No refunds will be paid due to a team’s failure to field a registered squad, regardless of the reason (i.e., change of circumstances, failure of assumptions, inability to field the team, changes in the nature of the team, mistake, sickness, force majeure, etc.). Refunds will only be issued in the event of a withdrawal of a registered team before the published due date of final payment. Except for extenuating circumstances, a team that withdraws after the due date of final payment, particularly after the schedule has been posted, will damage its chance to play in future Monkey Up Tournaments.

The Tournament has fixed costs, expenses, commitments and overhead relating to field rental and facilities, equipment rentals, event planning, marketing, website hosting/maintenance, staging and set-up, event t-shirts design and production, insurance, staffing/personnel, administrative and other matters regardless of cancellation due to weather

In the event of the total cancellation of the tournament due to actual or threatening weather conditions, teams will receive a partial refund of their Tournament registration fee.

• A request for a partial refund must be submitted within 15 days following the Tournament date;

• Requests must specify who checks should be payable to and where they should be sent.

• Tournament organizers will use their reasonable efforts to assess relevant facts circumstances and determine and forward partial refunds to coaches or team administrators promptly after refund amounts are determined.

• Partial refunds will not exceed twenty-five (25%) of the registration fee, regardless of the facts and circumstances.

• Thank you for your patience and understanding in connection with circumstances beyond our control.

INCLUDING PARTIAL CANCELLATION OR SCHEDULE/FORMAT MODIFICATIONS

In the event of field closures and/or unplayable field conditions or adverse or threatening weather conditions, including rain, wind, lightning, excess heat and/or humidity, Tournament organizers reserve the absolute and unfettered right to:

• Cancel and/or postpone further play in whole or in part.

• All games canceled due to adverse or threatening weather conditions will be considered a 4-2 WIN for BOTH teams.

• Reduce game times to catch up with schedule, whether caused by cancellations, postponements, or to accelerate the schedule to avoid the onset of adverse or threatening weather conditions.

• Revise the schedule, including modifying game times and rules and/or canceling certain games. While there is no tournament rain date per se (though the tournament directors reserve the right to establish a rain date in consultation with field owners and may endeavor to do so if circumstances permit), over the course of a weekend, Saturday games may be re-scheduled for Sunday, and vice versa, and all games (usually in a modified format) may be scheduled to take place on one day (i.e., either Saturday or Sunday) to give as many teams as possible a chance to play.

• Interrupt and suspend games as necessary; games that are continued from the point of interruption may be subject to modified rules if they resume, as circumstances warrant.

• Finish or end games before inclement weather arrives or to preserve field conditions.

• Games that start but are truncated of necessity will be deemed official at the point of termination regardless of actual duration.

• The Tournament may attempt to schedule make-up games if games are cancelled in the rare case of a team failing to field a squad, whether due to weather conditions or otherwise. Efforts will depend on the willingness of other teams to play, potentially back-to-back, field availability, the availability of officials and other factors.

• No refunds will be issued due to any weather-related adjustments during the Tournament, regardless of whether the adjustments affect a team’s ability to field a line-up or otherwise make it more challenging or impracticable for a team to play.

The field and facility owners, not tournament organizers, have final say whether the Tournament will take place in whole or in part, or will proceed in a modified format, due to the weather conditions. All teams are expected to respect the decisions of the owners. Thank you for your patience and understanding in connection with circumstances beyond our control.

The Tournament will endeavor to transmit updates via email to coaches if there are cancellations, postponements or delays, using contact information given to us during the registration process. Additionally, every attempt will be made to update information on the website www.monkeyuptournaments.com. Please understand that communications often take place under difficult and quickly moving circumstances. Coaches are responsible for further notifying their teams regarding the status of the Tournament.

It is the mission of the Monkey Up Tournaments to provide a healthy, safe, and fair environment of competition for all teams participating in this tournament and their groups. It is our desire to allow everyone to participate in the activities, view the competitions, and experience the spirit of the tournament. Please read and be aware of the following guidelines for everyone’s safety.

• Injuries to Players or Others

• Call or notify a tournament trainer, staff person immediately if you need assistance for an injured player or tournament attendee; e.g.: trainer, ambulance or other aid. One or more First Aid Stations are located at any given field complex.

• If a player needs to go to the trainer or get first aid, please inform the officials. If the player is able to walk or be transported safely, either the coach or an adult MUST accompany the player. Do not send an injured player alone to seek assistance.

• Before you begin playing, learn where the first aid stations and the venue headquarters are located. The trainers are stationed there when they are not attending to a player on the field.

• Trainers will have directions to the nearest hospitals should a trip to the hospital become necessary.

• If you have an emergency and need immediate assistance, do not hesitate to call 911 on your own. That is the appropriate protocol for serious injuries that warrant immediate attention or emergency care. Please notify Tournament Headquarters if you call 911 so they can help clear the way for vehicular access to the field.

• Caution Warranted in Connection with Threatening Storm Conditions

• Weather conditions can change rapidly and all teams, players, coaches, parents and fans should be prepared to vacate the field in as orderly a fashion as possible and to find safety in their vehicles. There is no reliable shelter on the site.

