CCS Cross Country Bylaws

Central Coast Section (CCS) CROSS COUNTRY BYLAWS

1. SCHEDULED MEETINGS	5. QUALIFYING - SECTION TO STATE	9. ELIGIBLE ATHLETES
2. MEET DATES / SITES	6. RULES	10. SPORTSMANSHIP
3. DIVISION PLACEMENT	7. APPEALS	11. USE OF COURSE
4. QUALIFYING - LEAGUE TO SECTION	8. AWARDS	12. TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

Section 1. SCHEDULED MEETINGS
A. Organization:	WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2008, 7:00 PM, @ the CCS office
B. Evaluation:	WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2008, 7:00 PM, @ the CCS office

Section 2. MEET DATES / SITES

The Section Meet is scheduled for SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2008.
(If the Meet is to be called because of inclement weather, the decision will be made as close as possible to
6 :00 AM on the day of the Meet. The rain-out date is TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2008.

Division II:	Girls	10:00 AM	Boys	10:30 AM
Division III:	Girls	11:05 AM	Boys	11:35 AM
Division IV:	Girls	12:10 PM	Boys	12:40 PM
Division V:	Girls	1:15 PM	Boys	1:45 PM
Division I:	Girls	2:20 PM	Boys	2:50 PM

The CCS Commissioner and/or staff shall be responsible for all contracts for sites used during the CCS Play-offs. The CCS Commissioner and/or staff have sole authority to schedule or cancel sites, as well as full discretion as to the assignment or re-assignment of teams to times and sites throughout the CCS Play-offs. The CCS Commissioner and/or staff have the final authority in any disputes over sites or times of play, and the decision of the CCS Commissioner is not subject to appeal, due to the immediacy of running the Tournament for the good of the whole. Neutral sites are not a policy of the CCS and should not be expected in any rounds of play. Sites will be assigned by the CCS for the good of the Tournament.

League Rep.'s must e-mail (in Microsoft Excel) their Leagues' official results and entries, including names of both Team and Individual Qualifiers to: racetimer@aol.com, and to the CCS office (rmiailovich@cifccs.org) on or before: NOON, on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2008

Section 3. DIVISION PLACEMENT
A.	The previous year's grade 9-12 CBEDS figures, as listed below, will be used for Division placement:

Divisions	CBEDS enrollments	(Approximate # CCS schools)
I	2,001+	19
II	1,551 - 2,000	30
III	1,190 - 1,550	23
IV	501 - 1,189	29
V	1 - 500	32

Section 4. QUALIFYING FROM LEAGUE TO SECTION
A.	~~Each Division at the Section Meet should have a minimum of 10 teams~~, Qualifying from the League Meets to the Section Meet will be accomplished as follows:
	1.	Half (rounding up) the teams competing in each League Meet advance to the Section Meet.
	2.	All Leagues are guaranteed at least one (1) team in each Division that they have represented in their League.
	3.	If a team does not automatically qualify for the Section Meet at its League Championship Meet, it will qualify as an At-Large Entry if it meets the following condition:
		a. The combined time for a team's top five (5) runners (team time) at its League Finals is less than the average of the median team time for 1997 and subsequent years at the Section Meet for the Division in which the team competes.
	4.	Any Division that has less than 10 teams competing will be filled by taking the next best team from each league that qualifies for that Division. This will continue until each Division has at least 10 teams competing (This may not be possible if there are less than 10 teams in the Section that qualify.)
B.	Each League qualifies the top three (3) individuals (not on a qualifying team).
C.	When two (2) or more basic Leagues join together to form supplemental Leagues, the following shall apply:
	1.	When supplemental Leagues are formed, and each of the two (2) or more Leagues currently have Automatic Qualifiers to the CCS Tournament, the new supplemental Leagues shall retain the total of their previous Automatic Qualifiers [e.g., Leagues A and B each have three (3) Automatic Qualifiers. When the new supplemental Leagues are formed, combining A and B, they will have a total of six (6) Automatic Qualifiers].
	2.	The League Board of Managers having governance authority over the supplemental Leagues shall determine in its bylaws how those Automatic Qualifiers will be allocated from the supplemental Leagues. In the absence of a basic League tournament to determine Section qualifiers, the basic League MUST allocate an automatic berth to each of the supplemental League Champions.

Section 5. QUALIFYING FROM SECTION TO STATE

The number of team entries into the CIF State Championship Meet is based on a formula involving the
following:

An established baseline providing a minimum number of entries for each CIF Section; the established baseline for each Division competing in the CCS is as follows:

Division I:	Boys - 2; Girls - 2	Division IV:	Boys - 3; Girls - 4
Division II:	Boys - 3; Girls - 3	Division V:	Boys - 3; Girls - 3
Division III:	Boys - 4; Girls - 3

Additional/reduced entries may be allocated in subsequent years, based upon the most recent four (4)-year history of the Section team performance within each Divisional race;

No CIF Section shall have more than seven (7) team entries in any Divisional race;

A maximum of five (5) individuals, per criteria in each division, will qualify from Section to State meet finals as follows: If the division has 2 automatic qualifiers, the five must finish in the top 12. If the division has 3 automatic qualifiers, the five must finish in the top 14 and if the division has 4 automatic qualifiers, the five must finish in the top 16.

