Amended February 5, 2011

(1) MARITIME FOOTBALL LEAGUE DUES

·        All  MFL teams will be responsible for an equal share of all officiating fees charged to supply officials
      by the Provincial Officials Associations for all regular and post season games. 

·        All  MFL teams will contribute equally toward the cost of league awards.  

·        All  MFL teams will contribute equally toward the cost of provincial football organization membership dues.  

·      For the 2011 season the League Deposit is $3,800 per member team. All team fees are due June 1. 

(2) SCHEDULE

·        The preparation of the schedule shall be the responsibility of the MFL Commissioner.

·        All games will be played as scheduled. Any changes in game time must communicated and agreed to 24 hours before the game's originally scheduled time.

(3) CONDUCT AND REGULATION OF TEAM UNIT

a.      New players may be added to a team's roster anytime during the season. In order to be eligible to 
     play in the playoffs, players must have played in at least two regular season games.

b.      Unsportsmanlike conduct or violation of the Code of Ethics on the part of any team, team official or any individual
      player will be dealt with by a Discipline Committee composed of the Commissioner and the two Conference
      Presidents. The offending person or persons may be subject to suspension. Each team shall be held responsible 
     for the conduct of its players and its staff, whether individually or collectively. The Discipline Committee 
     may, if they deem it beneficial to the MFL suspend any team personnel. All decisions of the Discipline Committee 
     can be appealed to the League Council. Any team personnel ejected from a game will be automatically
     suspended for the following game. Any appeals of such suspensions must be submitted to the Commissioner
     no later than noon on the Monday following the game. All evidence supporting the appeal is due no later than
     noon on the Tuesday following the game.  

     Any player ejected from a game for the second time in the same season is subject to minimum 2 game suspension.  Any 
    player ejected from a game  for the third time in the same season will be automatically suspended for one calendar 
    year. 

c.      Each visiting team must contact the home team prior to the playing date, provide rosters to each other 
      and confirm playing field and locker room locations. Each team is to provide the opposing team with any
      roster changes prior to game time. Failure to adhere to any of the above will result in the violating team 
     being referred to the League Council for possible disciplinary action.
     There will be a pre game meeting between the referee and both head coaches to exchange game day rosters.

     All players participating in any MFL game must be on the league website roster of the team by midnight of the Thursday 
     prior to the game. Any team using players who have not been added to the roster by this deadline will forfeit said game. 
     
      Teams must update what players participated in a game within 48 hours of said game. Opposing coach has one week  
      after the game to dispute any player's participation.

d.      No player or player coach shall be paid for participation in any MFL game. Any member team found
      in violation of this rule shall be subject to immediate suspension. Travel money to practice shall be 
      considered as paying the participant and shall not be allowed by the MFL.

e.      The field must be adequately marked in accordance with league rules. Separate shower and locker 
      room facilities will be provided for each team. Proper rest room facilities must be provided for the fans.

f.    All teams must make available any and all details of their Home Field.  This is to include directions and location of
      hospitals or clinics.  It is also to include in detail how the field differs from the stated Regulation field requirements.
      These details will be posted on the website prior to the first game of the season.

g  .  Each team is encouraged to provide certified medical personnel at MFL games. The certified 
     medical personnel via direct communication will call ambulances if necessary. The certified medical 
     personnel's identification will be shown, upon request, to the visiting team.   

h.  Teams must charge a minimum registration per player of $100. 

i.  Where a player has participated in two games for a team during the season that player must receive a
     written release from that team before playing for another team in the subsequent season. The releasing 
     team has the right to a face to face meeting with the player before granting the release. Releases shall 
     not be unreasonably withheld. Where a player has been refused his release he may appeal to a committee
     made up of the Commissioner and Conference Presidents. This committee has the power to grant a player a
     release. This clause shall override any contract between a player and a team.

     In the event a player seeks a release during the current season, the MFL will be cognizant of the fact that it
     may not be in the best interest of the releasing team to grant a release for that player.  This is an issue once
     a player has played 1 (one) game in the current season.  This is not to say that a player will not be granted
     the release, rather it is in recognition of the fact that the released player may have information of current systems
     of the releasing team.

j.   There is no restriction on where a player lives in order to determine which team he is eligible to play on.  Teams
     that share a common geographic region are encouraged to keep an open dialogue in the recruitment of common
     talent pools.

k.  The Uniform Colours of a team have been grandfathered.  Halifax Shockers maintain first preference for "Black".  
     If an opponent has a conflicting colour, they are obliged to find alternate arrangements.  In any other combination
     which results in a conflict of colours, the Home Team will maintain their colours, and the Visitors are obliged to
     make alternate arrangements. 

l.  Any players wishing to wear tinted visors must forward a Doctor's certificate to the Conference President. The 
    League will compile a list and forward  it the the presidents of the three provincial officials associations. Any 
    players not on the list may not wear a tinted visor during a game. Presentation of a Doctor's certificate to a game 
    Referee will not be accepted.   

m. Any team forfeiting any game without providing the home team with at least 5 days notice shall be fined $500.
     Any team forfeiting a game will be have a point deducted in the standings. The game score will be recorded as 28-0
     and the team awarded the win will receive the appropriate number of points in the league standings. 

n.  All teams must ensure their players, staff and regular volunteers are registered on the Website Roster System by May 
    15th of each year.  New members, after this date each year, of their organization must be registered prior to any
    organized activity, practice or game.  The Roster will be deemed official for game time, non-registered members will 
    not be eligible to play or participate under any circumstances.

o. All players on a team must wear the same colour game socks. The only other option is bare legs. Any player in violation 
    of this rule will be sent off the field until the problem is corrected. The game will not be delayed.

p. All game jerseys are to be tucked in. Any player in violation of this rule will be sent off the field until the problem is  
    corrected. The game will not be delayed.

(4) GAME PROCEDURES

a.     MFL games shall be played in accordance with the Canadian Rulebook For Tackle Football except 
      as modified by the MFL in its Special Rules:

b.      A crew of officials, qualified and certified by a Provincial Officials Association shall work each game.

c.      The home team shall furnish chain crews, chains and sideline markers. The visiting team has the right to
      place one (1) member of its organization on the chain crew if it desires. The visiting team however, must 
      notify the home team of such decision at least fifteen (15) minutes before the scheduled game time. 
     All members of the stick crew must be at least 13 years old.

d.      The home team will furnish two (2) league footballs, of which at least one (1) will be a new football. 
     The game officials must approve the two footballs prior to game time.

e.      The home team will provide access to the locker room , for the visiting team, at least two (2) hours prior
      to kickoff. Access to field facilities should be provided at least one hour prior to kickoff.

f.      The team with the better record has the first option of hosting playoff games. Upon mutual consent of 
     both teams, the team with the lower record could host the game. Any additional financial agreements 
     between the two teams must be submitted to the MFL Commissioner and will be enforced by the MFL.

g.      MFL Tie Breakers:

      i)    Head to head games

      ii) Least  points allowed head to head

      iii)  Least  points allowed versus common opponents

      iv)  Least  points allowed overall

      v)  Coin toss

h.   Any team losing a regular season game in overtime will be awarded 50% of the points awarded to the game winner.