THE GRIDIRON STANDARDS
Our promises to you!
24 hour promise- Response time to inquiries will be as soon as possible but no later than 24 hours!
Game Day Staff- we will be there readily available to help with anything you need. We will have staff managing the fields and the integrity of the games. We will also have knowledgeable staff to help with any questions and provide a full blown concession. Have questions, look for our staff in bright yellow shirts.
Accommodating coach requests including schedule requests. Coach other sports? Have a difficult schedule? Let us work with you to make sure you can still coach a team! We believe accommodation is the way to break down barriers for coaches who may want to coach but their schedule makes it difficult. Do you need early games, late games? Not a problem!
If a coach has multiple teams they will not have games at the same time and we will do our best to ensure you remain on the same field and sideline each weekend.
All buddy and coach requests will be fulfilled to ensure each participant is on the right team.
Free agent players will be geo mapped to ensure they go to the team that practices as close as possible to them and has availability.
Season start dates and day of play- What we publish as a season start date and day of the week we play will NEVER change. There will not be delays to season start dates. Dates are locked in stone.
Rosters- Rosters will be sent out starting 4 weeks before a season start date. Every week from then on, updated rosters will be sent!
Schedules- Will be released 7 days before the season starts (to allow the last teams to sign up). Schedules will NOT change. Once the original schedule is released, it will not change! If there is a rain cancellation there will be slots open on other weekends to ensure games are added and do not affect the core schedule.
Uniforms- We will personally double check all uniforms sent from the warehouse to ensure they are correct, have personalization (if ordered), and are in your hands prior to Week 1.
Competitive and Recreational Divisions- all divisions will have a strict grade verification process to ensure a level playing field and league integrity. In addition we will not be revising schedules or standings to adjust teams from comp to rec or rec to comp. The team’s division will remain until the end of the season.
Preseason Activities- The weekend prior to games we will have a newly revamped skills clinic where we will hand out uniforms, have live action training for officials, a coaches meeting, and other preparations to ensure the season starts smoothly.
End of Season Tournament- We understand how important these games are to teams and how important it is to maintain the highest level of integrity from the first whistle until the clock runs out. During our tournaments we have a designated field manager on every field. In addition, we will have 3 officials on every semi final and championship game.
Weekly Newsletters- We believe in proactive and consistent communication. Each and every week you will receive a league newsletter at 7:00 on Tuesdays that will have all needed information to keep you in the loop with league activities.
Prior to the season information- Schedules, parking and field maps, facility rules, coach meeting date, when uniforms will be handed out, game one expectations, when you should hear from a coach, and all other relevant information will be provided well in advance. Both on our website and weekly offseason newsletters.
In season- standings, scores, weekly recaps, next week important info, promotions, important details, photos of game day, and all relevant information will be provided via email on a weekly basis.
Coach App- We use an app to ensure coaches have all the information and also to ensure we have a forum for questions, uploading documents, releasing schedules, and much much more. This is also a place where we continue the conversation when it comes to rule clarifications. It's important for there to be an ongoing dialogue on this to ensure everyone is on the same page. We will post rule updates in conjunction with the rule updates we post on our Officials version of this app. This allows for both coaches and officials to be on the same exact page in regard to how rules are interpreted and penalties are called.
Providing ongoing support and resources to coaches creates a path for them to learn and develop. We will be periodically releasing continued learning posts and resources.
Coaching Clinics- we will be offering coach clinics with professional coach instruction. Coming together to continue learning is extremely important no matter the level of experience. Whether a coach has been doing it for 10 years or a parent is stepping up to coach a team, we want to provide you with these resources!
If a parent decides to volunteer we will provide tools to jumpstart their knowledge and understanding. This is extremely important to ensure they have been empowered to provide a great experience and immediately work on player development. It's not easy starting out and the knowledge we can share will help new coaches avoid common mistakes or avoid having to learn lessons the hard way that could easily be taught with a few resources and conversations. New coaches will receive our Coach Welcome Packet with the tools and resources needed to help get them up to speed and prepared to teach the game.
Our officials are an extension of the Gridiron brand and will be trained to be experts on the rule book. Not just for flag football in general, but experts on Gridiron’s rule book! We expect our officials to know the rules better than anyone else.
Officiating goes beyond just knowing the rules. We also train them in game management and customer service to better serve the teams and coaches in this league.
Junior Official Program- One element we believe in is creating another development program for the youth in the community. The junior official program is built around development for young adults who love the game of football who can bring in a supplemental income while being a service to the community.
Music- it's always fun to have an ambiance of upbeat music during game days!
Spectator space to enjoy the game and keep athletes safe from collision. We will have player and coach boxes that will give them 6 feet off each sideline to move up and down the field without running into people.
Down boxes and blitz chains- will keep every person on the same page for downs and create a consistent blitz line every time.
Scoreboards- we all want to know the score! Every field will have a scoreboard.
Concessions and Merchandise- Who doesn't want a hot dog or snow cone during a sporting event? Just like any other sporting event we will have your favorite food, snacks, and drinks available! Also, if you need a mouth guard, footballs, gloves, or want to sport one of our shirts we will also have those available at the tent!
Knowledgeable and friendly staff- Our family is as invested in this as you are! We want to be there to help provide the best service we can. If you need anything at all stop by the tent and our knowledgeable staff will provide the assistance you need!
You've chosen to spend your free time with us. We want to make it as memorable as possible! We also want to capture those memories! Each week we will take game day photos and videos and upload them to Facebook and/or Instagram!
Personally, our families fell in love with the sport and the game day events. It's a fun and exciting way to spend time as a family. We want you to experience the same thing! We always have an open ear if you have suggestions that will help make your experience even better and help create more of those lasting memories! Reach out to [email protected] if you have any suggestions!
One thing we take pride in is listening to our customers and making adjustments where necessary to provide a better experience. We're here to provide you with the best service possible! If you have feedback we want to hear it! Reach out to [email protected] if you have any feedback that we can learn from and optimize for the future!