Validated Coaches Pass for each coach..maximum of 3 coaches
5. Tournament Liability Release Form signed by all players and a parent or guardian

*Players over the age of 18 may sign their own forms

——————————————-
RIVERSHARK CYA DISCLAIMER
——————————————-
The following snippet of text is merely a ‘serving suggestion’ for you to edit to fit your event. You are STRONGLY urged to read and re-read the copy and edit as necessary. PLEASE DO NOT MERELY CUT AND PASTE AND SEND OUT IN A BROADCAST.

Use at your own risk; provided AS IS. You should ALWAYS assume that you will find something that is inaccurate or just plain wrong in the following copy. Don’t blame us if you fail to read and/or edit for mistakes, typos, test the links or anything else contained herein.
——————————————–

Please read this entire document first before clicking on any of the links. (If the links do not appear in your email, you should copy/paste the web addresses into your browser.) You may wish to print this email. It will save you time and frustration in the next few weeks.

TEAM ACCEPTANCE:
We are pleased to ACCEPT YOUR TEAM LISTED ABOVE as a participant in the Tournament Development Event Invitational.

ACCEPTANCE PACKAGE:
We are distributing the acceptance materials via our web site. IMPORTANT: THIS WILL BE THE ONLY METHOD OF ANNOUNCING AND CONFIRMING THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED. You must confirm first to receive the materials. Please read the procedure below:

CONFIRM ACCEPTANCE:
by following these steps:
1. Go to the web address: HOME PAGE
2. Enter your TEAM ID NUMBER at http://www.thegameofsoccer.com/login.html
3. Click on the LOG IN button
4. You will be sent to a page with your team information.
5. Click on the link that says “Confirm Attendence”
6. You will then be sent to a page that lists all the forms you will need for registration

***READ, PLEASE***
To get DUPLICATE forms at some date in the future, simply log in again using your TEAM ID NUMBER. The link will then say “Click here to get duplicate forms” When all the teams have confirmed, we will post a quick button on the front page that leads to the duplicate forms.

TOURNAMENT DEALS
Tournament deals are available from local businesses. Please visit the deals page and encourage your team and parents to support the businesses who help make the Tournament Development Event Invitational possible. You can also visit the Tournament Deals by clicking on the red coupon at the top of any page on the web site.
http://www.thegameofsoccer.com/cgi-bin/deals.pl

PHOTOS
Make your photos part of the game action! Write up your photo program, if any.

TWITTER
Now you can get scores update notices on Twitter. Just follow @tourneycentral (http://twitter.com/tourneycentral) (or search for #EVENT.) Each time the scores are updated, we will send a tweet out with the division(s) that are updated along with a link to the tournament site. Using Twitter is best from a Web-enabled smart phone such as iPhone or Blackberry, but you can configure your Twitter account to send you text messages when we update.

Wondering how to use Twitter? Check out this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o). If you don’t have an account, the soccer tournament is a perfect excuse to get on Twitter. It’s free!

ANNOUNCEMENTS
ALL SIGNIFICANT ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING THE Tournament Development Event Invitational WILL BE SENT TO THE PRIMARY EMAIL ADDRESS YOU SUPPLIED ON YOUR APPLICATION. All changes will be posted to the Web site as they occur, so please check often.

SCHEDULES
Schedules will be posted soon. When they are available, you will be sent an email AND they will be available from the drop down menu at the upper left corner of any page on the web site.

SCORES
Scores will be posted on the web site during the event. We strive to post the scores in real time so families who are in other parts of the country, the world or must remain home can still watch the action.
http://www.thegameofsoccer.com/games.html

Good luck and welcome to the Tournament Development Event Invitational.

Use this rules template as an EXAMPLE ONLY! Please review them carefully before using.

——————-

Rules for the Tournament

Tournament Headquarters
FILL IN MAIN ADDRESS

Tournament Director: FILL IN TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR

Registration and Team Eligibility
Registration Check-In: FILL IN REGISTRATION SITE
Coaches must bring Travel permits (if outside STATE), signed medical liability release forms, approved roster lists, and player passes.

All games are played at:
INSERT VENUES HERE
Final Matches are played at VENUE HERE unless field conditions warrant moving the games. The Tournament will be played on FILL IN DATES HERE.

Coaches should bring player passes and medical release forms to every game.

