POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

OF THE SOUTHWEST ZONE OF

UNITED STATES WATER POLO, INC.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

An Executive Board will conduct the business on the Southwest Zone. This board will be comprised of Zone Officers consisting of a Zone Chair and four At-Large positions. It is desired that these five positions have representation from men’s programs, women’s programs, geographical areas, coaches, referees, athletes and administrators as best fit for the operation of the Southwest Zone. The Executive Board will be responsible for the implementation of the approval and distribution of all matters regarding finances for the Southwest Zone. The Executive Board will appoint one of the five officers to act as Treasurer to manage the mentioned zone financial matters. The Executive Board shall have all power to conduct the necessary business of the zone, implement these Southwest Zone Policies and Procedures, and approve amendments to these policies. The Zone Officers shall be elected by Voting Members of the Zone and be given a term of two years or until their successors are duly elected. Such elections shall take place at the Bi-Annual Zone Meetings in even numbered years as defined by Article 5 of the US Water Polo Bylaws. This Board shall have the power to appoint sub-committees to address special issues of the Southwest Zone’s business. All matters voted upon within the Executive Board will only be approved with a majority vote and a minimum of three Executive Board members must vote for any approval.

DELEGATES AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS

1. NEW CLUBS – Any new club that registers itself and a minimum of ten new athletes may petition the Executive Board for the reimbursement of the club’s first year registration fee and the coach’s first year registration fee. The new club would initially register and pay all funds and then petition the Southwest Zone for reimbursement. The Executive Board shall investigate that the stated criteria was met and then approve/disapprove the petition.
2. SANCTION SUPPORT – All tournaments and events whose host submits a USWP sanction form to the Southwest Zone Chair for approval shall have its sanction fee paid for by the Southwest Zone. The Zone Chair shall forward the sanction form along with sanction fee to the USWP national office for processing and then post the event on the USWP Southwest Zone website calendar. The tournament/event host applying for sanction must submit the sanction forms to the Southwest Zone Chair within the timing guidelines stipulated by the USWP sanction rules. The tournament/event host will be responsible for the sanction fee if the above procedure is not followed.
3. TOURNAMENT REFEREES – All USWP sanctioned tournaments and events within the Southwest Zone shall have two referees assigned to all games, except under abnormal circumstances. All referees must be registered Referee Members of USWP and must be certified by attending a valid USWP-certified referee certification clinic, including making a passing grade on the valid USWP rules test. The validity of such certification shall be as described in the Policies and Procedures of the National Referees Committee.
4. QUALIFICATION FOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – For purposes of USWP national/open championship events (National/Open, 20&Under, Men’s/Women’s, Masters and the Speedo Cup), the Southwest Zone receives a minimum of one entry per event. Teams interested in participating in one of these events must notify the Southwest Zone Chair prior to the USWP preliminary entry date specific for that championship to determine whether or not a qualifying event must be set up if more that one Southwest Zone team desires attending the national tournament.
5. ZONE COACHES - The Southwest Zone shall name coaches for age group zone teams and defined by the USWP national programs: junior, youth, cadet, and development for boys and junior, youth, future for girls. The coaches will be selected by a vote of the Southwest Zone Executive Board. The terms of these positions will be two years and will begin on Jan. 1 of even numbered years. Coaches shall have the responsibility to select and develop athletes for their teams to represent the Southwest Zone at USWP Zone Team tournaments and other relative events organized for that team. Coaches may select their own assistants and may not be selected for more than one team. Coaches interested in obtaining one of these coaching assignments must inform the Southwest Zone Chair or another member of the Southwest Zone Executive Board at least two months prior to the specified Jan. 1 term commencement. A general zone coach solicitation announcement will be made by the Southwest Zone during October of odd numbered years. Due to the size of the Southwest Zone and its obvious logistical problems regarding Zone Team tryouts, it will be the policy of this zone to financially assist each team's head coach with travel expense reimbursements for his/her travel to tryouts once per calendar year. Head coaches should use local coaches to assist with evaluating athletes to reduce costs. Anticipated costs shall be approved by the Southwest Zone Executive Board before the head coach schedules his/her trip. Zone Team Coaches will be paid $20 per diem while traveling on zone team business (receipt not required) and $5 per day for airport parking (receipt required).
   
