Org Help Desk - ADMIN MISC

Admin Miscellaneous Policies

TYFA Staff

Who are Black Shirts? They are league representatives, and can either be Chapter Directors, Cheer Staff or Senior Executive Staff members of the league. Regardless of their position within the league, they are still league representatives responsible for ensuring compliance with TYFA rules and maintaining order at events.

Black Shirts are the primary attire for TYFA staff members while performing rule enforcement duties at events. On occasion, especially during multi-day events, they may wear other colored shirts, but they will always be clearly identifiable.

Black Shirts serve as the primary representatives of their respective TYFA chapters, acting as the eyes and ears of their chapter.

TYFA Black Shirts are not game officials. They are solely responsible for rules enforcement and compliance.

Black Shirt Duties & Responsibilities

ENFORCE TYFA policies and rules that organizations, volunteers, athletes, and spectators may be violating.
NOT stop a game to correct a situation on the field that the referees may or may not have caught.
CORRECT the referees during a stoppage in the game, such as halftime, for the "game going forward" — they cannot change the result of a play from the past.
ASSIST the referees if they ask for help.
ADVISE and EDUCATE officials on rules to ensure proper understanding and application during the game.

TYFA will not be involved with any organization conducting a camp or jamboree, except under the following conditions:

- - TYFA’s name and logo may not be used for these events without prior written approval from TYFA’s Senior Executive Board.
  - Recruitment of athletes or volunteers from other TYFA organizations is prohibited.
  - These events may not serve as tryouts for filling TYFA rosters.
  - These events cannot be promoted as official TYFA events.

Any violations of these policies will result in a Level II violation against the host organization.

Organizations wishing to distribute event flyers may submit a request to HelpDesk@tyfa.com for a one-time bulk email to TYFA organizations.

TYFA will not extend its medical or liability insurance to any event that is not officially scheduled by TYFA.

Note: TYFA does not determine the fees for camps or jamborees. The responsibility for setting and collecting any fees for these events lies solely with the camp or jamboree organizer.

Practice Start Date & Duration: TYFA teams may begin practice at their discretion. There is no official start date and no restriction on daily or weekly practice hours. However, athlete wear-and-tear should be considered, and extended preseason or excessive practice durations may raise concerns among parents.

Conditioning: There is no mandatory conditioning requirement. Given Texas’ extreme heat, teams are strongly encouraged to implement a gradual transition from general conditioning to helmets-only sessions before progressing to full-pad practices.

Full-Contact Limitations: As per the 2018 Safety Initiative, full-contact practice is limited to two sessions per week. External scrimmages and jamborees do not count toward this limit.

Intrasquad Scrimmages:
- Scrimmages may only occur between teams within one age bracket (e.g., 9U vs. 11U).
- These scrimmages must be Touch/Wrap-Up only with no takedowns.
- 5U Flag teams may not scrimmage against tackle teams.

Violations of Practice Guidelines will result in a Level II violation charged against the Head Coach.

There are no restrictions on TYFA teams playing non-TYFA teams prior to or during the TYFA season, provided the following conditions are met:

- - TYFA’s schedule must remain unchanged.
  - No TYFA games can be forfeited to accommodate a non-TYFA game.
  - If a non-TYFA game is scheduled at a venue hosting TYFA games, TYFA games take precedence.
  - Non-TYFA games are limited to one-off events or tournaments. A TYFA team cannot be part of another league’s regular schedule, as this constitutes dual participation.

Violations of these terms will result in a Level II violation against the organization.

TYFA will not extend its medical or liability insurance to any event that is not officially scheduled by TYFA.

If TYFA arranges games between TYFA teams, TYFA will extend its insurance coverage to the event. If non-TYFA teams are involved, you will need to make a request to HelpDesk@tyfa.com

TYFA’s legal team has determined that, as a private entity, we have the authority to designate any venue hosting an officially scheduled TYFA event as a private venue.

As such, TYFA may declare these venues as Gun-Free Zones. Independent School District (ISD) venues are already designated as Gun-Free Zones, meaning firearms—whether open or concealed—are prohibited, except for off-duty law enforcement officers.

For non-ISD venues, we recommend posting the required bilingual signage (English and Spanish) stating:

"This venue is hosting a TYFA event and has been designated a Gun-Free Zone. The possession of firearms, whether open or concealed, is strictly prohibited."

Please note that public parks are an exception, and we cannot enforce a Gun-Free Zone in these locations.

Under Texas Penal Code 30.05, if an individual is found carrying a firearm at a restricted venue, you may request that they secure the firearm in their vehicle. If they refuse, you are authorized to issue a Criminal Trespass Warning. Should noncompliance persist, law enforcement may be contacted for further action.

The ADA Service Animal Policy is very complicated when it comes to what you can and cannot ask.
TYFA highly recommends you research your venue policy and go with that.
If your venue does not have a policy, you can research or get a lawyer to provide you one.
Texas Disability Law - Service Animals

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