A. TEAMS FROM THE UNITED STATES � For teams from the United States:
1. The Players must present picture identification cards issued by the team’s Federation Organization Member (USYS, AYSO, other)
2. Teams must provide proof of approval of the team’s participation from the team’s Federation Organization Member.
3. Teams from outside the State Association where the tournament is located must provide proof of permission to travel. Teams must be in good standing with their Federation Organization.

B. FOREIGN TEAMS For a team coming from a CONCACAF nation:
1. Players must present passports at registration or, if from a nation that the United States does not require a passport, proof of entry into the United States that is required by the United States.
2. Teams are required to have and present player picture identification cards.
3. Teams must have a completed form from its Provincial or National Association approving the team’s participation in the tournament.

Player Age and Eligibility
Boys and Girls teams in separate divisions
U-19 born after 7-31-86; U-18 born after 7-31-87; U-17 born after 7-31-88;
U-16 born after 7-31-89; U-15 born after 7-31-90; U-14 born after 7-31-91
U-13 born after 7-31-92; U-12 born after 7-31-93; U-11 born after 7-31-94;
U-10 born after 7-31-95; U-09 born after 7-31-96; U-08 born after 7-31-97

U-08 and U-10 teams will play an 8 v 8 format. U-11-19 age groups will play 11 v 11. Top division is the GOLD division. Lower division is known as RED.

Team rosters will be limited to 18 players for teams playing the 11 v 11 format. Team rosters will be limited to 14 players for teams playing the 8 v 8 format. The Roster submitted at Tournament Registration will be the official Roster for the Tournament and may not be altered. A player may only play for one team.

Four (4) guest players will be allowed per team. Guest player Rosters (yours or ours) should be validated by your state association/country federation (if required by your association). Prior to the start of each game the Field Marshal shall check that each team have the following; current Federation player and coaches passes, Medical Release Forms, and approved guest roster ( if applicable).

Teams
The first team listed in the tournament program (and website) is the home team. A maximum of 3 coaches are permitted on the coaches’ side of the field. All coaches will remain within 20 yards of the centerline on their half of the field, on the side opposite of both team’s spectators. Field marshals will communicate which side is the coaches’ side if questions arise. Spectators are not permitted behind the goals.

Player Credentials and Uniforms
1. Player picture identification cards are to be present and available at all matches.
2. Identification cards are required to be checked by the field marshal prior to each match
3. All shirt numbers of each player must be different.

Laws of the Game
All matches must be played in accordance with FIFA Laws of the Game in effect on January 1st of the year that the tournament is held, except as specifically modified for youth play by USSF and US Youth Soccer with certain Amendments as follows:

a. Substitution Time: Substitutes must be at the midfield line. Unlimited substitutions for all age groups will be allowed with the consent of the referee;
1. before a throw-in in your favor. The team in possession of the ball for a throw-in may substitute. If the team in possession of the ball for a throw-in substitutes players, the opposing team may substitute any number of players at the same time.
2. before a goal-kick.
3. after a score by either team.
4. at half time.
5. After an injury, by either team, when the referee stops play.
6. After a caution, one for one by both teams, if the cautioned player is substituted.
b. Match Lengths: Preliminary Games will consist of two halves of equal length.
– U-09 and U-10 play 25 minutes each half; – U-11 through U-14 play 30 minutes each half;
– U-15 through U-19 and adults will play 35 minutes each half.
Semi-Final and Final Games will consist of two halves of equal length.
– U-09 and U-10 play 2×25 minutes per half, with 2×5 minute overtime periods;
– U-11 and U-12 play 2×30 minutes per half, with 2×5 minute overtime periods;
– U-13 and U-14 play 2×35 minutes per half, with 2×5 minute overtime periods;
– U-15 and U-16 play 2×40 minutes per half, with 2×10 minute overtime periods;
– U-17 through Adults play 2×45 minutes per half, with 2×10 minute overtime periods;
The Directors reserve the right to adjust game length for conditions beyond their control. See Weather/Reschedule section below.
c. The game clock will not be stopped because of injury to any player, except if deemed necessary by the referee. Due to the time allowed for the completion of all games, the clock should run continuously.
d. It is the intent of the Tournament Development Event Invitational to provide a three person referee system for all tournament matches; however, if deemed necessary, matches may be conducted with club linesmen.
e. A coach may coach more than one team during the tournament.

