PentaSport – League Rules and Regulations

Updated February 23, 2023

1. League Organization Structure

1.1 As a non-profit organization, PentaSport Ministries (“PentaSport”) operates with a Board of Directors and Organizing Committee.

1.2 All planning in regards to each season of PentaSport is conducted by the Organizing Committee, with assistance from the Board of Directors on areas regarding league mission, vision, and structure.

2. League Fees

2.1  Each team will pay a fee determined by the league — containing 10 weeks of regular season play and 3 weeks of playoffs. Note: Social Tickets are sold at an additional cost during the season.

2.2 Teams must pay a deposit of $100 upon registration, done so via e-transfer. Registration deadlines will be announced accordingly, depending on each season. All deposits are non-refundable, except teams not granted a league spot due to capacity. (Refer to Rule 4.6)

3. League Season Structure

3.1 All PentaSport league games are played on Tuesdays between 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at venues and locations within Metro Vancouver, including Vancouver, Richmond, and Burnaby. Venues are to be determined, and announced upon the release of the season schedule.

3.2 Five sports are selected each season based on venue availability and accessibility. If more than one combination of five sports are deemed viable to be included in the season, the Organizing Committee will make the final decision in selecting the sport.

3.3  For regular season games, all results will be recorded with the following Point System:

      • Wins = 3 points
      • Tie = 1 point
      • Loss = 0 points

3.4 In the case of round robin play, specifically for dodgeball and volleyball, results will be recorded with the following Point System:

      • 1st Place = 3 points
      • 2nd Place = 2 points
      • 3rd Place = 1 point
      • 4th/5th Place = 0 points

3.5  Regular Season: The regular season will run for 10 weeks. Game schedules will be released online one week prior to the start of the league. Schedule and locations are subject to change by the committee.

3.6  Playoffs: All teams automatically qualify to compete in the playoffs. Playoffs will take place following the regular season, and will run for 3 weeks. The structure, sports, and schedule for the playoffs will be announced following the final week of the regular season.

3.7  In the event a team is unable to meet the minimum required players (See Section 5 below) for their scheduled game and forfeit the game, fees will not be refunded and the following penalties will occur:

    1. The forfeiting team will record ZERO Spirit Points for that week, while their opposing team will not have that week’s Spirit Points included in their overall average;
    2. The final score will be a 3-0 win for the opposing team, for points differential purposes, or the maximum available for the sport (ie. 2-0 in playoff volleyball);
    3. The forfeiting team will be fined the average cost for that week, based on team rates per season;
    4. The forfeiting team will lose Returning Registration Priority for the following season, and will have to re-register when New Registration opens. (Refer to Rule 4.6)

3.8  Officiating: All league games are self-governed. Each team is responsible for calling their own fouls in each sport, unless otherwise stated. Refer to the ‘Rules’ section on the website for more information on rules for each sport. A League Representative(s) will be present at all games to oversee sportsmanship, friendly competition, answer questions about sport rules, and to act as an unbiased mediator. However, they will not serve as game officials or referees. League Reps are identified by their blue PentaSport league shirt.

4. Team Eligibility

4.1 Each team must be affiliated with a Christian church within Metro Vancouver (see Statement of Faith).

4.2  Each team must provide a team name — may not exceed 25 characters, including spaces — and are also encouraged but not required to provide a team logo. Team names and connotations associated with the name must adhere to PentaSport values. All names and logos are subject for approval by League Committee. Teams must finalize their names three weeks prior to the start of the season. No changes will be granted thereafter, until the season is concluded.

4.3  Each team must have a Team Captain and at least one Assistant Captain (up to a maximum of two assistant captains) to serve as the point of contact between the league and the team. All captains and assistant captains must fall under the “Church-based Player” category below. Captains are responsible for ensuring that their team meets the league’s code of conduct.

4.4  There is no limit for the number of teams per church; however, churches may only add ONE additional team to the league per season. Churches with multiple teams in the league must adhere to the following requirements:

    1. All teams (existing or new) from the same church must fill up ALL 16 roster spot positions, according to the league’s rules and regulations. No roster exceptions of any kind will be granted to any of the teams involved.
    2. The new team may only sign up when New Registration Priority begins. The returning team(s) may sign up during Returning Registration Priority (Refer to Rule 4.6).
    3. When registering, the new team from the same church must fill out a separate registration form, which includes additional required information — such as reasoning for adding a new team within the church, the current commitment of players, and contact for the liaising pastor of the church.
    4. The captain of the new team must notify the captain(s) of the existing team(s) from the same church to gain approval for registering an additional team.
    5. The captain of the new team must have previously played at least ONE season in PentaSport.

Note: Churches with multiple campuses will be considered a separate church per campus, thus players must adhere to the appropriate player eligibility rules (i.e. the team cannot list a player as Church-Based if they attend a campus that differs from the team’s stated church).

4.5  Each team must comply with the League Rules and Regulations and any decisions made by the league’s Organizing Committee..

