Policies and Procedures

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Mission Statement

Policies and Procedures

April 2025

To promote the sport of Lacrosse in a fun, safe and respectful environment while developing the skills and knowledge of the game of Lacrosse, and to increase the love of the sport in a positive team building manner in all players, coaches and association members.

The objective of IMLA:

1. Foster, promote, govern and improve Minor Box Lacrosse in Innisfail and within the LGB boundaries.
2. Foster among its members, supporters and teams, fair play, sportsmanship and general community spirit while maintaining and promoting interest in the game of Minor Box Lacrosse.
3. Control and exercise general care, supervision and direction over all playing interest in IMLA or other activities entered into by IMLA and its members.
4. Institute and regulate competition in Minor Box Lacrosse.

Code of Conduct: (see appendix 1, 2 and 3 Player, Coach and Parent code of conducts)

All Members, Players, Coaches, Managers, Trainers, Executive Board Members, Spectators and Officials shall:

1. Attempt at all times to work toward the goals and objectives of IMLA and the game of Lacrosse, and towards the betterment of its members; strive to heighten the image and dignity of IMLA and the sport of Lacrosse as a whole, and to refrain from behavior which may discredit or embarrass IMLA or the game.
2. Always be courteous and objective in dealings with other members.
3. Refrain from unfavourable criticism of other members or representatives of IMLA, except when made through proper channels.
4. Strive to achieve excellence in the sport while supporting the concepts of Fair Play and a Drug Free Sport.
5. Show respect for the cultural, social, religious, and political values of all participants in the sport.
6. As a guest in a foreign country, other provinces or other associations, abide by the laws of the host and adhere to any social customs concerning conduct.
7. IMLA reserves the right to revoke membership with no refund due to violation of the code of conduct.
8. Player, coach, parent Code of Conduct forms are required to be signed at the start of every season. 

REGULATION 1:     Membership Responsibility

A Member shall be:

As referred to in Bylaw 4.4. (20) a “Member” shall mean any family registered with IMLA or any non parent coach, assistant coach, manager or executive member officially registered with the association. The membership fee shall be the registration fee for a lacrosse player, such a fee being determined by the IMLA executive committee before each new box lacrosse year. A “member” must be in good standing provided in Bylaw 5;

Membership entitles each household, one vote at all Annual and General Meetings, as long as they are a member in good standing (as defined by IMLA Bylaw # 5).  IMLA welcomes all members to attend the Annual and General Meetings, to have an active voice in the operations of IMLA.  All executive meetings are open to the public at all times with the exception of any en camera portion.

REGULATION 2:     Voting

As per Bylaw 4.4. (31) “Voting Household” shall mean one vote per household at Annual General Meetings.

REGULATION 3:     Registration

1. Fees: IMLA player fees must consist of; IMLA player registration fee, volunteer bond, tournament raffle donation.  CALL registration and ALA registration fees are included in the player registration fee.  Registration fees will be set prior to registration and will be based on estimated cost of floor time, referees, the inclusion of CALL and ALA fees as specified and tournament fees as approved by CALL and ALA.  There will be an early bird registration fee set by the Executive Board and cut off by a date determined by the board of the current Box Lacrosse season, with the exception of new registration for U7 and U9 divisions.
2. A player may be denied access to the playing floor if the Parent and Player Code of Conduct has not been completed and or the registration fees have not been paid prior to the players first scheduled floor time.
3. Refunds: In the event a player/ family requests a withdrawal from a program there will be a $50.00 non-refundable administration fee assessed on all registrations regardless of cancellation date. After registration, any refund given must have the CALL and ALA registration fees deducted from the refund. Refunds will consist of the remaining money and will only be given up to the conclusion of the first weekend of game play and at the discretion of the Executive Board. In the case of an injury that leaves a player unable to complete the season, fees will be prorated, and the amount of refund will be at the discretion of the Executive Board. A request for refund, because of injury, must be received in writing accompanied by a signed doctor note. 
4. Deadline for fees: Registration open date will be set by the Executive Board each year with individual registration being closed as of May 15 set by ALA. Registration fees - consisting of fees, volunteer bond and association volunteer bond must be received by the Registrar prior to first practice. If full payment cannot be made a three payment installment plan (one dated the date registered, and the balance due no later than 1 week prior to commencement of the season) *** an alternative arrangement must be made with the Treasurer prior to floor access for insurance purposes. A player is not deemed registered until the entire registration is paid. If the payment arrangement is not honored, the player’s registration with IMLA will be void, and the player will be denied access to the floor. 
5. Any member who has outstanding debts to IMLA, whether incurred because of registration or accrued during the season as a player, volunteer or coach, shall be declared “Not in Good Standing”.  A player, coach or volunteer who is no longer in good standing, shall not be permitted to register for the next year of Box Lacrosse.  If the debt remains unpaid during the playing season, 30 days after notice has been given to the member by the Treasurer or President; playing, coaching or volunteer will be reinstated immediately upon receipt by the Treasurer of cash or certified cheque in the amount of the debt. Reference to Bylaw 5.
6. Financial Assistance: If a player/family is in need of financial assistance they can seek assistance from Kidsport program or request to the IMLA treasurer Helping Hand. They must apply to kidsport or request Helping Hand prior to the commencement of league play. Please note the volunteer and ALA fees are still required and must be submitted 1 week prior to the commencement of the season. 
7. Registrations will be accepted in a division up to the allotted roster size (Regulation 6), as set by ALA. Registration is accepted on a first come first served basis (preference will be given to IMLA players), accompanied by full payment of fees and deposits up to the CALL player and team registration deadline. 
8. Waitlist: If a team has a full roster, then a wait list will be kept by the Registrar in the event that a current registered player cancels his/her registration from the team within the CALL registration deadline. If a player registration is not received by the deadline for declaration of team resulting in no declaration of an IMLA team, as per CALL guidelines, then no registration will be accepted by said registrant and no release will be considered. All registrations and wait list requests will only be accepted by the IMLA Registrar. If a player is released it is for the current season only and registration for the following season will be with IMLA. 
9. IMLA will offer females and U19 registration to try and fill a team (if we do not reach enough numbers for a full team, we will try to facilitate finding a team to play on).

