Weather Policy and Updates

Living in Alberta means that even in the warmer months there may be some unpleasant weather. Because of the extremely short playing season, re-scheduling can be difficult and the ESSC will attempt to get games played whenever the weather allows. However, since the ESSC wants all players to enjoy their playing experience, games will be cancelled on days where the weather is extremely poor and player safety could be compromised. With that said, players should not expect games to be cancelled on days that have light rainfall, or lower temperatures.

The daily weather call is a lengthy process, in which the ESSC considers the following factors:

• Hourly forecast and temperature for that day / evening.
• Projected rainfall / precipitation.
• Radar maps and data.
• Field conditions as reported by the ESSC Field Scout for all quadrants of the city.
• Previous rain-outs and league status for that day of the week.

Making the daily weather decision on days with inclement weather is a difficult process as weather can vary in different areas of the city and change drastically in short periods of time. The ESSC attempts to make the best decision possible for the players each and every night. The majority of the ESSC staff are playing in the outdoor leagues themselves and understand how the weather decision affects player experience. If the ESSC posts “Games ON” and the weather takes a turn at or during game-time, we ask that all teams use their best judgement when it comes to starting or finishing their game. Teams are never forced to compromise their team’s safety.

If games are ‘ON’:

• Both teams are required to arrive at the field/court on time with the minimum amount of players required to avoid a default. If the minimum roster requirements are not met at game time, it will be considered a default.
• If conditions are unplayable, including a stoppage due to thunder & lightning, teams are expected to wait 20 minutes.
• If both teams choose to cancel their game, results will be recorded as follows:
  • If at least half the game was played at the time it was called, the score will stand.
  • If less than half the game was played, the score will be entered as a tie.
  • In both cases, the ESSC will not reschedule games and refunds will not be issued.
    • If both teams would like to reschedule, they may do so on their own. In this case, a 0-0 tie should be submitted with comments regarding plans to reschedule. Teams should exchange contact information in order to select a date/time and location to have the game replayed. The game must be replayed at least one week prior to playoffs and the score entered online in order for it to count. It is important that teams do not try and play a make-up game on a field where a scheduled league game is occurring.
• If one team chooses not to play, but the other team wants to, results will be recorded as follows:
  • The team that does not want to play will receive a default loss in the standings but will not be charged the default fee. They will receive full spirit ratings.
  • The ESSC will not reschedule games and refunds will not be issued (this includes a default refund).
• In the case of Coordinator sports, they will have final say over whether or not games will be played. If the Coordinator decides conditions are playable but one or more teams choose not to play, those teams will receive a default loss in the standings but will not be charged the default fee. They will receive full spirit ratings. The ESSC will not reschedule games and refunds will not be issued (this includes a default refund).
• If one, or more teams, do not show up or do not meet minimum player requirements, they default. In this case, the applicable default fees and scores will apply.

Games On Flow Chart

If games are cancelled/fields are closed during the regular season: 

8 week leagues:

• 1st time – the season will be extended by one week.
• 2nd time – the games will not be rescheduled and refunds will not be issued (there may be rare instances when the ESSC can reschedule a game via a double-header or running three matches over two weeks. In these cases, teams will be informed of the make-up game(s) via email).
• 3rd time or more – the games will not be rescheduled and refunds will not be issued.

16 week leagues:

• 1st time – the season will be extended by one week.
• 2nd time – the season will be extended by one week.
• 3rd time or more – the games will not be rescheduled and refunds will not be issued (there may be rare instances when the ESSC can reschedule a game via a double-header or running three matches over two weeks. In these cases, teams will be informed of the make-up game(s) via email).

In the event that games are ‘ON’ during a playoff week but one or both teams choose not to play, the following scenarios will occur:

• Both teams are required to arrive at the field/court on time with the minimum amount of players required to avoid a default. If the minimum roster requirements are not met at game time, it will be considered a default.
• If conditions are unplayable, teams are expected to wait 20 minutes.
• If both teams choose to cancel their game, results will be recorded as follows:
  • If at least half the game was played at the time it was called, the score will stand.
  • If less than half the game was played, the ESSC will attempt to re-schedule on behalf of the teams. However, if the weather does not improve and the games cannot be played before the parks close for the season, the team that was ranked higher in the standings will get the win.
• If one team chooses not to play, but the other team wants to, results will be recorded as follows:
  • The team that does not want to play will receive a default loss in the standings but will not be charged the default fee. They will receive full spirit ratings.
  • The ESSC will not reschedule games and refunds will not be issued (this includes a default refund).