• Coaches and team administrators are asked to ensure that their teams vacate the field (and potentially the site) as quickly and orderly as possible.

• IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO SEEK SHELTER UNDER TEAM TENTS IN AN OPEN FIELD OR UNDER TREES DURING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, INCLUDING A LIGHTNING STORM. FIND SHELTER IN A VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AND MAKE SURE THE WINDOWS ARE UP.

• All coaches, players and others are expected to use common sense and reasonably prudent judgment when dealing with adverse or threatening weather conditions. This includes anticipating the arrival of inclement weather, disseminating a safety plan for the team, and packing up and transporting items from the field complex in advance of arriving conditions (or leaving those items behind while seeking shelter when circumstances warrant).

• Please remain in vehicles until dangerous conditions have passed.

• Lightning/Thunder – Officials are expected to follow established safety rules and suspend games for the appropriate interval(s) of time if there are lightning strikes in the vicinity of the event (typically not less than 30 minutes after last sound of thunder or last sighting of lightning). If you hear the siren, please notify the game official or nearest tournament representative immediately.

• Avoid Heat Related Illness – As a reminder, coaches should communicate with all players, parents and others associated with the team to take precautions to avoid the risk of heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke, particularly in hot and humid weather. We would defer to medical journals for a more complete discussion on heat-related illnesses, but there are a few things to remember and a few precautions to take:

• Break up exposure to hot temperatures; cool off after physical exertion

• Find shade areas under trees, tents and umbrellas

• Limit physical exertion

• Wear loose fitting clothing

• Cool off in the comfort of an air conditioned car from time to time

• Put cool, wet towels, bandannas or compresses on the shoulders or head

• Avoid dehydration – plan ahead and drink extra water to replace fluid loss.

• Players should hydrate themselves prior to the event

• Players should replace fluids at a rate that equals the loss of water from sweating (teams should plan to have their own water. The Tournament will endeavor to provide water coolers and/or ice on the fields.

• Replace electrolytes by eating a small amount of food with your water or by drinking specially-formulated electrolyte replacement drinks

• Increase salt intake

• Thirst is the first sign of dehydration; players should drink sufficient amounts of fluids before they feel thirsty in order to prevent dehydration

• Signs of heat-related syndromes can appear suddenly. They include:

• Heat cramps

• Headache

• Fatigue

• Feeling faint or dizzy

• Heavy sweating

• Nausea

• Rapid, weak heartbeat

• Low blood pressure

• Cool, moist, pale skin

• Low-grade fever

• Heat cramps

• Dark-colored urine

• If you suspect heat exhaustion:

• Seek out the nearest Tournament Athletic Trainer. There is a first aid station at the Tournament Information Tent

• Get the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned location (such as a car)

• Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly

• Loosen or remove the person’s clothing

• Have the person drink cool water or other nonalcoholic beverage without caffeine

• Cool the person by spraying or sponging him or her with cool water and fanning

• Monitor the person carefully. Heat exhaustion can quickly become heatstroke

• If fever greater than 102° F (38.9° C), fainting, confusion or seizures occur, call 911 for emergency medical help.

• Concussion Awareness and Injury Prevention – A concussion is a serious injury and should not be taken lightly. It is a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, that can be caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works. They can also occur from a blow to the body that causes the head to move rapidly. Even a mild bump or blow to the head can be serious. Unfortunately, concussions can be difficult to diagnose, in part because the symptoms can be subtle and may not show up for hours or even days. For these reasons, it is important that parents, coaches and athletes take time to understand what concussions are and their potential consequences, recognize concussion signs and symptoms, know how to respond, and learn the steps for returning to activity after a concussion. If you suspect an athlete has a concussion, keep the athlete out of play (“when in doubt, keep them out”). The athlete must be evaluated by a health care professional experienced in evaluating concussions to assess the severity of the concussion, the path to recovery and the steps to return to play.

  • All Coaches are required to sit a player out for the remainder of a game if the player sustains a blow to the head or a jarring collision that causes the coach or the trainer to suspect a possible mild or traumatic brain injury.

  • The coach is required to notify the trainers regarding any such incident to permit assessment by a trained professional.

  • If a coach or trainer suspects a concussion and requires a player to sit out, that player will not be allowed to return to play in the tournament without written clearance from a medical professional.

• Roadways and Parking Areas

  • Use caution in all parking areas. Park only in designated areas. Please obey all parking signs.

  • DO NOT park on private property. Violators may be ticketed or towed.

  • Please follow parking attendant instructions.

  • Be aware of pedestrians. Excited young children may dart between cars. Drive slowly in areas where pedestrians will be. Yield to ALL pedestrians. Please be extremely careful backing up.

  • Do not walk on the road from parking areas to fields, but only in designated walkways. Use caution when crossing streets. Players should be accompanied by adults when crossing streets.

  • Be aware of heavy traffic around tournament venues. Use caution and courtesy.

  • Please do not park in a manner that blocks emergency access points, which may be identified by signage. If you see a vehicle blocking an emergency access point, please notify Tournament Headquarters