 REGULATION 4:     Rules of Play and “Fair Play”

1. IMLA will follow all CLA, ALA and CALL rules of play at ALL TIMES.
2. As IMLA is currently a ‘B’ center. We will encourage “fair play”, so that all players can grow and develop their skills.  The LTAD minimum standards, as designated by ALA, will be used to guide skill development.  

REGULATION 5:     Tournaments

According to CALL rules and regulations, teams in CALL are allowed to attend a maximum of 3 tournaments within the CALL season. (Within the season dates as specified by CALL). Home Tournaments are considered 1 of the 3 tournaments in the season and is mandatory.

REGULATION 6:      Parity, Releases, Player Movement and Permission to Tryout

1. Parity: In the event that there is more than one team declared in a division, IMLA will take reasonable steps to ensure the teams are composed with parity between said teams, IMLA will follow the minimum Alberta Lacrosse Association team division numbers.  Wherever possible, parity will be determined by evaluations completed by 3 evaluators that have no vested interest in the teams. 
1. Division of teams will be based on the following principles in this order
2. Goalies
3. Player evaluation results
4. Left/Right players
2. Releases:  Any member requesting a release from IMLA, must be registered with IMLA and a member in good standing.  Releases will not be granted for any reason other than:
3. A player that makes the ‘A’ team
4. A female registrant moving to play on a female team, in the event that IMLA is not able to provide a female team.
5. Players who have been put on a waiting list in a division which holds more than the Alberta Lacrosse Association allotted playing roster of 20 (2 Goalies and 18 Runners).
6. Player Movement:  Players must be registered in their age division.  Player movement may be allowed, (provided the player movement satisfies the rules of movement as set by CALL and ALA) at the discretion of IMLA/Coach/Parent/Player. 
7. Permission to Tryout:  
   1. Register with IMLA 
   2. Request permission to try out and permission will be granted or denied from IMLA President
   3. Once the player has successfully been accepted onto an ‘A’ team, the player will conditionally be released for one season to the receiving association
8. A release may be denied if that player would make the minimum number, as specified by the ALA, for IMLA to declare a team in that division, after all other options to make the minimum have been considered. 

REGULATION 7: Awards

The Tom Kovacs Award

Criteria: The Tom Kovacs Award is an award given annually.  The Kovacs Award was established in 2009 for recognition of Tom Kovacs.  He was instrumental in bringing the game of Lacrosse to the Town of Innisfail and establishing IMLA. The recipient of this award can be any volunteer member in good standing, past or present, of IMLA who exhibits fair play, good sportsmanship, integrity and a love and dedication to the game of Lacrosse. Submissions can be made by anyone in the community. 

Zack Smith Memorial Award

Criteria: The third award is the Zach Smith #13 Memorial Award. This award is presented to any current player on any current team in IMLA. This player should have exhibited: high skill level, strong leadership, fair play, attended 90% of games/practices, team sportsmanship on and off the field, represented IMLA positively and positively represented the game, and lastly, a general love for the game.

Coach of the Year

Criteria: This award is presented to honour a coach who has consistently demonstrated outstanding coaching abilities, sportsmanship, dedication, and is a positive influence on our young athletes lives.

