Frequently Asked Questions

Our most-commonly asked questions about Leagues, Teams & Players

 

Jump to a section:
 
1. Registration Basics
 
2. Payment Basics
 
3. Signing Up as an Individual
 
4. Signing Up as a Team Captain
 
5. Season Scheduling Info
 

 

1. Registration Basics

 

 
I just discovered you guys, is it too late for me to sign up a Team, or join a team as an Individual?
 
We always have new leagues open for registration and starting soon. Registration for upcoming seasons is typically open at least a month or two in advance, and typically closes on the Signup Deadline 6 days prior to the start date. Check out our leagues with open registration here. If you're dying to play immediately, contact us to see if there may be room in a league already in progress.
 
I just moved to Orange County or I don't know enough people to put together a team but I want to play, what should I do?
 
Sign up as an Individual and BCS will place you on an existing team or a new team with other Individual signups. It's a great way to meet new friends! We contact Captains to check existing team availability about a week before the season begins, and then notify you about who your other teammates are and when you'll be playing.  
 
How old do I have to be to participate?
 
All BCS leagues require participants to be 20 or older. 
 
What age are most of the people who play?
 
People of all ages and skill levels play in our leagues! We have 53-year-old gym managers, 20-year-old players new to the game, 31-year-old weekend warriors just looking to stay in shape, 26-year-old ballers, 41-year-olds who've played weekly leagues for years, you get the idea. Our Competitive divisions tend to skew a little younger (20's and 30's), and we forsee someday having a 30+ division, but those are the only generalizations we could make.
 
How do I create a profile on BCS's website?
 
To create a profile, you must register for a league. After your first registration, you will have a permanent profile on our website. 
 
There are three ways to complete registration for a league:
  1. Register as a Team Captain and create a team. 
  2. Register as an Individual - you'll then be added to a roster. 
  3. Accept an invitation from a Team Captain via email or Facebook invite. 
 
What if my Team invitation link doesn't work?
 
When a Captain creates a team, they can send email invitations to friends and coworkers with a link that will allow them to join the team directly. These links expire after a certain length of time though, at which point players may get an error saying the link is no longer valid. Don't worry, if this happens players can still sign up for the team by:
  1. Having your Captain log in and send a new invite to an active email address.
  2. Email info@beachcitysports.com and let us know the league and team you're trying to join.

 

2. Payment Basics

 

 
What do my league registration dues include?
 
Individual dues must be paid in full during registration, and Team dues must be paid in full by the Payment Deadline, specified in the league details. 
 
Standard Football/Volleyball/Kickball League Registration typically includes:
✓ 7-10 guaranteed games. 2-3 playoff games for Qualifying Teams.
✓ League Scheduling & Customer Support
✓ Trained, Paid Referees AND Photographer to capture all of the action (NO additional Reffing Fees - with exception of Basketball Refs)
✓ Registration Fee also includes League Team-Shirts (Dry Fit shirts), Sunrype Fruit Snacks & Water at games, personalized BCS Card providing seasonal access to all of our local sponsor bars, resteraunts, gyms, and partners (retail value $25).
✓ Championship Awards for 1st Place Teams
✓ End of Season Party featuring Trophies and a dozen Awards.
✓ Check your specific league details for any modification to these items.
 
* Beach City Sports reserves the right to change the length of a season due to excessive rainouts, field scheduling issues, and other unforeseen circumstances. We also reserve the right to change of day, time and location of games in order to complete games. 
 
What is your refund policy?
 
Our refund policy is outlined in the player waiver, which is agreed to during the registration process. All registration fees are non-refundable. Registering for a team or league is a commitment to participate in the full season. A player's or team's decision not to participate in a league they have registered for is not grounds for a refund. If players or teams choose not to participate after they have registered and up to 1 week before the season starts, they may request a credit to use towards a future league. Refunds are also not given if a player moves, due to a change in work schedule, or any other non-league related changes. Participation in adult sports, even at the social level, may result in injury unfortunately. BCS partners with Newport Orthopedic Centers to make the best care possible is easily accessable to you, however does not refund players' fees if they are injured. 
 

3. Signing Up as an Individual

 

 
 
What is an Individual signup?
 
We call them "Indy" for short, or Free Agent signups. Basically it means that you don’t have a team to play with, but still want to play. Just sign up by yourself and we will either place you on an existing team (after Captains let us know whether they need additional players that season), or what we call "Free Agent Teams" with other people that have signed up by themselves. So, on day one you'll meet the Captain and teammates of an established team, or "Free Agent Team" players who are in the same boat as you. Many of our past Free Agent teams stick together season after season, so it's often the best way to meet some new friends!
 
When will I be placed on a team?
 
Individuals will be assigned to a team typically 1-7 days prior to the first scheduled game, after BCS knows which Captains and teams need additional players, or whether a new Free Agent team will be created. Go ahead and plan to play a game on the first scheduled day of the season, even if you haven't received a team assignment just yet - it should arrive soon! Please contact us if for some reason you haven't heard from us by the day before the first scheduled game.
 
My friend and I both want to play and sign up together, but only if we’re on the same team, can you make that happen?
 
Of course! During your Individual signup process you can invite friends to join you by emailing a link which will group you with your friends to be teamed together.
 
