Clarification

This is a tricky situation, especially since the rules may not seem completely clear on this situation.  However, I read up on the rules and this is what I found:

A player transfer is defined in the bylaws under article 3, section 3 and reads as follows:

Player Transfers:

A transfer shall be defined as a player moving from a rostered team to another rostered team in the current or previous year. Any player in the USQRA may transfer to another team if they wish. However, if a player chooses to transfer both the player and the team they transfer to must agree to the following guidelines:

Since Ed and Chris are not technically transferring (since they played with Las Vegas last season and, as far as I know, have not moved), the transfer restrictions don't apply to them.  I don't personally know Brian’s situation.  The rule that should apply to these guys would be the player residence rules.  It is in the bylaws under article 3 section 4 and reads as follows:

Player residence

Rosters shall not contain players whose residence and/or place of employment are more than 150 miles from the team's home city unless:

The Commissioner grants an exception based on a request filed by the player and the team for which he wishes to play; or

At the time the player began to play no member team existed less than 150 miles from the player's home city and/or place of employment. If a team is later formed nearer the player he/she has the option of rostering with either team.

There are couple key points and ambiguities to these exceptions.

- in the Constitution, development teams are considered to be "member teams", therefore new players should be required to play for developmental teams if they are within 150 miles according to the rules.

- however, these guys "began to play" before a member team existed less than 150 miles from them

- what does "began to play" mean exactly?  Does it refer to the player's career, or a particular season, or when a player began with a specific team?  This is not exactly clear.

- either way, the rule states that if a team was formed within 150 miles after a player has been playing with a team further than 150 miles then, "he/she has the option of rostering with either team."

In the case of the San Francisco/Las Vegas guys, the rules are pretty clear… they have the choice to play with either Las Vegas or Sacramento.  That's how the rule was written, whether you agree with it or not.

Besides, any situation in which Chris Cook is back playing rugby is a good situation!

Bad for the sport!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I attended the Helter Skelter and as always they are great hosts. Despite this I always feel flying ringers in from towns across the country to win games not only shows bad sportmanship but it hurts the overall developement of the league. When I saw the Skulls having 3 players playing for them from the old California Quake team in a sport that has only 4 starting spots and knowing Sin City is a deep team with 10 Vegas guys on the bench. I have to say it was pretty sad because many of those guyys on the bench would be great if they got some playing time other then garbage minutes.  

Gabe is on the right track,

Gabe is on the right track, the USQRA requires proof of residency only from transferring players, the players questioned above were not transfers.  That does not absolve them from following the 150 mile rule.  The Board has frequently discussed whether it is practicable for USQRA to proactively investigate its players and we do not have the resources to do it.  When the issue was presented to the AGM, the following by-law was adopted.

By January 15, a team may submit a $50 protest fee challenging a player’s residency by asking for proof of residency consisting of four of the following:

1.Address of employment/school/disability check

2.Vehicle registration

3.Address on lease/utility bill/home

4.Credit card or bank statement activity

5.Driver’s license

1. If the protest is upheld, the $50 fee is reimbursed.

Accordingly, the responsibility is on the teams to properly raise the issue.

The rule is fine

I think the rule is fine as it stands. This league is "on it's honor" so to speak. If you have a problem with who the other team is running, take the necessary actions to resolve the issue. I'd be interested in knowing who rebel fan plays for. Personally, if I was on the vegas team I'd be a little mad about the situation. As an opposing player I don't have an opinion either way. I guess it comes down to what teams think protesting this can do for them. Just my .02.

San Francisco Skulls??????????

 I thought those guys played for Quadzilla?  What the heck happened?

Mostly Agree with Rage about Political Bantor

Had written a lengthy reply about working the process and how to amend the USQRA Bylaws/Constitution then I read Article X of our Bylaws....NEVER MIND.

SHUT UP and PUSH or do some serious fundraising and start looking for your own fly guys! Good Luck with that.

Kimball #8 Capitol Punishers

Don't see much ever changing

Simply put:

1. AGM is held at Nationals.

2. Only Team Reps. physically present have a vote. (A proxy is a vote until an amendment is made and approved by those present to change one word of a proposal then that proxy vote is no longer valid. 95% of the reps. that attend are from teams that made Nationals and therefore think the rules, policies, bylaws, etc are fine just the way they are, I guess I would to if I were in their QR chairs.)

3. We are a professional organization otherwise we would have no need for D&O insurance. We have Bylaws and a governing body.

4. Revenue is not the point, it's a fair play & level field issue.

I'm through, enough said.

Kimball #8 Capitol Punishers

Honor????????

