QJFL INFORMATION
This league has been in existence since 1908. It has had different names & teams over the years. Over the years it has served many different geographic areas of Ontario & Quebec . The one common denominator is that it has provided an excellent football program for young men between 18 & 22 years of age.
Each year the QJFL awards educational bursaries at the QJFL Awards Dinner. The value of the bursaries varies each year depending on the generosity of our sponsors. Since the start of the bursary program in 1996 the league has been able to award bursaries for a total value in excess of $33,000.00 Every player who registers in the QJFL is eligible to apply for a bursary. The bursary awards have no relationship to your football skills. You can apply as long as you have paid your QJFL registration fee and are or will be attending an educational program that assesses fees to take the program. If you are awarded a bursary you have one year to start the proposed program. To apply for a bursary all you are required to do is fill out an application form that is available from your team manager. You will be requested to tell us in writing (maximum one page) why a bursary would help you to further your development.
After completing the bursary application form you must return it to your team manager by October 1 who will give it to the QJFL league office. The QJFL Bursary Committee will decide which applicants are the most deserving. The decision of awarding a bursary has no relationship to your football skills and the decision of the committee is final. The money for the bursary is paid directly to the institution that you will be attending.
The QJFL makes awards available each year to the teams & players of the league. They are as follows:
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS ~ CYRIL F. WHITE TROPHY
Each year the league awards the Cyril F. White Trophy named after a founding President of the league to the team that wins the regular season schedule.
PLAYOFF CHAMPIONS ~ MANSON CUP
The QJFL also awards a trophy to the team that wins the playoffs each year, which is emblematic of the QJFL championship. The trophy is named after one of the major sponsors “Manson Insulation”. They have been a proud sponsor of the QJFL for the past 12 years.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR ~ BOB GEARY TROPHY
An award is given to the player considered to be the best player in the QJFL and the most respected player by his team and the opposing teams. The players’ leadership & inspirational skills are also taken into consideration when choosing this award winner.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER TO HIS TEAM ~ SPORT O’KEEFE TROPHY
An award is given to the player on each team who is voted by the coaching staffs as the most valuable player to his team.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR ~ KELVIN KIRK TROPHY
An award is given for the player voted by the QJFL coaching staffs as the offensive player of the year in the league. The trophy is named in the memory of Kelvin Kirk of the Ottawa Rough Riders.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR ~ SCHENLEY TROPHY
An award is given for the player voted by the QJFL coaching staffs as the defensive player in the league.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN CENTER ~ TREVOR BENNETT TROPHY
This award was introduced in 2000 in the memory of Trevor Bennett a former all star offensive center lineman with the Chateauguay Raiders. It is awarded to the best offensive lineman at the center position.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR ~ ALEX CHAPMAN TROPHY
This award is given for the best first year player in the league. The player must not have played for any junior, university or CEGEP football team before playing in the QJFL. The trophy is named in the memory of Alex Chapman the former equipment manager for the Greenfield Park football program.
Each year the QJFL honors its all stars and they are announced at the QJFL awards dinner held in November. The selection process is as follows:
To be nominated for an all star position the player must have played at least half of the season at the nominated position. They must have paid the registration fee in full and not be under suspension by the QJFL.
After the nominations are made the coaching staffs meet with the QJFL to make the final selections.
Each team & the QJFL Executive have one vote for each All Star position. Teams cannot vote for their own player and the vote is by sealed ballot.
The best punter and field goal kicker are not determined by a vote but by statistical performance on the field.
The QJFL opposes the use of banned substance. This is based on the fact that banned substance artificially enhances performance in training and competition and is harmful to your health and is ethically wrong. The drug program is under the supervision and is conducted by the Canadian Center for the Ethics in Sport (CCES), which is a national non-profit organization. As part of their mandate, the CCES is responsible for the development and coordination of Canada ’s anti-doping campaign. It includes scientific research, public education, athlete testing, and investigations, maintaining the suspension registry and coordinating individual appeals for reinstatement. They conduct the same program and tests for all of Canada ’s elite athletes such as Olympic and world class athletes. As a member of the QJFL you are obliged to attend a drug seminar, which will be held by the team on team premises at least once per season. No player will be exempted from the drug program. As a player in the QJFL you must agree to the drug testing program otherwise you cannot play in the QJFL. The agreement to the drug program is part of the registration form that you sign to play in the QJFL.