4.6  Teams may register for the new season based on dates and deadlines announced by the league. Priority is giving in the following order:

    1. Returning Registration — This applies to teams which played in the season directly prior to registration; this does not apply to teams which had played in a previous season but were absent in the season(s) preceding registration.
    2. Waitlist Registration — This applies to teams which had registered for the prior season but were not granted a league spot due to capacity. Teams which fall under this category will be notified of their waitlist priority.
    3. New Registration — This applies to teams which did not register in the season directly prior to registration; teams registering within the first 24 hours of New Registration opening will be selected on a lottery basis. All registration thereafter is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

5. Player Eligibility

5.1  Team captains are responsible for ensuring that all participants for their team are eligible to participate. Every player must fall under one of the following 3 categories:

Church-based Player: A player who consistently attends the team’s stated church and campus — meaning, the player must attend at least 3 services per month at the stated church that is offered on Sunday morning, or an equivalent service on a different day/time. This excludes other ministries that a church may offer such as fellowships, small groups, Alpha, etc.
Min: 9
Max: 14

‘Other Church’ Player: A player who consistently attends a church other than the team’s stated church. This means that the player must attend at least 3  services per month at a church other than the team’s the stated church. Players may be allowed to join any team under this category, even if the player’s own church already has a team in the league. However, teams must not exceed the maximum number (2) of “Other Church” players.
Min: 0
Max: 2

Invited Player: A player who does not attend, or attends less than 3 services per month at the team’s stated church or any other Christian church.
Min: 2
Max: 6
Teams are highly encouraged to reach the maximum number of invited players. The purpose is to create an avenue of outreach.

5.2  Each player is restricted to only one team for the entire season. This includes churches with more than one team. Players cannot move between teams.

5.3  Eligibility and Player Category rules are strictly enforced and are only confirmed by each player themselves. Captains are responsible for confirming with players their player category to ensure their team roster complies with League Regulations.

5.4  Each team will require the church pastor to sign off on the validity of the roster, prior to the start of the season.

5.5 Eligibility rules are strictly enforced and will require the team and the church pastor to sign off on the validity of the roster. For individuals who do not have a team but want to play in PentaSport, please refer to the “Free Agents” section below.

5.6  The minimum age to join the league is 16 years old. All minors between the age of 16 to 18 must also hand in a completed waiver form with parent / guardian’s signature.

6. Rosters

6.1  Only players listed on the official roster, as submitted by the team and approved by the PentaSport Committee, may participate in league games.

6.2  Each team will have a minimum of 11 team members (9 church-based players and 2 invited), and a maximum of 16 team members on a roster.

6.3   Each team is expected to play with a complete lineup that includes a minimum of two female players on the court at all times. In the event where a team does not have a complete lineup available, the game may start as long as each team has a minimum of four (4) players, with at least one being a female player on the court at all times. If only ONE (1) female player is present, the team must play with one less player; A game may not start if NO (0) female players are present for a team. If a team is unable to have the minimum number of players required  as listed above ready to play within ten (10) minutes of the scheduled start time of the match, the team will forfeit the match. Note: If the team is not able to deploy more than ONE female player, captains of both teams are allowed to discuss matching formations (ie. each side plays with 4 males and 1 female, etc.); however, teams which show up with a complete roster are not required or expected to cater to teams which fail to meet the minimum roster requirement.

6.4    All players must be listed and approved on the official roster list. Roster players must each play a minimum of three regular season games in order to be eligible to participate in the playoffs. If a player not on the official roster list participates in a game, the team will forfeit the game. No substitutions or “ringers” are allowed.

6.5   Waiver: All players, as submitted on the official roster by their team’s captain, must sign a league waiver prior to the team’s first game of the season. Any team with outstanding waivers from a player will forfeit their game(s) until the entire roster has completed the waiver.

6.6  Identification: Players may be asked to show their photo ID at each game. This is to ensure safety and fair play, when deemed appropriate. If photo ID is not presented or it does not match the names on the team roster, the player cannot participate. If the game has already started, the team that fails to provide photo ID accordingly will have to forfeit the game.

6.7   Roster changes: Teams are required to recruit all players prior to the start of the season, with complete rosters submitted before the deadline as announced by the Organizing Committee. Changes to the roster after the deadline must be approved by the Organizing Committee and are only granted in extraordinary cases.

6.8  Roster Deadline: The Roster Deadline is announced at the start of registration and teams are required to recruit all players prior to the start of the season. Changes to the roster following the deadline is prohibited to promote fairness

6.9  League Rep: Upon registration, each team is required to provide the league with at least TWO players who are able and available to serve as a League Representative. Neither league reps can be the captain of a team; however, assistant captains are permitted to be league reps. Upon registration, these players are considered committed to serve as League Representatives and are not expected to be switched out or substituted. If a League Representative is no longer able to serve during the season, the captain of their team may replace the League Representative, however, the new League Representative’s availability requests are not guaranteed to be accompanied. Please refer to the League Rep page for more information on the role and requirement.

