Scope

This policy applies to all members of the Southern Peninsula Basketball Association (SPBA) involved in the Community Competition. It outlines the procedures and guidelines for grading teams throughout the season.

Audience

This policy applies to all teams, clubs, coaches, and players participating in the SPBA Community Competition.

Background

The Grading Guidelines are intended to provide the procedure of how teams are graded throughout the Community Competition season. At all times, the primary concern is the happiness, well-being, and development of our junior players. Correct placement of players into teams and correct placement of teams into grades will help ensure happy and successful teams.

Teams with players of the same age group will ensure that teams are not constantly broken up as players change age groups. The guidelines apply to both the winter and summer seasons. The guidelines outline the automatic team placing and initial movement for each season. This document is a guide due to the complex situation of grading, and the Association reserves the right to grade teams in the interests of creating a fun, safe, and inclusive competition.

Entry and Pre-Grading of Teams

When a team registers with SPBA, the club will enter them according to the below criteria. The Association may have to make minor adjustments to this grid to ensure even numbered divisions and adequate team numbers.

Teams with four or more representative players that are in a 1st, 2nd or 3rd team for any representative club must be pre-graded into Division One for grading. For the regular season, teams will be graded wherever their skill ability is best placed, regardless of the number of representative players.

Grading Guidelines – Winter Season

The grading guidelines for the winter season are as follows:

• Top 2 teams on season ladder: Move up a division
• Teams not in top or bottom 2: Remain in the same division
• Bottom team on season ladder: Move down a division

Grading Guidelines – Summer Season

In the summer season, as some teams are moving up an age group, the Association may need to apply discretion to ensure feasible division numbers during grading. The below guidelines will apply with the below considerations:

TEAMS MOVING UP AN AGE GROUP

Teams that are moving up an age group will move down a division in the higher division for grading, regardless of ladder position. For example:

• Teams in Division 1 will move up an age group and be graded into Division 2
• Teams in Division 2 will move up an age group and be graded into Division 3

If there is no division to be moved down into, the team should be placed in the lowest division.

TEAMS REMAINING IN SAME AGE GROUP

Teams remaining in the same age group should automatically move up a minimum of one division.

Grading Phases

Grading shall be completed in two phases: Initial Grading (3 weeks) and Review Process (2 weeks).

The clubs shall meet at the conclusion of the initial grading phase, which is detailed below. The review process grading is to ensure no further minor changes need to occur after the main grading phase is completed.

Club Grading Meeting

The Association will complete a draft of grading placings on the first Monday after round three of the Saturday competitions. These draft gradings will be distributed to clubs by 7pm on that day for consideration by the clubs.

The clubs will then meet the following day (Tuesday) to finalize grading.

The process for grading meetings will be as follows:

• SPBA will present each age group one by one, clearly showing movement between teams and reasons for movement.
• Each club will be given an opportunity to present an argument, including any factual evidence for any changes to this age group.
• The proposed changes shall be recorded, and at the end of each club being given an opportunity to present any changes, each change shall be voted on.
• The vote is to determine a recommendation by a majority of the clubs. SPBA reserves the right to reject the recommendation for a reason.

Player Changes in Teams

Any representative players that join a team after round 3 must complete an online form with SPBA to notify of the addition of a player. When a representative player is added after grading the team's grade may be reviewed.

The SPBA reserve the right to reject a representative player joining a team after round three in extreme circumstances if it is not in the best interests of the competition.

Competition Ladders and Results

Ladders and results are hidden during the first three rounds of grading to ensure teams compete in the spirit of the game and do not manipulate results in their favor.

After round three, ladder points are reset and continue for the remainder of the season. If a team changes grade throughout the season after round 3, they will retain their existing ladder points.

General

Overall, SPBA's grading policy ensures fair and objective evaluation of team members' work and promotes healthy competition among teams.