Of course Scott Foster has no problem with the rule, he lives in Utah, and played for Phoenix. Same as many other players over the years. Pate w/ Texas(lived in the NW) -Bootsy w/ Texas(lived in the NE) -Gillian w/ Texas(lived in Phoenix) -Hogsett w/ Texas(lives in Phx according to Team USA bio.) -Romero w/ Lakeshore(lives in Wichita) Farrington w/ Phoenix(lives in NW) -Poppen w/ Phoenix(lives in Paso Robles) Crows w/ Phoenix(lives in Ok/Tx), just to name a few This rule is a joke and everyone knows it. It is very easy to get around. Let's face it, the players and the team they go to play for, just straight up lie to the USQRA and it's officials.(Not to mention comitting fraud to the local municipalities.) The real shame in all of this is, that, the last two coaches of the national team and many of the top players are the perpetrators of "getting" around the rule. There is no honor, loyalty, or integrity; just the mentality of do whatever it takes to win now. I remember asking one of these players about their team returning to our tournament the following year, and he said, "They might, but you know me, I'm a Rugby Whore."  The dead give away is in the airport, before and after the tournaments, where these guys are arriving from, and where they are departing to.

Get Your Facts Straight

I live in phoenix, I lived in Northern Arizona. I started playing Rugby in phoenix and have played in Phoenix for every year I've played rugby except one. I also did not live within the stated range for any team in the USQRA and therefore had to pick one of the two closest teams. I have always had a Arizona Drivers license and if you were to look at my bank statements, you'd see I lived in AZ. I don't know who you are because you feel the need to hide your ID but you should probably know what your talking about before you open your mouth. Have a good one. Also, I can say definitively that Mike Gilliand who you say lived in Phoenix while playing for Texas is absolutely false. I played with the heat at the time and I tell one he moved to Texas. This was also before the current transfer rule was instated so transferring up was not illegal like it is now. As for the others, unfortunately I don't know them very well and have no idea where they lived while they played where you have stated.

LOL

I live in Phoenix and attend ASU at the tempe campus.

Last year, I lived on the border of Ut and AZ for the majority of the season which more than the requisite distance from any team and is on the border of Utah and AZ. My mom lives right accross the border in Utah. This happens to be where I grew up and I did stay with her for a few months before moving back to Phoenix in June. However, that was after the season began and was a temporary thing while my Father (Not Scott Sr.) was ill. I no longer have the need to be there and I have moved back to Phoenix to finish school. 

I did not say I lived in Phoenix last year as I would assume you will concede. I have played in Phoenix every year I have played rugby except one season which i lived in Seattle and played with them and played in a tournament or two with Denver. The part you're missing here is that I have not played rugby every year since I have been hurt. This will be my 7th or 8th season out of the nearly 12 years I have been injured. Therefore, because I lived in NORTHERN AZ when I started playing rugby last year I would have been subject to residency requirements. I was allowed to choose my team as I lived outside the distance but I have made my permanent residence in Pheonix as required of me. 

Gilliand did go to Tx, I don't see how his playing time matters though. He moved there, that much I know. He worked there as well I believe, though I could be wrong about that. Also, this was before the current rule which prevents players from changing to a higher ranked team so it was legal for him to transfer to either team as he pleased.

I also understand what the rules are for, that's why people have the opportunity to protest residency. If you weren't a ref, I'm sure you'd be welcome to take advantage of that process as well. Also, if your interested in "fixing" this and other rules make a suggestion. I find the rule fine. If someone is cheating, protest them if it's important to you (if you were on a team). If they really are cheating, it may or may not cost you anything.

Just to summarize, I live in Phoenix. On Chandler Blvd to be exact. I lived in Fredonia AZ when I started last season. You can look here:

http://www.geobytes.com/citydistancetool.htm

and find that Fredonia is 166 miles from Las Vegas, 210 miles from Phoenix, and 290 miles from Salt Lake City. My mother lives in Kanab, UT. LV and Phx were the closest teams when I started giving me the need to CHOOSE between them. Kanab is a little closer to SLC than Phoenix but based on where I lived WHEN I STARTED, as I believe the rule reads, PHX or LV were my closest teams.

Details are important..... I AM NOT A CHEATER and I believe you owe me an apology!!!!!

Funny thing about this whole

Funny thing about this whole thread to me is the talk about honor and such. We talk all the time about the sport rising to the pro-level and not just being something a few gimps do. No pro-sport is honest and decent. Every sport has cheats, and also has rule benders. Every governing body knows what's happening in their sport and often chooses to overlook and minimize things for what they believe is the overall good of the sport. Sounds to me like we're more of a pro-sport than we realize. I support letting people play for whatever team they want, but ending the whole team transfer crap. Or is there a pro-sport that lets teams decide seasonally what region/section they want to compete in?