It’s a long way from the start of the BCFC football season, but the 2018 schedule release is little more than a week away, that means the season IS getting closer, so I thought I’d volley a Monday Musings your way.

On a non-BCFC note, if you aren’t a Minnesota Vikings fans it is a good time to be one after last week’s free agency moves. We are accepting bandwagon applications now.

Back to the BCFC, and while on field action isn’t happening, there is a lot going on off -field as coaches throughout the conference and the CJFL work on their pitches to get verbal commitments if nothing else from new recruits ahead of the June 1 signing day.

To a lesser degree, there is also the usual amount of player movement from one team to another via the “release rule” in the CJFL. What exactly is the CJFL “release rule”, or “policy” and how does it come into play for a player who has signed with a CJFL team? A CJFL registration form states that any player who signs one may not sign with another team the following season unless released in writing by his current team. Note that the team the player has signed with has sole discretion on whether or not to release the player. *subject to an out of conference go home release rule below. There is no appeal process, neither the CJFL, nor an individual conference has any jurisdiction over a player release. Just like a professional contract in the CFL, a player in the CJFL in bound to his team for the length of the contract. In this case for the current season and the subsequent one as well unless released by the club. Should a player sit out the following season, he would then be able to sign with another club. It’s important that a player and his parents understand this when making the decision to sign with a CJFL team.

This two year commitment to a junior team begs the question…”What right does a CJFL team have to bind a player to it when the player has paid to play?” Logical question on the surface, but anyone who knows what it actually costs to equip a CJFL player and run a CJFL team will tell you that a player registration fee covers only a fraction of the actual cost. The financial commitment the team makes to a player goes far beyond the player registration fee.

Why do I write this column today? Because this is the free agent season of junior football, this is when new recruits are pursued by CJFL teams. But this is also the time of the year when some players look for greener or perceived greener pastures. I get that some players want to move on from their team, just like a professional athlete sometimes does…but just like at the professional level, the player is bound to the team unless the team decides otherwise.

Keeping this in mind, I personally would make the following requests or suggestions to players, parents and coaches;

To players and parents;

• If you want to end your relationship with your present club, deal with that club and only that club. The CJFL or BCFC has no jurisdiction, contacting either level will accomplish nothing.
• More importantly, do not talk to the team you wish to sign with. That club has no power to intercede on your behalf. But talking to that team, or even one of its current players about switching clubs, you are placing that club in a compromised situation that has the potential to result in them facing tampering charges under league rules.

To coaches;

• Respect the rule. Remember that once contacted by a player from another club, you are required to contact that team to let them know.
• Respect your opponent. I get the ultimate goal of fielding the best team possible. Are you going to “blow off” a talented player from another cub who expresses an interest in joining your organization? Not likely, but respect your opponent or league enough to remember why the CJFL registration process exists as it does in the first place. It is there to protect the competitive balance and integrity of the league. If players were allowed free movement every season, the interference between rosters would be troublesome and detrimental to the stability of the league.

That’s my two cents on player movement, and believe me…I have come full circle the past few years from someone who felt a player should be able to play for any team he wishes to someone who sees stability as critical to our growth.

Stay tuned for the 2018 BCFC schedule coming soon…and happy recruiting!

*The CJFL “go home” policy as it is informally referred to does grant a high school recruit who has left his home conference an automatic release the next season to return to his home base conference team. Should that player wish to return to the conference he originally signed with during the season that fell under the automatic release, he would remain the property of the original club.

*Musings does not necessarily represent the opinion of the BCFC or its members