Specific Laws of the Game
1. No overtime will be played during preliminary games.
2. Red cards will be administered as per FIFA laws of the game.
3. A player or coach sent off for a second caution will not be allowed to play for the remainder of that game and their next game.
4. Un-served Red cards and game report will be forwarded to their appropriate State or National organizations.

Game Balls
The Tournament will supply the game balls for all games. Balls used must be FIFA Approved.
The game ball size for U-09 through U-12 is Size 4 and the game ball size for U-13 and above is Size 5.

Player Equipment
1. Shin guards are mandatory and must be covered by a sock.
2. Shirt/jerseys will be tucked into players shorts at all times.
3. In the event of a color conflict, the home team (first team listed on schedule) will change color.
4. Hard casts are not permitted. Soft casts will only be allowed upon approval of the game referee.
5. The home team will be responsible for using an alternate color uniform if necessary.
6. The Tournament staff will provide an adidas Game ball for all matches

Tournament Format
For all age groups the Tournament format calls for three preliminary round games (round robin) with Semi and Final Matches in each division. Divisions with 6 teams will play their Final on Sunday PM. (Some divisions may have Quarter Final Matches depending on the number of teams in the division). Divisions with 5 teams will play 4 preliminary games and the top 2 teams in that group will play in the Finals.

A wild card team will not be assigned to play the winner of its own group in a quarter final or semi-final match. Example; if the wild card team comes from the A group the wild card won’t be scheduled to play the A group winner.

Match Schedules
Each team will play a minimum of 3 games. A maximum of 2 matches will be played on any one day.
Referees will be USSF certified.

Forfeits
Failure to complete a match, or a team leaving the field during play, will result in forfeiture. No team that has forfeited a game will be declared a group or wild card winner. The team winning by forfeit will be awarded the average number of goals they score in their other games, rounded down to the nearest integer, (with a minimum score of 1-0). The opponent’s score will be zero. This score will be the official score in case goal differential is necessary. The Tournament officials reserve the right to decide all matters concerning a forfeit. In no case will a team which has forfeited a game be declared a group winner or wild card. If a team arrives more than 15 minutes late for a match the Tournament Committee, at their discretion, may declare the game to be a forfeit depending upon the situation. A team failing to field the proper number of players at the scheduled time, or at any time during the match, will forfeit the game. 8v8 teams must field five (5) players. 11v11 teams must field seven (7) players. The scores of forfeit games in this manner will be scored as described above in this paragraph.

Procedures for Determining a Winner
Coaches and game referee will sign the game card certifying the final score which will then be delivered to the HQ tent at each site. Site scorer will be responsible for updating score board and website at: $WWW. Posted scores will reflect a maximum goal difference of 3. Bracket standings, leading to championship play, will be determined on the following basis:

Standings and Tie-breakers
No overtime periods will be played for Preliminary games. Each team will be awarded three points for a win, one point for a tie, and no points for a loss. In the event of ties in the group standing, the following procedure will determine the group winner:

1. Team with the most wins (if tied go to step 2).
2. Winner of the game played between the tied teams. (If three or more teams are tied for the group lead, Step 2 is by-passed, go to Step 3)
3. Highest number of total NET goals (goal differential). Maximum goal differential per game is three (3). (i.e. For a score of 4-1, goal differential is 3 for the winner and -3 for the loser. For a score of 6-2, goal differential is also 3 and -3 as above).
4. Fewer total goals allowed (gross).
5. Penalty kicks (FIFA laws of the game). If both teams advance, the Tournament Director will decide the opponents at the next level of play.

The selection of a wild card team, if required, shall be determined by:
1. Non-group winner with the most total points.
2. Non-group winner with the most wins.
3. Winner of the game, if applicable, played between the tied teams.
4. Goal Differential (See #3 in Standings Paragraph above)
5. Fewer total goals allowed (gross).
6. Penalty kicks (FIFA laws of the game, see definition below). If both teams advance, the Tournament Co-Director will decide the opponents at the next level of play.
(Placement of the Wild Card teams is at the discretion of the Tournament Committee)

Penalty Kick Elimination
When Semi-Final and Final matches are still tied after overtime (see overtime times in the Laws of the Game above) the FIFA laws of the game for Penalty Kicks apply. Only players on the field at the end of the second overtime period are eligible for penalty kicks. Coin flip will determine who will go first (visiting team calls). Five penalty kickers per team. The most goals scored after five kicks for each team wins the game. If the score remains tied, teams will alternate shooters until there is an unmatched goal between the teams. After all eligible players on the field of play have taken kicks; teams will start with their first kickers again and in the same order.