In the event that games are cancelled/fields are closed during a playoff week, the following scenarios will occur:

8 week, double match leagues (where 2 playoff games take place in 1 week):

• In all 8 week leagues, games must be played in 10 weeks or less. Therefore, the ESSC can only ever extend a season by a maximum of two weeks if needed.
• If the season has already been extended by one week due to a regular season cancellation, the playoffs will be extended by one additional week.
• If the additional playoff week is also cancelled, games will not be rescheduled and refunds will not be issued. However, the ESSC will make every effort to get the championship game for each division rescheduled.

8 week, single match leagues (where 2 playoff games take place over 2 weeks):

• In all 8 week leagues, games must be played in 10 weeks or less. Therefore, the ESSC can only ever extend a season by a maximum of two weeks. If there has been a regular season extension, this will only allow for one more extension in playoffs. If there have been no regular season cancelations, playoffs will be allowed two extension weeks if needed.
• If the season has already been extended by one week due to a regular season cancellation, and a second cancelation occurs during the first week of playoffs, the games will be rescheduled and the season extended by one week.
• If the season has already been extended by one week due to a regular season cancellation, the first week of playoffs has been played as scheduled, and a cancellation occurs in the second week of playoffs, the season will be extended by one week.
• If the season has already been extended by two weeks, and the final week of playoffs gets cancelled, games will not be rescheduled and refunds will not be issued. However, the ESSC will make every effort to get the championship game for each division rescheduled.

16 week, double match leagues (where 3 playoff games take place over 2 weeks):

• In all 16 week leagues, games must be played in 19 weeks or less. Therefore, the ESSC can only ever extend a season by a maximum of three weeks. If there have been two regular season cancelations, this will only allow for one more extension in playoffs. If there have been no regular season cancelations, playoffs will be allowed three extension weeks.
• If the season has already been extended by two weeks due to regular season cancellations and a cancellation occurs in the first week of playoffs – the games will be rescheduled and the season extended by one week.
• If the season has already been extended by two weeks due to regular season cancellations and a cancellation occurs in the second week of playoffs – The season will be extended by one week.
• If the season has already been extended by three weeks and the final week of playoffs gets cancelled, games will not be rescheduled and refunds will not be issued. However, the ESSC will make every effort to get the championship game for each division rescheduled.

16 week, single match leagues (where 3 playoff games take place over 3 weeks):

• In all 16 week leagues, games must be played in 19 weeks or less. Therefore, the ESSC can only ever extend a season by a maximum of three weeks. If there have been two regular season cancelations, this will only allow for one more extension in playoffs. If there have been no regular season cancelations, playoffs will be allowed three extension weeks.
• If the season has already been extended by two weeks due to regular season cancellations and a third cancellation occurs in the first week of playoffs, the game will not be rescheduled; teams will advance to the second week of playoffs based on their regular season rankings (for example, the top four teams would qualify for the championship, all other teams would move on to consolation games).
• If the season has already been extended two weeks due to regular season cancellations and a cancellation occurs in the third week of playoffs, the season will be extended by one week.
• If the season has already been extended by three weeks and the final week of playoffs gets cancelled, games will not be rescheduled and refunds will not be issued. However, the ESSC will make every effort to get the championship game for each division rescheduled.

In cases of poor air quality the Club will cancel games if the Air Quality Health Index is 11 or higher. At this level the Government of Canada encourages the general population to "reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors, especially if you experience symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation."

One-off extreme weather conditions (e.g. flooding) will be handled on a case by case basis. The Club will monitor the situation and make the best decision possible for the safety of the players. In cases of cancellations the ESSC team will be in contact with the teams affected and players should monitor their schedules for updates.