5.   If a State qualifier indicates that he/she will not compete in the State Meet, the next
     qualifying individual maybe substituted, as long as the respective scratch is declared and
     finalized by the end of the day at the Section meet. No such alternates will be allowed
     after entries have been submitted to the State CIF.


Section 6. RULES
A.	The 2008-09 National Federation Track & Field and Cross Country Rules will be followed, with the modification that NO SPIKES ARE ALLOWED ON THE COURSE!
B.	Athletes will not be allowed to run while wearing a bandanna that covers the head.
C.	Coaches need to pay particular attention to Rule 9-5-1 through 4 (Uniforms).
D.	Any school allowing an ineligible student-athlete, or more than seven (7) team members, to compete in the Section Meet is subject to disqualification from the Meet and from any other meets during the current season which are subsequent to the above infraction.
E.	COACH MUST BE PRESENT Coaches are expected to be present at the Meet. All student-athletes competing in any CCS contest (scrimmages, alumni contests, pre-season, League and CCS Play-offs) must be accompanied by a coach that meets the following criteria, as addressed in CIF Bylaws 308 & 506:
	1.	MUST BE THE "REGULAR COACH" The coach of either a public or private school team or athlete must be the coach of record for that school for the current season and must comply with all requirements of CIF Bylaw 506.
		a.	PUBLIC SCHOOLS - All public school teams must be coached by a person who meets the requirements of the California Ed. Code and the California Administrative Code Title V.
		b.	NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS - In the case of a non-public school, a person engaged by that school on a yearly contract basis as a regular member of the school coaching or teaching staff and certified by the administrator for that school as competent for the position held.
	2.	EMERGENCY SITUATIONS In the case of an emergency ONLY, the principal of the school may designate an alternate coach, as long as it is done in writing prior to the contest and submitted to the League Commissioner for all pre-season and League contests and the CCS Commissioner for CCS Play-off contests. Any alternate coach MUST be an individual who meets all the conditions required in Section 6.E.-1a. above in the case of a public school, and Section 6.E.-1b. above in the case of a non-public school.
	3.	NO COACH PRESENT - STUDENT INELIGIBLE


Section 7. APPEALS
A.	Any Head Coach can report an infraction to the Meet Referee.
B.	The Meet Referee will investigate the infraction, using all possible resources before making a ruling.
C.	The ruling of the Referee is final, except in the case of a rule interpretation. Interpretations may be appealed to the Section office, in writing, within 48 hours.

Section 8. AWARDS
A.	20 Team Trophies: Champion and Runner-Up Teams in all Divisions.
B.	70 Medals: 1st- through 7th-place finishers, Girls and Boys, in all Divisions.

Section 9. ELIGIBLE ATHLETES
A.	All athletes must be in good standing with their League, school and the CCS in order to compete. No ineligible athletes will be allowed to compete.
B.	Any player or coach who is disqualified from a Tournament contest for FLAGRANT MISCONDUCT or UNSPORTSMANLIKE BEHAVIOR will be disqualified from all remaining contests in that sport that season, including Nor-Cal and State CIF competition.

Section 10. SPORTSMANSHIP

The member schools of the CIF-Central Coast Section are committed to providing a sportsmanlike environment for students, coaches and spectators.

Our Sportsmanship Definition is:
A person who can take a loss or defeat without complaint, or victory without gloating,
and who treats his/her opponents with fairness, courtesy and respect.

The following behavior is unacceptable at all CIF/CCS High School contests

berating your opponent's school or mascot	artificial noise makers
complaining about officials' calls (verbally or in gestures)	obscene cheers / gestures
berating opposing players	negative signs

To this end, each school is required to submit one (1) signed Sportsmanship Contract prior to the first league contest of the school year. This contract confirms that the principal, verbally and through written communication, has addressed the importance of sportsmanship to his student body, faculty and community.

Each Principal is required by the CCS Board of Managers to meet with any team or individual athlete(s) from his/her school participating in the Tournament to review CCS Sportsmanship Information.
(See APPENDIX for REQUIRED PRE-GAME SPORTSMANSHIP MEETING)

Section 11. ATHLETES' / COACHES' USE OF CROSS COUNTRY COURSE

There is a set of basic rules for use of the Section Cross Country course of which all concerned need to be made aware. Failure to comply with these basic rules may result in losing use of the facility. Please read and comply with these rules, as they appear in the CCS Participant Information Bulletin.

Section 12. TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

The CCS Participant Information Bulletin will be posted on the CCS web page and mailed to all schools and the media approximately three (3) weeks prior to the Meet.