Listen up, folks! Here are the boring but important terms and conditions for taking part in the Southport Summer Se7ens Hockey (Norman Todd Memorial) & S&B Beer Festival, or as we like to call it (not often but sometimes), the “S7s” or the “Festival.” So, if you’re planning to participate as a player, member, official, or even a non-playing supporter (yes, we’re looking at you, cheerleaders!), pay attention!
Now, let’s get to the good stuff. The “Organisers” (i.e., the poor souls responsible for making this shindig happen) have put together some rules to keep things running smoothly. And if you’re one of the “affiliates” (a fancy term for anyone else involved in this madness), you better follow the rules too, or we’ll send our hockey players after you! Kidding (kind of).
Anyway, just make sure you read the fine print before you sign your life away. Trust us, it’s worth it to be part of the greatest hockey and beer fest in all the land!
(1) Registration
1.1. Registration Period and Payment
• i. Teams are required to be registered no later than 1st July each year.
• ii. To be deemed as fully registered, teams must have paid their security bond within the time period stated on the enter a team page.
• iii. The remaining balance is due by 16th July each year (Approx 6 Weeks before the start of the tournament).
• iv. Failure to complete this by the dates outlined in 1.1.ii and 1.1.iii may result in your place being given to the next team on the festival waiting list and could result in the loss of your security bond in the unlikely event their is no available team to replace you.
1.2. Registration Refunds
• i. A refund to a team wanting to withdraw their application or failing to complete the registration process will ONLY be issued once the space has been filled by another team.
• ii. No refund will be given if teams withdraw from the tournament after the date in 1.1.iii
Please refer to the Entry From for all Tournament Fees
(2) Participant Eligibility and Conduct
2.1. Players
• i. Participants must not be serving any sort of suspension from any hockey club or England Hockey/appropriate Hockey National Governing Body during the dates of the Festival.
• ii. Only participants with a Festival Wristband will be eligible to play in a team.
• a. Team members must present their wristbands (on the wrists) on request either by the festival organisers and/or officials at anytime during the Festival weekend, failure to do so may result in your removal from the event and/or loss of security bond.
Note: If for whatever reason your wristband has been lost, a request for a replacement can only be made by the team organisers before a replacement can be issued, both the participant who’s wristband is lost and team organiser must be present when a replacement is issued. If teams are deemed to be abusing this privilege, this will result in the loss of their security bond.
• iii. Any participant or team found to be acting in a manner that is a cause of concern for health and safety or acting in an anti-social, threatening or abusive manner on or off the Festival sites may at the discretion of the S7s Organisers, be excluded from the Festival and/or cause their team to lose their security bond. All Festival rules must be followed and all decisions made by umpires and the Organisers are FINAL and must be respected.
• iv. The maximum number of U18s that will be allowed to participate depending on Squad sizes is as follows: All players under the age of 18 must be under the care of responsible adults within their team.
• Squad of 10: 2 U18s only
• Squad of 15: 4 U18s only
• a. All teams must identify all under 18s to the Festival Organisers prior to participating in the Festival Weekend.
• b. Teams can request an increase to the number of U18s in the team but this must be done before participating in the Festival Weekend.
Any teams seen to be breaching the above 2.1.iv rule will be docked points and they may lose their security bond.
• c. Any team failing to complete ANY fixture (without good reason as approved by the Organisers) shall lose their security bond.
• d. Teams MUST field a minimum of 5 (for 7-a-side) or 8 (for 11-a-side) players for each game for a fixture to be deemed playable.
2.2. Participant guests
• i. Participant guests (i.e. non-wrist band wearers) will only be admitted to S7s events following confirmation from the group organiser, that the guest have been invited.
Note: Guest who would like access to the Beer Festival will be required to pay a fee of £10 for the weekend to receive a wristband to grant access.
2.3. Umpires
• i. All umpires must follow the Festival rules set out by the S7s Organisers and in particular must ensure, for reasons of safety, that Mixed teams have a MINIMUM of 3 (for 7-a-side) and 5 (for 11-a-side) outfield ladies players on the pitch at all times during each match.