6.10  Illegal Roster: Any team found violating the League’s regulation on player category eligibility or roster structure will be subject to the following disciplinary actions:

      • Relegation to the bottom of the standings following the end of the regular season (teams that finished below the violating team in the regular season will move up for playoff seeding)
      • Forfeiture of the team’s first playoff game
        • Note: The team will not be subject to the forfeiture fine as long as the team is still able to meet the minimum roster requirement to play in their forfeited match

6.11  If a team is found repeatedly or intentionally violating the League’s restrictions on player category, the League may impose further disciplinary actions up to and including suspension of the team’s participation in the Season.

7. Equipment

7.1  PentaSport will provide a game ball(s), the gymnasium, nets, and other equipment relevant to the sport (i.e. flags for football).

7.2  Players must wear proper gym attire. Playing shirtless, or wearing hoodies/jackets and jeans are not permitted. Players without proper footwear or any footwear at all are not permitted to play (i.e. barefoot, sandals, slippers, flip flops, marking shoes, dress shoes, and boots).

7.3   Players may not use clothing or accessories to provide unfair advantage, or unfairly inhibit or assist the movement of the ball. Shin pads are allowed. Goalie gloves are also permitted, but only for soccer. Catching gloves are allowed in flag football and ultimate. For more sport specific rules regarding equipment that is not listed above, please refer to the rules page for each sport.

7.4  Home teams are required to wear white and away teams are required to wear dark. We recommend players to bring one dark and one light T-Shirt in the event of a colour conflict.

8. Free Agents

8.1  The league will accept and try its best to place free agents — individuals who do not have a team to play for — onto existing teams. Free agents are required to contact the league at least 3 weeks prior to the start of the season (or follow registration instructions provided by the Organizing Committee).

8.2   Individuals who consistently attend a Christian church can only be considered a free agent IF their home church:

      • Does not have a team in the league’s upcoming season or; 
      • The team’s roster is already full.

If none of the conditions apply, the individual will be considered under the Other Church player category on the roster. Note: the maximum number of Other Church players on a roster remains at two (2).

8.3 Free agents will be considered a separate player category on a team roster. Teams are still required to ensure their roster abides by League Regulations on player-category and roster limitations.

8.4  Free agents will be placed onto teams at the discretion of the PentaSport Committee. There is no guarantee that a free agent will be provided a roster spot. Variables, such as needs assessment by team captains, availability, compatibility, and location, will be taken into account.

9. Sportsmanship and Discipline

9.1  PentaSport expects all players to be respectful and show sportsmanship to other league participants, representatives, and committee. The league reserves the right to refuse participation.

9.2  PentaSport expects all players to be respectful of venues, equipment, venue coordinators, janitorial staff, and individuals who are using the venues before, during, and after the league’s scheduled games. Food and drinks (except water) are prohibited from being consumed inside the venues — as per contractual agreement with the venues. Violation of this rule impacts PentaSport’s future abilities to rent locations, hence why a “no food or drinks” rule will be heavily enforced.

9.3 Pre- and Post- Game: To build relationships through sport and to foster unity, as per PentaSport’s Mission and Vision, teams will gather together prior to the game for a moment of prayer, announcements, and opportunity for questions, as led by the League Rep. This will be followed by a chance for both/all competing teams to introduce themselves and shake hands. After the game, players are also encouraged to shake hands / fist bump with the opposing team.

9.4  Captains’ Half-Time Meeting: To help with recurring or potential conflict and to build a better sense of community, captains are to meet with each other at halftime, along with the League Rep, to address any in-game issues. Captains are then expected to relay any updates or cautions to their team.

9.5  PentaSport is a non-contact recreational league. Any type of play or altercation that is deemed dangerous or unsafe are highly discouraged, and will be subject to verbal warning and, if continued, potential expulsion from the game and/or league. Disciplinary action will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the League Committee.

9.6  Any physical or aggressive altercations, behaviour, or serious breaches of spirit and sportsmanship will be automatically met with disciplinary actions, which could result in warnings, suspensions, or expulsion, as determined by the League Committee. Players are not allowed to promote or engage in physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion, disorderly or lewd conduct, and/or other conduct, which threatens or endangers the health or safety of any league participant.

9.7  PentaSport has a zero tolerance policy towards consuming alcohol, illicit drugs, or abuse of controlled substances during games. They are prohibited in all venues. If a player is visibly affected by the aforementioned substance(s) during game play, as identified by another player, league rep, or committee member, then the offender will be ejected from the game immediately and will be subjected to further disciplinary action.

9.8  PentaSport reserves the right to approve or deny a team’s final roster submissions, and may ask captains to adjust accordingly. Roster rules are intentionally regulated to provide a fair and foundational structure that help advance the vision and mission of the league, especially in regards to building community within the church. This means that PentaSport take roster rules very seriously. Please seek clarification from the Organizing Committee first, if there are any confusion. Any attempts to knowingly circumvent the roster rules or provide false information may lead to disciplinary action (as listed in Rule 6.XX), including expulsion from the league, by the Organizing Committee or Board of Directors.