Award Submission 

1. Submission for awards would be emailed to the Public Relations Director and Secretary of IMLA. 
2. Deadline for submissions will be set each year by the Executive Board.
3. Selection will be based on the number of submissions and whether the person selected meets the established criteria upon the approval of the Executive Board.
4. The recipient will be announced publicly at the Year End Wind Up.  The award/plaque will be displayed in the IMLA display case at the Arena.

REGULATION 8: Non-Voting Board Positions

IMLA Executive Board can add non-voting board positions for a calendar year if deemed necessary for the lacrosse season’s operations.  

REGULATION 9: IMLA Safety and Equipment

1. IMLA requires all players to wear the necessary certified equipment, as specified by the ALA, at all games and practices.
2. Mouthguards and Jock/Jill’s are always mandatory.
3. Kneepads are recommended but not mandatory.
4. Helmets are mandatory for anyone on the floor under the age of 18.  This includes coaches under the age of 18.  No exceptions.
5. Goalie Equipment:  Will be provided to goalies of IMLA.  A $250.00 deposit must be given before goalie gear is distributed.  Gear must be returned at the end of the season in the same condition it was given and sanitized as per Equipment Director’s specifications (with normal wear and tear taken into consideration), and then the deposit will be returned.  Goalies are responsible for purchasing their own Jock/Jill and helmet.  Bantam and Midget goalies are also responsible for providing their own stick.
6. Jerseys:  All jerseys are to be turned into the Team Manager or designated volunteer at the end of every game.  It is the responsibility of teams to ensure jerseys are washed and looked after properly.If a player loses or causes damage to their jersey the cost for replacement or repair will be billed to the player’s family.
7. Equipment Return:  Managers are to arrange the return of jerseys.  Goalies must arrange the return of goalie equipment to the Equipment Director at the end of the season.  Head Coaches are responsible for the return of the ball bags, first aid kits and coaches supplies that were provided by IMLA. The equipment manager is to complete a full inventory report each season and to advise the board at the start of each season any anticipated equipment needs for budgeting purposes.
8. If any goalies trying out for Red Deer A team make A team, goalie equipment gets returned to IMLA.

REGULATION 10:  Travel outside of Alberta

All teams traveling outside of Alberta require permission (permit) from IMLA and ALA.

REGULATION 11:  Coaches/Trainers/Referees

Coaches Application Process:  Coaching applications will be accepted up to the week prior to CALL’s deadline to declare teams.  Applications will be reviewed by the Coach/Player Development Director to ensure that coaches have the required ALA Coaching standard. The Director will review all applications and make recommendations to the IMLA Executive Board, which will then make a final decision on each coach placement. Coaches will be reimbursed for coaching courses if there have been a total of 5 games coached within IMLA. 

1. All Coaches are expected to follow IMLA Regulation 4 - Rules of Play.
2. All Bench Staff is expected to provide IMLA with a Criminal Record Check with the Vulnerable Sector Check prior to their application being accepted.
3. All Coaches are required to sign the IMLA Coaching Code of Conduct.
4. Referees that have refereed 5 Innisfail Phantom home games will be reimbursed for courses.
5. Trainers will be reimbursed for First Aid courses at the end of the season.

REGULATION 12:  Discipline Issues/Complaints/Proper Protocol

All discipline issues must be reported in writing to the Discipline Chair to be considered.

Player/Coach/General Member:  Players, Parents, Coaches and General Members shall always conduct themselves according to the IMLA Code of Conduct.  Failure to adhere to this code may result in suspensions or removal from IMLA and/or its governing bodies.

Discipline Procedure:

1. Meeting with the coach and/ or team board liaison. If no resolution, proceed to B
2. Meeting with  the Discipline chair. Minutes of any such meeting will be held in confidence and made available only to the parties involved. If there is no resolution, proceed to C.
3. Meeting of the Discipline Committee to assess if discipline is required. A written report with the incident along with a written discipline order and any conditions that arise from the meeting of the Discipline Chair/Committee.
4. Follow up by the Discipline Chair/Committee to ensure that all conditions are adhered to.
5. Release report from the Discipline Chair/Committee to the Executive Board, after all conditions have been met.  Final reports are to be filed with the IMLA Executive Board documents.
6. Ongoing monitoring of the file by the Discipline Chair if required, or file closure.

All discipline issues will remain confidential to the best of the ability of IMLA.

Appeals:  To appeal a discipline decision made by IMLA, it must be submitted in writing to CALL.  IMLA follows the natural justice process that is set up by ALA.