Games interrupted in the first half:
1) If the first half has not been completed and the game is stopped, every effort will be made to complete the game, or play to completion of at least the first half and record the score as final.
2) Games shall be considered completed if the first half has concluded. The score at the stoppage of play will be the final game score.

Games interrupted after the completion of the first half:
Will continue if time permits or, if time or other issues, as determined by the tournament, does not permit the game to continue, the current score at the time when the game is terminated will be the final score.
Note: if necessary, game lengths may be shortened to accommodate scheduling requirements. It is the responsibility of each coach to check Tournament Headquarters for any reschedule information.
For more information regarding schedule changes consult the website at $WWW

However, in the event that rescheduling is not possible, and game cancellation creates a situation where teams within the division are unable to play an equal number of qualifying games, the group winner will be determined on the basis of awarding the average tournament points earned in the other games, to the teams that were unable to complete an official game, followed by the tie breaking procedure if necessary. The team with the highest average points will be declared the winner of the group. In the event there is a tie which cannot be resolved by point averaging, the advancing team will be determined by a coin toss, or penalty kicks, per FIFA as directed by the Tournament Directors.

Match and Score Reporting
Scores will be posted as quickly as possible. Coaches should report any discrepancies to Headquarters prior to their next game. If wild cards need to be determined, coaches need to report their score immediately after their Sunday morning games. Wild cards will be determined at the site as indicated on that division’s schedule.

Protests and Disputes
Protests must be presented in writing to the tournament site Headquarters (one will be located at each site) within 30 minutes of completion of the game and must be accompanied by a fee of $100 in cash. Referee judgment will NOT be a basis for protest. Coaches wishing to file a protest shall notify the referee of this intention as soon as possible but not later than 5 minutes after the conclusion of the game in question. The Protest Committee’s decision is final.

Standards of Conduct and Discipline
Disciplinary action taken against a coach will be levied in the next game in which he/she coaches the team playing at the time of the original infraction, or to the next game coached if the violation occurred during the last game for that team. If additional behavior problems occur, the Directors reserve the right to levy additional discipline up to and including expulsion from the Tournament.

a. All participants in the Tournament Development Event Invitational will be expected to maintain high standards of conduct during their stay in the Dayton area. These standards are expected of players, referees, and other guests in the hotels and motels; keeping noise in the hallways to a minimum, refraining from kicking soccer balls inside any of the buildings, and being respectful of the property of others. Should it come to the attention of the Tournament Directors that a person (or persons) has failed to observe these guidelines; the Director reserves the right to take remedial action. Said action, depending upon the circumstances, may range from a warning, a reduction in points in the standings, or banning that team and/or all teams in its club from future participation in the tournament.

b. There shall be no dissent between players and/or coaches and the referee. Questioning a referee is considered dissent. All coaches are responsible for the actions of his or her spectators, specifically verbal abuse of referees. Such abuse will not be tolerated! Violation may result in forfeiture of the game and/or expulsion from further play.

c. Any player or coach ejected from a game will be ineligible to participate in the next scheduled game (a minimum of one game suspension depending upon the severity of the offense). The player/coach pass is to be turned in to the referee headquarters immediately following the initial suspension game. If dismissed in the last game, card will be returned to the appropriate state association.

d. Any player or coach who receives an accumulation of three (3) yellow cards must sit out the next game.

e. All coaches will remain within 20 yards of the centerline on their half of the field, on the side opposite of both team’s spectators.

f. Spectators may be ejected from the park for improper conduct, at the discretion of the tournament officials. Artificial noise makers are not permitted.

g. If field condition is such that there is a problem with interference by an outside agent; such as a tree overhanging the field for instance, the play will be restarted with a drop ball. Fields # 3, 6, 8 at Cloud Park may have some interference from trees. If the ball hits the trees and goes directly out of touch the play will resume with a throw-in.

h. Not permitted at our tournament includes: alcoholic beverages, smoking, and verbal abuse.

i. PETS are allowed at the Cloud Park Tournament Site ONLY as stipulated in the Montgomery County Park Rules.

