Pick Up Player Explanation, ESF Congress in Bled © 2013

Pick Up Player Reasons of implementation Problems with interpretation Evolution of the PUP rule (short background) PUP Definition Explanation – key question Bona Fide – ESF interpretation Examples Violation of PUP rule

Reasons for Implementation Change of previous rules (2 + 2), which were not enforceable Have a clear rule which is enforceable Make the rule achievable for all Improve the level of play at the Cups Implemented into CR from 2007 (6 years)

Problems with interpretation Clubs do not understand the rule either because of not reading it or no thought process put into it Clubs trying to avoid the rule and to have an advantage over others National Federation take no interest and do not confirm the Clubs roster when signing the Player License Form

Evolution of the PUP rule ESF's Competitions Regulations,( Official Edition 2006): Article The maximum of foreign players accepted as being eligible per team for the European Cup or European Cup Winners Cup is two foreign players in Fastpitch Cup competition and six foreign players in Coed Slowpitch Cup competition. Article A foreign player for the purpose of Article is a person not of the nationality of one of the ESF Affiliated Federations. Article A foreign player who is a permanent resident of the country of the team he/she represents may not be considered to be a foreign player, but to be an "assimilated" player. Article In Fastpitch Cup competition, a maximum of two players with this assimilated status is allowed per team. Article In Coed Slowpitch Cup competition, no players with this assimilated status are allowed. Article For assimilated players, an Official proof of residency delivered by the entitled national/local authority and certifying the status of permanent resident of said player must be presented during the ID Control Meeting of each Competition.

Evolution of the PUP rule Situation pre 2006 rule : Having, either : a) during the last six consecutive weeks before the Competition been registered as a playing member in the Club that they represent, and lived in the country of the Club that they represent, b) or played (been in play) in at least 10 games with the Club that they represent in the National Competition of this given year.

Evolution of the PUP rule Solutions 2006 – The Main Questions: What player eligibility policies are in the best interests of the ESF softball community as a whole? How can we maximize and enforce compliance with player eligibility regulations?

Pick Up Player Definition Within the frame of the present Regulations, a Club is defined as an entity that consists of a group of softball players, all of whom are citizens of ESF-member countries For purposes of determining player eligibility in ESF Cup Competitions, a Pick-Up player is defined to be a player who is not an otherwise bona fide member of a club that has qualified for participation in an ESF Cup Competition Notwithstanding the player restrictions imposed in the definition of a Club, each Club that qualifies for participation in an ESF Cup Competition shall be entitled to include a maximum of three (3) Pick-Up players on its final competition roster for the Cup Competition For the European Cup Co-ed Slowpitch (ECCS), the maximum number of Pick-Up Players on a team's final Competition Roster shall be four (4) limited to two (2) female and two (2) male.

Explanation – The key question There are no practical eligibility restrictions on Pick-Up players - they may come from another club within the same National Federation, from other ESF-affiliated federations, or from any other country in the world. The only restriction on their use is that they must be identified as Pick- Up players on the Application for Player Licenses that the club must submit to the ESF prior to the competition. To allow for possible injuries or other extenuating circumstances, there is no theoretical limit on the number of players that a club may identify as Pick-Up players on its Application for Player Licenses - the limit of three will apply to the final competition roster that is submitted during the ID Control.

Bone Fide– ESF Interpretation The term "bona fide" player means a player (a) that is a citizen of a country that has an ESF Affiliated Federation and (b) who is by that Affiliated Federation's requirements a member of a Club or eligible to play for such Club in their national competition in the current year. Both conditions have to be met!!! Any player that is not a bona fide player under the ESF interpretation is a Pick-up Player.

Explanation – key question Key question : Is the player a bona fide member of a Club or eligible to play for such a Club in their national competition in the current year ?

Examples Example 1: Susan is a player with a French passport and she is registered and eligible to play for a Club (Lions) in France in their national competition in the current year. Key question: Is the player a bona fide member of a Club or eligible to play for such a Club in their national competition in the current year ? Answer: YES (French player playing for the team ) Status on License Form. N just for Lions

Examples Example 2: Susan is a player with a US passport and she is registered and eligible to play for such a Club (Lions) in France in their national competition in the current year. Key question: Is the player a bona fide member of a Club or eligible to play for such a Club in their national competition in the current year ? Answer: NO (non European player will never be bone fide unless carrying an ESF Member Identity Card or Passport) Status. Y (PUP)

Examples Example 3: Susan is player with French and US passport and she is registered and eligible to play for such a Club (Lions) in France in their national competition in the current year. Key question: Is the player a bona fide member of a Club or eligible to play for such Club in their national competition in the current year ? Answer: YES (non European player carrying an ESF Member Identity Card or Passport) Status. N just for Lions

Examples Example 4: Susan is player with French passport and she is registered and eligible to play for two Clubs (Lions in France and Beers in Belgium) in their national competitions in the current year. Both Clubs are entered in the ESF Cups in current year. Key question: Is the player a bona fide member of a Club or eligible to play for such Club in their national competition in the current year ? Answer: YES, Susan is bona fide member of both Clubs as there are no restrictions in either of the Affiliated Federations to play in other teams during the year Status: N just for Lions and Beers (she will not be a PUP for either of these teams and she can also be playing on more teams also) Note: Susan has to decide for which team (Lions or Beers) she will play at the maximum 45 days prior to the starting day of ESF Cups She can only be listed on one Player License Form.

Examples Example 5: Susan is player with French passport and she is registered in two Clubs (Lions in France and Beers in Belgium). But she can play only for Lions in their national competition in the current year. Only Beers are entered in the ESF Cups in current year. Key question: Is the player a bona fide member of a Club or eligible to play for such a Club in their national competition in the current year ? Answer: NO for Beers (because it seems the affiliated Federation rule does not allow her to play for some reason Status: Y (PUP) for Beers

Examples Example 6: Susan is player with French passport and she is registered and eligible to play for Club (Lions) in their national competition in the current year. Susan would like to play for the Club Eagles from the same country, but she is not registered and not eligible to play in their national competition in the current year. Only the Eagles are entered in the ESF Cups in the current year. Key question: Is the player a bona fide member of a Club or eligible to play for such a Club in their national competition in the current year ? Answer: NO for Eagles (she is not a bona fide member as she is not registered, and does not play with them) Status. Y (PUP)

Violation of PUP rule Steps for explanation : Presentation of PUP rule at ESF Congress 2013 in Bled, Slovenia Reminder letter by VP Competition prior Player Licence Application (June 2013) We kindly ask National Federations to be very careful when signing the Player License Application. Respect ESF Rules and read carefully CR

Violation of PUP rule Consequences of not respecting ESF PUP rules: Club, which will not respect PUP rule, will be automatically excluded from the competition of the current year. National Federation of the specific club will lose eligibility for the CUP the following year. Our intention is not to exclude clubs from the competition, but ESF intention is to enforce ESF rules.