Invite Friends to Play
 
The more you invite, the better the chance of placement! If everyone that intends to play signs up, we are usually able to place you together 99% of the time, otherwise we will notify you if that it is not the case. There is also a "Team or Teammate Request" during registration.
 
What type of footwear is recommended?
 
Nobody wears shoes on the beach, although some do wear socks or sand socks.  For our off-the-beach leagues, in general we recommend regular molded grass cleats, for both our artificial grass turf fields and our grass or kickball fields. However, players are free to wear any boot they'd like, as long as they don't have metal studs. Some players wear turf cleats, a few even wear flats. Our artificial grass fields are fairly thick (like real grass) and have a rubber pellet base.
 
What color shirt should I wear?
 
Dry fit team shirts will be picked up by your team captain no later than the 3rd week.  For the first week we recommend you bring both a light and dark shirt to represent home & away. Or your captain may instruct you what color he/she wants you to wear.  In our football leagues, proper attire throughout the season will include comfortable shorts or pants without belt loops or pockets (to repeat : NO baggy shorts and NO pockets).  Shirts are required to be TUCKED IN if they interfere with the flag-belt in any way.
 
I’m not sure if I should play, I’m not that good…
 
While at least a tiny bit of experience coming into any contact with a ball is recommended even for our Social or Coed leagues (even if it was way back in 6th grade), by no means do you have to be "good"! Our Social and Coed leagues are very accommodating to players without much experience, or who haven't played in a while. The atmosphere is very welcoming and friendly in general.
 
I want to play, but I may have to miss a game because of work/wedding/etc.
 
If you have to miss a game or two, that’s not a huge problem. We keep extra players on the roster of each team as we realize that everyone can’t make every week. Please, however, be considerate of your team & team captain by communicating early if you will be missing a game.  If you need to miss more than half the season, it’s probably best to pick another league.
 
What if I only want 10 people on my team?
 
At this time we require all teams to have a minimum of 11 registered players.  If your team would like to have only 10 players registered, please email us and we can split up the cost of the 11th player on one or all of the existing rostered players accounts.  
 
Our team isn’t good, but my friend is really good, can I bring him along and let him play to make us better?
 
No. You can feel free to bring subs with you if your team might be short one game, but A) all subs must be approved by the other team captain and have checked in at the registration tent to sign a waiver. And B) just bringing your buddy with you to play isn’t fair to the rest of the team. You are taking away playing time from people who paid to play. You also risk incurring an immediate team forfeit by bringing an ineligible, non-roster player to any playoff game.
 
What if I really like my teammates, can I keep them? 
 
Of course! We encourage you to sign up for another season as a full team after your initial Free Agent team. Just choose someone to be the Captain and sign up when the next season’s leagues open up!
 

4. Signing Up as a Team Captain

 

 
            >>This section is coming soon!<<
 
5. Scheduling

 

 
When can I see a schedule for my league?
 
Generally we do a schedule for the first week of the league about 2-3 days prior to the start date. After the first day of the league, we will put together and post a schedule for the full season.
 
Why the two separate schedule release dates?
 
Waiting on the full season schedule gives us the chance to potentially accommodate any teams who may register a little late. By only scheduling the first week, we can add them without going back and changing all of your game times to accommodate them. It also allows us to make any necessary adjustments to league details if necessary.
 
My team can’t make a certain week at all. Can we just get a bye week and make up that game later?
 
Sometimes. Generally if your captain will email us before the conclusion of week 1, we do our best to accommodate reschedule requests if the other team is amicable.
 
Do you ever cancel for rain?
 
We do play in rainy or wet conditions on our beach & turf fields!  So if you've seen some rain and are wondering if games are still on, the answer is YES! Very rarely will there ever be a cancellation due to weather; if there is lightning or a torrential downpour, we may delay play until it subsides. The comissioner for each league will "make the call" and any cancellations will be immediately posted on our Twitter, as well as team captains will receive a text. We will make every effort to give at least two hours notice if we need to cancel for any reason.
 
What holidays do you cancel leagues for?
 
Due to field time constraints, we can’t cancel leagues on every day that is considered a holiday.
 
Leagues will typically NOT play on: Winter Holiday Break (day before Christmas through New Year's Day), Easter Sunday, July 4th (including weekend), Memorial Day Weekend (Sat-Mon), Labor Day Weekend (Sat-Mon), Thanksgiving Weekend (Wed-Sun)
 
Leagues typically WILL play on: Mother's Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Presidents’ Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Father’s Day, Veterans Day, etc...
  
How do you determine who makes the playoffs?
 
Generally the top 6-8 teams always make the playoffs, and other teams may play a consolation game if the request orginates from interested captains. Sometimes, depending on the league's specific format or total number of teams, more teams may make the playoffs - the format for playoffs and qualification are typically listed on the league's schedule. The standings page will have info on how we determine ranking and tiebreakers for teams with the same ranking points. Sometimes it's possible you may even make the playoffs with a losing record. Basically it’s never a good idea to assume you made the playoffs, and it’s never a good idea to assume you didn’t. The best thing to do is check the schedule on the website a couple of days after the last game of your regular season to see if you made the playoffs or have a consolation game. And hopefully you know by now that you can email us anytime if you have any questions or concerns!