Persons ejected due to any of the above situations must leave the site immediately.

Report of Disciplinary action taken against any team will be reported to that team’s provincial or:
A. For United States teams, the procedure for notifying the Federation Organization Member of that team of disciplinary action taken or required will be followed.
B. For CONCACAF teams, the tournament committee will notify the US Soccer Federation guidelines of disciplinary action taken, and that the Federation will transmit national association.

Awards
All U-09 through U-19 will receive first and second place team and individual trophies will be awarded in each Division winner and runner-up after the final game at the Finals site.

Inclement Weather Procedures
The Tournament Committee and/or Director reserve the right to delay the start of a game, reduce the length of the game, or terminate a game. All teams must abide by the tournament weather/field conditions policy. Head coaches only may come to the Tournament HQ only after the weather delay for further information.

Cancellations
If the Tournament is cancelled due to events beyond the control of the Tournament Committee, the Tournament will not be required to make any financial remuneration.

Waiver
By entering this tournament, every participant agrees to accept the jurisdiction of the Tournament Committee or its members, the Soccer Club, its Board of Trustees and employees, the four sites including Cloud Park-Ankeney Complex-NCR Old River-Englewood Complex and their respective employees, the United States Soccer Federation, United States Youth Soccer Association, and United States Youth Soccer Association North in all matters of dispute. No official, coach, club, league, referee, player or their representative may invoke the aid of the Courts of any political or governmental entity without first exhausting all available remedies within the appropriate affiliated soccer organizations as set forth in these rules, the Constitution and Bylaws of the Warrior Soccer Club, the Constitution and Bylaws of the United States Soccer Federation, the Constitution and Bylaws of the United States Youth Soccer Association, and the Constitution and Bylaws of the Ohio South Youth Soccer Association. For violation of this rule, the offending party shall be subject for all expenses incurred by these associations and/or their officers, as appropriate, in defending each court action, including, but not limited to, court costs, attorney(s) fees and reasonable compensation for all time and expenses.

General
1. Coaches are required to bring player cards and medical release forms to every game.
2. If a game is temporarily suspended due to weather problems, field conditions, or other situations beyond the tournament’s control, each team (coach) involved must check with their site’s tournament headquarters. Have players go their cars during a weather delay. No one will be allowed on the fields until the weather conditions are favorable to resume.
3. The tournament director’s interpretation of the foregoing rules/regulations shall be final.
4. The tournament director(s) reserves the right to decide on all matters pertaining to the Tournament Development Event Invitational

1. Separate topics with headers in ALL CAPS, followed by a return. Then place the direct URL, with link, on a sparate line after the copy. DO NOT PLACE A (.) AFTER THE URL.

Example:

2. Be short and specific.
3. Use action words: Go, Do, See, Visit, Apply, etc.
4. Keep the number of announcement paragraphs short and send messages more frequently.
5. Tailor your announcements to your audience. Coaches vs general messages. In your coaches’ version, encourage them to encourage the parents/grandparents to use the site. In your general audience message, speak directly to them.
6. Start broadcasting every other day at least two weeks out. Broadcasts will increase your site traffic 3-10x from the previous day, depending on the message.
7. Plug your sponsors shamelessly! If your sponsors are running a deal, link DIRECTLY to the deal and they will get lots of traffic.
8. Spelling. You would think that people have better things to do than correct your typos, but you would be sorely mistaken. Make sure you have no typos BEFORE you send out the email.
9. Link DIRECTLY to the page you are referring to in your announcement. Don’t just send the visitor to your home page.
10. Have your DURING EVENT and AFTER EVENT announcements pre-written. You will be too busy and tired to think about a meaningful message. We produce a bunch of traffic ALL DAY and nothing says “stale news” like last night’s “Thank You” when you want to say this morning’s “Welcome” Typical traffic bubbles are; Early morning (5:00am til about 9:00) then again at 11:00-2:00 and again starting about 5:00 and going until 1:00am, Sunday early afternoon starts a lot of traffic and the evening of your last day is your big traffic day.

A typical announcement cycle: Customize for your own event. Some of the annoucements are repeated, but said differently to appear fresh. Also, place the more urgent announcements at the top of the email.

Be sure to have a message ready to go when the tournament has concluded. Really, this little thing WILL set you apart from the pack.