• ii. S7s Organisers recommends that umpires have appropriate umpires’ insurance cover in place.
(3) Injury, Damage/Loss of Property & Prohibited Substances
3.1. Injury
• i. Each team participating in this event does so on the understanding that hockey presents physical dangers which may result in serious injury. S7s Organisers and the facility provider’s, staff or its affiliates will not be held liable for any injury which a participant may sustain while participating in any activity during the Festival. S7s Organisers recommends that all participants use appropriate hockey safety equipment in order to reduce the likelihood of potential injury.
• ii. All participants/teams must have appropriate insurance cover in place for any injuries sustained during the Festival.
3.2. Damage or Loss of Personal Property
• i. S7s and its affiliates CANNOT be held responsible for any damage to, or loss of, personal property.
• ii. S7s Organisers recommends that participants/teams have appropriate insurance cover in place for any damage to, or loss of, property during the Festival.
3.3. Damage or Loss of Venue Property
• i. Individuals will be held accountable for any damage to venue facilities whilst on any festival site. The loss of the groups security deposit and possible extra cost may be incurred to cover any damage caused.
3.4. Prohibited Substances
• i. Any Individual or Individuals deemed to be taking, supplying or possessing illegal substances will be reported to the authorities as well as being removed (with immediate effect) and banned from the Festival for current and future events and will result in the loss of the teams security bond. in very extreme circumstances this may also result in the representative team being removed from the Festival as well.
(4) Photography and Video
By taking part in the Southport Se7ens Hockey Festival all participants hereby give default permission to be photographed and/or Filmed whilst at Any of the Festival Venues. This includes any U18s you may have within your group.
Southport Se7ens (or a third party engaged by the Organisers) may take photographs and/or videos of participants in or around the Festival Venues and in the course of other social activities as may be arranged by the Organisers for the purpose of promoting and/or marketing the event, without further consideration other than permission for such Participants/Teams to participate in this Festival; and all rights (including copyright and privacy) to any and all such media are retained by The Organisers of The Southport Se7ens Hockey & Beer Festival.
Any person with objections to being photographed or filmed should make themselves known to the Organisers before the start of the Festival.
(5) Playing Surface and Weather Conditions
For reasons of health and safety it shall be the responsibility of the Organisers to halt/prevent play during periods of extreme weather conditions. Consequently, should game time be lost due to extreme weather conditions (or other force majeure) no team shall be eligible to claim a discount/refund on their entry fee as weather conditions are beyond the control of the organisers.
Breach of Rules and/or Ts&Cs
Although this may have been outlined in the information throughout the website, we would like to reiterate and clarify that any and all breaches of the various rules in place will/may result in docked points and the possible loss of the team security bond. We want the festival to be a healthy, safe and friendly environment for all who take part in it.
All decisions made by the Southport Se7ens Organisers is Final.
Acknowledgement
Submission of your team’s registration application confirms your agreement to be bound by the Southport Se7ens Hockey Festival terms and conditions throughout the duration of the Festival.
Acceptance of your team’s entry releases S7s and their respective affiliates (as well as volunteers) from all demands, claims, costs, and liabilities of any nature whatsoever for any loss, damage, expense or injury (including death) which may be suffered, directly or indirectly, by a participant (or any party claiming through any of them) howsoever arising in connection with participation in or attendance at the Festival.
By submitting the entry form you acknowledge that you have read and understood the terms and conditions of S7s and have explained or will explain them to all participants associated with the team you represent before the Festival begins.
Drink Responsibly (Venue Restrictive)
We can not stress this enough, Please drink responsibly. Team/Groups are responsible for their own player/member/official/supporter (non playing member), S7s does not take any responsibility for the care of such individuals whilst at the Festival and it’s venues.
Drinking is restricted to the Beer Festival venue and as such is strictly prohibited at the Hockey Pitch Venue.
For more information please visit – www.drinkaware.co.uk