REGULATION 13:  Sponsorship/Fundraising

Sponsorship Contract Outline:

1. Fundraising at the team level must be approved by the Executive Board of IMLA with funds managed by the Treasurer of IMLA. See Bylaw 8, subsection 8.9.
2. Sponsorship contracts will be maintained by the Public Relations/Fundraising Director, with copies being made available to the Executive Board at the time of sponsorship renewal and will be turned in at the end of the year for filing with the IMLA Executive Board documents.
3. There is a variety of sponsorship opportunities for local businesses to partner with IMLA.  Documentation must accompany ALL transactions.
4. Jersey Sponsorship:  The sponsorship amount will be determined annually by the Executive Board.  Sponsors may pay annually or in full at the time of the agreement. Sponsors will have first right of refusal once their term is up.  At the end of each season, sponsors will receive a picture of their team from the Public Relations/Fundraising Director.

REGULATION 14:  Website

The website will be updated by the director of  Public Relations and Fundraising.  Under the direction of the Executive Board, the Director of Public Relations and Fundraising has the authority to add and remove anything from the website.  All information on the website will be current and up-to-date.All documents will be dated or at least have a date of posting on them. RAMP webpage access changes upon new board members voted in.

Regular Board Meeting Notifications:

1. Approved minutes of Executive Board meetings will be posted in a timely manner upon approval.
2. Next meeting notifications will be posted no later than 3 days after the meeting is scheduled.

Team Areas:  The Director of Public Relations and Fundraising will provide passcodes to the manager of each team, and the coach will designate someone to manage the team’s area on the website. The Director of Public Relations and Fundraising will help with training and advising.  Each team will have as a minimum, the roster, head coach, bench staff,  manager and jersey sponsor information by the start of the season.

REGULATION 15:  Document Control

1. Upon the resignation or term completion of an Executive Board Member, ALL documentation and IMLA belongings will be turned over to the IMLA Executive Board within 5 business days.
2. The IMLA Secretary will be responsible for maintaining all records and files on behalf of IMLA.
3. Supporting documentation will be held by the IMLA President, so that in the event of loss, while in the secretary’s possession, back up files will be maintained.

REGULATION 16:  Allotted floor time per division

1. All teams in IMLA have been allotted 1 or 2 practice times a week, depending on available floor time.  Floor times may be changed by IMLA prior to the start of the season to align with facility availability and CALL guidelines.
2. At times throughout the season, accommodations to week night league games will have to be made.  The Scheduler will make efforts to ensure that any floor time taken away from a team for another team’s league game will be made up with another time slot.
3. Any extra floor time over and above the allotted floor time will be purchased at the team’s expense.

REGULATION 17:  Winter Lacrosse

IMLA may hold winter lacrosse commencing in January each year.  Information will be posted on the IMLA website at the earliest possible time.  Fees will vary depending on location and program offered (i.e. specialized coaching, etc.).  If a player was not registered in the previous season with the ALA and/or outside the IMLA boundaries, an additional insurance fee will apply.

REGULATION 18:  Volunteerism and Volunteer Bonds

At the start of the lacrosse season, a volunteer bond will be collected for each registered player in IMLA. This may be paid through registration fees. The bond will be held until the end of the season and upon completion of the required association related volunteer hours at tournaments, concession and other IMLA fundraising activities throughout the season. Board members and head coaches will have their club hours fulfilled for one registrant. Assistant coaches, managers and trainers will be considered 50% fulfilled. Currently this volunteer bond is set at $150.00. 

Tournament Donation: Each registrant is required to donate a raffle table prize with a minimum value or $50.00 for our tournament. Alternatively, $50.00 can be paid upfront with registration fees  or the registraint can organize a donation of a raffle table prize or tournament sponsor for our tournament .

Volunteer Hours: Each registrant is to complete 10 hours of club volunteer time. Additional registrants within the same immediate family will be required to complete 5 hours of volunteer time per registrant. (Example: a family with 4 players would be required to volunteer 25 hours) This is what helps keep our club fees down. Hours can be earned through a variety of activities; tournament shifts outside of game duties (i.e. raffle table, 50/50 sales, concession), regular season concession hours, other club fundraisers that IMLA is offering.)

Team Duties: Each Team is responsible for their own team game day duties (jersey parents, time and score box shifts, etc) and declaring a manager of their team. Each team is also responsible to provide a tournament/ festival representative to the tournament committee so that information is communicated back effectively from the board to the team. Team duty hours do not count towards club volunteer hours as they are specific to running the team. 

REGULATION 19: Receipts and Monetary Requests 

1. Any receipts being presented to the treasurer for reimbursement are to be no older than 60 days.
2. With the exception of board pre-approved, fixed amounts, all purchases for IMLA require prior approval from the IMLA executive board 

REGULATION 20: Junior Coaches

1. Junior coaches must be removed by at least one full age group (for example: U15 can not junior coach for U13 but can for U11 and below)
2. Junior Coaches must be a registered Innisfail Minor Lacrosse player.
3. Junior coaches must be approved by the Team’s head coach.
4. Junior Coaches must submit a Junior Coach application
5. Junior coaches are there to assist with the coaches with the team practice, not for personal floor time.