We’re getting ready for Fall 2020!

Update Aug 25: The provincial authorities released updated guidelines yesterday that do allow for game play. We are reviewing them and will post further updates ASAP.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the VUL’s clinics, camps, and team practices this summer. We are working on options for Fall season and would like your input! 

The Basics

At a minimum, we plan to offer Team Practices and possibly a Camp like we did this summer. Many people took the opportunity to safely meet up with their friends in the sun to shake off some of the covid blues.

We might offer a DDC league (see Double Disc Court rules) if we can't play any games. DDC allows players to easily maintain physical distance. 

However, provincial authorities MAY allow sports to play some games this fall. We'd like your input on whether to offer modified leagues if we can. We're trying to balance concerns about safety due to covid with the benefits of staying active and connecting with others. 

Should we offer modified leagues? Would you register for one if we did? Please read the following, and then complete this survey ASAP. 

The Possibilities

We expect provincial sport authorities to release new guidelines very soon that may include the following updates:

• Modified games would be permitted among members of the same “cohort” (a set group of players). The maximum cohort size will likely be 40-60 players.
• Physical distancing will still be required in most if not all cases. They might allow players to come within 2m of each other while playing. If that is allowed, we would still require distancing while marking (at least 1m and likely 2m), and we'd still require full 2m distancing on the sidelines. 

How would cohorts work? We'd group teams into small divisions and cap rosters to fit the cohort size. For example:

• If the limit was 40, we could run a 4v4 league with 4-team divisions, and cap rosters at 10 players per team. Those 40 people would play games against each other each week. 
• If the limit was 60, we could run a 4v4 league with 6-team divisions, or a 5v5 league with 4-team divisions and rosters capped at 15.

For reseeding between divisions to provide balanced games and some variety, we'd have a few options:

• For Fall Grass league, if we had a weather cancellation, there would end up being 2 weeks between games. We think it would be OK to switch divisions (cohorts) during that time.
• For Fall Turf league (including Women & Open), we could have similar "bye weeks" to move teams, or could just rebalance or redo teams within a cohort every 4 or 6 weeks. If we did the latter, we could possibly allow players to choose their field, and play all of their games at that field for a community vibe. We might also switch Fall Turf league to be a "Team" league rather than Hat league for this year. 

Not familiar with 4v4? The format is very popular out east. 

• Our gender ratios would be 2W:2M.
• We'd likely use stop-points, where the disc is placed on the ground after a point and players sub then. Play restarts with a check (not a pull). 

For any modified Fall league, please note fees per player may be higher than normal to help cover field costs (as we'd have fewer players per field than normal), but they would still be very reasonable. 

Safety Considerations

The safety of our members and community is of paramount importance. If we offer modified games, we will monitor activities even more closely than we do now, and will take action if policies are not followed.

For all programs we offer this fall:

• All participants must agree to follow the COVID-19 policy we released this summer. 
• All players MUST complete health checks before playing each week. Anyone exhibiting symptoms is not allowed to play. Captains are responsible for ensuring their players perform these checks, but we can assist. 
• Setting your attendance each week will be mandatory (for contact tracing).
• We'll have guidelines for periodically sanitizing discs. 
• Masks will be optional but welcomed. 

Fall Possibilities Survey

Your Input

We'd like your feedback. Please complete the Fall Possibilities Survey ASAP. You can also Contact Us by email or phone. 

Youth Reminder

If you know any young players who want to improve their skills, please pass along our Youth Fall Options in Vancouver for ages 9-18.