   The current Southwest Zone Zone Coaches can be found at the Zone Governance section of this site.
   

1. ZONE CAPS (August 1, 1999) - Southwest Zone Caps with "SW ZONE" stitched on the front are available for use for Southwest Zone teams participating in national camps or national tournaments. Two goalie caps and field caps numbered 2-11 are available. To use these caps, contact the Southwest Zone Chair.
   
   
2. COACH CAMP FEES (January 15, 2000) - The Southwest Zone will provide reimbursement funding for zone coaches that travel to USWP athlete camps (this does not include private camps or the development/cadet/youth/junior zone team tournaments). The USWP participation fee will be paid in full and plane tickets will be paid up to $350 per round trip. Receipts are required to the zone treasurer before a reimbursement payment will be made. Discretion should be used in travel planning to reduce costs for the zone. Any expenses above the given limits will have to be approved by the zone executive board before reimbursement. Those coaches that wish not to have their funding reimbursed may simply donate their expenses to the general zone fund by not requesting reimbursement.
   
   
3. USWP ANNUAL MEETING FEES (January 15, 2000) - The Southwest Zone will provide reimbursement funding for Zone Delegates, Committee Members, and Officers that travel and participate in the USWP Annual Meeting. The USWP participation fee will be paid in full, hotels will be paid up to $100 (room rate) per night and plane tickets will be paid up to $350 per round trip. Receipts are required to the zone treasurer before a reimbursement payment will be made. Discretion should be used in travel planning to reduce costs for the zone. Any expenses above the given limits will have to be approved by the zone executive board before reimbursement. Those representatives that wish not to have their funding reimbursed may simply donate their expenses to the general zone fund by not requesting reimbursement.
   
   
4. REPLACEMENT OF OFFICERS (January 15, 2000) - Any member of the Southwest Zone Executive Board that resigns or is no longer a registered member of USWP's Southwest Zone will be replaced by a new officer appointed by the remaining members of the Southwest Zone Executive Board as long as the new officer accepts the assignment. This process will continue until a new officer is properly selected. Members of the Southwest Zone Executive Board are not necessarily Southwest Zone delegates or committee members. Although not obvious, this policy also covers the replacement of the Southwest Zone Chair since the Zone Chair has been designated as one of the zone officers.
   
   
5. USWP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRY FEE (January 15, 2000) - The Southwest Zone will provide reimbursement for one-half of the team entry fee per category for any club participating in USWP National/Open Championships that has qualified by winning the designated Southwest Zone qualifying event or by being the only team from the zone participating in the championships. This applies as long as the qualifying event is well publicized and fair in its location geographically. If no qualifying tournament is held and two zone teams are still allowed entry, the reimbursement will be split equally between the two teams. The categories included are Nationals/Open Championships, Men's/Women's, 20&Under, and Speedo Cup.
   
   
6. REPEAL OF UTAH REBATE (January 15, 2000) - Rebate payments to Utah Water Polo will no longer be made. This has been instituted since the first quarter of 1999.
   
   
7. USWP SOUTHWEST ZONE SANCTION POLICY (January 21, 2002) - Click here: Southwest Zone Sanction Policies to view in Microsoft Word format or you can right click and choose "Save Target As..." to download the file.
   
   
8. USWP ZONE TEAM COACH REIMBURSEMENT (April 9, 2005) - The Southwest Zone will provide reimbursement funding for Zone Coaches that travel on Zone Team business. Hotels will be paid up to $100 (room rate) per night and plane tickets will be paid up to $350 per round trip. Receipts are required to the zone treasurer before a reimbursement payment will be made. Discretion should be used in travel planning to reduce costs for the zone. Any expenses above the given limits will have to be approved by the zone executive board before reimbursement.
   
   

1. 2/21/05 – Housecleaning edits.
2. 4/09/05 – Added $20 Per Diem for Zone Coaches traveling on Zone Team Business and $5 for airport parking.
3. 4/09/05 – Amendment 5 - changed reimbursement from one entry fee to one half of the entry fee and removed Master's Nationals from this category.
4. 4/09/05 – Added Amendment 8 to clarify current process.
5. 4/09/05 – Edited Amendment 3 increase hotel rate to $100 per night (room rate).