Captain's Letter

Assalaam-alaikum,

First of all, we would like to thank you all for your cooperation and participation up to now.  There are some very important issues that we would like to address and communicate to you all, so please read the following carefully.  Please communicate the content of this email to your respective teams as well.

(1) Timing
(2) Rules + General Behaviour
(3) Lounge + Cleanliness
(4) Prayer + Talk
(5) Other

(1) TIMING

The timing for the entire tournament starts at 7:30am and we hope to finish at a relatively early time.  As such, timings and deadlines will be strictly followed to manage all of the teams and players and to abide by the schedule effectively.  We ask for your utmost cooperation in this.

There is no "sign-in" per se this time.  However you are all responsible for showing up on time for your games.  We strongly encourage you to bring your teams to the John Abbott Casgrain Gyms at 7:30am.  The first set of games are scheduled for 8:00am sharp.  If any team is not ready for their first game at the scheduled time, the Delay of Game or Forfeit rules will be applied re: Tournament Rules - as they will be for every game throughout the day. 

Due to the tight schedule (including 20 teams and over 200 players) and the fact that we are paying referees, there will not be any exceptions to this rule.  So please plan accordingly and consider this fair warning so complaints or requests for exemptions will not be entertained.

Throughout the tournament, it is the team's responsibility to know when they are playing and which gym they are playing in.  There is a small window of time between games (approximately 3.5 minutes), so please be prepared to make the transition in and out of the gym quickly and smoothly.  Please limit your warm ups - you will be cutting your own game time as the clock will start on schedule.  The referees will be clearly instructed to call Delay of Game penalties (re: Tournament Rules) if the situation arises.

(2) RULES + GENERAL BEHAVIOUR

As you may all already know, our principal objective in the Montreal tournaments is to put together a competitive tournament while maintaining a maximum standard of Islamic ethics to ensure that all participants have good, clean fun in a positive atmosphere.  The OC reserves the right to undertake any measures at any time to protect the well-being of participants and integrity of the tournament and its positive objectives.  Please ensure that all of your players have read and understood the Tournament Rules.

Subsequently, there is extremely low tolerance for cursing/swearing/vulgarity, fighting and excessively rough demeanour.  The same also holds true for illegal/haraam substances. 

Additionally, as the premises are open and are being used by other people, including children, any type of cursing/swearing/vulgarity or use of illegal/haraam substance is strictly not allowed and will not be tolerated.  Please maintain proper Islamic comportment while on the property and respect its regulations.

Violation of any of this may warrant harsh consequences.  THERE WILL BE A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY EMPLOYED.  Please note that captains do bear responsibility for their respective teams. 

Also, please remember that the referees are trying their best so do not abuse them in any way.  If there is an issue or if you can offer suggestions or even criticism, feel free to speak to Hany Aoude about it.

(3) LOUNGE + CLEANLINESS

Please do not lounge around in the area right outside of the gyms or leave your equipment lying around there; as stated before, there are other people using the premises and lounging in that area causes problems for them.

Note there are balconies to watch games from.  Spectators are welcome to come watch.  Anyone not playing in a specific match or participating in it (ie. referee, scorekeeper) is requested to watch the game from outside of the gyms (ie. balconies).

As per John Abbott College rules: do not bring any food items except water into the gymnasiums.  Captains are responsible to ensure that when their teams vacate the gym after the game, their benches are clear of anything and everything (including water bottles, sticks, etc.). 

As well, please keep the bathroom clean - wipe dropped water before you leave, throw out garbage in the proper container, etc.  Remember it's a public bathroom and we should maintain it properly for everyone's use.

Please do not litter - there are garbage cans and recycling bins.  As Muslims, we should care about cleanliness and the environment, so please make sure to keep the place clean.

(4) PRAYER + TALK

Given that the tournament provides the opportunity for Muslims of all backgrounds to unite together, which is truly a beautiful thing, all participants are expected to pray in congregation together at the assigned times and thank Allah(swt) for His infinite blessings in unison - there is hardly a better instance than when Muslims unite and pray together.  Captains are requested to ensure their players pray on time with the congregation.

To help in efficiency and reduce traffic, please ask your players to make wudhu (ablution) beforehand if your team is not playing right before the prayer break.

For the guest speaker, we request everyone to respectfully attend the short talk and listen attentively.

(5) OTHER

Please do not leave your equipment lying around.  It is strongly recommended to bring a lock and use the locker rooms to store equipment and personal belongings.  Loss of any item is not the responsibility of the tournament and neither are injuries incurred (God forbid).

The non-perishable food item program will once again be back: any team that donates AT LEAST 12 food items will be awarded a point in the standings.  Items must be brought in the morning and delivered together at the scorekeepers' booth in Gym B.  Kindly encourage your respective teams to donate more items than just the minimum 12, if possible.  We have been able to collect over 450 items over the last 2 tournaments, alhamdulillah, and hope to add to this total with your generosity and cooperation, insha-Allah.

Please ensure that your respective teams have revised the rules.  Note the following minor change in how standings tie-breakers are determined: In case of a tie in the standings, the following will be used to determine the higher seed: (1) head-to-head (if applicable); (2) schedule strength. (3) goal differential.

With the sheer number of participants and the amount of games, we need everyone's help in ensuring the tournament functions in a timely and proper fashion so as to keep it organized and enjoyable for everyone.  Your help in doing so is greatly appreciated.

If there are any questions or any points that need clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.  If there are any points that may have been forgotten, please let us know.

Thank you and looking forward to seeing you all for what is expected to be another fun and action-packed tournament, insha-Allah!

Sincerely,

Shujaat W.
(on behalf of the O.C.)

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