RETURN TO PLAY!! THIRTY YEARS OF NEW ORLEANS SUMMER LEAGUE

NODA is proud to celebrate the big 3-0 of New Orleans Summer League! Our dear friend Melanie Crout chartered our first Summer League in 1991 with four teams. This year we are hoping to include 12 teams! We are welcoming new and veteran adult players back to Summer League (sorry, no kids just yet). During this 2021 season each team will play two games each week on the beautiful fields in Audubon's Riverview Park (aka "The Fly") in a 4v4 and timed format.

Registration will be open from May 14 thru May 28. 

A LONG AND WEIRD HIATUS//COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

A worldwide pandemic has just swept through our community and is presently in decline but is not eradicated yet. Social distancing, masks, thorough cleanliness, and vaccinations have been important and simple tools at controlling the pandemic. The commissioners are interested in the safety of all participants and reserve the right to change risk-reduction guidelines during the league as conditions dictate, and even cancel the league, if necessary. Every participant will be required to follow current guidance of the commissioners and the league. We will be utilizing guidance from NOLA Ready/the City of NO and CDC guidelines.

Presently, this is a mask-encouraged league for participants. A participant is a properly identified player (team shirt) engaged in one of the two rounds of games each night. This season we are not encouraging visitors and guests from outside of your household. This directive may change if commissioners deem it necessary.

While a few players have been conditioning and playing throughout the pandemic, many of us may be a bit out of shape. The new format this year is an attempt to reduce risk of injury and risk of exposure by reducing the size of teams. This format allows newer players to more fully participate in the game. *quick plug* If you have a suggestions for next year, sign up as a volunteer coordinator next season and/or get it ready for the end of season survey ;) 

Game times: Monday Nights 6:30 and 7:45 PM. Games to 13 or 1-hour play time. Halftime break when a team reaches 7 points. Play will stop at the horn: NO SOFT CAP, NO HARD CAP. When the horn sounds, put the disc down. Games may end in a tie. We will have field clocks this year with official game-time countdown.

FORMAT IS DIFFERENT THIS YEAR. 4v4 IN TWO DIVISIONS

Mixed Play: True Mixed is our goal in a 4v4 format. This means 2 man-matching players and 2 woman-matching players on each team at a time. Players may opt-in to this division during registration. Ten players will be drafted for each team. We will try to accommodate all division requests, but reserve the right to balance players between divisions. Our Goal is 8 True Mixed teams, if numbers allow. 

Open Play: Open Division is for all players in any combination of man-matching and woman-matching players on the team and on the field in 4v4 format. Ten players will be drafted for each team. Players may opt-in to be part of this division during registration. We will try to accommodate all division requests, but reserve the right to balance players between divisions. Our Goal is 4 Open teams, if numbers allow.

Play Option: If captains agree before the game, format can be 5v5 with offense dictating gender balance (or use of "Genzone"). This should be determined at game time if each team has enough players present.

Game Format:

Games start Monday Nights at 6:30 and 7:45 PM. Play will stop at the horn: NO CAPS.

Games to 13 or 1-hour play time. Halftime break when a team reaches 7 points.

Stall count shall be 7 in all games.

Time outs: 3 per team per game, plus water break when temperatures over 85 degrees.

When there is a lightning warning, all players leave the field and go to your cars.

YOU MADE IT. READY TO REGISTER?

Registration Cost: We have direct costs of $60 per player (to "break even") for things like fields with lights, shirts, etc. This year we are changing the Player Cost to Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) options as an effort toward a more equitable league. We don't want the cost to be a financial barrier for any of our players to participate; please connect with us as needed! Paying more can cover other players for SL '21 or future leagues! (See infographic in registration)

• Pay-What-You-Can options: $10, $30, $60, $90, and $120

Player perks: Each player will receive a *unique* Summer League Jersey AND Summer League Disc and get to spend hours playing the sport we love with the people we’ve missed for the past year! Bar tabs are not in the cards this year, so please support our sponsors outside of league when/if you can!