If you are a first year player you are expected to attend a full educational drug seminar that will be held on the team premises. If you are a returning player and have previously attended the drug seminar you will only be required to attend an abbreviated version on policy changes and new drug material. Each year you are required to sign a “Doping Control Consent” form indicating that you understand the drug program and the policy should you be selected for testing. The consent form must be signed before any doping control procedures can be initiated. Failure to sign the form will result in your ineligibility to participate in the QJFL.
The deadline date for submission of the Doping Consent Control form is 24 hours before the first league game that you participate in.
Drug testing conducted by the CCES is done both on an announced and unannounced basis. Should a player refuse to take the test when requested by a CCES official they will be given a second opportunity to take the test and if they subsequently refuse to take it will be interpreted as a “positive” test and will be dealt with as such.
It should be clearly understood that should you test positive then Football Canada and the Center for Sports Ethics will issue a press release to the media announcing that you have tested positive.
The CCES provides accurate, up to date information on banned and permitted substances, you may contact your team manager or the CCES directly if you have any questions about the substances or any other issues related to doping in sport call 613-521-3340 or fax them at 613-521-3134.
PLAYER INFORMATION
Anyone can play in the QJFL as long as they are no younger than 18 years of age and no older than 22 years of age by December 31 st 2004
Proof of age documents that are acceptable to the QJFL are birth certificates, Canadian citizenship papers, passport or other official proof of age. Also acceptable are the Quebec/Ontario medicare cards and driver’s license or previous QJFL registration.
Geographic team territories apply in the Ottawa area while in the Montreal area the protected team areas is the Quebec Midget Football League. In Ottawa there are geographical boundaries. The QJFL team that you may play for is determined by where you live. Should you desire to play for any other Ottawa based QJFL team then you must obtain a release from the team in your geographical area. To obtain the boundaries contact the team manager. The Quebec based QJFL team territories is not geographic but is determined by selected teams in the Quebec Midget Football League. Each QJFL team protects selected teams in the QMFL. The players from the protected midget teams can only play for the assigned QJFL team. If you were a member of one of the protected midget teams and you want to play for another QJFL team you must apply for a release from your QJFL team. To determine which midget teams belong to which QJFL teams you should contact your QJFL team manager. If you played for any midget team not protected by a Quebec based QJFL team prior to joining the QJFL you are permitted to play for any QJFL team.
PLAYER RELEASE PROCEDURES
Once you have signed with a QJFL team they own your QJFL rights for the season that you sign and for the following season. In other words, they own your rights for two full seasons. If you decide you do not want to play for the team that you have signed with and want to play for another QJFL team you must obtain a release from the team that you have signed with. To do this you must send a written request by registered mail, fax, and email or by hand to the manager of the team.A copy must also be sent immediately (preferably by fax or email) to the QJFL Registrar. Your written release request must be answered by the team in writing within 72 hours whether the release is granted or not. The 72 hour interval commences from the date and time it is received by the team. It excludes Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays. If the team does not respond in writing within the specified period the QJFL Registrar automatically grants you your release. The address that is considered to be your proper address is the one listed on your registration form. Should you have moved since registering and have not advised the team of thechange and the notice from the team is not delivered to the right location then the 72 hour period time period shall not apply.
Please note that the decision as to whether the release is granted or not is entirely up to the team and not the responsibility of the QJFL Registrar. In the case of a release being refused the decision may be appealed to the QJFL Registrar and the Board of Directors. For an appeal, the same steps are followed as above except it must be sent to the QJFL Registrar with a copy to the team. In the appeal process there are no defined time constraints to respond but will be done in an expeditious fashion.
Should you decide to sit out a season and not sign with your team in the second year you will become eligible to play for any QJFL team in the third season. If you play for the same team in the second season you will remain the property of that team for the subsequent season etc.
It is important to note that you are not permitted to contact another team in the QJFL about playing for them without a release from your current team. If you do so, the new team mustadvise you that you are in violation of player transfer rules. The new team that you would like to play for must inform you also that they are not permitted to talk to you until you have obtained your release from your current team. If you do contact another team without a release the new team is obliged to inform your current team that they have been contacted.
PLAYER TAMPERING
If you are contacted in any way (verbally, in writing or other form of communications) by any other team in the QJFL about playing for them you must report the incidence immediately to your team manager. Should it not be reported and determined that tampering took place and was not reported then the QJFL Discipline Committee will rule and decide on the penalty.
PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
It is very important to note that any team using a non-eligible player will lose all the games that the player that is determined ineligible played. The player will be immediately suspended until the Discipline Committee makes a final ruling on the ineligibility. The QJFL Discipline Committee’s decision will be rendered prior to the next scheduled game of the team under review. A player is considered to have played when his name appears on a game score sheet.
The team you register with will provide you with all your football equipment except for football shoes. No player shall wear equipment of any kind that may injure the opponent. The referee may remove you from a game if you are wearing equipment that in their opinion endangers the opponent. The player may remove the identified equipment deemed dangerous and return to the game. As a player in the QJFL you shall wear the following for each game.
The team sweater must be tucked into the pants during the entire game. A sweater must not be tied in the front or the back. Adhesive material, grease or any other slippery substance applied to your body or clothing that affects the ball or an opponent is illegal. Any player who does not conform to the dress code can be removed from the field of play by the officials and cannot return until the problem has been corrected. All infractions are subject to fines to the team.
The number worn during a game must be the same as the number listed on the scoresheet. Players shall wear the same number throughout the game except when permission to change the number is given to the referee. When a sweater is torn the referee shall allow reasonable time for a substitution to be made. Any change in the number must be reported to the scorekeeper. Any offending player shall be removed from the game until the illegal number is replaced. Immediate substitutions will be made but the game shall not be delayed.
Your behavior on and off the field during games is very important to your team and the QJFL. There are certain behavior rules that you should know about. In a game, only the team captains are permitted to discuss matters with the referee or other game officials. Any derogatory remarks by a player directed towards the officials, fans or opponents might be subject to immediate disqualification by the game officials and subject to further discipline by the QJFL Discipline Committee.
A player disqualified from a game by the referees shall be automatically suspended for the next game. The matter will then be referred to the QJFL’s Discipline Committee who have the power to extend the suspension. The Discipline Committee is required to render a decision before the disqualified player’s next scheduled game.
A player disqualified from a game by an official for a second time during the same season shall be suspended automatically for the next two games and will be subject to other discipline following review of the case by the QJFL Discipline Committee and the
League’s Board of Directors. The QJFL Discipline Committee shall render its decision before the player’s next game.
Any player disqualified from a team’s last game of the season is automatically suspended and is ineligible to play in the team’s next game. The suspension shall include the playoffs and shall be carried over to the next season including preseason exhibition games if applicable. Any player disqualified from a game must leave the bench area immediately and proceed to the team’s changing location.
Your registration fee provides you with supplemental insurance coverage for all QJFL activities. Such as games, practices, league and team social events etc.
The QJFL’s insurance policy provides for payment of specific amounts depending on the nature and severity of the injury.
Some of the supplemental insurance categories are as follows. This is in addition to the coverage you get from the provincial medicare system or other private medical insurance plans.
For more information as to the details and the other categories of coverage contact your team manager. It is very important to remember that if you make a claim it must be done through the team manager. It should be filed with the authorities as soon as possible after the incident. If you do not follow this procedure it can delay the payment of your claims.
FINES
Fines are imposed for dress code violation ($25.00); game ejection ($50.00); two major penalties in one game $50.00). The game officials determine the infractions & the fines are paid by the teams to the QJFL.
REGISTRATION AND FEES INFORMATION
Every player must complete a QJFL registration form that must be signed in the presence of the QJFL Registrar. Every player must also pay the required registration fee prior to playing their first league game. The registration fee provides you with the following:
Once you sign a registration form with a QJFL team you remain the property of that team for the year that you sign and the subsequent year. Should you want a release the request must be made to the team that you are registered with.
If you sign before or after the season begins your registration form and fee must be forwarded to the league office within 24 hours prior to the first game that you play.
Should you request a registration fee refund please note that this must be requested directly to your team. Refunds are not guaranteed and are at the discretion of each team to determine whether a refund of any amount will be granted. Any player who has registered with a team in the QJFL and wants to play for another QJFL team a release must be obtained from the first QJFL team. A player cannot play for another QJFL team until the release has been reviewed and certified with the QJFL Registrar.
Any player who plays for two different teams in two different leagues in the same year without the proper releases will be automatically suspended by the QJFL for the balance of the season that the infraction occurs.
When you register with the QJFL the following information is requested at the time that you register.
- Your legal name
- Residential address, postal code & email address
If you require further information about the registration process and the fees you should contact your team manager for guidance and direction. If necessary, the team manager
will contact the league registrar for interpretation and clarification.